Acj. 4-^08

Or how to Realize the. Most Money with the Smallest Expenditure of Capital
and Labor in the Care of Bees, Rationally Considered.

PUBlilSIIED QUABTBKLY.

7ol.T" MEDINA, 0., JAN. 1, 1873, N<>. l.

INTRODUCTORY.

'.qljF.i.t.ow Novices : — We must eon-
ihj fees to a feeling of not being quite
as much at homo here, just yet, as in
the old American Bee Journal, but we
trust wo shall all, in time, feel all the
liberty here that we have there en-
joved. Remember at all times that
Improved Bee Culture is our end
aim. and wo trust no one will
csitate to give any facts from ex-
perience. because they may tend to
overthrow any particular person or
■hobby."

If any of our especial plans don't
work, or if anything we c advertise
has had its value over-estimated,
here in these pages is the place of
all others to set the error right.
Please don';, be hasty or prematurely
positive, and when one of our nuni- j
her acknowledges a fault and makes
proper reparation, the matter should
be overlooked and friendly feelings
renewed on both sides, at once and
forever.

The advances now being made in
Bee Culture, it scents to us, must j]
necessarily bring about individual
losses often ; for instance, ono of us
may have made up a quantity of
hives for sale, and new developments
may point out plainly that they are
not fully adapted to the present needs
of Bee Culture, and when you are
satisfied of this, please do not attempt jj

to sell them without telling your
customer the whole truth, and making
the price correspond. The same
may be said of Extractors. If
necessary to throw thorn away as
old lumber or old metals, do not, wc
implore you, hesitate an instant.

Our most successful business men
ol tlic present day, have discovered
it to be a fact that it is more profita-
ble to toll their customers the had
points of their wares as well as the
good. There arc ample opportunities
in this world to acquire a compe-
tence honestly.

One of the most lamentable
wrongs in Bee Culture is the custom
of taking money for a “right to
make and use" a hive, knowing that
the buyer could “make and use - ’ a
hive so nearly like it as to answer
every purpose, without using a six

OLE ONE OP THE PATENTED FEATURES

Itwill be our especial aim to fully in
form the public of all such trail
sactions coming under our observa-
tion.

Please give facts all you can with-
out regard to their hearing on in-
dividuals, if they are of such a
nature as to benefit the masses.
Without further moralizing we will
try and let our little Joi hnai. show
for itself what it is; but, dear read-
ers, wc hope you have read this care-
fully for wc may refer to it hereafter.

“novice’s” gleanings in bee culture.

STARTING AN APIARY.

OITR WAY.

S ELECT a piece of ground near
your dwelling nearly level, and,
if possible, sloping gently to the east
or south. It will pay to level it down
like a brick yard, removing all rub-
bish of every description. Stretch a
line running east and west on one
side, 60 foot long, with knots tied
every 3 feet, drive a stako six foet
long and 2i inches square of oak or
some durable wood at every other
one of these knots ; in fact the better
way is to tie the knots of black and
white tape alternately, fastening
them with pins that they may not
slip. First drive a stake at each
white knot, then move each end of
the line by a stick cut accurately 5 j
feet. A line should also be stretch-
ed on one of the sides at right-angles
to the first so that it may always be
shifted squarely forward. Put a
row of stakes on the black knots,
then on the white again, and you
will thus secure them in the shape
of the cells in a honey comb, viz :
each stake is surrounded by six others
equally distant. Plant a grape vine
on the south side of each stake and
a hive on the north side, and with
your Bee House located in tho cen-
ter of this plantation you have or
may have all tho requisites and
every facility for moving among the
hives in all directions.

This plot will accomodate about
100 hives, which number we consider
as many as it will pay to keep for
honey in one locality. If you arc
ambitious for more, open other sim-
ilar “ranches” three miles distant
and 'three miles from each other,
(this being tho center,) on tho plan
we have arranged the stakes in the
beginning. But as the central
apiary of “our system” is not yet
finished we will attend to that first.

The very first work to be done is
to get those grape vines growing, and
we know of no variety equal to tho
Concord for the purpose. Good,
strong, well rooted vines should be
purchased for about $10.00 per 100.
Buy them of some one you know, if
possible ; never patronize “traveling
men.” Pinch off all shoots but one
and train that straight up until it is in
position to best shade your hive in

the hot weather, and tie it securely
with strings. Cut down this shoot
at the end of the first year and Urn
second year train two straight cane* 1

•In the spring of the third season
pull up your stake and drive it 18
inches directly east of its first po-
sition, and one just like it the same
distance west. Cut them off on a
line four feet from tho ground and
connect the two with strips of pine j
1x3 inches, one at the top and 1
another 3 feet lower. Tie your two
branches to the lower bar spreading |
them each way and cut them off be-
yond tho stakes. Stretch wires j
(galvanized iron is best) from upper 1
to lower bar every Id inches and
your trellis is done. All the pruning ,
and future training these vines will
need is to tie the shoots to the wires
every summer, and cut them back to
the lower bar every winter, pinching
off' all shoots that are not needed
and pinching them all off when
they get much above the top bar.
We know of no more healthful and
prettier work for women and chil-
dren than training these vines. As
they are trained solely for the shade
they afford the hives, we have not
yot determined what course the
Apiarian should pursue should they
become loaded with fruit, as ours
have been for several seasons, but
have an impression that the ■ women
and children still might aid us.

Trees have been suggested in place
of vinos ; and basswood would grow
rapidly, but wo could not have them |
so near togother and they would
shado the hives morning and eve- J
ning when they should have all the j
sun possible. Wo know of nothing j
that cam be kept just where we want
them so well as grape vines, and as
the lanes run east and west the sun
gives us his rays when wanted and
at no other time.

To economize labor \ve shouhU
havo the house in the center and the i
hives and vines thus removed may,]
be placed on tho sides so as to make i
our rancho more in the form of a
circle. The north and west sides L
should be protected from high winds
by a close fence or wall 8 feet high.

A track should be laid to the
nearest point of access with a wagon,
from tho bee house door, and n low
truck or car used to roll your bar-

“Novice’s” cleanings in bee culture

3

rels of honey on, bring in hives,
barrels, etc,, and every facility af-
forded for keeping the whole place
neat and tidy at all seasons.

Our friend Mr. E. B. Blakeslee, of
this place, uses the following modi-
fication of this plan. The bee house
is placed at the lowest side of the
Apiary and a track or tracks with
proper switches made to run be-
tween each two rows of hives. A bar-
rel is fixed low down in tho car, and
Extractor and implements placed
over it. The whole is covered with
a light, square tent, made of canvass
and wire cloth for an assistant to
work secure from robbers. Roll
your car to the top of the slope,
hand the full frames from the hive
through a slit in the canvass to your
assistant until the hive is finished,
then roll your car to the next two
hives, and so on until you get to the
house, when your barrel should be
full and ready to roll off for another.
This plan really works well and ain't
patented. If it suits you, thank Mr.
Blakeslco. Next number we will
give our plan more fully, and sug-
gestions for the construction of a
Bee House.

PROBLEMS

I'OIl THE GENIUS OF OUR YANKEE BEE
KEEPERS.

1 ST. Some plan by which coffee su-
_i gar can bo made into solid candy,
as cheaply as wo can make it into
syrup ; so that we can have it in
cakes or bars to be laid on top of the
frames under tho quilt. The most
careless bee keeper could then sup-
ply destitute colonies with a more
wholesome food than honey, and see
when they were out by simply rais-
ing the quilt. Perhaps our South-
ern friends could mako us some such
sugar. If dampened up with water
and dried, the “little chaps lug it off”
out of the hive when it crumbles
down, one grain at a time.

2nd. Is brown sugar any cheaper
Jthan No. 1. A. coffee sugar, i. e. in
a dollar’s worth of each, could a
chemist find more pure sugar in the
cheaper article V If so, about how
uuch ? Can our Southern friends
mlp us?

2d. By dispensing with the shaft
in tho extractor and making the

frame larger, we can reverse combs
inside of frame. Can they not be
reversed without malting frame larger ?
If we use folded tin strips instead
of wire cloth, they need not come
nearer tho edge of comb than with-
in one inch of each of its sides.
Think of it.

4th. In tall hivesin springthc brood
cluster has generally to be enlarged
downward ; in long hives with
small frames they are obliged to go
over to other combs ; while in long
hives with long shallow frames they
are only obliged to move along
horizontally on the same comb, and
the latter has uniformly been most
successful with us. We should like
the opinion of all bee keepers who
have no “ rights for sale," on the
above points. We shall publish the
result in a table.

No form of hive which does not
provide for, or admit of the ready
use of the honey-emptying machine,
can ever again find favor with pro-
gressive bee keepers. — Wagner.

STRAWS.

[For Novice’s Gleanings in Bee Culture.]
Nowhere, Dec. 3, 1872.

M AY I bring a straw for your bundle of
gleanings, Mr. Novice? Throw itinto
your paper basket if you choose. I am
among those who do not like to risk having
my upper lip made into a miniature portico,
or my ability to “observe the beauties of
nature” suspended.

W. P. Clark says in “Annals,” “Happy
is the bee keeper, who can get possession
of an old fashioned, black lace veil.” I
think I understand him. With a veil made
as follows, no gloves, and a pair of line
tweezers to draw out the little beard that
sometimes breaks off in the flesh, as you
take away the sting, you may work with
very little fear. Three-fourths of a yard
of crown lining, black or white as you pre-
fer, three-eighths of a yard of black bobinet
lace, (will make the face for two) ; or tulle
is nice, only not as durable, and one-half
yard rubber cord. Cut off one width of
crown lining I!) inches for length of veil,
cut lace lengthwise in two pieces, sew a
piece of crown lining at both top and
bottom, hem and run rubber cord in top, slip
cord over crown of the hat, and tuck the
veil tinder the clothing at. the neck, or wear
loose. Materials can be found at most
milliner’s shops or dry goods stores, at a
cost of 40c.

N. B. — If you have any very prominent
features, don’t draw the veil too closely. 0.

4

“ novice’s ” GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE,

NOVICE’S

famngs in

cc miltiirc.

A. I ROOT & CO.,

EDITORS AND PROPRIETORS.

Published Quarterly, at Medina, Ohio.

We shall, if a sufficient number
desire, describe our machinery for
1 making hives, windmill, buzz saw,
{etc., etc. Several have made in-
■ quiries already, and those caring for
j the matter will please drop us a line.
: We recommend every Bee keeper
to make his own hives if possible.

Terms: Coo. for the 4 Numbers.

Any one sending m 5 Subscribers can retain 25c.
for their trouble.

[PRINTED AT MEDINA COUNTY GAZETTE OFFICE.]

Medina,, January 1, 1873.

As we arc only a “wee” Journal as
yet, many things are crowded out
that wo should have been glad to
have used.

Messrs. Shaw & Daniels, whose
advertisement appears on last page,
are men to whom we should not
hesitate to send an order if we
wanted Bees.

Our readers will oblige us by call- 1
ing the attention of their Bee keep-
ing friends to this our first number
“Gleanings,” if they think it worthy
of it, but don’t otherwise.

We have received queens from
both Mr. Argo, of Lowell, Ky., and
Mr. Carey, Colerain, Mass., too lato
to judge of them, as with us a queen
is estimated by her work, and “hand-
some is as handsome does.” We
hope the gentlemen will accept our
thanks all the same.

We have no “Associate Editors,” !
and are only a plain, simple “Novice,’ ,
yet we are going to try hard to earn
the many “25 cents-es” which have
been sent in so freely ; and the many
kind letters of regard and approval
of our past efforts in the American |
Bet .Journal we have no room to
notice further than that they are
worth more to us than “coined gold.
Our heartfelt thanks to you, one and
all.

Thanks. — “0” from lt nowhere ," you
have given us something far superior
to “covered wagons” with sleeves,
strings, and wire cloth, so often
recommended and which are in hot
weather a greater punishment than
stings. The veil we used when
handling closed top frames was brief
enough to be carried in the vest
pocket and yet protected the face
perfectly. We think very many
could make, burning rotten wood, a
sufficient “argument in all emergen-
cies” if “they only thought so."

A correspondent who rears queens
for sale writes us that some of his
neighbors arc stocking up with black
bees, which they will neither sell
nor pay half price for having
Italianized, thinking he will do it
for nothing rather than suffer so
much damage from hosts of common
drones. As these persons are of
course ignorant and unskillful, lie
suggests the probability that their
bees may ail die during the coming
winter. We are inclined to think
kindness, forbearance and a friend-
ly disposition to try and make better
neighbors of these people, will, as
with all other neighborhood difficul-
ties, be found the most powerful
weapons in the end.

By “fixed” frames we understand
such as are not movable laterally, but
have a permanent position assigned
to them, which the bees commonly
make more fixed, still by means of
propolis. To adopt and use such
is to go half way back to the old box
system. On that principle railroad
men should abandon steam and run
thoir locomotives by horse power!—
J. M. Brice, in American Bee Journal.

NOVICE S GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

HEADS OF GRAIN FROM DIF-
FERENT FIELDS.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

f fllENU me all the information you can on
SP bees, as they have been my study for 30
years. I have fed two bids. A crushed and
one bid. coffee sugar ; I wish to know best
preparation, and which sugar is best, and
the sort of bee house you recommend. I
find that strong colonies will do well any-
where and weak ones do best in the house.

1 used one gill of vinegar to 25 lbs. sugar,
and 2 h gallons water, boil and skim. Will
that candy if not used up before spring?
,1. Harris, Montville, W. Va.

Answers. — We have used the recipe as
given in our circular, for the past G years,
more or less, with uniform success ; and a
friend near us has this fall fed a bbl. of
coffee sugar by simply pouring boiling
water on it, and nothing more. The bees
have sealed up the greater part of it, and
all is well so far. Will report further in
spring. We have no doubt your recipe will
be all right, if fed early enough, but why so
much water? Full directions will be given
in our next, for building for winter, to be
used as honey houses in summer. We |
think there can be no danger of candying, ■
but your syrup may spur if fed too late to j
he sealed up. (See problems. )

In answer to Mr. Eli Coble, Cornersville,
Tenn., we reply that R. R. Murphey’s ex-
tractor comes nearer to what is wanted
than any we know of. Have them made to
take the frames the largest way up and
down, and have the can as small as can he
and revolve the combs not more than It)
inches from each other, and have him leave
off all the wood work, so that it can he fix-
mi over the bung of a barrel. (See pro-
blems.)

G. E. Corbin, St. Johns, Mich., asks :
“Is not 9J inch frame too shallow to econo-
mize heat to the best advantage in winter-
ing, and for spring brood rearing?” Opr
experience is most strongly in favor ol
shallow frames for the very reason you
mentioned. See American Her Journal,
page lOd, Vol. VI, and page 271, June,
72, and problems.

“Do you use any honey board ?"— Never
except the cloth quilt. “Are not frames
18x0 inches or thereabouts, of on awkward
shape to use in extractors?" — Quite the
contrary, see a former question. “Do you
place the boxes at the side or on top of
frames?” For box honey make the dollar
hive we have recommended in our circular,
of double the width and put on a second
story. Now put the bees on ten combs
placed in the center below, and put your
boxes on each side and above a la Quinby’s
hive. If you can raise bees enough, all the
boxes will be filled probably, but you would
certainly get more honey to let the bees
fill frames if room be given them gradually
as they can use it, and then when you get

nice combs in all 40 frames, it seems such
a waste to destroy them that we should ad-
vise taking out the honey with the extract-
or, and returning them to be filled again ;
which will be done in one-fourth the time it
would take to build new ones. Such a hive
should be made for about one-half more
expense than $1.00 hives, and affords every
facility for working frames spread out
horizontally, or for getting enormous yields
of box honey with powerful colonies, or
those made so by taking brood from other
stocks.

"Will not extracted honey soon become
unsalable, or at least at a paying price?
It is certainly much thinner, watery, more
liable to ferment in quantities, etc., etc.,
and I notice that while it is quoted at 13c,
it is claimed that box honey sells as high as
30, 40, and sometimes 50c.”

Do not extract the honey until the bees
begin sealing it, and it will be precisely like
that in the comb. Whenever you can dis-
tinguish any difference in taste, it indicates
that the honey has not been fully ripened
in the hive. Small quantities that have
been extracted too soon, may be ripened
by placing in shallow pans in an oven. No
Apiarian should make the blunder more
than once. Extracted honey, too, retails
in some places for 30 or 40c. (See honey
page).

“Am I to understand that any swarm of
bees will take up and deposit 25 lbs. of
syrup in ten hours?” Many report thut
they do not, but ours do even better when
we have a full colony of Italians, weather
warm, and syrup warm, and feeder on the
frames directly over the cluster.

“When you have a colony large enough
to need two or three stories in the summer,
do you force them all into one to winter?"
Sometimes, but they have required more
food, and were no better in spring than
those with fewer bees, and now we take
brood from them after the working season,
for others that may need it, or to make new
| colonies.

Henry Palmer, of Hart, Michigan, writes :
j “That swarm that had given us 400 lbs.
when 1 wrote you, have since given us 100
I lbs. fall honey, making a good 500 in all.

' Our surplus will not come much, if any,
short of 3000 from 11 swarms, no increase
1 of swarms." As Mr. Palmer has given us
one of the best reports ever made in bee
| culture, will he be so kind as to describe his
\ hive and mode of working. He adds fur-
ther :

“How do you keep the bees from gluing
the upper and lower stories together, also,
lower story and bottom so that you cannot
move the hive forward and back to enlarge
| and contract entrance. My bees glue them
! so it is almost impossible to separate them,
and how do you lift off the upper story
without, strips and cleats around the hive ?'

Mr. Palmer, we declare, we will put you
in the problem department. Geo. Howe,
M. D., away down in Louisiana, wrote
us a pleasant letter last Mav,_ and in
it remarked that a cloth dipped in

i;

“ NOVfCfcA ” CLEANINGS IN LEE CULTURE

warm, clean tallow and passed over those
parts of the hive that he wished kept free
from propolis, would, so far as his exper-
ience went, answer the purpose completely.
We are almost ashamed to say we have not
given it a trial, but in this dilemma make
the suggestion. We would contrive some
way to avoid having projecting strips on
the hive if possible. Some machine could
be made to cut a place for the fingers in
the end boards of the hive, without cutting
through. Thanks Mr. Palmer for just criti-
cisms.

Mr. J. P. How, Petersburg, Mich., wishes
to know if our “top bars do not sag when
the frames are full of honey.” None to
speak of, even when supporting heavy glass
vases filled with honey besides. The thin
comb guide, when glued in place by the
bees, gives great strength with little weight.

Prof. A. J. Cook, of Agricultural Col-
ledge, Mich., reports $80.00 profits from a
single hive this season. “Never say die,"
(as 'Barnaby’s Raven’ had it,) friend Cook,
if the Bee Cholera did use your bees
shabbily.

PERIODICALS OF OUR COUN-
TRY DEVOTED TO BEE
CULTURE

thattbe Am. Bee Journal, published
ed at Washington, richly deserves to stand at
the head of the list. It is now in its eighth
Volume, and having steadily kept the good
of the people in view, it could hardly be
other than of the greatest value to the
Apiarian. We would most strongly urge
beginners, to get the complete back numbers
and have them bound for reference. There
is scarcely a disputed point in the whole
science, that has not been considered at
length, and pros and cons given from
practical experience of the leading bee
keepers of the world. Terms $2.00 per
year.

The Bee Keeper’s Journal made its ap-
pearance iu 1809, and has given us much
that is valuable. It has a neat and attrac-
tive appearance, and makes a pretty family
paper, were it not necessarily cramped and
made in many respects unreliable, from the
fact of its being owned and published in
the interest of a patent hive. As a free
discussion of different forms and shapes of
hives might not always favor the one that
must not be criticised, every thing relating
to hives is ommited or changed so as to re-
fer only to the hive in question. As the
paper has been largely advertised and has
a great circulation, it is to be earnestly
hoped that this objectionable feature may
soon be removed. Issued monthly, at No.
14, Murray St., N. Y. Terms, $1.50 per
year.

Tin } Illustrated Bee Journal, afterwards
changed to the National, published
monthly sometimes, and sometimes oftener, i
we believe was never considered of much

value. The proprietor owned two patent
hives, and it finally fell into the hands of
the editor of the Bee Keeper s Journal, be-
fore mentioned, who may have owned it
all the time, we don’t know. The Journal
at one time made each subscriber offers of
queens for premiums, that have never been
sent, and, although possessing some valua-
ble features and some articles of merit,
wo cannot conscientiously recommend it.
Published at Indianapolis. Terms, $2.00
per year.

Moon's Journal, started recently, we
would designate the North American Bee
Journal, were it not for the fact that we so
much dislike copying the name of an old
established Journal so nearly. Are there
not names enough in the world to furnish
a greater variety and prevent confusion.

We have many times asked a visitor if he
| or she took the American Bee Journal f
j “Oh, yes, certainly," and then after a while
finding they seemed to know nothing of the
existence of more than one path in bee
culture ; we asked again, where is your
Journal printed? "In New York,
of course." And they had subscribed
lor the American Bee Journal, not
knowing that there was another on
the face of the earth. Pretty soon we shall
have to designate them as the "Indian-
apolis,” “New York,” and “Washington"
Journals. Please, Mr. Moon, call it some-
thing else. Candor compels us to say that
the greatest fault we cau find with this
Journal is, that it seems to lack both sub-
stance and system. Indianapolis. Terms,
$2.00 per year.

We feel that we should here mention the
American Bee Gazette, started almost
simultaneously with the American Bee Jour-
nal, and afterwards united with it. A little
paper started and carried forward on the
right principles ; and we cannot help, even
now, thankiug Mr. E. VauSlyke, for the
first, ideas given us then of the melextrac-
tor.

Annals oj ' Bee Vulture has been is-
sued for the past few years, and contains
much that is valuable, but candor compels,
us to say again, at the risk too, of having it
said that wo are incapable of seeing any-
thing of value any where, except in the
Old American Bee Journal, that the great
progess made in apiculture each year, has
not been presented iu such shape as to be
of most value to the masses.

“Last and least," "Novice s Gleanings"
has the audacitity to peep into existence,
and opens up by pitching into everybody
right and left. Beware ! beware ! Novice.
’Tts easy enough to find fault with others,
but how do you know you can do even half
ns well as the least of them? Well, perhaps
we shall not, but we are now in the crucible,
and if the fiery ordeal leaves nothing re-
maining of us of any value, we will try
and bow our head in submission and stop
when we have fullfilled our promise of
giving “four numbers,” the very best that;
“ever we can.”

7

“ novice’s ” GI-EANINGS IN BEE CULTURE'

BOOKS OF AMERICA DEVOTED
TO BEE CULTURE.

|jP VERY bee keeper should road
■Ell Lang stroth and Quinby. No mat-
ter who. or where, or what your pro-
ficiency, read them for it will afford
you a rare pleasure that you cannot
afford to lose.

For something for ready reference,
condensed and alphabetically ar- !
ranged, we know of nothing better 1
than Mr. King’s Text Book. It :
served us well and we almost [learn-
ed it by heart, (and we must add the
American hive along with it, which
we could have far bettor dispensed
with, and hope Mr. King will too,
when he ceases to be a patent right
man,; and have given it to many be-
ginners to save answering their in-
numerable questions. It is true that
no mention is as yet made of the 1
extractor in any of its frequent ;j
revisions ; nor have we any work, so
far as we know, that even docs it j
any kind of justice. Perhaps our
many periodicals are full}' compe- 1
tent for this work. Price of Text
Book 40c, and it is well worth the !
money after tearing out all about i
the “American hive,” “Instructions !
to agents,” etc.

Bee Keeper's Guide, by E. Kretch- I
mer, Coburg, Iowa. Price 50 els.,
has just been sent us for an opinion.
As our opinion has been asked, we
can afford to be quite candid. The
whole appearance of the book struck
lisas something strangely familiar,
and on reading different parts of it,
we were still more puzzled until we !J
placed King's Text Book by its
side, and found that the same ideas
followed in almost the same succes-
sion even to whole pages and chap-
ters; and extracts were in the same
words : even “American Hives,”
too, (under a different name.) “In
st ructions to agents, etc.” lias Mr.
Kretch mer stolen this from King,
or has King sold him the right to, —
to copy him, imperfections and all ?
As the book is larger than King's
there must be something new, and
we find the Extractor mentioned
favorably, bit tit isso unimportant an
implement that we presume more
than one page devoted to it would
he a waste of time.

Han't some one who makes a busi- |

ness of selling only Bees and Honey
write a Text Book, with no other
end in view than to teach us to pro-
duce honey cheaply.

‘■Bees, Their Management, and Cul-
ture,” by Mrs. E. S. Tupper, we can
heartily recommend. It advocates
movable comb hives, only in the
abstract and not any particular one.
The work is too brief to go into de-
tails, but many valuable facts are
given. As Mrs. Tupper devotes a
page or two to box honey, and not
quite five lines to the Extractor, we
shall have to think that she is un-
acquainted with developments made
in bee culture in that direction, or
hesitates to recommend it to begin-
ners. The assertion on page 12 that
“The most valuable invention since
movable combs, is that of the new
swarming attachment," of Mrs.
Farnham’s, we think very doubtful,
for very many large Apiaries are
now managed with the aid of the
Extractor, so that swarming is al
most, if not quite, done away with,
and such an arrangement, would be
worse than useless for that purpose.
As no mention is made of the
malady that has carried off large
Apiaries during the past winter, we
must conclude she has no advice to
offer on the subject, or that “ven-
tilation," “plenty of food,” and
“numbers” lurnish the remedy. We
leave the question to be answered by
those who have suffered.

Some of the circulars that we re-
ceive from enterprising Apiarians,
are almost a Text Book in them-
selves. Qtiinby’s circular and price
list we always look for with pleas-
ure, as we do many others.

Queen-Rearing is really getting to
be one of the fine arts, and we know
of no more honorable occupation
tor man or woman. The same can
be said of the manufacture and sale;)!
hives and all implement* of value
in apiculture, where the eurso of
patent right speculation and false
representation is not connected
therewith.

Recollect that you must keep the
animal heat concentrated in a com-
pass small enough to suit the quan-
tity of bees, and you are all right,
if you hurry too much you spoil the
whole. — Gallup.

“ novice’s ” GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

s

HONEY COLUMN

MH E sole end and aim of bee keep-
JS-, ing is honey, or rather it should !i
be if not directly, indirectly. We
may sell bees, queens, or hives, but
only that their possessor may secure
honey thereby. It has been said
that only 10c. has been offered for
honey in the West, and yet in a jj
brisk little railroad town in Ohio

they retail extracted honey at 45 cts.
and comb honey 50 cts. Now. can't
those bee keepers West have a little
more, and the good people of Xenia
be supplied at a little less figure-?
We are going to try and get the two
opposite factions acquainted and
help them both, if we can. We have
done but little* yet, but here is the
result.

Messrs. Barber & Stout. No. 16,
Main St., Cincinnati, will pay 13£
cts. cash, for 20,000 lbs., delivered in
their city in securely waxed barrels.
Barrels to bo returned in good order
when emptied.

Mr. W. H. Shane, Chatham Cen-
ter, Medina Co.. O.. has 235 lbs.
candied basswood honey, that he
will sell for 20c.

)!

Mr. J. Pratt, Mallet Creek. Me-
dina Co., O., has 1000 lbs nice ex-
tracted honey which he offers at 18c.

If any one has honey they will
sell less than the latter price, we will
publish it in our next gratis: and if
anyone will pay more than Messrs.
Barber & Stout, we will also publish
their offer. Don' t write to us, but
write to the parties mentioned : and
we would suggest that samples of
honey may be sent cheaply by mail,
in small tin boxes, such as watch
movements come in; to be had of
any jeweler. Make the joint tight
with melted wax. Good honey, we
believe, is always candied at this
season of the year, or should be, at
least, and it is easily shipped in this
state, and will keep good any num-
ber of years, so that the Grocers
need be in no fear of losses in that
direction. If some one dealer in
every town would advertise good
honey for sale the year round, could
all of our bee keepers supply the
domand, even if retailed at 25c?

BEE STINGS.

really must decline to publish any*
of the thousand and one remedies for
bee stings sent us until we have more con-
clusive evidence that any thing is of any
avail. In the majority of instances the pain
ceases in a few minutes whether any appli-
cation be made or not, and when a remedy
be applied it generally receives the credit if
relief follows, if not, something used in a
former case receives the preference. AVe
say, extract the sting in such a manner
(with the point of a pen knife for instance,)
as to avoid pressing the contents of the
poison bag into flic wound, and then let it
alone Any irritation, such as rubbing the
affected part, produces pain and swelling,
so we repeat, “let it alone," and get your
mind on something else as speedily as pos-
sible, and all will be well.

A DVERTISEMENTS.

Advertisements will be received at 30 cents
per line each insertion, cash in advance; and
we require that every Advertiser satisfies us of
his responsibility and intention to do all thal
he agrees, and that his goods are really worth
the price asked for them.

rTAMAX <IIEK\ KEEN FOR 1878— Will
1. be bred from J m ported Mothers, one of which
is ono of Charles Dada.nt’s importation. Per-
sons who purchase Queens of mo will get whsl
they bargain for. Send for circular.

Wm. W. Cart, i
Colerain, franklin Co., Mass.

F > II. ARflO, I >f PORTER itn<I BREED-

t. er of Pure Italian Queen Bees, I would
say to my friends and customers, that if I am
fortunate in getting my bees safely through the
present winter— as I generally have been, here-
tofore — f will have for sale, early in the spring, j
about twenty-five colonies with choice queens, i
1 also expect to ha.'-,, a few ouccn breeder-- to
spare in Vpril. iia-.ing the adva ago of a
n" i-,- ''i.ulmnt I,..--; tic: . I can funii.-a queen?
earlier in the season than Northern breeders-
All coinmuni*?atimis promptly answered. Pleaso
enclose a. three cent stamp for letter. Cir-
culars sent free. Address, Lowell, Garrard
Co. Ky.

P RICE LIST OF PUKE ITALIAN

Queens and Hues from Shiuv A Daniel’s
Apiaries, for 18711 :

For last year’s Queens, sent as early as the
weather is suitable, 35 each.

Tested Queens, during the season, 8-1 each.
Untested Queens in June and July, 38 ouch.
After the 1st of August, 81.50. All Queens sent
by mail warranted pure and fertile. Safe ar-
rival guaranteed. _ ;

Nucleus’ Hives containing pure Queen, with
6 frames each, S' J by Oja, S3 each. Can be built
up into strong swarms or used for wintering
surplus Queens.

Full coloneis in one story Langstroth Hives,
ten frames each, SIS. Wide hives w ith movable
partition board front 4 to 17 frames each, 815,
Two story hives containing SI frames, 815 each
American Hive.-, containing *J frames with
space between tup bars, 815 each.

Kacli eolouy will contain a young Queen anil
il frames of comb, with extra frames. Sont by
express and safe arrival guaranteed. Address
J.SHAW & SON, Chatham Center,
or J. E. DANIELS, Lodi, Medina, Co., 0.

Or how to Realize the Most Money with the Smallest Expenditure of Capital

nnd T.'j'hm’ in flona n-P Dnnn TO 1 1 — n ^ j j *

PUBLISHED

MONTHLY.

VOL. 1.

MEDINA, 0.,

FEB. 1, 1873.

No. 2.

STARTING AN APIARY.

No. 2.

'TOE hone our readers will recognize the
T fact that wo can here only give general
directions for the mass of those who wish to
commence bee-keeping

From a host of letters on the subject we
pic up the following: —

“What must a poor fellow do who has not
the land lying to the east or south conveni-
ent, neither the means to improve it in the
way that you recommend, but would still
like to keep a few stands of bees.

“One of my neighbors on reading your
description of your grounds, exclaimed, ‘Ob 1
yes, Novice has plenty of money and 1 have
none, and my wife in the doctor’s hands.’ ”
Bless your hearts, fellow novices, we have
not advised anything expensive.

Take such land as you have got, or if
none, we must advise every bee-keeper to
get a few rods of land some way, “all his
own.”

Commence small and don't run in debt.
Those who commence with nothing but their
“bare bands” are oftenest the most useful
and most successful people we have in the
world.

With an axe and spade and round poles
from the woods even, you can do all that we
have advised Start on the plan we gave if
it.be only for a half dozen hives, and they
will increase as you gain practice and expe-
rience.

Twelve years ago Novice had not the j
value of $10 in all his “earthly possessions,” '
and had not money been absolutely neces-
sary for the working out of some of his ex-
periments be might not now have been able
to publish even a 25c. paper. Mrs. “Novice”
and the children will tell you that “plenty
of money” was never yet known in thei’r
household, but that twelve or fourteen hours
of work daily, always has been and we
trust always will be;’ and most of it is a
pleasure too, especially that part pertaining
to the grape vines, and they can be raised in
any quantity from cuttings pruned from old
vines at no expense but a very little labor.

Tell your neighbor to take his wife out
doors with him, to help plan and arrange
his apiary, keep her on fresh beef steak

“roasted on the coals,” and perhaps no doc-
tor will be needed.

If more of our American women ir ere bee-
keepers they would know better what health
and happiness is possible for them in this
world of ours.

Now then, fellow bee-keepers all over this
broad land, whether you have one hive or
hundreds, get your grape vines growing and
then see about hives' for the bees that are
coming bye and bye, and please do have
those hives all alike, so that any frame will
go nicely into any one of them, "or “any part
any where.”

This is easy to say but so bard to accom-
plish that we fear you will many of you
never do it unless you commence work very
carefully.

Some kind of a buzz saw seems a positive
necessity, and here again we say, do not get
in debt for something you cannot afford.

If you wish to make but few hives a circu-
lar saw, costing not much over a dollar, made
to “rip” and “cutoff” both, will do very
well. The teeth should be fine and size not
over seven or eight inches: smoother work
can be secured by having two such saws, one
to “cut off'” and one to “rip.”

A home-made arbor to run them on can
be made without much oxpense, but a self-
centering and self-oiling arbor can be pur-
chased for $12 or $14, and are much more
convenient Ours came from Wilkinson &
Co., No. 2 Washington street, ISoston, but
we think they might be purchased of any
saw-maker near you.

Our table is home-made ; top hinged at one.
end and the other is raised and lowered by a
sett screw, so that any kind of rabbeting is
quickly and accurately done. Top of table
is 3x41 feet, of ash, screwed together very
firmly.

As we use the same table for “cutting off',”
the bar of wood that lies parallel to the saw,
to gauge the width, was in the way and was
troublesome to remove. This we now have
attached to a strip hinged to the back edge
of the table so that the whole turns over
back and below the surface of the table en-
tirely out of the way when we desire to “cut
off” boards.

If you will all now “listen hard” we will
try and describe a little arrangement that

‘2

“ novice’s ” GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE,

gives us most pleasure of anything about the
“masheen.”

Boards must be cut square in two and to do
this they must have one edge out nearer
straight than we buy them. We quarreled
a long while with our mechanics about it
and now do it our way with great satisfaction.

About six inches in front of the saw cut
out a strip of the table lengthwise, three or
four inches wide, and fit a piece of hard wood
to slide easily but closely in the groove, its top
being level with the top of the table. Screw
a similar piece across this at right angles,
resting on the bench and reaching up to the
saw, and of about two feet in length. 'I lus
piece must be so nicely adjusted that a
board held hard against it will be cut
exactly square off.

To cut pieces of frames on a square mitre
we must have another stiip fastened at an
angle of forty-five degrees to the first piece,
and to keep both of these firm, their ends
furthest from the saw can be screwed to-
gether, making a complete figure 4, the up-
right part of the figure being the one that
slides in the top of the table, the horizontal
bar cuts stuff square off, and the slanting one
is to cut pieces beveling or so their ends go
together like a picture frame.

“Stops” are made on both pieces at the
proper places to cut off work, for instance,
the square bar has a stop to cut the length ot
side of the hive, end of the hive, and cover

of the hive. Slanting bar has stops for top
for bottom of frame and end of frame. Now
it is a very nice point to set these ‘ stops ^
just right, and when they are set we don t
want to move them, tout they would inter-
fere with each other if stationary so we have
them made of a strip of brass with one end
turned square so that it will spring out and
make a secure stop for the end of the board,
yet may be pressed in a mortise out of the
wav when we wish to use the stops beyond it.
So you see we can make a hive complete as
fast as we can handle the stuff, all exactly
right, and “ nary a square or rule ” do we

have to bother ivith. .

But observe, cut ofT your pine boards
(dressed on both sides accurately to seven-
eighths) first into lengths for one end and one
side and a liUlemore. Nowstraightcn one edge
by setting itdown firmly on some small points
projecting out of the sliding strip so that your

saw will just trim one edge.

When this trimmed edge is placed against
the squarcstripyou can cut the piece in two so
that you have one square end on each,
[’lace the square end against the proper stop,
and your piece lias three sides true. H e
bring it to the proper width and leave the
edge of the proper bevel to makothejoint
(between the cover and hive or upper and
lower story) shed rain at one operation by
elevating the finished edge on a wedge
shaped platform supported on those same
points in the sliding strip as it is moved
against the saw. The pieces that come oft
make the frame that holds the cover from

W So you see a piece of board thirteen inches
wide, and about six and a quarter feet long

makes our dollar liive complete except cover,
which is 20Jxl6.

The rabbeting in the end pieces should be
done just before the strips for cover are
sawed ofl.

In answer to many inquiries we would
state that aftercareful experiments last season
we preferred the space between end of frames
to be not less than threc-eigths and not more
than one-half inch. A distance of one-fourth
inch can be used but much greater care is re-
quired in handling combs to prevent squeez-
ing our young friends that “ want to know
what we are trying to do with them.

To those who claim that bits of comb will
be built in one-half inch space we reply
that it’s your business to see that they have
better employment.

Keep the honey out of their way and give
them one frame to build comb in, during the
comb-building season. You will never get
too many nice combs for they will sell even
now, especially if we adopt some fixed di-
mensions for our frames so they will fit our
neighbors’ hives as well.

Again, keep the honey out of their way as
faithfully as you milk your cows daily, and
we had far rather remove all the honey from
a hive than milk a cow. Cows require milk-
in" about six times as often and don’t
give honey either, and— “ bless our stars,” if
we run on this way it will take a weekly paper
instead of a monthly even, to enable us to tell
you how simple a matter it is to save the
floods of honey that bountiful nature pours
down at our very doors, and everybody
seems to be afraid to even give the “ little
chaps ” a place to put it conveniently, cause
they’ll sting.” Now we are afraid our friends
will have to run their buzz saws by foot power
until next month ; it is cheaper and is healthy
exercise and gives one an elastic feeling about
the walking apparatus afterward, and so we 11
tell about the windmill next month.

HOW TO MAKE A HONEY EXTRACTOR
AT. AN EXPENSE, OF, NOT EXCEEDING
j|5.GO, AND PRATICALLY SUPERIOR
TO ANY NOW OFFERED FOR SALE
SO FAR AS WE KNOW.

S our machine, kind friends, is to bo
^r,V mado all of metal, aiul, like the dol-
lar liive is to lie useful only and not or-
namental, it is important that the roofing
tin plate, of which it is to be made, be
purchased at a small margin above what
it costs by the box. A limit ton sheets
14x20 will be required, and your tinsmith
should not churgo you more than 15?.
each, as they cost at present only jfl4..il>
per box of 112 sheets.

The only difficulty of the work is the
revolving frame inside the can, and to
make it clear wc employ the following
illustration, which is supposed to repre-
sent the framo as viewed Irom above
before the arm supporting the gearing is
placed on one side of the top Of t Ijo can.

,5

novice’s ” GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

FIG. 1.

A,B,C and D,E, P are each sheets of tin
cut off to 16% inches allowing 6 inches
from center to first cornor, and 2
inches each for spaces at A, C, P and D,
and % inch turned at right angles to hold
the wire cloth or metal bars represented
by the dotted lines. G and II are strips
14 inches long (same as width of sheets
A, B, C and D. E. F,) and % inch broad,
bent lengthwiso so as to form grooved
pieces that, when soldered in place, hold
the two largo sheets in place and leave
room to drive a % inch steel rod in cen-
ter for shaft, or simply a pivot pushed in
a couple of inches at each end and sol-
dered will answer. Two pieces of
Stubbs’ steel rod, % inch diameter, one
0 and one 3 inches long, make beautiful
bearings.

Now then, metal bars for the comb to
rest against we think cheaper and better
than wire cloth and this is the way we
make them :

Cut 18 strips 34 inch broad longthwise
from one of the sheets, and, with a tin-
smith’s folder, fold them longthwise,
leaving the two edges abont % inch apart.
With a pair of plvers bend the following
figure from these strips, soldering on a
piece as you bend them up, and havo all
the spaces exactly one inch, and rods
just ten inches long.

M l-t

I

I

When you have completed two of these,
having sixteen spaces, they are to be put
across from A to C and from 1) to I 1 ', and
soldered securely, leaving, of course, one
bar an inch above the sheets of tin and
one the same distance below, as these
sheets were but 14 inches.

If the wings are bent a littlo close to
each other the bars will stay in place in
the corners A, C, D, P against the % inch
edge while being soldered, which may bo
done very rapidly, for fastening the inch
pieces that connect the bars makes all
strong. Now cut four pieces lj^xlo
inches with a narrow fold on one edge.
These are to connect A, D, and C, P, at
both top and bottom and should come
above the wings enough to be level with
upper bars A, C, and D. P.

Now our lrame is ten inches square and
is all dono when we affix some secure
loops or stirrups at the lower ends of our
comb cases to allow the frame of honey to
rest just one inch below the lowest bar,
which will leavo the top the same dis-
tance above, for the machine is made
just right for our Langstroth frame, so if
you use a different one you can vary it
accordingly. The lower bar is not suffi-
ciently strong to attach strip of tin men-
tioned to hold the comb frame, so we
prolong the oulor end and bring it across
the corner from I to J, (see fig. 2,) and the
other end is soldered to the wing near the
shaft, thence across to the next wing and
then across to the metal bars to form the
support for the opposite comb frame ; a
20-inch strip % broad being used, and a
similar one on the opposite side, these
strips being carried across about two
inches from the corner at I and L.

We should have mentioned that the
corners in the sheets at A, C, snd D, P,
may be bent nicely with the broad blade
of a carpenter’s square, after turning the
K-ioch fold, for the blade to rest against,
as the blade is just two inches wide.

To cut the various strips used, a pair of
“ squaring shears,” such as most tin-
smiths use, greatly facilitates the work
and does not bend or curl the pieces as
they are taken off.

The above completes the whole of the

inside work and foots up thus :

Three sheets tin at 15c 5 45

Nine inches Stubbs’ steel 25

One half day’s work 1 01)

One quarter pound solder 10

$180

To make the can, take four of the
remaing sheets of tin and put them
together longest way up and down with a
K-inch rod put in the top ; and bottom
made of one sheet and part of another.
This gives us depth of about 10 inches
and diameter of about 17.

In the center of the bottom solder a
small piece of steel saw plate, and on this
a blank iron nut, with a hole in it, to fit
our steel pivot; the longest piece of steel
being used for the bottom bearing.

The short pieoo is to be used for the top
after having soldered on one end a fixture
made as follows: A three-cornered tin
tube, •% inch long, and % on each side,
is made, and then each side is bont in-
ward until they will clasp the pivot,
leaving the three corners open enough to

4

“novice’s” gleanings in bee culture.

allow the three prongs of an apple-parer
to pass into them snugly.

The pivot may be pushed in its
place in the top of our revolving frame
but not soldered until we have it adjusted
to the proper length.

Push in the bottom pivot until the ma-
chine will revolve and allow the ends of
your Langstroth frame to clear the bot-
tom about an inch. This will bring
the other end above the top edge of the
can about %-inch or a little more, so we
must have our arm to support the center,
raised enough to clear it. We would not
have the can higher because it would
necessitate raising the combs higher to
remove them, nor would we have a bar
clear across the top, for it would inter-
fere with the rapid handling of the combs
and we would have no greater depth at
the bottom of the can, for we wish to
work with it raised enough to run the
honey directly from a tube, (make it
large), level with the bottom into the
bung of a barrel.

We use the gearing of an apple-parer,
removing all except the main wheel and
crank, small wheel with fork, and bear-
ings of both. The parer should be of the
kinds that has boaring to both wheels par-
allel, and not those with bevel gearing.
The cast iron that holds the whoels is to be
soldered securely to, or rather inside of a
tin tube 2x% inside measure, and per-
haps seven inches long, in such a way as
to allow the wheels to lie on the flat side
of the tube and to work freely, the
smaller one close to one end. This tube
is to slide as tight as it can be pushed
into another similar one 5 'A inches long,
aud the latter is to be soldered fast to the
top edge of the can on the opposite side
from where the honey runs out; and this
tube must be previously bent at a dis-
tance of about inches from the point
of attachment to allow the projection on
the comb frame to swing under it. To
make those tubes quickly and very
strong, make them in two pieces, which
aro like shallow boxes without ends be-
fore one is inverted and pushed into the
other. Thus you see the sides are
double and when soldered have great
strength. The two pieces for the bent
one should have the sides, after turning
them up square in a folder, cut down to
the bottom where the angle is to be
made, so that in bending the top those
corners will overlap, and, when soldered,
are secure at the desired angle and can
then be fitted over the other piece and
the whole soldered strong.

This arm will not be firm enough with
out bracing and so we must have a piece
of tin fitted to extend from the bend in
the arm down inside of the can about six
inches, broad enough to extend also four
inches each side, tapering to a rounded
point at the lower end something like tho
brace to a coffee pot spout.

Your tinsmith will probably “grumble”
more at this brace than at all the rest,
but never mind, for it is all done now,
when we fix a little ring on the under
side of the movable tube to snap over a
little knob of Bolder on the other to pre-
vent it drawing out, only when we wish
to remove the inside work, and our ac-
count stands for the aftornoon’s work
thus : . ..... i .

Six sheets of tin used, and one
extra for mistake in work atl6c$1.05

Iron around top of can 20

Parer, 75

Solder, 15

Xdayswork, 1.00

?:1.15

Inside work, 1.80

$1.95

“ Now Mr Novice, that’s really too bad
if vou leave your description in that way.
. Why don’t you tell thorn how to make a
sloping bottom to tho can, and molasses
gate, etc., just as the one you have just
finished is made ? And you have used
heavier tin, too; and what are your pu-
pils to do when the barrel gets lull as it
often used to ; and how are we women to
keep tho implement clean and free from
dust and flies, etc , if a half inch of honey
is always standing in it ? ”

“There! there!”No more at once please.
First, it will cost more than $5.00. Second,
we can’t oxplain such a bottom. Third, a
molasses gate costs 75 cents. Fourth, Our
original extractor (that you wished
back so many times after we sold it,
and tried to use Peabody’s and Gray it
Winders’) was made of roofing tin, with
a flat bottom, and is good yet. Fifth,
cork up the tube when tho barrel is
full, of course. Corks cost but one cent.
Sixth, we can’t remember sixth, and no
wonder either.”

“ Nevor mind s’xth. The machine that
you have just finished, right hero bosido
us, would be cheaper at $10.00 than tho
flat bottom can and " corks ” at $5.00. A
nice thing your “ cork” would bo to leave
around somewhere as you always do un-
til needed, and then have to hunt for it,
barrel running over meanwhile. You
may do so if you wish, but women don’t
work that way.”

“Tell your readers to have the bottom
made like an inverted tin cover, lowest
in the centre, and to have an open chan-
nel leading from the centre on a gentle
slope to the faucet, and a piece of tinned
wire cloth over this channel, will strain
out bees, etc. But it will not stand up
unless a tin hoop is made to go around
tho lower end, reaching down as low as
the mouth of the gate.”

“ To be sure and another heavy wire
is needed around the bottom of this hoop
for it to rest on, and so that some screws
can be inserted through the tin justabove
it to fasten it firmly to the platlorm or
bench on which it is worked.”

Now kind readers, each one of you can
decide whether the $5.00 style of the can,
(which answers perfectly the purpose in-
tended, )will be best, all things considered,
or the more expensive form.

We have made one that allows the
frame to be roversed inside of the ma-
chine, but as it is heavier and not so sim-
ple, we cannot really think it an advan-
tage at present.

We have also one that has a close-fit-
ting tin cover over tho top, but alter
having tried both ways, we really think
we prefer a round piece of white cloth to
spread over it when not in use. A rub-
ber cord run in the hem will be handier
than tying on a string.

b

“ novice’s” gleanings in bee ctjltukk

HONEY COLUMN.

If any one thinks they would like one
nt the revolving-can machines as well,
we have only to ask them to try both.
One such machine as we have described,
will satisfy any neighborhood as to which
form is most practical.

P. S, Besides the coarse strainer over
the “gate” or tube inside to keep bees
from running through and crawling over
things daubed with honey, we use a little
sack of cheese cloth hung in the bung of
the barrel and kept in place by a wire
ring a little larger than the bung-hole.

National Bee Journal for Dec. attempts
to excuse “ the selfishness, grasping and
monopoly ” of a certain individual by
making, it appear that others are dis-
satisfied bocause they can’t do the same

Now we have an old-fashioned idea
that our best people do not want a copper
ot any one’s money unless they have
rendered a fair equivalent.

There may be some who envy the
success of the few successful “ Patent
right Sharpers,” but we trust their num- j
her is daily growing less.

Dear Novice Many thanks for your
little pamphlet sent occasionally to my
address. I trust I may profit from your
sage wisdom and advice, especially lrom
that in your last Journal, wherein you
say that 50 lbs should be the average
from every good hive in the worst season.
Honied words to such a blunderer as
your correspondent, who could not with
all the “ Galloping and Novitiating” he
was master of get his “ full-blooded Ital-
ians” to gather nectar from flowers
which secreted naught but fragrance
wasted on the desert air of this arid,
rainless district during the just very
“ worst season ” it was my lot to ever
encounter, and with all due deference to
“ Novice, s” wisdom and vast practical
experience in Ohio I must still be al-
lowed to have the benefit of the doubt if
even he with his hives and apple paring
extractor, and “ Giantesses ” as queen’s
regnant could have obtained such won- .
drous results in barbarous (speaking
apistieally) Canada.

Your bee-hive at $1.00, is what I
long felt might to bo the general price,
and I cannot see why, with persons who
are at all competent to manage bees, that
it cannot bo made to answerevery purpose
that the most expensive patent hive does
or can.

Trusting that you may keep on plan-
ning and improving lor such ignora-
muses as your correspondent, believe me
mo to remain

Yours very obligatory,

P. II. GIBBS.

The 31.00 hive is not ours, only the one
wo advise. To Langstroth belongs the
movable frame; Gallup, the sloping
joints for cover; Bickford, the quilt;
common-sense, entrance, etc.; and to
Novice, if anything, the credit of severe
criticisms on all useleis appendages.
Every bee^ keeper should be able to make
them for less than $1.00. We only furnish
a sample and they are poor workmanship
too, we notiTy you, but will give you the
idea.

Orchard, Mitchell Co., Iowa', 1
December 21st, 1872. J

Editor Gleanings in Bee Culture:

You can tell the readers of your large
journal that Gallup has 1,000 pounds nice
extracted bass wood honey, all candied
and securely put up in 150-pound casks
at 15c. per pound, casks thrown in.

Hurrah for Gallup again, “old hats
and new!” His oiler is the lowest wo
have yet received and we have always
felt sure he could produce honey cheaply if
any one could. We paid 18c. for a half bar-
rel a few days ago, and sold it for ten per
cent advance ; we didn't have the cask
thrown in either. That is business-like,
and if we can’t And customers for all
“ Gallup,” “ Hosmer,” and the other vet-
erans can produce at that rate, we shall
consider our great big journal a failure in
one direction any way.

Dr. Hamlin says be has 3,000 extracted
and 2,000 comb honey, b it don’t give
the price.

Tell us what you ask, brother bee-
keepers, and we w r ill advertise all your
honey for nothing.

Our old “ American Bee Journal ”
made its appearance January 14, but as
it contains nothing but transactions of
the American Bee-Keepers’ Society, we
have no opportunity to form an opinion
of what it will be under the management
of W. F. Clark. We find a strange mis-
take in a statement from Mrs. Tupper
that should be cerrected at once, viz :
that when honey is extracted from brood
combs the brood is killed- W as there no
one at the convention that could provent
such an error from going out before the
world? We cant’ help saying that the
matter looks anything but flattering for
tho convention of America. Large num-
bers of bee-keepers make a regular prac-
tice of extracting tho honey from all
the combs, and their brood don’t
die either. Mr. Kingmav have kept still
because the use of the extractor don’t
help tho sale of closed top frames, but
how about the rest ? No one need waste
breath in arguing the matter, for the ex-
periment can be made at once. Revolve
your brood as fast as you please and'
mark tho comb and see if the brood dies.
Unsealed brood, it is true, may lie
thrown out if turned too fast, but this is
never necessary.

Several articles alluded to in this num-
ber were crowded out, (problems too), by
the extractor, and by the way we notice
that Fig. 1st, gives the impression that
more than one piece of tin is used for the
case to hold the combs. Imagine the
letters A. C. D. and F. clear up in the
corners and the marks surrounding them
a continuous line, except the dotted lines,
and we think you can make no mistake.
G. B. II. and E. of course, should meet,
so that when soldered only a square hole
is left in the center for the shalt.

We hopo our friends will be patient it
we do not find a place fer their favors at
once. Send along the items.

NOVICES GLEANINGS IN iiEE CULTURE

NOVICE’S
ilcaniugs in $lcc ©nltuic.

A. I. ROOT & CO.,

EDITORS AND PROPRIETORS.

Published Monthly, at Medina, Ohio.

Terms: 75c. per Annum.

Any one sending us 5 Subscribers can retain 75c. for
their trouble, and in the same proportion
for a larger number.

[PRINTED AT MEDINA COUNTY GAZETTE OFFICE.]

Medina, February 1, 1873.

As we are now a monthly, those who wish
the whole 12 numbers will please remit us
50 cts additional. To those who pay but
25 cts, we shall send Gleanings quarterly
as at first proposed, after this number, which
will be sent to all, making five numbers for
25 cents instead of the four we promised.

Several irresponsible persons have had
advertisements inserted in some of the Bee
Journals, and in one case considerable sums
of money were lost by our bee-keepers send-
ing to them.

Will it not be advisable for our Editors to
require reference in regard to the standing
of their advertising patrons. It will be far less
trouble than to require each separate indi-
vidual to determine who is to be relied on
and who is not.

We must positively refuse to advertise any
receipts or methods of doing desirable things
in the Apiary ; for the first person sending
the needed 25 cts or $1.00, could, if he chose,
then publish it to to the world. Let infor-
mation of all kinds be free, through our
Journals, each one presuming that he will
receive as much as he furnishes.

Samples, models to work from, or imple-
ments themselves, of course, have a cash
value, but not secrets, as a general rule.

Reports of dysentery have already reached
us in three cases. In the latter it affected
only those colonies having natural stores ;
a part of them that were fed on sugar syrup
were entirely heatlhy. A friend near us,
fed all his colonies, 20 or over, except one,
with syrup made by pouring boiling water on
coffee sugar in a tin sap bucket. This was
stirred well, and the syrup poured off' when
cold and fed in tin milk pans, with a cloth

laid over the top. Nothing more All are
healthy. One strong colony, and that was
fed with poor maple syrup, died with an ag-
gravated form of dysentery, in December,
soiling every part of the hive badly, lie
forgot our instructions to use Cream of Tartar
in his syrup, but the syrup did not grain in
spite of what “Confectioners” tell us, see
A. B. J., page 91, Vol. 8., and his bees are
in as good shape so far as can be desired.

At the convention at Indianapolis, Mr.
Hoagland says he lost bees that were fed on
syrup.

Now as this is the very first case
that has ever come to our knowledge, of the
kind, we would ask Mr H. to give us full
facts. Was the syrup made of good coffee
sugar, and had the bees no natural stores?
Our experiments have all pointed so posi-
tively in one direction, that we think we
cannot be mistaken.

HEADS OF GRAIN FROM DIFFERENT
FIELDS.

‘KDGAR SAGER, Hudson, 111., writes:
if “ Signs of disease were noticed in some
places quite early in the Fall,” and that it
looks rather discouraging ; but it need not
be so, for whenever they really commence to
soil their combs, take them in a warm room
and give them clean, empty combs in place
of their old ones, and confine them to their
hive with wire cloth until they can store
some pure coffee sugar syrup in the combs
and if a day occurs that they can be allowed
to fly out of doors, all the better. In severe
cases they must have a wire basket attached
to the hive to allow them to come out in,
while in the warm room, without soiling
their hive and combs.

James Ferguson of Surgeons Hall, Pa.,
writes : “lam using King’s hive, although
it does not matter much what hive is used,
during a dry June that dries up all the white
clover which is our main dependence here ”

But it does, friend F. Suppose you take
your bees about April 1st, your very weakest
colony for instance, put them on three combs
only, and in a hive small enough so that the
bees and combs fill it completely.

Now feed them, keeping the entrance al-
most closed and a warm quilt over them
until brood begins to hatch ; enlarge their
hive as they increase, but always have them
fill it, and they will bear considerable crowd-
ing in cool weather, and your hive must not
be so tall as the one you menlion or you
will not be able to keep them clustered clear
down to the bottom of it, which you must do
always.

By May Is*, you will have a colony that
will send out a host of workers if you keep
them crowded, and by June, if you keep their

“ novice’s” gleanings in bee culture.

7

combs emptied with the extractor, you will
be astonished to find them bringing in honey
in spite of dry weather or anything else.

Don’t let honey enough accumulate in the
hive at any time to induce the swarming fe-
ver, but keep raising brood and we should
not be astonished if you before the season
closed, should say, as our “ women folks
did in 1870, that they ” really wished the lit-
tle chaps would stop, for we have got more
honey than anybody would ever want ”

S. L. Root of Austinburg, O., says : I lost
one hive last 'Winter out of twelve of dysen-
tery. I think it was the only one that had
had no upward ventilation.”

We have no doubt but that your colony and
many others would have been saved by more
ventilation, and at the same time had they
been confined to a diet of pure sugar syrup
this extra ventilation would not been needed.

We have colonies now, that for experiment
have entrances almost closed and. top closed
entirely, as close as a tight, painted cover
will close it, yet they arc wintering without
detriment: drops of moisture hang on the
cover directly over the cluster, but the bees
look perfectly natural : bodies are not dis-
tended in the least, and unless disturbed, no
sound is heard from them at all. Natural
stores arc sometimes perhaps as wholesome
as honey, but can we afford to run the risk? ”

T. G. McGaw, Monmouth, 111., writes.

“ The loss of bees in this section will be
heavy owing to the extreme cold weather, 28
to 32 degrees below zero last week. Box hives
mostly in use and no care given.”

We have no doubt but that bees can he win-
tered out of doors safely, but the expense ot
the extra amount of sugar for food, would
soon pay for houses for them.

J Anderson, Tiverton, Canada, writes:

“ My bees never did better than last season.
They are now in cellar, strong and healthy,
and with plenty of honey, so I expect to have
them in good condition in Spring.”

“My queens are all young, and from an
imported mother, but well marked, and ex-
cellent workers. I would like a queen or two
a little brighter. How is this secured?” Sec !
article in next number, “ How to Improve I
our Bees.” But we advise you not to get the !
brighter ones if you want the best honey
gatherers.

Job Ilucstis, East Fairfield, Ohio, asks
if “the Lindens all blossom at the same
time.” The period of blooming varies as
much as three or four weeks, as we observed
in the forests about here last season, and we
think varieties might be collected that would
extend the period to two or three months.

George Porratt, Winnimac, Ind., asks :
“ will it pay me to get another kind of hive?
I use the Quinby hive, 100 of them, 72 with
bees in them, and 23 ready for use next
Spring. I also use the National Bee Hive
Extractor. Will it pay me to get another, if
sowhatone.” _ . , ,

We would not change, if you have Quinby s
hive, with suspended frames, but those that

are supported from the bottom we really can
not think convenient. We have never seen
the Extractor, you mention, but would use no
extractor that obliges you to revolve the case
and honey.

H. B. Rolfe, Westfield, N. Y , writes : “ I
see you have thrown honey boxes aside, but I
think I will have to stick to them, from the
fact that I am unable to handle frames readily
on account of my right hand being crippled,

I can handle boxes with my left hand. I
would like to raise queens and try swarming
artificially, but all the descriptions look too
formidable for one hand business.

“ I wintered my bees in cellar two Wint ers
without loss, but one year ago I removed the
honey-board as per Langstrotli, and lest forty
stocks ”

We think you can handle frames as well as
boxes, but of conrseyou will have to “ go slow”
with either. Have the frames rest on a strip
of metal, or the metal rabbet, so that they can
be lifted out when handled by the middle ot
I the top bar ; we often take one in each hand
I thus. But the metal rabbet should always be
fastened in the wood, so that the back is
slanting in such a way as to guide the frame
into its place when the projections strike it.
When the frame is in place, not more than i
of an inch end-shake should bo allowed, but
this space should increase as it is raised to w-ork
with facility; if the back partofthe metal rabbet
slopes lip to the top of the end of the hive nil
the better, and then the projecting ends of
the frame slide down the smooth surface ot the
tin very nicely. Any tinsmith can fold them
very cheaply. We 'feel quite sure removing
the honey-boards was not the cause ot M r.
Rolfe’s loss. Were none lost in your vicinity
that had honey-boards left on ?

Mr. S. Rowell, of Blooming Grove, Minn,
thinks lie has a plan for securing the fertili-
zation of queens, and asks if we think it ot
sufficient importance to be worthy of going to
much expense in testing it.

We have never given any subject so much
time and study with so little success as the
above, and really think that if the plans given
us now by the best authorities were successfu 1
it would be cheaper to let our bees manage it
themselves and take the chances for their
purity. Some of our friends thought they
had succeeded, but careful examination has
convinced us that the queens flew out after all,
and some queens do squeeze through an ori-
fice nearly or quite as small as that of the
worker. Some one who has had experience
may tell Mr. Rowell what he may expect of
his plan without the trouble or expense of an
actual trial. We have at present no faith in
wire or cloth houses lor the purpose.

Mr. Shaw who advertises on last page, has
made many and some quite expensive experi-
ments and with a patience and determina-
tion in trying all the plans recommended
I that we think deserved something better than
I total failures.

“NOVICE'S ” GLEANING IN BEE CULTURE.

D. J . Bard veil, Omro, Wis. ; describes an
extractor with a revolving can to hold four
Langstroth frames as they stand in the hive,
which he thinks would suit 11 s ; from which
we infer that Mr. B. must he a very large,
strongman. If he has a little girl ten years’
old and he will make her a machine such as
we have described, we think she will
empty the combs faster than her father with
his machine.

G. W. Gamble, New Florence, Pa., asks if
the metal-cornered frames may he used inter-
changeable with old frames, and if old frames
can be used on the metal rabbit; and we reply:
Without any trouble whatever.

Wm. Aschom, Ligoneer, Pa., asks if the
Italians stand the winter as well as the black
bees with us, and we answer, they stand the
Winter and everything else much better so far
as our experience goes.

And the next is from a lady, thusly :
Fkiend Novice.— Yes, I will take your
little Journal on one condition, and that is,
please sdnd me with the first number a tin
type of yourself and wife. I want very
much to see the man that can stir up the
brethren so easily.

Respectfully Yours, Mrs. L.
Now we are awful sorry, hut our best
friends are those who have never seen us, and
we should much rather risk sending you a
a “ photo ”of our Apiary than our own “phiz”
and loose your good opinion and all prospect
of future “ 25 centses.”

Our “ better half” thanks you kindly for
the compliment, and says when the “ photos”
of the Apiary next June, (including Novice
' and his family, “Extractor” and “pre-
siding genius,” and all,) are ready that you
shall have the first one mailed.

Mr. J. f. Flory, Orchard View, West Va.,
asks for “best method for bees to raise brood
early. . In this locality, our great honey har-
vest is in the Spring, and if they are not strong
early, much is loSt.”

We believe we have touched all points we
know of except one, and that is to close per-
fectly ajl upward ventilation, and as bees in
the Spring are almost invariably clustered
close to the top of bars, a quilt will coniine
the animal heat much better than a heavy
hoard. We can’t dispense with the quilt
even if we have to renew them every season.

Also, we must not have an empty cold
space below the cluster, to avoid which we
know of no remedy except shallow hives; and
the entrance should he small and in such a
way that the wind cannot blow into it as
in the $1.00 hive for Instance. Plenty of food
alvxiys of course. Bees use all their stores in
raising brood in May, oflener than is gener-
ally known. This must never happen.

F. M. Woolard, Fairfield. 111., says r “ By
the way don’t you leave a * 1 big gap 1 open in
your sweeping assertion on 1st page, Dec. No.

A. B. J. ; that its the bee-keepers and not
the season?”

Follow directions given J. S. Flory, and
James Ferguson and see if you do. not agree
with James Bolin -and ourselves.

ADVEtmsEMENTS.

Advertisements will be received at 10 cents
per line each insertion, cash in advance; and
we require that every Advortisor satisfies us of
his responsibility and intention to do all that
ho agrees, and that his goods are really worth
the price asked for them.

A hSIKE CLOVE It SEKIF— A nice article,
ZA pure with the exception of a small quantity
ol Timothy seed; 50c. per pound by mail or 35c. by
express. A. I. HOOT A CO , Medina, Ohio.

F°i?. SAL ,?'' A FLW CHOICE COLONIES OK
a. nf a ? • Gs ’ warrant cd pure, at 925 each.
Also 20 colonies, not warranted pure but in excel-
lent condition tor honey storing, at $20 each. All
in movable comb hives. Apply to ITALIAN BEE
OO , Des Moines, Iowa.

T TALIAN BEES— We offer for sale about 200
colonies of Italian Bees iu the American Mova-
oie-Comb Hive. Also Queens throughout the sea-
son. i urity and sate arrival guaranteed. For fur-
ther particulars, prices, Ac., send for circular
BALDWIN BROS ,

Sandusky, N. Y.

C hoice Italian queens for isr;i-

1 have increased facilitses lor rearing Italian
Queens t lie coming season. The choicest Queen-
Mothers to breed from, and no black Bees to inter-
fere. Send stamp for circular to W. J. DAVIS
Youngsvillo, Wurren Co , Pa

TTALIAN QUEEN BEES FOB 1873— Will
1 bo bred from Imported Mothers, one of which
is one of Charles Dadant’s importation. Per-
sons who purchase Queens of mo will get what
they bargain for. Send for circular.

n Ti i , • . Wm - W. Cary.

Colerain, Franklin Co., Mass,

R M. ARGO, IMPORTER and BREED-

. or of Pure Italian Queen Bees, I would
say to my friends and customers, that if 1 am
fortunate in getting my bees safely through tho
present winter— as I generally have boon, here-
tofore— I will have for sale, early in the spring,
about twenty-liv^colonies with choice queens.
1 also expect to have a few queen breeders to
spare in April. Having tho advantago of a
more Southern location, I can furnish queens
earlier in the season than Northern breeders-
All communications promptly answered. Please
enclose a throe cent stamp for letter. Cir-
culars sent l'roo. Address, Lowell, Garrard
Co. Ky.

P rice lint of pure Italian

Queens and Bees from Shaw & Daniel’s
Apiaries, for 1873 :

For last year's Queens, sent as early as tho
weather is suitablo, $5 each.

Tested Queens, during the soason, $4 each.
Untested Queens in Juno and July, $3 each.
After the 1st of August, $1.50. All Queens sont
by mail warranted puro and fertile- Safe ar-
rival guaranteed.

Nucleus’ Hives containing pure Quoon, witli
6 frames each, by 9J4, $8 each. Can bo built
up into strong swarms or used for wintering
surplus Queens.

Full colonois in one story Langstroth Hives,
ten frames each, $13. Wide hives with movable

S artition board from 14 to 17 frames each, $15.
wo story hives containing 21 frames, $15 each
Amcrioan Ilivos, containing ‘J frames with
spaoe between top bars, $15 each.

Each colony will contain a young Queen and
9 frames of comb, with extra frames. Sont by
express and safe arrival guaranteed. Address
J. SHAW k SON, Chatham Center,
or J. E. DANIELS, Lodi, Medina, Co., 0.

Or how to Realize the Most Money with the Smallest Expenditure of Capital
and Labor in the Care of Bees, Rationally Considered.

PUBr<I8HED MONTHLY.

VOL. I.

MEDINA, 0., MAR. 1, 1873. No. 3.

1ST A HT I NO AX APIARY.

X making hives, whatever shape or

*3j form you decide upon, he sure and
have the grain of all the boards run hori-
zontally. If this point were recognized
by ouir "patent hive” venders, much less
annoyance would be experienced from the
results of using imperfectly seasoned
lumber, as it is well known that shrinkage
takes place almost entirely at right angles
to the grain; and where hives are made
ns above, even if the lumber be unseason-
ed no bad results follow, except to decrease
the distance between the lower bar of the
frames and the bottom board, and accord-
ingly where our pine boards are unseason-
ed, we should allow from one-half to three-
fourths of an inch, presuming they may at
no time come nearer than three-eights of
an inch.

Also : It will pay you to take time to
put every board oil the hire in such a way
that the heart side of the board comes
outward. Every board is to be examined
'with reference to that at the time you do
the rabbeting. Hoards are always more
disposed to warp in such a way that the
side that grew towards the bark of the
tree will bo hollowing, and in hives ex-
posed to the weather, if we can keep the
corners and edges of the boards
close up to their places our hive will keep
tight ; also the dampness of the bees in-
side contrasted with the hot sun outside,
is inducement enough for the boards to
curl up without having them put on
"wrong side out.”

For this latter idea we are indebted to a
mechanical friend whose skill and re-
searches in regard to the properties and
iitness of wood or metals for industrial
purposes, arc destined soon to make him
better known to the world. The success
of mnuy of "Novice’s” plans and contri-
vances has been very much due to this
same Mr. Aloah IVashburn, especially the
Windmill and attendant machinery.

Since our last we have succeeded in !
making the entire body of the dollar hive
of lumber 12 inches wide, which is quite

an item, as we can thus get along without
waste and ns it is a staple width can al-
ways be purchased at a low figure. Oct
boards 12 feet long dressed om both sides
to i of an inch accurately in thickness,
and cut each one into four pieces of equal
length. After you have straightened one
edge of each piece, removing as little ns
possible in so doing, cut a side and end
from each ; lengths, 1(1 and I !>i inches
respectively. Rabbet all the ends of the
end pieces «x j, and bear in mind what we
said about having the heart side outward.
We must make it a study to handle each
piece as few times as possible and to
facilitate this we have devised the little
arrangement illustrated by the following
figures :

Fig. 2. Fi„. 1.

1 vt||

A

/

1 |

A*

p 1

I j

i A

7

b \

! e'

cj C

Fig. 1st is a top view of our wedge
shaped platform for sawing all the bevels,
and Fig. 2d, a view of either of the ends
B and E. The three pieces A, B and E,
are made of our J pine boards. A is 3-i
xl5 inches and B and- E are 2} inches,
where A is nailed into them, and A inch
at the small end, and just 12 inches on
their longest or upper side. C is simply a
strip to hold them together. F is a spring
stop just 1} inches nearer the saw than A,
and is simply a strip ■} inch thick screwed
fast, to . two hickory springs fastened on
the inner sides of B and E in such a way
that it can be pressed down between them
level with their upper edges, but rises
again when allowed to. To use the ap-
paratus set the gunge bar on your buzz
saw table so A will slide against it and
just allow C to clear the saw; now hold
the finished edge of either one of your

«JH>VI0«V UWiAtflNOB IN »k« ClU/l'Mith

18

side or end piooes close up against A , and
of course the other edge at C will be
straitened, beveled, and the piece brought
to an equal and proper width at one op-
eration, the spring stop F being pressed
down meanwhile; we now turn the board
over and let the beveled edge rest against
this stop, which allows the saw to cut ott
on the same bevel a strip 15 inches wide.
These strips have one square edge which
fits in the §x} rabbet in the cover, and the
other edge is on a bevel just to fit the
bevel of the top edge of the hive, for it was
sawed off from it. To make the bevel
around tne top edge of the cover, stand
our little machine on the side A, with 0
straight up; plnco tho board for cover
after it is rabbeted, ngainst 11 and E, with
the corner of A in ono of the rabbets;
set the gunge sufficiently near for the saw
to bevel the edge back about j of an inch;
when you have thus beveled the top on
each of its four sides, our hives are finish-
ed except the rabbet to hold the frames in
the end pieces, and we now make them
t}xl inch instead of l j as given in oftr
circular. We should prefer 1.1 inches as it
makes more room for the quilt, but in that
ease the distance between the frames of
the upper and lower story is rather too
much, although we have for several years
used two hives in which the space is 14
inches with no bad results; energetic
“Hybrids” even, preferring to make comb
in the frames and only filling this space
when they were “out of a job otherwise,
and in very hot weather we have thought
that this air space much assisted ventila-
tion. If we use 12 inch lumber every
fraction of an inch in width must be eco-
nomized.

We make the Gallup hive in this way of
It inch lumber, cutting ott lengths lor
cover and sides exactly 19J inches, for
ends 13 inches, and making our rabbets
in side pieces instead of ends. Allowing
for saw cuts we only require about 7j feet
in length by 14 inches in width, or 84 feet
of lumber ior the hive complete ; costing
not to exceed 22cts. per hive when bought
in quantities, and the amount is just about
the same for the hive we use.

“Mr. Novice why do you keep calling a
body and cover, without any bottom board
a hive ; if two of them are required to
make a complete luve why not call it a
$2.00 hive at once instead of 'the dollar
hive?’ And again we are afraid your
readers would hardly call a hive without
frames, what is generally understood by
the term ‘bee hive.’ Let us see :

A two story hive is $2.00

And 20 frames such as we use at Gc 1.20

Quilt

floor step 0.10

A ml we have expense of hive com-
plete .$3.0.1

Instead of your modest 22 cts. that you
were so complacent about when we inter-
rupted you.”

“There now! Do you see how much

mischief you have made ? It, will take us
•so long to unravel your figures, ns above,
that wo shall get no room at all for the
Windmill,’ and for ‘April,’ we shall be
obliged to go over transferring, and for
‘June’ "

“Please don’t borrow trouble about June,
for its now only Feb. lltli, but tell us how
to get from 22 cts. to $3.55.”

"Well, all right; now just see if we can’t
make a good hive for a dollar." If the
lumber only cost 22 cts., the hives can cer-
tainly be cut up and nailed for 50 cts.
more, and frames such as are ordinarily
used do not cost over 2 cts. each, making
02 cts. ; in place of quilts something can
be made of old carpeting, coffee sacks, or
old clothing for the remaining 8 cts. ; and
most bee keepers that we have visited
place their hive on some kind of a board,
bench, stand, or platform, in which ease
no bottom is absolutely necessary, es-
pecially in warm weather, and box hives
very seldom have any, and now as we
have shown how a very durable and most
convenient hive can lie made for $1.00, we
will add that we should prefer to throw all
the old boards, clothes, and benches away
and make two of the “dollar” hives for
each colony. Use the cover of one for a
bottom board for the one that contains the
bees, and all is complete during tho honey
season ; at other times of the year keep
your spare combs set away in the spare
bodies, piled up on each other, and the
workmanship should be such that they fit
on each other close enough to exclude
not only mice but ants and moth millers.
In the swarming season these hives with-
out a bottom answer temporarily, very
well; see what Adam Grim says on page
213, Yol. G, American lire Journal.

Our idea is that we want the fewest
possible implements, consistent in an
apiary, and want those ns light as possi-
ble and made with no superfluous lumber
or metals. In nailing the hive just men-
tioned, nail the corners well, and drive
the nails as near the edges of the boards
as can be done without splitting. Use
seven-penny nails to go through the whole
thickness of the boards and "tours " to go
through where the rabbet leaves only 4
inch. Wc use four nails of each size for
each joint, and drive them ns near to-
gether as we can without striking where
they cross each other. Make up your
mind that you will learn to drive nails
just where they should be, and don’t let
their points ever show themselves by run-
ning out of the wood. Make your hives
such that they will never come apart or
loose if used yearly for a lifetime, even if
they have no stationary top or bottom.
Paint them as soon ns done with the
Averill chemical paint, (white, )[and keep
than painted. We should never use any
thing but pine lumber after what experience
we have had with other kinds.

Wi: are just advised of the sad intelli-
gence of the death of Mrs. Langstroth.

19

“ NOVICE’S ” GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

NOTICES or OVR BEE EITEItATCKE

0 . UK old American Btc Journal hails

'now from Chicago, and (lie Feb. Xo.

is fully equal in value to what it bus been
formerly, and in some respects considera-
bly improved.

In our January Xo. wo spoke of queens
offered to subscribers by the National Bee
Journal. Our remarks there referred to
Mr. Mitchell's after some time ago, We
learn the present proprietors (Mr. Kina
is only one of them) have shipped a large j
number of queens and we believe propose
to send all If such is the case we cer-
tainly would wish them the success they
deserve for making not only their prom-
ises good, but their predecessors.

Mr. Moon says in his Journal that we
evidently have had but little experience,
which is just what might be expected from
the "Gleanings of a Novice.” II is Jan.
Xo. contains several good articles from
some of our best bee keepers. If Mr.
Moon would tell us why he ' has seen the
folly of advertising queens as premiums,"
we should perhaps feel more neighborly.
We can't see any lolly in making good all
promises to subscribers, whether we are
out of pocket thereby or not.

Mr. King has given us two numbers of
the Bee Keeper's Magazine , without any
"patent hives;” and in the last. he gives
us some funny pictures about "hiving bees
when the ladder broke.”

Mr. It. Wilkin, of Cadiz, Ohio, sends us
"Bee Culture," and, although it don't loll
about the extractor, it is so full of quaint
truths that must hare been actual exper-
ience, that we can heartily recommend it.

It shows plainly that Mr. W. cares more
to give real aid to his readers than to im-
press them with the extent of his own
knowledge or skill. A rare virtue, l’rico
25 ets. paper; cloth 40 cts., and well
worth the money to any bee keeper.

WIND AS A MOTIVE l’OWEK.

able power, but alas, the beloved
windmills and our hopes too, were dashed
to the ground by the first wind storm.

Some one in the Scientific American a
few months ago, spoke of making them
strong and "letting ’em spin” when not
wanted to use; but we think the folly of
such a course could be demonstrated by
about one experiment .

The American Agriculturist for May,
1*72, gives a drawing and some very sen-
sible directions for a home made mill of
small power ; and we see no particular
objection to their plan except the trouble
to go to the top of the tower whenever it
was to he stopped, for a windmill to be
effective must be elevated above surround-
ing objects entirely. To get the neces-
sary strength and durability, considerable
iron work must he used, and this can be
made much cheaper at a special machine
shop for the purpose than by private in-
dividuals.

Our mill is ofthe "Continental Co.," sold
by A. I’. Brown A- Co., 61 Park Place, X.
Y. It is 17 feet in diameter, price $400.
Is elevated ou a tower 35 feet from the
ground and was rated at 5 horse power,
which we think is a very fair estimate.

The U. S. Wind Engine Co., of Batavia,
yi., also do a large business in making
windmills and we give below an extract
from a letter just received from them in
regard to their mills: —

"We make a 12 foot power mill, but do
not consider this size of sufficient power
to run a circular saw with any degree of
satisfaction. We think the 16 foot mill
would give good satisfaction iu every in-
stance. We cannot recommend the. 16
foot mill for running much machinery at
the same time. We understand the sav-
ing to be done to be of very light stuff,
and therefore have said that we thought, it
would satisfy. We would, however, pre-
fer to sell the 22 foot mill.

Respectfully, Yours,

U. S. Wind Engink axii lb jit Co.”

R driving the circular saw used iu
aking the hives we have mentioned,
we decidedly prefer a. Windmill. We
have no trouble with engineers, fires or
firemen, and our Windmill has taken al-
most entire care of itself for the past two
years we have used it ; spreading its sails
to catch all the breeze when more power
is demanded of it, and then again turn-
ing them out of the wind when it has ac-
complished the work or when the wind
rises to a gale, for our hands now work
right along unconcerned amid our “fieri est
blows” feeling confidence in the wind-
mill’s ability to take care of itself and
spread only just so much sail as is need-
ed to do the work.

We regret that it seems next to impos-
sible for effective windmills to be home
made, and to be also made so as to with-
stand the high winds that they are neces-
sarily subject to. In our boyhood dayswe
made windmills that furnished consider-

Prices of the above mentioned mills are
about 130, 550, and 550 dollars. Both
companies we believe are prompt and re-
liable, and prices are probably not much
different for the same quality of work.
To sum up, our advice would he if you
think you are smart enough and care to
take the risk of having it blown down,
build a home made windmill ; but we be-
lieve we should prefer to invest the $150
and have one that we know was all right,
even if it were necessary to wait for a
windy day to do our sawing. With a 111
or 17 foot mill such as we use you could
probably saw, on an average, three days
in every week : more in winter and less in
summer. With it 22 or 25 foot mill, even
a gentle breeze would be sufficient to ruu
buzz saws or almost any kind of ma-
chinery, and there would be few days in
the year so still that it would not run.
Further particulars may he had of the
manufacturers.

20

“ NOVICE’S ” GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

NOVICE’S

gleanings in #cc ^nlturc.

A. I ROOT & CO.,

EDITORS AND PROPRIETORS.

Published Monthly, at Medina, Ohio.

Terms: 75c. per Annum.

A ny one tending us 5 Subscribers can retain 75c. for
their trouble , and in the same proportion
for a larger number •

: PRINTED AT MEDINA MUNTY^GAZETTE OFFICE. I

Medina, March 1, 1873.

You can work nearly twice ns fast in
cutting up stuff for hives and frames, if
yon have a child to assist, by handing the
pieces and taking them away.

We shall really have to give up telling
what we are going to give next month,
for so many new things are coming up
continually, that the best we can do on j
our limited number of pages is to con-
sider what seems to be of the most intqj;-
est to the greatest number at the time.

We most heartily commend President
Quiuby’s address, to N. E. Iiec Keepers
Association, given in Utica Morning
Herald of Feb. fith. We really wish our
pages were sufficient to give complete,
one of the ablest efforts of a great and
good man.

Problem four develops such a varietj’
of opinions that our "Table” at present
would be a sorry affair. Please don’t get
into any argument for we want truth in
this matter, and argument seldom calls it
forth ; and don't theorize, for we want
facts only from experience in this.

In our first two numbers we made an
error in giving the price of Messrs. Slmw
A Daniel’s untested queens, after Aug. 1st
$1.50, instead of $2.50 as it appears in
this number. Mr. Shaw’s plan of winter-
ing queens in a hive containing 0 frames
just half the length of the standard
Laugstroth frame seems to work well.

The little hives are neatly made and it
seems to us there ran be no cheaper way
of getting a queen safely, very early in
the season, for they answer almost every
purpose of a full colony, and the expense
of shipping is much less. For shipping
and for wintering surplus queens, we are [

inclined to think such small hives will
pay, and we should like to hear from bee
keepers on the subject. For the sake of hav-
ing them a regular uniform size we sug-
gest a frame 8«x9£, and then five frames
would make them just one-fourth the ca-
pacity of the standard Laugstroth hive;
at any rate do let us have them with
frames interchangeable when we buy and
sell hives.

We learn the great yield of honey oh.
turned by Mr. Davis, ot Delhi, Mich., was
principally from a yellow (lower that
sprang up after a swamp was burned over
in the fall. of 1 1 . Will lie please give us
a full account of his swarms and surplus,
and also of the plant mentioned, and how
"the bees filled with honey, combs built
on the outside of their /lives' because he
"hadn't time” to give them room inside.

We hope our readers will excuse us for
declining to send any articles pertaining
to lice Culture C. (). 1). Our profit is
too small lo even pay “return charges” on
money. Send us Post Office orders pay-
able in Medina, or New York draft. As
letters rarely miscarry now a days, small
sums can be sent safely by mail. We
have heard of but few failures in over 5(10
letters sent us in the past two months.

Ora bees were placed on their summer
stands and enjoyed a full (light Feb. 1 9th
and 20th, but we put them back again
"cause it went below zero;”' and we arc
sure it paid, for we found one quecnlcss
colony and one almost “bee-less," also,
that we combined much to their satisfac-
tion as well as ours. All were in fine
condition except some weak nucleus
colonies made quite late to save surplus
queens. Seven out of twelve of these
were all right, but the remaining live were
fed as late as November and having too
few bees to seal up their sjrup before
being “housed,” they quietly “slid out,”
and now we have only (i!) "living hives,"
all good except one with a drone-laying
queen and all old bees for an experiment,
hut with sealed combs of syrup, they un-
healthy and bright, although their num-
bers are decreasing. When we returned
them to the house, mercury stood four be-
low zero, and even Hybrids, when dis-
turbed were content to dive down into
the cluster after a "very brief " show ot
war. such ns “standing on their heads,
etc.” Although they were “housed with
a rush," scarcely a bee was lost.

“novice's” gleanings in bee culture.

*21

HEADS or URALV FROM DIFFER-
ENT FIELDS.

DYSENTERY.

insert the following as it gives a

wJJ very iair idea of the great hce dis-
ease or dysentery :

I can give you nothing that is fresh in the
hoe keeping line. It must he the old story
over, anil what do your care for that? We
shall never get tired of talking of our losses
last spring and winter. For 10 years past I
have wintered my bees in one place, a large
dry cellar, from 80 to 100 swarms, and often
not lose a swarm. Last fall my cellar was
never in better condition, all the stocks
strong in bees and honey, honey very thick,
all frames nicely capped, ami hives properly
ventilated. The dyscntcryTicgnn its work
about the first of February picking out here
and there a swarm, ten or fifteen .-warms
were not allectod at all; but all were very
much reduced in number caused by tho con-
tusion in tho cellar of tho affected swarms.
-My actual loss in the cellar was only 4 swarms
Irom 81, but when 1 carried them to their
summer stands in April, then the few bees
jeft in the affected hives, with their queens
in every case, came out. So of those small
swarms that came nut the first day and lit in
one swarm most all of them had queens, left
brood in all stages, plenty of honey, hive dry
and in good condition, for the excrement was
on top of the honey board and outside of the
hive. I returned many to their own and
other hives, gave them fresh box honey, but
stay th°y would not, for when flowers came I
had but 40 left from 83, and they wero in very
weak condition. To show you I had bees
enough when my bees went into winterqn ir-
ters ; I carried out in tho spring 4 bushels of
dead bees from the cellar bottom. Bees were
swept off all over our State in this way. Wc
had a. hard drought to contend against this
summer, very little swarming and but small
amount of box honey. My bees, 51 swarms,
are back in tboir old winter quarters and in
very fail-condition. Let us see tho result this
winter. Yours, Truly,

Ripon, AVis. R. Bart.

Wc presume you all know that wc take
the position that there are alway's at hand
simple remedies for nil evils in bee keep-
ing, if we only work earnestly to get
them.; and in Mr. Dart’s case we would
first intimate that however thick and good
honey may be, it docs, nevertheless, often
produce the result mentioned; but had their
stores been sealed sugar syrup no such
confusion would have resulted. In regard
to leaving their hives in spring as the re-
sult alter such excitement, caging tho
queens fora few days might have saved
them, but great care would have been
necessary to sen that they were not de-
serted and chilled. Mr. Ilosmer’s ideas
in liee Keeper's Mut/uziue arc good hut.
not quite sufficient wc think. One of
ours swarmed out in this manner three
limes last spring and only gave it up
when wo gave them a new locality. Mr.
Shaw, Chatham center, this county, uses
a contracted entrance to keep the queen
inside, and it the bees go back to their
own hive all is well, lie lost more
queens in this way with clipped wings
than those which were not clipped for
they will assuredly swarm out all the
samp.

Feb. loth, 1873,

A great many bees are dying in this part of
tlie country this winter, from the combined
effects ol dysentery nT)d no shelter during the

long continued cold weather. I have lost six
of seventeen, and expect to lose more.
Others have had still greater losses ; one man
has but live loft of fifty-five ; another four of
thirty, others havo lost various numbers
ranging from three to eight, from lots of ton
n or less to thirty ; the loss being greatest where
the bees wore increased most by dividing last
summer, the result is that some arc begining

I to decry movable comb hives and extractors.
One man said to me ”1 tell you you must,
throw away those pair nt hives and take the old
box aunt.” He doesn’t tako the American Tire
Journal. Another has sold his extractor for
! half price, offers his empty hives for sale,
and is going back to the dark ages of the box
hive, lie doesn’t take the American Bee
Journal either. Hoping these rough items
will not weary you, 1 am

Respectfully, Y’ours,

Hudson, 111 Eduar Sauer.

IJless your heart, brother “Novices, ’
send along the “rough items” by all
; means. And above ail things give us re-
ports of the disasters and difficulties in
bee keeping. We believe those who have
(tie best opportunity of judging, agree
that dysentery prevails alike in box hives
1 and frame hives ; and among those win-
i tered in doors and on their summer
stands; and also those that gathered
their honey early in the season as those
! that bad all but the late honey extracted :
though single localities may seem to favor
at times any one of the above reasons
given. So many cases have been report-
ed when the honey was thick ami capped
over that we are forced to think that thin
or even sour honey has but little to
do with it, but until some one cati give us
a plain direct fact, showing that bees have
ever been troubled withitwlieu contined to
1 1 a diet of pure sealed sugar syrup, we must

insist that the preventive is simple and still
I easy. Could our readers all sec our bees
at this date, Feb. 12th, healthy, natural
and quiet, we think they too would have
some of the faith that we have. One
•i .marked colony that was given mostly
;! natural stores, as au experiment, has
soiled the front of their hive; and bees
are dying with it in our neighborhood, but
wc think from reports that colonies left
out. doors are dying most. We most
ll sincerely pity the bees and their owners,
but feel sure that this great drawback to
successful bee keeping, is sure to be made
to yield to our earnest cudeavors to
i conquer it.

•I. W- Johnson, SheUiyville, Tuil., writes:
Bro. Novice.— Will not three or four thick-
nesses ol newspaper answer tho eamo purport!

I of your quilt? I uso this, it is cheaper anil
I more convenient than quilts.

We have used them some, but they tear
easily, are more trouble to put in place
and our bees tear them up and envy them
) off’ in little bits.

(leo. F. Palmer, of Cincinnati, Ohio. "Do
you ever sell specimen copies of your Gallup
style of hive?'

Yes, and can furnish them at the same
price as the “dollar” hive, but if questions
keep coming at the rate they do now, we
wish some other bee keeper would make
better hives than we do and sell them
cheaper, It can he done.

22

“novice’s” gleanings in bee culture.

Dr. W. H. Sedgwich, Granvillo. 0. : “What
will you take to make me one of those extract-
ors described in Feb. No.? Your workmen in
Medina know better how to do it than any tin
smith who has never made one, that’s all."

But our tin smiths don’t, for Novice
does it mostly himself, and the freight on the
articles mentioned in the last two questions
would more than make the difference in
expense. Go to work with your tinner
and show him how. Our time is so fully
occupied already that some one could
certainly make them cheaper than we can,
but to those of our friends who insist up-
on it, we have promised to make them as
cheaply as we can. Every bee keeper to
be independent should make his own hives
and extractor at home, and the business
of “Gleanings” is to tell him how.

Mr. Palmer, of Hart, Mich., replies to our
question in tho Jan. No:— Mr. Novice: -I
use simple two story hives of different widths.
The smallest is fifteen inches wide and con-
tains twenty frames, ten below and ten above :
the largest is twenty-two inches wide and
contains thirty-two frames, sixteen below
and sixteen above. The frames arc 9xlS
inches inside measurement. To prevent
swarming give a young queen plenty ot room
and take the honey with the extractor. I
keep the queens wings clipped and if I have a
choice queen that I want to bo sure and not
lose, I use Quinby’s queen yard and it works
like a charm.

Mr. F. W. Chapman. Morrison, 111.,
answers Problem 1st, and sends us a
sample of beautiful hard candy that we
think cannot fail to answer. Many
thankvS Mr. C. We should have no fear
of the acid at all :

It is prepared by adding to each pound of
sugar 1 gill of water and \V« table spoonfuls
of “cider vinegar" all boiled together until
it will harden when dropped in cold water and
be brittle, about 15 or 20 minutes boiling.
When cooked pour into pans (greased) and
when partly cool cut it into shape. You soc
thereis no expense and but little trouble: by
pulling and working it makes nice cream
candy, very white. I have fed it to bees like
this and have seen no bad effect from its use.
Do you think there is acid enough in it to do
injury if fed largely ?

We presume everybody knows by this
time what remedy we would advise to our
frieud who comes next. How his bees
ran be saved without an extractor we
don't know.

The greatest drawback to bco keepers in
Ibis part of the country is what is called
honey dew ; it is always followed by dysen-
tery. There has been three crops of it in
iwolvo years, and I have lost more bees from
that cause than all others. This has been the
ou 80 as far back as 1 have any knowledge of
bee keeping. My father lost bees from the
same cause more than thirty years ago.

Yours, Truly,

New Salem, 0. Morris Smith.

Loyd Jones, Halva, III., writes: “I am a
beekeeper but have only four swarms ; am
fifteen years old, but that don’t make any
difference ; I like your stylo of writing and
your good common sense, but never mind
send me the “Gleanings."

Many thanks to our young friend, we
will try and not “mind” in any way that
will detract from the common sense lie
has given us credit for. When we can
help you call on us, for we have lots of
work for you and all bee keepers of your
ago. Tell as about your lour hives ; what

j| kind arc the 3 T , have you a neat tidy place
| for them, with everything square, clean
and business like ? Make everything as
slick as a banker’s office and when “trade
opens” be sure and ‘do your pari.”

W. F- Patterson, Freestone, Ohio, writes :
“1 fed a part of my bees with syrup, they hare
come out but little ; tho others have come
out every chance and soil everything near
tnem, and I much fear they arc diseased."

West Lodi, Ohio, Dec. 18th 1872.

Friend Novice 1 am using the standard,
two story, Langstroth hive and last summer
| I found that in some strong stocks, after
putting on 12 four lb. honey boxes, all an
eleven inch cap would hold, there would still
be a cluster of bees outside ; so as soon as the
bees had got fairly started in tho first 12, 1
raised them upTTnd put 12 more under thorn,
thus making them four boxes deep, and I
found that strong stocks wonld fill the entire
j 24 boxes almost as soon ns they would twelve.

| In this way I attained over one hundred

pounds each, from a number of stocks, not-
withstanding our old logy hec keepers say
the season of 1872 was the poorest we have
had for ten years, I neglected to state in the
proper place, that when I put on 24 boxes
j that I took the cover off one cap and then put
that on the hive and the regular cap on the
top of it, thus making a three story hive. 1
have sold ull my box honey at 25 cents and
extracted at 18 cents. I have 88 swarms of
bees, all Italians, stowed away nice and snug
in a house similar to yours. I have wintered
my bees in it for the last two winters and
! they come out all right, whilst the neighbors
bees on all sides have died. Please excuse
l| the length of this rambling letter, and may
long lifo and unbounded success in his chosen
j pursuit, fall to the lot of “Novice." is the
wish of his friend James Bolin.

If it does seem that any body should
be satisfied with such a result, we can’t
help thinking that Mr. B. would have ob-
tained 400 or 500 lbs. had he used the ex-
;| tractor. At the price he quotes extract-
ed honey don’t seem to be much behind.

Wm. Witter, of this place, has just lost
a fine colony that had eggs and brood,
and plenty of stores of sealed sugar
syrvjt. An examination shows that their
brood is located at one side of the hive
and their abundant stores on the other;
all their food being exhausted within
reach, and the weather very cold gives us
the cause as plainly as if written on the
hive. When we wintered out of doors we
lost many in just the same way, and if
those who advocate “double walled hives”
and summer stands, will tell us how to
obviate an occasional case like the above,
we should he glad to hear it. The double
walls may prevent the sun from wanning
them up the first sunshiny day, and thus
cause their ruin. In a properly con-
structed hoe house (and we are now col-
lecting all the items we can for directions
to build one) the bec-s can at any time go
to any part of the. hives for stores.

C, B. Porter, Ann Arbor, Mich: “1 have
studied hard on your extractor and don’t un-
derstand it."

Tell us what you don’t understand and
we will try again.

J. Hunt,, Sparta, Ga : “I have spent fifty-
three dollars and have made as complete
failure as you ever heard of. I have one
colony less than half I commenced with last
year; paid for two queens and lost both. I
now write you thinking you can put me
• right/’

“ NOVlOfi's " GhBANtNG» JN JlRH (JWD'fDRE'

an

We are afraid some of our friend's
money went for "patent rights.” If so
it’s gone, but friend II. don’t let any more
go that way. Before warm weather
comes we II try and tell how not to lose
queens.

C. W. Stokes, Atchison, Ivan.: *‘I kent
the weight of two hives and they kept within
one or two pounds of each othor nil summer,
the best one gnvo 140 lbs. I took 701bs. of
basswood honey, at one time, from one hivo."

VYo feel quite sure that the latter colony
must have labored at a considerable dis-
advantage with 70 lbs. of honey in the
way.

John A. Buchanan. Wintorsvillo, 0.,
writes : “Alt my bees had to be fed heavily
to carry them through tho winter except six
that were in long hives with long frames ; nnd
they averaged no better in the spring than
the rest of the stocks that are in hivos with
short frames. Some of my hives are tall, the
i/utc post kind, (American Bee Hivcwe presume
■ — Ed. bti.KA NtNf.s.) with diver* sticks of wood to
brood. The spring being cold and unfavora-
ble fur breeding, bees increased slowly save
under the most favorable circumstances, and
this is the case when bees are in long hives
containing long combs, so the brood can ho
extended horizontally without the necessity
of having to divide the cluster to take in
more frames until they have increased in
strength sufficient to permit sueli a change.

S. Hathaway, Muncie, Tnd: "From the
best information that I can gather in regard
to the present status of bees in this section of
the State, 1 am led to believe tiiat three-
fourths of all the colonies aro dead, and the
remaining one-fourth very weak in numbers.
Some of the colonies appeared to have dysen-
tery; others looked as though they had frozen
to death; and those the best supplied with
stores appear to have suffered most."

If things aro really as bad as the above,
we don't wonder that bee-keeping is con-
sidered precarious. We trust, however,
to learn better. For reports as to what
may lie done with bees that ore wintered
see the following:

Novice I put into winter quarters last
winter 46 hives, sold two in ths spring, and
had 38 left, the rest having died. From the
:ts stocks left I got 112 swarms, and wo esti-
mate they had 7,000 pounds in stores. This
may not be interesting. N. 11.— IVe give our
whole plan for anew honey extractor only by
request: the same also of our new hive,
which, we think, will doaway with Mr. Palm-
er's troubles with propolis. Our own opinion
is, we have the best lnve ever invented, and
tlie cheapest. Will never have it patented,
nor anything wo may happen to invent.

J. L. Davis, Delphi, Mich.

P. S.— Send "Gleanings" Quarterly. Your
mode of managing bees is not adapted to
Ibis locality. 1 have an extractor very simi-
lar to yours, hut 1 will not use it except to
give room for tho queen, which necessity
does not occur oftener thnn once in four or
live years. 1 use the Langstroth hive (heighth
ten inches) and but one size frame for hive,
and but one size »«udl frame for surplus and
nucleus hives. W. J. Davis,

Youngstown, Pa.

Many thanks, Mr. D., even if your crit-
icisms be somewhat strong, for how are
we to improve unless we have kind friends
to tell us of our failings. If you are ns
ready to learn as we are, which we can-
not doubt, we hope to show you that your
extractor can be used profitably evert/
year, and on the other hand we admit,
that comb honey in some form will be in
such demand for years to come that its

production must be considered ; and Mr.
D. gives a most excellent idea, viz. : us-
ing the half length frames, montioned on
another page, for nucleus hives, for box
honey also, or rather for comb honey,
and these small combs can be removed
one at a time as soon as sealed, nnd bees
brushed oft’ without trouble. We have
been informed by those having sold hon-
ey in this shape that it brings the highest
prices in the market and sells readily
singly, or in suitable boxes by the quanti-
ty. _

AKE EXTRACTORS “DANGEROUS

A N effort is being made by patent
dsiiA hive men and others to make it ap-
pear unsafe to trust “beginners” with the
extractor “They’ll make mischief by-
throwing out the brood, starving the bees,
etc.” IIow is this, fellow norices? How
many years experience will it be neces
sary to have before we learn that bees
will starve it all their honey be taken
away at times when they are gathering
none ? If you wish to have the same
|j number of colonies in the spring that you
had the fall previously, invariably, tea say-
remove oil their honey in September, and
replace it with sugar syrup which at pres-
ent cost does not exceed 10c per lb.
When you can’t sell your honey for that
write to ns.

In extracting if you turn considerably
faster than is necessary to remove the
honey, you will throw the unsealed brood
out. If our Young American bee keep
ors are not bright enough to learn the two
above simple points in a few weeks, they

ought to be ahem, obliged to come

and see “Novice” and let him talk to
them. Iff say give us the extractor the
first thing : ' lie want to see the folly

ou t. too," as we once told our grand-
mother.

When we have thrown out some brtiod
and starved a colony or two, lit nee how
il works, we ll learn.

We can give y ou the addresses of bee
keepers who have bought bees and ex-
tractors and made a fair profit the first
year : and so can you, each and every
one of our readers if you only think so,
and are willing to work, study and learn.
We should have much greater fears of
your bees starving if you took advice
from box hive bee keepers or venders of
“closed top or side frame hives, than if
you used your own “common sense ' un-
aided.

Ci'T from a large sheet of coarse brown
paper, a piece Iwo inches larger than the
quilt each way. Lay this over the quilt
and then push down the cap, or upper
story, and all the upper ventilation is
closed completely, on we want it, in spring
as soon as the bees are on their summer
stands.

“novice's" 11 lean I nos in dee culture.

PROBLEMS,

O. 5. t'an no way bo deviaeU to got
the bees from a strong colony away
from their combs without shaking and
brushing them off with a bundle of aspar-
agus tops, etc. For instance we have ac-
complished something this way :

Take a strong colony in the dollar hive
and raise it from the bottom board enough
to allow a similar hive full of combs just
extracted to be placed under it, and the
greater part of the bees will be found in a
few minutes on the lower combs attracted
by the honey spread about on the uncap-
ped cells, and their desire to clean up
everything tidy. Now remove j our upper
combs and you have but few bees in the.
way, and these combs when extracted
can be used similarly for the next hive
and so on. Now if by some stratagem
we could coax all the been below quietly,
wouldn’t it be j oily ?

No. 6. One of our subscribers raises
moth u-orms all he can, uses all his pieces
of comb and old broken hives for the
purpose, yet is troubled no more than
formerly with "Millers.” (Which we
don't doubt at all). Who can guess why
he raises them ? "Answer next month. ’
P. S. He don’t eat 'em as they do snails
in some countries, so don’t guess that.

No. 7. Sawdust around the hive to
keep down the weeds and to keep the bees
from crawling under the hive when we
extract, is liable to catch (ire when we
are obliged to smoke them. Is there any
thins; else as cheap and effective that
won’t burn ? "Scientific" makes the
query and wc second it.

HONEY COLUMN.

as Hare, Marion, Linnn Co., Iowa.

L. Beckwith, Berlin, Wis., says; "I am
not satisfied that it is best to run all in
extracted honey. I understand that it
has been slow of sule in Chicago at 8 to 1
10c., and hard to sell in Milwaukee at all —
cgn sell a few lbs. at home for 12 to 13c.
in trade, when good light Comb honey is
wanted ut good prices, therefore 1 want i
the best way to average 100 lbs. of box
honey, in a good season, per swarm.
With sure and ready sale for extracted j
honey at two-thirds prico of box honey,

I should of course run entirely on ex- '!
traded.”

We think Mr. B. quite modest in only
wanting 100 lbs. box honey per colony;
we should not dare promise so much ex-
tracted ; and that reminds us of a promi-
nent bee keeper who writes, that it’s no
trouble to make boxes, for he sells them
by the lb. for a good deal more than they ,
cost. Now in Medina they always wish j
to return the box, uud when we object
they reply: "Want us to pay 30c. per
lb. for all that wood and glass? No sir
ee I take back the box honey and give us

the pure stuff in the glass jars for 20c.”
We presume it will tnke a little longer for
people to get weaned from "beeswax
honey,” than it did a few years ago from
"tallow candles.”

F. F. Nunn, Peru, O., hn3 2 bbls. nice
candied homy; wants 20c. for it.

Somebody advertises rubber gloves for
bee-keepers, for no other renson that wo
know of unless it is because they "want
to sell ’em for any bee-keeper who has
tried them very well knows how much
“worse than nothing" they are.

“ Get Oats and Rye ground together
for feeding, 'soon ns bees can fly. Have
■it ground fine.

advertisemkntsT

Advertisements will bo received at 10 cents
per line eneli insertion, cash in advance:
and wo requiro that every Advertiser sutisllos
us of his responsibility and intention to do
oil that he agreos, and that, liis goods are
really worth the prico asked for them.

I TALIAN (H'EEN BEEN FOB 1S7»—

Will bo bred from Imported Mothers, one
of which is one of Charles Dadant's impor-
tation. Persons who purchase Queens of mo
trill get what they bargain for. Send for oir-
iiclar. W.m. W. Cauv.

Col. Kit a ix, Franklin Co., Mass. 2 7

P RICE LINT OF FYKE ITALIAN

Queens and Boes from Shaw & Daniel’s
Apiaries, for 1873:

For last year’s Qucons, sent as early as tho
weather is suitable, 85 each.

Tested Queons, during tho season, St each.
Untested Queens in Juno and July, S3
each. After I lie 1st of August, S2.50. All
Queons sent by mail warranted puro ami
fertile' Safe arrival guaranteed.

Nucleus’ Hives containing pure Queen,
with 6 frames each, 8'/i by V'/., S8 each. Can
he built up into strong swarms or used for
wintering surplus Queens.

Full colonics in one story Langstroth Hives,
ton frames each, $13. Wide hives with mova-
ble partition bonrd from 11 to 17 frames each,
■815, Two story hives containing 21 frames,
$15 each.

American Hives, containing 9 frames with
space between top bars, $15 each.

Each colony will contain a young Queen
and 9 frames of comb, with extra frames.
Sent by express and safe arrival guaranteed.
Address ltf

J. SHAW & SON, Chatham Confer,
or J. E. DANIELS. Lodi, Medina, Co., 0.

A ESI liE CLOVER SEED.—A nice ar-
ticle; 50 cents per pound by mail or 35
cents by express. A. I- HOOT & CO., Me-
dina, Ohio.

•ITALIAN BEEN.— Wo offer for sale about
1 200 colonics of Italian Bees in the Ameri-
can Movable-Comb llivo. Also Queens
throughout tho season. Purity nnd safe ar-
rival guaranteed. For further particulars,
prices, Ac., send for circular-

BALDWIN BROS.,

2-9 Sandusky, N.

C hoice- Italian (hikes for i»7».

—I have increased facilities for rearing
Italian Queens for the coming season. The
choicest Queen-Mothers to breed from, and no
hlaek bees to interfere. Send stamp for cir-
cular to W. J. DAVIS, Youngstown, Warren
Co., Pa.

Ov how to Realize the Most Money with the Smallest Expenditure of Capital
and Labor in the Care of Bees, Rationally Considered.

l>UBIiI8HEI) MONXHIA'.

ARRANGEMENT OF THE APIARY.

(We should add Designed and Mngjftvcd by "Novtok,” but “P. (1." says it wasn't engraved for
••ho did it with a saw." 0. S . — Suirn are Novice's last hobby.)

NI'AKTI \t« AN AIMARY.

No I.

'.WOW for business. in the above illus-
•iii J| trillion which is drawn on n scale of
one inch lo twelve feet, the house is repre-
sented in the center, with the hives aild
grape-vino trellises arranged about it in
the form of a hexagon, ns given in our
til's t. paper, only that the above shows an
apiarv at a stage in which it contains only
oli colonies.

The building has a door three feet in II

width, al each end, lo facilitate as tar u>
we can the operation of extracting, for the
arrangement of the hives permits the great-
est amount of room possible and nl the
same time allows ns to take almost a bee
line from any hive lo either of the doors,
and yet those most remote are hat 24 feet
distant.

Jnsl as soon 11 s this number is received
we hope each one of vou w ill provide a
nice clean load of fresh sawdust even if it
costs $2.00 as it does sometimes here in
Medina.

Get the children to help (the more the

sM

“ koVIOB'S " tthKANlNGS IN BKB OlfLTtJjiSL

merrier,) and bring all Ihe dust pans and
fire shovels, carts, wheelbarrows, etc., and
proceed to lav out the walks of onr city;
tor we shall expect you to go around j
among your hives all kinds of weather, and 1
without getting your feet muddy to bo
tracked indoors either.

ff your supply of sawdust is limited i
tftako narrow paths with it, midway be-
tween the stakes in the threo different di-
rections in which our lanes run. We sin-
cerely hope that the wives, mothers and i
daughters of your household aro partners
In this enterprise, becauso they will assist
so much, in keeping it neat and tidy, and
when they once become interested in its
growth and development, (for it may com- j
menco with only half a dozen hives, three,
■two or oven one only,) wo are sure it will :j
succeed.

Wo think it will pay to build a Bee or
Honey house when you have a dozen colo-
nies, and the rail road when that number is
doubled. The building is 10ixl2 feet, out-
side measure, nnd ns the walls are one foot
thick, packed with sawdust, the inside is
ono foot less each way and eight feet from
floor to ceiling. The floor is elevated ten
inches from the ground nnd is also packed
with sawdust and the building is supported
on a good stone or brick wall laid wit h mor-
tar.

fbc whole of the timber used is 2x12
inch joists sided up on the outside nnd
made tight (so that no sawdust can sift
through into our honey,) by matched lum-
ber on the inside.

As with our hives, any lumber will an-
swer that, contains no loose knots. Tight
fitting, double doors are used, nnd the
inner ones are so hinged that they enn be
slipped off and deposited in the loft out of
the way in summer time when the building
is used as a honey house ; the outer doors
should each have a window sash in them
covered with wire cloth externally, nnd
these sashes should be allowed also to slide
down in hot weather, loaving (he wire cloth
to keep bees out ; also have the doors ar-
ranged to fasten open ns well ns shnf.

In the center of the floor an opening one
foot square is made through both floors for
ventilation, and also one of the same size j
in the ceiling above, reaching into the open
air, hut so arranged that no ray of light
can enter; both of these openings should
bo painted black inside, and the lower
one should hflve n nicely fitting trap door
which may ho opened more or less accord-
ing to the number of colonies the room
contains, or the severity of the weather.
l f or wintering, six shelves, each twenty
inches broad, are placed at equal distances
on each side of the room, three inches
from the wall ; tho hives aro placed on
these without top or bottom, and the frames j|
covered with tbo cloth quilt only. The
shelves are removable and are stored in
the loft in summer except a part of one of '
them on the south sido, which is a fixture [
and contains shallow drawers.

Kemeinber that neither the house nor

apiary is ever to he lumbered up with use-
less traps, even if they have to ho burned
up periodically, and so wo make no pro-
vision for storing them.

The house as described is sufficiently
large for storing ono hundred colonies in
winter, (if they are in the dollar hive,) and
will admit oi all necessary operations in
summer, unless wo should ho so unfortu-
nate as to get a barrel of honey from each
colony, and oven then it might be carted
away everv night.

Our raifrond is simply a track made of
pieces of scantling 2x3 inches with boards
nailed across on tho under side, nud the
car is a shollow dry goods box, bottom up,
with a post nailed in each corner; thffie
posts hove mortises in their lower ends to
slip over two nxles of one inch round iron,
having east iron truck wheels fastened sta-
tionnrily to their outer ends.

The top of the car is 2^x4 feet and rais-
ed enough to be level with the floor of the
house; the other end of the track is such
that the platform of the enr is about level
with the bottom of a lumber wagon; thus,
hives, honey, sugar, etc., may be quietly
and speedily conveyed to or from the
building.

“Presiding Genius,’’ says a collision is
sure to result between the car and nnd the
hive near it, with the curved track we
have made in the drawing, hut as we enn-
not consent, to mar the symmetry of our
“honey comb" apiary bv removing the hive
n little, the whole thing has gone to press ns
it is.

ITALIAN OITEENN FOB TWENTY-
FIVE CENTS.

K IND renders, Novice hasn’t gone wild
or crazy, nor into a gift enterprise
even (which, in our opinion, would be
worse), but after having made it plain
that the “dollar” hive was feasible, the
fact that we must have Italians occurred
to us, and also that many of us have in-
vested much money, and, in some cases,
with but little profit or satisfaction in re-
turn. We, too, have had our share of hu-
miliating results in trying to Italianize,
and must confess, therefore, that we have
a preference for eggs for queen rearing
directly from a genuine imported queen,
and have no doubt that bee-keepers in gen-
eral feel the same way.

On pages 209 and 210 of the National
Bee Journal, Vol. II., we find that eggs
can he sent safely by mail. Many thanks
to friends Murphy and Marvin' for the
facts furnished ; and now we want the as-
sistance of all queen rearers having i in -
ported queens. We will advertise gratis
t lie names of all responsible persons who
will undertake to aid onr friends, ns fol-
lows :

“On the receipt of 2jc. we will mail to
any address a piece of comb containing
freshly laid eggs from an imported Italian
queen.”

A piece of comb 2Jx3 inches should

“novice’s” gleanings in bee culture.

27

contain from two to three hundred eggs,
and this can be placed in a suitable frame
of comb when received, and hive and all
substituted for one containing a strong
colony. When the eggs are hatched, if
desired, the comb of larvae can he still
further divided, and thus a large number
of queens he reared nnd the risky process
of "introduction” avoided entirely.

To those of our friends that furnish
these eggs for hatching who fear "it won’t
pay, we will say : If ou have no troublo
in queen rearing to contend with; by lib-
eral feeding eggs can always he secured in
the centre of tne colony ; postage is hut
two cents if the comb is fixed in a stiff
pasteboard, bent up in such a manner
that the pcstmaster can examine the con-
tents if he wishes; and lastly, if eggs are
from an imported queen, no* guaranty of
purity is needed, and for the small sum of
25c. none will he expected for safe deliv-
ery, etc.

Drone eggs can he at the proper season
furnished at same price, if wanted, but
our impression is that daughters of an im-
ported queen arc as honey producers good
enough. As to whom we shall patronize,
our advice is that for both queens and
eggs, as a general thing, it is best to
trade nearest home, and with some one
we know will do as nearly right as he can.

We will assist in the enterprise all we
can, and us we have none neurer than an
imported queen’s daughter, wo shall, if
possible, procure an imported queen in
time, to mail eggs in May.

If we fail in this, those who send to us
will have to take the best eggs we can
furnish.

PROIILE)!!!.

'O. 8. — It is well known that market

gardeners make use of sashes of
glass to forward such vegetables as they
require very early. Now as it is very de-
sirable to induce brood-rearing largely
this month, and as warmth is one great
essential, can we not allow the sun to
strike the quilt by raising the cover par-
tially, nnd at the same time keeping off
cold air by a sheet, of glass raised at an
angle of 15 degrees, or laid over the quilt
simply? Which would be the better way,
nnd would net a quilt made of black cloth
give us better results ? A reply from
some one who has had experience in mar-
ket gardening would bo quite a favor.

No. 9. — How long can eggs be kept
away from the bees and still hatch, and
if temperature affects the result, what
temperature is most favorable ? [See arti-
cle on another page.J

answer to rmuu.E.M ti.

The fact is that I am a devoted disciple
»t that great and good man and eminent
naturalist, the late I/.aak Walton, and
I long ago discovered that for all kinds
and descriptions of fish that will take a.
grab or f[v, from the trout and black bass

down to the river and pond sunfisb, the
larvae of the bee moth is just about the
most attractive bait that can be used. It
is a very cleanly bait, and has a strong
odor of its own, as of course you know,
which I suppose is one of its advantages.
T believe that nothing was made in vain,
everything has its use if we conld only
find if out, but f never heard of any ouv
being able to put the bee moth (no pun in-
tended here) in harness, or derive any
benefit from it, until I tried it myself. 1
have, of course, noted some of their hab-
its, such as their propogating in confine-
ment, the diseases to which they are sub-
ject, and that combs hung in the open air,
that is, not in a hive, at a distance of 1
or lj inches apart, are almost secure from
their depredatious. In this case the moth
will sometimes attack one, and if the
worms eaunot reach the next one they
will confine themselves to the oue on which
the egg was laid until they are done feed-
ing, when they will begin to travel, Ac.

ANSWER TO J'UOULEM l.

Do you think there is any objection
to nsing tanbark around the hives? 1
have always used it and find it very good
to keep weeds down, and it will not catch
fire very easy. C. E. W.

It is our impression that the above will
answer excellently, bnt what, are nnfortn>
nates like ourselves to do that can't get
any, nearer than ten miles ?

honey column.

HAA r E a 12 gallon cask of dark ex-
fess tractcd honey (mostly buckwheat),
that 1 will sell at 12£c. with cask thrown*
in. A neighbor has a simo sized cask of
white honey (clover and basswood) that ho
will sell cheap, and also 80 pounds of
dark honey. J. F. Mooke,

Binghamton, N. V.

I have but little extracted honey ou
hand now, but would like to engage- my
next crop. 1 .shall have, if prospered n*
usual, about 9000 lbs., which 1 will deliver
free of cost on the cars or steamboat, at-
Muscatine, Iowa, in 150 or 200 pound o»k
kegs, at 15c. per pound, kegs thrown iu.
The honey I guarantee all to be a No. 1
article. 1 have been selling extracted
honey for four years, and know what it
shquld be. W. ,1. Uox.u.u,

Grandview, Iowa.

We have never seen a case of foul
broodand consequently can't advise in the
matter; but we do recommend that as a
precaution the utmost care be exercised
in shipping queens or eggs from nji
apiary where it prevails or bus prevailed.
Perhaps the matter when we become
familiar with it can be shorn of some of
its terrors, like moth millers, etc,

28

“novice’s” gleanings in bee culture.

NOVICE’S

ijjlcumitqs in Sjcc j^nlimc. j

V ;v ' j?_ !

A. I. ROOT & CO.,

EDITORS AND P R O PRI li T OHS.

Published Monthly, at Medina, Ohio, ,

T^enns: 75c. per Aniiiun.

Any on* nciid inn us & Subscriber# can retain tor. tor
their trouble, ami in the name proportion
for a larger numbt r.

PRINTED ST MEDINA COUNT! GAZETTE OFFICE .!

Medina, April 1, 1373.

All money sent us without specifying
definitely for what purpose, will he credit-
ed oti “Gleanings,” and the paper will be
sent just so long as it is paid for and no i
longer. Wc hope our frieiids will cxcu.su
us for making this our invariable rule to
all.

In ease the locality of any hive is to he
changed after the bees are flying in the
Spring, do it by moving, riot to exceed one
foot at a time, If moved otherwise, un-
less the distance exceed one mile, the
colony is frequently injured for the
season.

Tin: different No’s, of “Gleanings ' are
so intimately connected and follow each
other in such a manner, that we hope onr
friends will excuse us for insisting on
having all subscriptions commence with
the first of each year. Of course we
shall always be prepared to furnish hack
numbers.

Wi: have received from Or. Jewel Davis,
of Charlestown, 111., a queen nursery, and
judging from what experience we have
had with a simnlar one of our own make,
wc think it without doubt quite valuable
in an apiary. As he now oilers them for
lour dollars, right included, we cannot
call the price unreasonable. The, fifteen
movable queen cages contained in one-
frame are nearly worth the price alone,
but we are somewhat doubtful as to the
expediency of keeping your queens in
confinement very long after they have
been hatched. We want the most prolific
and longest lived queens that can be had,
and if unrestrained liberty of the hive
and “all out doors ' too. is one of the
essentials, “let 'em slide” by all means.
Will some of our’ large queen raisers
give us their opinion op liic subject, j

Some one suggests that we make
“Gleanings” a “Weekly which we might
easily do if we should publish all the ex-
pressions of approval that we receive in
regard to its value thus far; but as we
expect you to receive more money from
your bees than you < rpend, we have serious
doubts as to whether a weekly would lie
prudent. Success is only achieved by
hard work, and books are only to assist
you in directing your work. Doubtless
the money can he better invested some-
where in the Apiary.

J r seems wc have been so unfortunate
in making ourselves understood, that
several have written us asking the price
of “individual rights” for the privilege

using the metal corners, which is quite
a joke on Novice, certainly. Of course
every one is free to use them if they
wish, and so far as wc are. concerned, to
make them or any modification o! them
they please for their men use. Wc only
reserve the privilege of manufacturing
them for sale as all valuable patented
articles are sold, and as they are furnish-
ed at a price but very little in advance of
the cost of making, we presume no one
will accuse us of charging ail extra price
for them because they are patented.

From the March number of Bee Aer/i-
er's Magazine we infer that Mr. King lias
at length n'iveu up selling “rights ’ or try-
ing to sell them If this is the ease we
presume the les-er “patent hive men” the
world over will also drop, the business,
and accordingly “my hive” and the “deed
of individual right to make and use has
all gone down, loo, as it could not help
doing when the world became enlighten-
ed. Factories for making desirable hives
at a price below what they can be made
al home, will lie an excellent thing, and
there can he no objection- to having them
patented, providing they are sold to ring
one or to go ang trheve at one common
price. "Novice" commenced to ask all
bee keepers of America to swing their
bats and give three musing cheers ter
freedom from the thralldom of 'patent
hives." when it occurred to him that no
intelligent bee keeper would use any of
the patented hives that have been paraded
over our country, were they now laid ill
hi- feet lisa free gift, (always excepting
the “movable frame” feature,) so he
stands hat, in hand and “don’t swing ii
nor cheer either.” We may be in error
for Mr. Kinj* talks about “trade marks,”
but the result is inevitable in the end.

“ NOVICE’S ” GLEANINGS IN BEE CIJLTTTEE.

29

HEAI>S OF «KAIN FROM DIFFER-
EKT FIELDS.

THESE WILE BE XI'.MIIERED HEREAFTER TO
FACILITATE REFERENCE.

‘jVfrO. 12. — Please let us know soine-
4 *j JJ thing about shipping bees ; how far
could they be sent, probable cost, etc.

It. S. Becktill, Madison, Wis.

We believe that bees can be shipped
almost.any distance, but do not think it
advisable to undertake very long ship-
ments when it can be avoided. As they
must be sent by express, it is necessarily
quite expensive ; perhaps $2.00 or $2.50
would be the charge on a hive of bees
from New York to Chicago, as an illus-
tration. As a general rule we think it
best to trade as near home as may be,
either in hives, bees, queens or extractors,
unless it may be for a choice imported |i
queen, or for samples of implements ; and
some good mechanic in every neighbor-
hood should make it his business to fur-
nish hives, extractors, etc., uiipalenled,
and thus save expensive freight bills and
also allow the purchaser to examine his
goods before buying.

No. -13. — Some live or six years ago 1
read with much interest in the American
lice Journal the account of the astonish-
iiii/ yield of over 300 pounds of honey
from one swarm of bees In one season.

At that time 1 bad but small experience
in bee cultivation, and although my theo-
ries and enthusiasm bad led me to expect
liberal proceeds, still that amount quite
came up to my most sanguine hopes. Not
being, as I think, in as good a location,
and also for want of time lo give tin; at-
tention required. 1 have never, as yet,
gone over about 200 pounds. Hut T think
1 could, with proper attention in a good
location, go as high as “any other body. ’

't ear before last i obtained 2200 bbs. from
about 10 hives. Last season was not
near as good, and besides my bees came
out in the spring in very bud order ; so I
said 1 would never carry my bees into the
cellar again. So l have been trying the
experiment of out-door wintering, with-
out protection, and two days ago I be-
came so fearful that all would be dead be-
fore spring that 1 hurried what were alive
into the cellar again, making up my mind
decidedly that in this climate, out-door
without protection is very unsafe.

S. L. ltll'IIARDSON.

Webster City, Iowa, Jan. 24, 1873.

We have been obliged to come to the
same conclusion with Mr. It. in regard to
out-door wintering.

No. II. — 1 am tired of buying rights.
Have you borage seed and the Itoeky
Mountain bee plant ?

Who isn’t tired of “rights ?” There’s
plenty of borage at the seed stores. We
don’t know about the other.

No. 45. — Your advocation of the exclu-
sive use of the extractor, f must acknowl-
edge to a noil-conviction of its profits. I
was offered last summer, in Chicago, 5c.
i per lb. That is the reason I run most ot
my bees last summer for box honey.

Fred'k Crathorn'E, Bethlehem, Iowa.

See pages 5, 23 and 24 of "Gleanings,
and the following :

No. 46. — Don’t you think yon can at-
l'ord to turn some of your surplus energy
towards the production of box honey?
Wo think, in view of the slow sale ol ex-
tracted honey especially in our Eastern
markets, that seme of the bee-keeping
geniuses should turn their attention to
producing box honey, so as to simplify it,
and make it more certain. It is easy to
learn lo raise bees, increase stock, and ex
I tract the honey ; it is only a matter of un-
remitting labor, of persevering industry,
and don’t require a very great amount ol
hard work. In fact, we think you will
be a Novice until you can get so you can
put any good stock of bees into boxes and
keep them there through the season, and
have them store the majority of their sur-
plus in comb, without attempting to swarm,
and without a very great amount of troub-
le. That is the problem, and when yon
get so you can do that, you will begin to
understand the science of bee-keeping.
Not but what you have done much already
(lor we have much to thank you lor,) but.
we would very much like you to try and
do as much for the box liouey producers
as you have already done for the produ-
cers of extracted honey for this reitson :
There is a class of consumers (and they
are the class who buy the most of the lion
ey, especially in these Eastern cities,) who
will have comb honey, at’ whatever price.
Take the New York quotations, for in-
stance. While box honey is quoted at
from 32 to 35 ets.. the highest quotation
for extracted is 15 ets. Extracted is offer-
ed in a great many places in this city, hut
it is a drug. There is scarcely any sale
for it, because the market is supplied with
comb honey. A great many customers
buy comb honey purely for its looks, be-
cause it sels out a table, and would not
buy it for any other purpose; and then
they claim that the flavor is superior, which
we think you must admit. It is very true
that when it is first extracted it lias a pe-
culiar fresh flavor : hut it is always ex-
tracted at a time of year when there is no
sale. Eastern dealers don t deal in ex-
tracted honey until about November ; then
your extracted honey soon begins to can-
dy and lo$e its fresh flavor, and sales
stop. Now we claim (although we have
no statistics to go by, and don t know as
there are any statistics that can be got
at.) that nine-tenths of all the honey pro-
duced in the United Slates and sold for ta-
i hie use. is comb honey. If we are wrong.

30

“ NOVIOE’8 ” GLEANINGS IN I1EE CULTUHE.

please correct ns. Wo think (notwith-
standing that the extractor is a great in-
vention) that the majority of the honey
will bo sold in the comb lor a great many
years to come. Hoping you will excuse
this long communication, and will think
the matter over favorably, 1 remain as ev-
er your friend, J. ]>. Moohk,

Binghamton, N. V. ,

A perusal of the above leaves us just ||
about in the condition wc were the first ,
time wc ever attempted to speak at a de-
bating society, viz : we could only think
of one idea, and same one Who pitied us
called it a heavy one, as we hope the fol-
lowingone is: Getthin white-wood veneer
and make frames by folding up strips
about lj or 11 inch wide; these frames to
be of such size that four or six would till
« large frame. When these are filled with
honey and sealed up they can be removed
and sold singly or in boxes. As the
frames can be made for ] cent each or
less, they can be sold honey and all. The
veneer can be purchased very cheaply.

No. 47.— Docs Mellilot clover blossom
the season it is sown ? Is Sweet Mignon-
ette a good honey producer, and can it ho
profitably raised by the acre — that is, will
it pay ? To make bee-keeping pay nuy
and every year, it needs other flowers than
white or alsike clover or basswood. There 1
is hardly a year that all blossoms yield :
honey, and to have only clover and bass-
wood for honey producing is like some of j
the Southern States planting only cotton
to make money from. We need more
honey producing plants, and if there are
any that will pay to cultivate it will bo a
step forward, Ac., Ac. I think you must
see what I am after. Can anything be
done ? Can the seed of Sweet Mignenette
be bad in sufficient quantity to plant an
acre ? J. L. Tuo.wsox, j

Big Tree Corners, N. Y,
Mellilot does not blossom until second 1
season, and with us, bees pay but little at- ^
feution to it. We find it one of the worst
weeds to "dig up" it has ever been our
fortune to encounter, and cannot see that
it differs materially from common sweet
clover.. B. II. Stair A Co., 115 Ontario
st., Cleveland, (>., can furnish any qunnti-
tp of Mignonette seed, but we must think
such experiments risky, for nothing short
of acres of any plant would give a defi-
nite result. If, we select some plant that
will pay otherwise than as a honey plant,
we can go to work much 'more safely.

For instance, large yields of honey are
obtained in Germany from the rape fields :
in some eases the honey 1ms, been known
to run out of the hives in the evening, so H

great is the yield. We give below a letter
from Messrs. Stair A Co., rcc'd Feb. 20th:

“We have heard summer rape very fa-
vorably spoken of as a honey plant. \Vs
wish you would agitate that subject in
“Gleanings,” and if it is worth while we
will give you modes of eulture. Wo will
also buy the seed product up to 40 or 50
Ini. if any one wishes to try it.”

If a sufficient number care for the mat-
ter, we will give the further particulars in
our next.

No. 48. — I have received nearly four thous-
and lbs. box honey, and five or six hun-
dred lbs liquid honey from seventy-two
stocks, with which I commenced" last
spring ; besides increasing my stock to one
hundred and twenty, an increase of forty-
eight,. I expect to realize thirty-five cents
per pound for box honey above expenses
of shipping, commission, Ac. It is being
sold now in the New York market at forty
cents per pound, wholesale. I am very-
sorry you have no better success in getting
box honey, usually I get about onc-half os
much weight with boxes as with the ex-
tractor; and box honey is worth about
twice as much as the extracted. This
year I have done better than this, getting
nearly as much cap honey as extracted,

.) ames E. Chase, Bridgeport, Vt.

Our friend certainly should be satisfied
with the prosperity of his apiary, and his
last item seems to favor Gen. Aduirs
position, viz : "That it is possible for them
to build comb to contain the honey as fast
as it is stored, when every thing is most
favorable for. such results." Our experi-
ence has been quite different, for we have
many times observed that the amount of
honey taken with the extractor is seldom
anything near what miyhi bare been ob-
tained had it been used always us soon ns
the bees had filled (and portly sealed )
their combs, and before they begun to con-
template swarming. However give us the
facts on both sides by nil menus.

No. 40. — Mr. Bavin is rather ashamed
that he cannot make a better report of
swarms nnd suplus honey. But the fact is
Mr. Davis was^taken by surprise. He had
calculated the fire had nearly destroyed
his apiarian prospects by burning out by
the roots every tree and Bush in this large
swamp, some 1200 acres; nnd was not
prepared for such*, wholesale swarming,
commencing in May and lasting until
September. Several went off, for which I
was thankful, for I had my hay and grain
;« take care of, and ^tliey came too thick
and fast, — seven or eight in’a^day and no
hives made you see. Old” refuse combs
that set leaning against the hives would in-
filled, all the boxes that I could get a
chance to put on and some of the caps
were filled; some of them built comb in

'• No'ViCbV QLtSANIftsiS lit ft EK OUM'lltti!.

the portico, filling with honey as they went
along right out into tl,c "cold world."
After nil the old hives, boxes, aud hollow
lot's wore Tilled, I drove down four stakes,
nailed on n couple ol strips and hung on
some frames ; then I put 3 or 4 swarms
that wont together on the frames ; in the
tall we had u barrel of hone}' and comb.
About tho middle of September the bees
quit business, but I expect theyaro getting
ready to try the thing over again. The
plant is called here cockle, and grew six
feet high in some places and covering the
entire swamp, tho bees worked on it all
day. My bees bad about 7000 lbs. of
honey in their hives and not more than 300
in boxes. J. L. Davis, Delhi, Mich.

P. S. We got considerable slung honey
but kept no account of it.

Wo don’t know how much Mr. Davis’
"hay and grain” were worth, but it strikes
os we should have let it ‘‘slid,” “cause we
hadn t time to ’tend it.” but we should
have taken care ’of the honey and then
bought the "hav and grain of some one
that didn’t know nny better than to waste
their time raising it. Two years ’ago we
received over $1000 cash for our honey
and a neighbor who had an equal number
iif stocks and an extractor too, received
less than §100. When asked why he had
no more he replied his farm kept him so
busy that he could not take care of hits
bees ; and yet his whole product of the
(arm for the year was worth less than half
the value if the honey he allowed to waste,
and such cases are common.

No. 30. — How do you prevent a queen
from laying too many drone eggt, and is
there such a thing as" a good iumigator.

1. .1. Kennedy, (nsl a I in Springs, Tenn.

Put out all drone comb and fit it in a
frame by itself for use in the upper story: j
now to prevent more drone comb from
lining built, fill the vacancy with worker ‘
comb and keep none but worker combs in
tho brood apartment. Wo jja.e tried
fit mi gators, tobacco, pans of sawdust, rolls
ot rags, etc., etc., hut we find a chunk of
hard, rotten wood and a coal of fire from
tho kitchen stove more effectual and less
trouble than anything else. Provide a
sheet iron box in some convenient place,
to keep it in: this will shelter it from
rain, and it you arc careless in nett putting
all the fire out no damage will be done.

No. ol.— Please hang crape on the I
knob ol your bee house door in respect to
■ swarms of your correspondents bees
which hnve/'gone up,” 'gin out" or “friz."
Also toll your photographer to get ready
to take a picture of the longest faced bee
keeper, or rather bee looser iu Medina

county, (them’s me). It is not strange
that they died os the thermometer varied
44° in 24 hours ; going as low ns 19° lie-
low zero. O, for a bee house.

Skth Lucas, Remson Corners, O.

Hat triend L. bee houses don't always
save them either, though we think them a
very important item in tho business. Wo
shall he very happy to include you, as we
want “all sides to the picture” when wo
have our apiary photographed next June.

No. 32. — Dear Novice:— As you have
about quit making blunders, I didn’t know
but you might pay a premium on a few
first class ones, so 1 send you one of
mine, for I am quite ingenious in that
direction. Last summer I had quite a
number of empty combs and as I wa 3
obliged to leave home the last of July for
n long time, I thought I would leave them
where the bees would protect them from
the bee moth. So I put a second story
on all my hives and filled up with empty
combs. When I examined them in the
fall those which were strong had stored
some surplus, but those which were weak,
some of them being the latest swarms
made, had the second story a solid mass
of cocoons and webs. Two or three
hives full of empty comb, that had no
protection, hut stood iu the sun with the
entrance open to the moth, were not dis-
turbed at all. Moral. — To destroy
combs, protect them weakly by bees. In
one of the above enses I placed a second
story on a hive, with an inch board hav-
ing a two inch anger hole through it be-
tween the two stories. In the fall I found
the lower story filled with honey and the
brood nest and bees in the upper; whieff
hardly goes to show that the queen pre-*
lers to keep the brood below in all cases.

C. Mii.j.er, Marengo, 111.

We are really afraid friend M. wasted
his time worse than Mr. Davis did in tak-
ing care of his hay and grain.

No. 33.— \\ e are all very much pleased
with your "Gleanings,” and feel that ther
are to "turn over a new leal” in bee cul-
ture: by which the business will be sim-
plified, popularized and made interesting,
fashionable and profitable: besides being
much sweeter than ever. I hope you
mav lie able to interest the ladies general-
ly iu the pursuit: in order to call them
more out of doors, and make them more
interesting and healthy. It would do
very much in the way of abolishing Iona
doctor bills. J. II. Salisbury", M. D.,
Cleveland. O.

As the above comes from one of the
first physicians ot the present age, we
feel considerably encouraged thereby,
Resides being able to contribute to tbo work
ot opening up a new branch of industry,
the fact that we can nlso aid in elevating
the standard health of our American

»< NOVICE'*" ULBAKlKOW JN I1EE I’PLTUJU'L

3a.

women will be an additional stimulus.
When a physician tolls us that the neces-
sity of long "doctors bills” may lie avoid-
ed, we begin to have faith.

No. 51. — We went into winter with nine-
teen stocks, most of which had stores
sufficient to carry them through the win-
ter, but mostly weak in numbers. 1 unit-
ed a few of the weakest. That was late
in the fall. Not thinking anything seri-
ous would happen, J gave them but little
attention until near Christmas. I pon
examination 1 found four stocks dead.

The bees looked as though water had been
poured on them. Their combs were bad-
ly soiled and very damp. What was the
cause of their death I cannot tell. It was
not for the want of stores, for they had
honey sufficient, and they bad not been
confined to the hive more than two weeks.
Some bad ventilation and others none.

All fared alike in that particular. But we
pass to the next cold spell and the same
happens to others, until f have but nine
left, and many of my neighbors have fared
the same way. Now, the latter part of
last senson was the poorest that I have ev-
er known in this country. The bees
worked almost exclusively on fruit dur-
ing the latter part of summer and fall. It
is said by old bee-keepers in this section
that when fruit is plenty bees winter bad-
ly. 1 believe that their appetite for it
proves their destruction, of which any
one can satisfy themselves by going to an
orchard when bees are working on fruit
late in the fall. When the evenings are i
cool great numbers of them may bo seen
so heuvily loaded that they cannot fly.

But do they store cider for winter? and
if so, what effect does it have on the bees ?

11. Bedex, Mitchellville, Tenn.

Opinions conflict in regard to the ef-
fect fruit and cider mills have on bees in
this locality. Last tall our bees worked
strongly to and from a cider mill within
an eighth of a mile, and stored some benn-
ti Ail clear honey that tasted like apple
molasses. This they gathered so late
that we found it almost impossible to keep
them from adding it to their winter stores
of syrup, and many of our colonies show
symptoms of dysentery now. I’hose that
were deprived entirely ul their combs
and a new set given them instead, tilled
and sealed by other colonies kept con-
stantly employed in that way, are in ns |
pel feel, order in every respect ns we could j
Wish. Wu now have great hopes that su-
gar candy will answer all purposes of
sealed syrup, and will also he thu most
convenient way in which we can give
them an unlimited supply. See Problem |
1st. I

We have before us three numbers of
A'pirulturisf, published by G. W. Church,
Mexico, Mo. The first is headed Vnl. I.
No. 2, April, 1870; the second, Yol. 2.
No. 1, July, 1S70, and the third came to
hand the last of February of the present
year, dated Jan., 1873, Yol. four, No. 1.
As typographical errors are “finite
plenty all through Apicutt urist, per h n ps
the above is only that, and not the inten-
tion of making itappear something more
than it really is. We do hope the cus-
tom of "sailing under false colors,” so
common with "bee hive men’ may not
be adopted in Bee Journals. When the
disposition is seen, whether in "Glean-
ings” or elsewhere, we hope it may he
shown up at once and without mercy,
Whenever it can be shown that. Apirul-
turist is really in its fourth volume \ye
shall he most' happy to so announce it.
Terms #1.00 per year.

A PYERT I8EMEWT8.

Advertisements will bo roceiveil at 10 cents
per line each insertion, cash in advance;
and we require that every Advortiser satisfies
us of his responsibility and intention to do
all that he agrees, and that his goods are
really worth the price asked lor them.

W ANTED — 300 hives of bees to he used
as nurses in rearing Italian Queens.
Address, R. WILKIN,

Cadiz, Harrison county, Ohio.

P rice eist or i' r it i: Italian

Queens and Bees from Shaw & Daniel s
Apiaries, for 1873 ;

For last year’s Quoens, sent as early as the
weather is suitable, 85 each.

Tested Queens, during the senson, $t each.
Untested Quoens in June and July, 80
each. After the ,1st of August, 82.50. All
Queens sent by mail warranted pure and
fertile- Safe arrival guaranteed.

Nucleus’ Hives containing pure Queen,
with 6 frames each, 8pi by Of-i, 88 each. Can
ho built up into strong swarms or used fur
wintering surplus Qucons.

Full colonies in one story Lnngstroth Hives,
ten frames each, 818. Wide hives with mova-
ble partition board from 1-1 to 17 frames each,
815, Two story hives containing 21 frames,
815 each. . . ...

American Hives, containing D frames with
space between top bars, 815 each.

Each colony will contain a young Queen
and 9 frames of comb, with extra frames.
Sent by express and safe arrival guaranteed.
Address ltf

J. SHAW ,t SON, Chatham Center,
or J . E. DANIELS, Lodi, Medina, Co., O.

A ESI It E IT. OVER SEED. —A nice ar-
ticle: 50 cents per pound by mail or 35
cents by express. A. 1- ROOT A CO., Me-
dina, Ohio.

ITALIAN REES.- Wo offer for sale about
1 200 colonies of Italian Bees in the Amen
can Movable-Comb Hive. Also Queens
throughout t ho soason. Purity and safe ar-
rival guaranteed. For further particulars,
prices. Ac.. send for circular-
1 ’ BALDWIN BROS

o_o Sandusky. N. l.

/ 1IIOI4 E ITALIAN OUEES for 1*“S.

Vj — 1 have inerenseil facilities for rearing
Italian Queens lor the coming season. The
choicest Queen-M others to breed from, and no
"black bees to interfere. Send stamp for cir-
cular to W. J. DAVIS, Youngstown, Warren
Co., Fa.

Or how to Realize the Most Money with the Smallest Expenditure of Capital
and Labor in the Care of Bees, Rationally Considered.

PUBLISHED MONTHLY.

\ I- MEDINA, O., MAY 1, 1878. No.fr.

NTARTIXU AX APIAKV.

No; j£*

v'lvff ® l0 P e our readers will not object
to tbc following, simply because
they l\ave always Imen taught differently,
for we assure them that all we here recom-
mend wo have carefully tested.

The entrances to all the hives:, in "
our plan oi apiary, should front
either east Or west, ’ and for several
reasons we prefer the former: also, as we
wish to avoid all unnecessary complica-
tion and simply aim to derive* the “most
money with least outlay, labor,” etc., we
will discard numbering, and treat all hives
precisely alike, and tnakr them all as
nearly alike as possible. 1 n short, our aim
should be to make each hive constitute
such a part of the whole Apiary as each
individual hoe does part, of the whole col-
ony of bees.

Now, Idle true test of skill in an apiarist
i* the ability fo make an apairv of a con-
siderable nym her of hives yield an aver-
age ot a fair amount of honey per colony :
f he simple fact that one hive gave two or
even three hundred pounds, proves but lit-
tle, for many others may have given little
or none, and the general average may not
have exceeded 25 lbs.

As a colony will labor as well on any
other .set ot combs and brood as their own,
we will, when we commence extracting,
remove the entire set of comhs of each
hive forward to the one next it at each op-
eration, thus facilitating our work and
fqnuli/.ing our colonies, at Ihv nmn< linn:.

Of course to do this nil combs must lit
perfectly any where: if they do not, they j
must be made to, (if once, as well as hives,
covers, and everything else. In transfer-
ing (and this is the month for it with most
of our readers.) take, one comb each from
•several hives for the transferred bees to
cluster on, ami as soon as a. frame is filled
with comb give this to a hiyo from which
one conib was taken, and we have very
little danger of eoiubs tumbling down, for
the transferred combs are distributed
about, ouc in each hive; and the Ira ns- ,*
fared bce,s have all good combs and at- "

cordingly are strong, ami an old .colony
at once. In all operations we are to bear
in mind as above, that no one colony is
fo be called upon to furnish bees, brood,
or combs, alone, but that all, or many, are
to each bear a share of the work. Sicann-
iiiif is not to be allowed at all, but if in-
crease is desired, at least ten colonies are
to build a comb each : others are to furn-
ish bees, and still others, a queen. Young
bees that cannot fly must have employ-
ment besides caring for thebrood when
hives are populous, we therefore make it
a rule that each colony has at least one
frame unfilled with comb whenever homy
is being gathered, as well as empty comb
at all time.’ 4 .

The great facility offered for moving
the combs about, in flic hive we have ad-
vised, is very apt to induce “ putting an
empty comb between two brood combs,
being over done, especially quite early in
the season, and we would caution our
readers against spreading the cluster of
heed and brood in this way too far, or
they may get a severe check in brood-
rearing from uiiscu&omible weather; but
judiciotut spreading of the combs may be
so done as to oblige the queen to fill nearly
a whole comb entirely with eggs, and jiv
these eggs hatch nearly at the same time,
the nursing bees can feed and attend P»
them systematically, without skipping
about, as they usually do for brood that
needs care. Sealing over and hatchinp-
but also occur on tin* “one job system,
the cells are ready for eggs once
more, which can he laid by the queen as
methodically as we would plant a field of
corn. When a hive has once got into the
wav of raising brood in this manner it
will probably continue thus the whole sea
son, and the ' golden shower.' of young
bees that such a “mathematically dis-
posed queen can send to the fields for
“ loads, 1 ' are I nily astonishing.

In our last we omitted to state that, our
bee home .should bo so arranged that, a
surplus of sawdust, kept in the loft could
he at any time pushed over between the
upright joists to fill up the apace caused
by the settling w hich occur? a? it dries

34

“NOVICE’S” GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTITBE

out; also, a small door over one of the
large ones gives access to the loft by

means of a light ladder. P. S. — Don't

leave the ladder op Saturday nights for
the children might climb up and play in
the sawdust on the Sabbath.

But, Mr. Novice, you haven t consid-
ered 'box-honey' at all, yet.”

" Why, yes we have ; see Jan No. page
5 Wh6n we get our hives full of brood
and young bees we are just right to put
them into the hives double width and put
on boxes, etc. ”

" But bow will you prevent swarming?
Our bees always swarm, or generally do
when their combs are filled, in spite of
boxes, and in an apiary of 50 or 100 stocks
clipping the queen's wings does not pre-
vent her bees from joining in with some
other swarm. You have also said that
such arrangements as Quinby queen-yard
and Mrs. Farnham's non-swarmer would
not prevent the bees from hilling their
queen whe.n retained in that way."

" You are right, and we cannot think it
good policy to use any means to restrain
swarming that is apt to induce the bees to
replace their queen. If our hives are
worked for box hone} - , for aught we can
see natural swarming must be allowed,
and to be frank, we have as little patience
with one operation as the other, for both
seem to us too disorderly and wasteful In
he tolerated in a well conducted apiary.”

Kind readers all, our opinion in regard
to the value of the Extractor may be a
mistaken one, but it is honest, neverthe-
less. Should we presume to teach the
method of securing the largest amount of
box honey with least labor and expense,
as we now do extracted, we should be at-
tempting that in which we have, of late
.years, had but little practical experience,
and so we hope to lie excused : but wo
shall watch tor and welcome anything new
that may conn; up, and try to keep our
readers posted on the subject. That ex-
tracted honey (with the market we have
now for it) can be made to pay, even poor
seasons, we haven’t a doubt, and trust that
the same may be true of box honey.

CAN Of It IIKI.N RK I.XIPBOVEM?

J E think that any candid, reasoning
individual will he perfectly satisfied
that our Italian, Egyptian and native bees
have descended from a common parent-
age, by reading an article in the Popular
Science Monthly for May, 1872, entitled ;
"The Unity of the Human Species.' Any
bee-keeper who has any doubts on the
subject, will find it profitable to send tol).
Appleton & Co . 51 SI Broadway, lor the
number in question, and we shall a-mme,
in all our future writings, that the Italians
are only distant relatives of our common
bees, having accidentally acquired valua-
ble qualities while closed in from the rest

of tbeir family by the encircling moun-
1 tains.

The three yeliow bands, (ben, are only
an indication of the branch from which
they came, and for superior honey gath-
erers it is much more important that wr
select colonies to rear queens from, that
have desirable qualities pracMcally con-
sidered, than that they have three or more
yellow bands, or, in fact, that they have
yellow bands at all ; only that, at present,
i our best honey gatherers are yellow band-
ed.

We will give a few facts to illustrate this,
and wc presume almost all intelligent and
observing bee-keepers can give as many
|i similar ones.

About three years ago we had a fine,
colony of cross hybrids that persisted in
building little bits of comb at right an-
gles to the main comb, and by no manner
of means could we cure them of it. If
they built a new comb, it was sure to be
abundantly interspersed with these "fins."
and on giving them a complete set of the
finest comb we had, placed as near as they
could be used, we (bund them in three
days all "edgewise” again, and all we
could do was 1 3 pinch ofl these extras
every time the comb was "extracted.”
The next season, in that hive and no oth-
er, wc found the same peculiarity, but as
they were strong and industrious, we rath-
er liked to study their idiosyncracy.

In June their queen was lost carelessly,
and another substituted immediately; and
strange to say, when the new workers em-
erged, we had sensible comb builders once
more, and have had since.

Does any one doubt but that queens
raised from this queen might, some of
them, have shown the same trait, and
that constant encouragement might have
developed, in a brief time, a race of bees
ail having that trait developed in such di-
rection as we chose to encourage?

Again, most Inis, when shaken in front
of (lie hive, crawl directly in ; yet we
have had two colonics thnl always per-
I sisted in crawling into some other place;

and one of them was a "perfect bother 1 '
b for a whole season, until she crawled o(T
with a few followers and "lost herself.”

When the young lives hatched from a
succeeding queen in the same hive, they
showed no such disposition, and as the
former were dark hybrids and the latter
yellow, wc ha<i the spectacle of the dark
oid bees crawling away, and the young
yellow ones going home as "honest bees
should do.”

We presume Air. Darwin would say, in
both cases we have mentioned, that these
sports would cure themselves unless man
steps in and encourages them, for the bad
comb-builders would die in bad seasons in
consequence of poor economy in the use
of their wax, and the 'perambulating
queens, when the extractor is used, would
oltenc-st get lost.

Now, leilow bee-keepers, do wc not
j sometimes play the ‘‘mischief’ by saving

“ NOVICE V OCEAN INCH IN MEfS CUbTUUR.

:ir,

queens that would die naturally, and thus
frustrate the order of nature by letting or
rousing some other to survive than the
strongest? In selecting our queens to
rear from, do we always think what desi-
rable qualities we wish to perpetuate?

W e don’t care for light-colored bees, unless
we are sure other qualities always follow.
The queen that raised our lightest and
most beautiful bees was one of the poor-
est wo ever had, and her daughter, raised
irom her in her third season, was almost i
us bad. The full banded, rather dark bees
have given us most honey, and during
poor seasons, like our last, those we felt
sure were lull-blood Italians were far
ahead of hybrids.

Who has not noticed that swarms from
certain hives are almost sure to go off,
and others the reverse?

We think it possible, even in our brief
day, to rear bees that, are not disposed
to swarm (like noil-sitters among poultry,
for instance) ; nor to sting; nor to build
crooked combs; nor to crawl all over their
hive or outside of it when handled ; nor
to get lost or do anything else undesira-
ble; but, on the contrary, to be neat and
rapid comb-builders, energetic nurses, ex-
peditious and indefatigable honey gather-
erers, but not robbers, and perfectly will-
ing to give up all their honey in the fall,
and take enough sugar syrup out of a
"teakettle feeder’’ iu a couple of hours
(ur more) to last them all winter, so they
won't have the dys-en-te-ry.

MAKING FRAMES

aS good frames will last a lifetime it
====> will certainly puy to take some pains
in making them, and as we handle them
many times each season, ever ounce of
useless wood or metals should be dispens-
ed with. Whether they are put together
with nails or otherwise, if the top bur ex-
ceeds one foot in length we should make
them tapering so as to give the greatest
strength in the middle where it is needed,
h'or our frames we get out strips from -j
lumber 18.1 inches long by 9-16 in width,
and these when sowed from each end un-
til the saw cuts met in the middle gave us
the proper taper, and the pieces that
came off were right for the ends of the
frame. We now do it much neater and
quicker by sawing completely through at
once; thus:

A

l.et A represent a piece of board ISA
inches long by 3|, broad at each end, and
of at the middle ; if our strip B is held
Urmly against this and the straight side of
A placed agaiust the saw guage so
so that the path of the saw is along the
dotted line, we shall have the desired

shape. To hold B in the curved position
while being sawed, we nail fast to A near
each end a piece like C, the broad end of
course hooking ever B to keep it tight up
to A. A small block will also be needed
nailed against the end of A to keep the
strips from slipping hack and another
small strip nailed across the middle of A
with a sharp metal point projecting in to
B just sufficiently to keep it from crowd-
ing the saw, completes the arrangement,
i " e need hardly add that the top of the

! buzz saw table should be elevated so far

that, the saw just reaches through our £
stuff, to prevent sawing off our clamps C.
’i he space between A and projections
' on C should just allow our strips to go iu
easily.

EGGS FOR HATCHING.

AM afraid your "25 ets. queens ' will
i m ruin the trade. Don’t you think you
have the thing to too fine a point ? I for
one am willing to try it, but if I find it
will not pay, reserve the privilndge of
stopping at any time. For 50 cents I
would agree to put the comb in a wooden
box so there would be but very little dan-
ger but what it would carry safely; would
| also be willing to notify customers on
what clay I would send it. 1 have a queen
now, received in October last, of the
"Tapper Dadant” importation.

'1 . 0. McGaw, Lock Box 6 1

Monmouth, Warren Co.. 111., May 1, '73.

We have iu prior years sent eggs by
mail, and hereby inform you that we
cheerfully concede to your proposition :
"To send a piece of comb with pure eggs
for 25 cents." From experience we have
found that a paper box, of suitable size,
the cover held on with n rubber string, so
the contents may be examined, is by far
)he best way ; to ship to places where the
mail is to be carried on horse-back we use
a / in box.

As a partial answer to problem 9, 1
give you the following: "In Juno'72, we
sent a piece of comb 2x3 inches to Deer
Lodge, Montana Territory, for J. Me
Dougall, (who is now breeding queens for
us), from which he raised 6 queens ; the
comb was GA days iu transit, and passed
through territory having a temperature of
from If) to 90 decrees.

E. Kretchmek A Co.,”
Coburg, Montgomery Co., Iowa, Apr. 7, '73
As for ourselves we have as yet been
unable to obtain an imported queen, but
hope to receive one in time for business.

Another Straw.— For lady bee keep-
ers ; rubber cords or bands slipped over
the drawers at the aukles, and sleeves at
the wrists, are a very good protection
0, Nowhere.

' KOVICS'y ” CU,EANlNt>g IN ABB CULI'UhA.

NOVICE’S

ciuiiuQs in |5cc ftnlturc

A. I. ROOT & CO.,

EDITORS A X l> I‘ li o 1* i: 1 E T O II S .

Published Monthly, at Medina, Ohio.

Terms: 7.“>o* per Annum.

Any one tending v# 5 Sub Renters can rcti'in^oc. for
their trouble, anil in the some proportion
for a larger nvmbt r.

PRINTED AT MEDINA COUNTY GA2ETTE OFFICE !

Medina, May J, 1873.

We call attention to the advertisement
of Annals of Bee Onllvre in this number.
While wo can unhesitatingly recommend
Annals, we are compelled to sny the
theory advocated in “Progressive lice Cul-
ture’’ seems to us erroneous, but hope all
bee keepers who care to, will judge of the
matter themselves, den. Adair may lie
right anti we wrong.

The North American Bee Journal for
April contains some quite valuable articles
on wintering. The fact ot our being no-
ticed in terms not flattering in the same
number, does not hinder us from recog-
nising its value in general matters. If it
will help our friends to read us itnder-
standingly, we will add that, it was sub-
scribers to Kinys Journal who supposed
they were taking the American Bee Jour-
nal. If similarity of names makes no
confusion elsewhere, we will drop the sub-
iect. ( ^ t

Wit are making arrangements lo have
some photographs of our apiary taken
next month, or as soon as the grape vines
are fully leaved out. They will be 8x10
size, and will cost us at the rate of $25.00
per hundred, and will be mailed to such
of our friends as wish them for 50 cents
each; also we will mail a copy to any one
sending us $1.50 for two subscribers.
Those who have sent ns 75 cents will
therefore only need to scud us one new
subscriber; and those who have sent us
#n >o, if they will advise us of the fact, will
receive the photograph as soon as out.
Of course the same name can be counted
but once, and only those can be counted
trom whom we have received the full 75
cents. They may pot possess any great
a raount of beauty, but we trust they will

aid in explaining the arrangement of our
apiary and appliances.

With the amount of testimony on hand
in favor of sugar syrup for winter stores,
we think we are excusable in considering
the mailer settled, at. least for .the present
ft now only remains for iu to consider
how wo can with the leas! trouble give our
colonies enough scaled up in their combs
to last them through the winter months.
We should also be quite thankful for any
facts from those who have tried candy or
“loaf sugar. Mr. Quinhy suggests the
latter and has made some experiments
with it. Ilow can coffee sugar be made
as hard and firm at. small expense ?

Shortly after our article in the March
number, wherein we mentioned the per-
fect capabilities of our wind mill to with-
stand storms, a small hurricane twisted
the vane off, and then very quickly de-
molished the entire wood work of tin-
sails. Kxamination showed that the shaft
of the vane close up to the casting was a
poor, cross grained piece of timber, and
the only wonder was that it stood so long.
Mad the vane held its place the mill would
have been safe against any blow that
ordinary buildings withstand. One bad
piece of material put in carelessly, oc-
casioned the whole damage, which stop-
ped "beehives' for abort! four days and
cost us over $50.00.

Mora i.. In buying or constructing a
wind mill, insist on having the rave, most
especially, strong and secure.

In our own apiary we have lost lo colo-
nics out of 71. With tlie exception of
perhaps two out of the thirteen, we have
no difficulty in deciding where the trouble
lay, and how the loss might have been
avoided. Reports from all points seen) to
show that more bees were lost in the last
part of February’ and March, than in the
previous winter months, and in many crs
es after they had been enabled tolly out.
We are anxious lor all the facte we can
get., but shall he obliged to drop the sub-
ject now until another winter approaches.
Although some report decidedly in favor
of out-door wintering, by far the greater
part of the testimony would indicate /’rosf-
proof repositories the safest. Please give
us your plans and opinions all; if we can-
not publish them, 'twill aid us much in de-
ciding whqt to advise in future.

‘NO VlCK’s" (JLKANINOS IN MEE ClJI/i'UKE. ill

Tiikhr seems lo be quite an error pre-
valent in regard lo tin; ' dollar’ hive, ft
i- tbi' plan of making the rose to hold I hr
Ironies, only, wherein it differs from
other hives, and the .same idea will
answer for a ease to hold frames for
Ameriean hive, Gallup hive, Quinby
hive or anv other hive so far as we know,
and one story, or rather a ease suflieieiit
to hold the number of (tombs repaired for j'
the brood and for wintering, can be made !
for £1,00; no matter what size or forhi of /
frame la; used, and two of I hem will he
needed for surplus. If Ironies lie pre-
ferred spread out horizontally make hine
of double width (see dan. No., page .">,)
and if the Quill by or Hn/.eu form be de-
sired use hro stories of double width :
these will oost three dollars instead of
two, and can at any time be used for
i rallies in-toad of boxes, and with III
frames (common kind) at -!> cents each,
the total expense of a mammoth hive
equal to the wants of any colons, under
any circumstances, i- only *1.00. lie-
moving a part or all of the sides of a
hive tc got out the frames, or using close
fitting frames of any description, would
make it perfectly imposible for ns to open
and elose hives with anything like the
rapidity we do at present. We do not
kill our bees iii removing combs and sel-
dom use smoke. The dollar hive is not
our hive but can bo made easily at the
price, by any liivo manufacturer.

‘On, papa! Can t we make a grape-
vine grow up each post, and then meet
the next one Overhead, so we can walk un-
der it ?”

" Novice, with hammer ill one band and
-aw in the other, staring in open-mouthed
astonishment lirst at liis '‘precocious oil-
spring, " and then at the grapevine trellis-
es, replies ;

‘Ves, my son, your idea is most excelent
and opportune : for onr three-foot trclli--
e- will prove rather small lor a vigorous
Concord without an amount of pinching
hack that would he irksome. A piece of
hoop timber can easily be nailed against
the first trellis, the other end extending
up in the air and down again to the po.-t
of the next trellis, making an arch or how
of such heighth as lo admit walking under
it easily.

The effect of these 'arches of foliage,
and later, when they arc covered with
gracefully drooping pendant- of 'pur-
ple' '

"Tie ’em up with blue ribbons," inter-
rupts "I*. at. which Novice break-

down.

1 J . S. — Novice, Jr., think- il lie is but
ten years old, his plan should be patented,
tut bis papa tells him he thinks pat-
ent; "Supper is ready," announces

Airs X , and Novice forgets both poetry
and patents, at least for the preseut.

HEADS or (.HAIV t'ROH UIFf'JbK-
i:\ r fields.

No. — Dr a a Novjck: — Do \ OU know
why bees sometimes leave the hive during
the winter, if there is a day warm enough
for them to fly ? During this last week
the -weather has been pretty warm and
several stocks have left their hives and
joined themselves to others. If they
keep on at this rate I will only have one
large stock next season. If the bees
would only settle together, 1 could put
i hem hack, but they separate among the
hives and force themselves in to them. I
cannot understand why they do this, for
all have plenty of honey ; there is no sign
of dysentery among them and they even
leave brood in the combs.

Oiias. E. Wiukner. Cumberland.
Makc-h 8tli. 1S7M.

The above is some tiling decidedly be-
yond our com prehension, and we would
enquire, if this happens with bees wintered
on their summer -lands, as a general
l lung. \\ o have noticed solitary instances
ol the kind but never, we supposed, with
strong, healthy colonies, ('aging all the
queens would be considerable trouble and
would even then only prevent losing them,
for they at such times do not hesitate to
desert their queens, and a contracted en-
trance would be but little better, (live us
all t lie facts we can have in the matter,
and we will lind a remedy we think. Mr.
\Y. adds further :

1st. Do you allow your bees to -warm?
-<1. How do you give meal to bees? I
have tried everything but they will not
have anything to do with it. ltd. Is
maple sugar lit for bees to eat ? 4th. Do
you use the same quantity of sugar to a
gallon of water, when making feed to
stimulate the bees in spring? Nth. In
an apiary of your kind, don’t your young
queens sometimes get "muddled?”

1st, Never if we can help it : though
sometimes they -warm without being "al-
lowed;'’ we think the proper use of tin-
extractor will rarely fail to lie a perfect
preventive; we know of none other,
lid. We used to coax them near it with
honey, but of late years they "go for it ’
very soon of their own accord, lid. In
the -pring and perhaps if eery pore for
winter use also. I th. t or spring feeding
we observe no rule and don’t think it mat-
ter-. If too thick they can fetch water,
and if the reverse evaporate it. .’iih.
Never.

No. ."Hi. — Where l live is rather a poor
place lo keep bees after the middle of Ju-
ly, and about t hirty miles north west from
here it is tirst-rate after that date on the
Monarda Punctata, which yields till frost
plenty of honey, and the best kind, even
better than basswood, There is nobody
up there who lias used a machine that J
know of. Only box honey, of which I
bought a box for a treat to my friends, al-

H8

“ novice's " GLEANINGS IN ItEE CCLTL’IlE

though I had a half ton of white clover |
and basswood, and have got all yet, but
two kegs of ten gallons each, which I sold j
for 16c. per pound to a store in Madison.

I find that it will grow anywhere if culti- |j
vated, and in very poor sandy land with-
out cultivation. I raised some of it in
my garden last season, and I tell you it
gave me a good deal of pleasure to see
the bees work upon it. It is far ahead of
catnip or anything else that I have seen ;
there ure other flowers that they work on j
as well, but they don’t get the honey so
plenty. When you see them going quickly
from one flower to another, just about long
enough to smell them, there's not much
honey there.

James McLay, Madison, Wis.

We hope our friend will send us some
seed of the Monarda for our experiment-
al honey garden. Ilia remarks in regard i;
to the hasty visits bees give some flowers
we believe correct, for bees, like “we poor |!
mortals, ’ sometimes work industriously
early and late and yet get but “little hon-
ey.” We propose to test the honey quali-
ties of all plants of which seeds are sent
us (so far as we can on a small scale,) and
will report at the proper season. Please
give names and description as far as pos-
sible.

No. 57. — Novice: — Our bees are carry-
ing in wheat flour at a fearful rate. Hare
bad an unusually severe winter, but look
for a glorious long season this year. Do
keep us posted on the honey market.

We are going for extracted honey entire-
ly, and expect to have tons to sell. Jn
haste,

S. W. Cole, Andrew Chapel, Tenn.

Feb. 6th, 1873,

Glad to hear it. No danger of loo
much- 1

No 58. — 1 have l'or years made the
simplified Langstrolh Hive you recom-
mend, and my honey extractor is all that
could be desired, with a stationary can ;
and galvanized screen inside, made by a
neighbor mechanic.

S. Lijethi, Gnadenhutten, 0.

Thank you Mr. Lnethi. We wish a few
more would get neighbor mechanics to do t
the same. In our instructions for making
an extractor in our Feb. No., we supposed
we hod given all the directions necessary,
taking it for granted that all bee keepers
knew that an extractor was simply a frame
to hold the combs from breaking, while
they were revolved inside of a can to
catch the honey that flew out by ceutrifu-
gal force ; and we endeavored to give the
simplest and cheapest way of making it, !
yet we are almost discouraged at the num-
ber of letters from all points, saying they ij
can’t make it out. Perhaps those that we
have assisted most and do "make it out,” j|
don’t write us because they have no
occasion to. We will hope so any way. i 1

(Encouraging! Throe just report having
succeeded.)

No. 59. — E. M. Johnson, of Mentor, 0 ,
Jan. 1st, 1873, writes ns follows :

I am trying the “vinegar hitters," as recoin -
uiendeilhy the anonymous writer in the Jour
not, and so far it is doing finely. The stock*
led With it are as small and lively as in sum-
mer. The size of the bees is meant and not
the strongth of the swarm, while those eating
honey lire already getting distended, and if
they are confined long without getting out
are going to suffer with dysentery; have on-
ly a couple, however, that show any signs of
it ; neither did I have more than two or three
last year, until March, after which I lost about
one hundred swarms. H. M. Johnson,

Mentor, 0.

No. 60.—

,,§• PKiy*’ Canandaigua, N. V., asks:

flow shall I make a feeder for encouraging
brood for every day feeding? Can young fer
tilized queens be kept in cages in large hive*
with laying queens at liberty, two or thre'e
weeks t How can I keep swarms from issuing
without cutting out queen cells or clipping
queon ? The best way of keeping empty comb
through the summer, and comb with honev
in?

1st. Don t have a feeder; turn up one
corner of the quilt and pour the feed on
their backs.

2d. Generally, but expect exceptions
when they are not gathering honey.

3d. Take all their honey awav with ex
tractor.

4th. , Put 'em in a dollar hive and “pile
’em up.”

No. 61. — “ How am 1 to manage to ov-
erhaul hives in the cold, bleak weather of
Apeil, to cat out moldy combs, clean out
dead bees, contract space, feed to get bees
to breed, etc ? When the weather is chilly
and damp the bees fly out on account of
the disturbance, get chilled and never re-

t» r n Is it not about time for me to

stop fooling away money and time on
bees? on the ground that the section is
unfavorable or I am unqualified for the
business of bee culture. Think of it— I
have been trying to get a start for the past
three years— have paid out for bees alone
not less than sixty dollars, for lumber,
hives and fixings, enough to bring it up
to a hundred — my wife says more than
time enough to make as much more — two
hundred dollars is a large sum for a poor
man with a large family. Last fall I had
managed at a cash cost of all they were
worth, and trouble and worry enough to
pretty nearly add as much more, to get
four hives. But what I consider to have been
the strongest one, is dead; one of them
is rather weak ; two have no brood, yet thev
have queens and eggs. The one that is
dead lmd nothing but honey; the weakest
living one hail nearly all sugar syrup.......

D the bee fever continues to rage, what
section had I better emigrate to?

Very Respectfully, Yours,

Ax Unsuccessful Novice.

Never cut out moldy comb, however
bad, until yon have found by putting one
comb at a time in the middle of a strong
colony in May or JuDe, that they won't

“ NOVICE’^ ” GLEANINGS IK BEE CULTUKE.

39

make it good and use it at once. We have !
never failed in getting our irortl combs
made good if given a colony of Italians
or Hybrids. When absolutely necessary
take your bees to a warm room to over-
haul, but otherwise never disturb them in
weather that will prevent their returning
to the hive, for we can’t afford to lose bees
in the spring “ no how.” Follow instruc-
tions given in ” Starting an Apiary ” and
you can’t well go wrong. Haven’t you
waited some of the $200 for patents?
Either you have the value of the money
in materials, etc., or it has not been ju-
diciously expended. As we have said be-
fore, we insist again, that the greatest dif-
ference is in the bee keeper, and not seas- jj
ons or localities. Experience will show
you where you have failed, and if good re-
sults have been made with bees in your
vicinity, they probably can be again.
Don’t emigrate, but see if you can't give
us a better report ere long.

No 02. — I don't know but that our bee
doctors will make “confusion worse con-
founded” by tbeir teachings, (compare
together the last two numbers of the
American Bee Journal , at Washington,
for instance), but we learners still “want
to know.” You may perhaps remember
that Gallup and 1 had a short passage at
arms some time ago about wire gauze.
Notwithstanding, I still use the gauze
and think it a very convenient thing to
keep the bees from gnawing through the
quilt or sticking it fast to tbe frames with
propolis. And then it is so nice in tbe
spring to turn back your quilt and
sprinkle stimulating food through the
gauze on the cluster of bees beneath ;
and no danger of even cross hybrids
standing on their heads, getting in a pas-
sion, or going for vou lilts a shower of
shot. — [Dec. 21st., ’72.]

Weli, “Novice,’’ I don’t know but that
J too will have to swing “my old hat.

Bees so nice, bright and active. No rob-
bing this spring; no use to try, too many |i
wideawake guards to face. Bees carrying |
in flour, pollen, and water, and drones on j
the wing to-day. Guess they don’t know i
what an arctic winter has lately visited ;j
these parts, and consigned most of their |
summer-stand sisters to the shades. Per- tj
haps tlieydon’t look with an artistic eye on ji
the bright ami symmetrica) appear nice of
"our city," caused by an application of
white paint, combined with a “honey-comb"
arrangement of the apiary, "a la” “Nov- i
>ce,” though they fill the air with their mu- it
sie. D. P, I, am'.

KosHKONoXG.RockCo ,Wis.,Apr. IS), ’73.

We don’t know how the doctors get
along wintering, but- do know we succeed
with very little trouble. Thanks for the ]
idea of stimulative feeding.

No. 63. — And now, if you judge the
length of a man’s face by the number of
bees lost (ns friend Lucas does), just put
me down as the longest-faced bee man in
Summit county, I suppose you can judge !

somewhat how a poor fellow feels under
such circumstances. Not much discour-
aged, hut a little tired. I am almost
ashamed to own it, hut truth must out. I
have lost 35 swarms last winter and' this
spring, the greatest loss I have ever, sus-
tained, and I am not alone in our town,
for from one-half to two-thirds of all the
bees are dead. Old fogies have fared 'the
best this winter, and they have nothing to
brag of. I bad a great many die out, leav-
ing plenty of honey in their combs. I
have a nice lot of combs in frames for
over GO single hives. My intention is now
to build np swarms this summer and 'not.
make honey only in a few hives scattered
abroad amongst my neighbors. I was to
blame in my great loss; it being late
when I returned from Nebraska (I not
having reduced my two story hives before
going West.) and the weather being so Un-
favorable I neglected to do any thing with
them at the time, hoping the weather
would change for the better; a delusive
hope. This being the second time in 15
years that I have left my bees out of the
house, with about the same result; a too
dear experience, I hope, for me to try
again. Tuomas PiEitsox, Ghent, 0?

»»UE KERNELS FOR “GLEAN-
INGS.”

To those who are anxiously and pa-
tiently working for simplicity and ease in
handling hives and bees, I would ask a
question and offer a suggestion for their
digestion, if you please. I use no glaves,
and seldom a veil, and when I get stung
I squeeze the poison and sting out of the
skin with ray thumb nail against the fore
finger. Keep the thumb nail long.

1 would like to hear of an extractor at
a reasonable price. From $10 to $18 and
express charges is simply prohibition to
the great majority of bee-keepers. The
inside, or running parts, might be made-
portable, packed in small bulk and sent at
less expense, with instructions for putting
together and use. The can, or outside
part, could be made by any tinsmith, or n
half barrel might be used in an emergen-
cy. There might be a patent here for
some of our landsharks.

Those that are troubled with their bees
"laying out” can cure that by a wire cloth
bottom board. An opening at least 1 foot,
square, covered with wire cloth 8x8 strands .
to the inch, and a slide to close tight, stop-
ping all draft when necessary, I consider
indispensable, in very hot weather, even
when they have plenty of room inside.

Wm. H. Kiuk, Chesire, Conn.

We can furnish the inside work for an
extractor for $2.00; gearing included,
$3 50. This includes everything except
the barrel or can; two size castings are
made, viz: to fit 17 and 20 inch cans.

With movable bottom board we should
thiuk an opening covered with wire cloth
unnecessary,

40

“novice's” GLEANINGS in bee culture.

PROBLEMS.

A DVEIITI8EMENTS.

‘;VfO 10. How can wc hinge a cover to
iSrj) a dollar hive in such a way that it
will open and shut nicely and still he
capable of being removed instantly with-
out a screwdriver or other tools, and also !
be attached with equal facility to any
other hive? Such a hinge could he made
but is there not something in the market
already at a low price by the quantity ?

We think we should abandon the idea of
having a handle in the center of the
cover, for a quilt is all the cover needed
in wintering or in carrying frames about
in the apiary and is much lighter, By
having places cut in the sides of the hive
for the fingers, near the top and not quite I
through the board, they can be raised up
and carried very conveniently, for the
hive, quilt and frames, as we make them,
only weigh about 10 lbs. ; and the weight
of the bees, hive, stores and all, ready l<>

«o into winter quarters should uot exceed
40 lbs. Any man, aye, or woman either |
if need be, should he able to place the
whole apiary in winter quarters in a
couple of hours, and feel all the better
for the exercise. (Mrs. Novice mid “1*.
fl. ’ protest so much against this latter,
that we shall have to add I hat wc meant
when they enjoyed the health and strength
that God intended for them, which
open air exercise’ would very miileriatlv
aid in giving them. I

No. 11. Suppose wc sell the queen
from ten hives in May or June and put
the combs, brood and bees all in one
mammoth hive of 1 00 frames; what
would they do as houev gatherers? and
would one queert prevent queen cells being
built? Who has tried the experiment or
a similar one? With the extractor wc
have no fears of being unable to prevent
swarming.

HOXKy (OI.1.RX.

A S no one now offers any honey, wc
must conclude that all have sold out,
wen “ Gallup.'’ If the whole of last j
year’s crop is already exhausted, wc must
conclude that Extracted Honey is not "so
much of a drug” after nil. for it's certain-
ly good the year round.

E. M. Hatch, Evanston, 111., writes;

1 am desirous to raise box honey, but
the shameful imitations id' “pure extract-
ed” will, I think, destroy the sale of the
other, Give ns all the help von can.’

If every one of our rentiers will send ■,
us names and address of .-ill persons deal-
ing in spurious honey, we will give them
ju) airing or our name ain't ‘‘Gleanings.’ t
The American (i racer , published week
l.y in N. Y., has promised to aid us in tin*

Hale of pure honey, and as they have a
"swindle’ department, too, if we can t
handle the matter we will procure their
e/sfctanee.

Advertisements will he received at 10 cents
l>er line each insertion, cash iu advance:
and we require that every Advertiser satisfies
us of his responsibility and intention to do
all that he agrees, and that his goods arc
really worth the price asked for them.

W AXTKD.- 300 hives of bees to be used
as nurses in rearing Italian Queens.
Address, It. WILKIN.

Cadi/., Harrison couuty, Ohio.

A MIKE CLOVER MKKD.-A nice nr-
J:\ tide; 50 cents per pound by mail or 35
cents by express. A. ]• HOOT & t’O., Me-
dina, Ohio.

7 TALI AN HEES.—Wc offer for sale about
1 200 colonies of Italian Bees in tho Ameri-
can Movable-Comb Hive. Also Queens
throughout the season. Purity and safe ar-
rival guaranteed. For further particulars,
prices, Are. , send for circular*

BALDWIN BROS..

2-9 Sandusky, N. Y.

KI3E UOOKH.

A DAIR’.S Progressive Bee Culture, price
/ V. 25 cents. Adair’s Annals of Bee Culture.
Che third volume just out. The first volume
is exhausted ; the other two will be sent by
mail at 60 ots. each, or the three bound to-
gether in doth for $1.75, or either in doth for
• cts. Any of the standard Bee Books or
Journals can be furnished at publisher’s pri-
ces. I). L. ADAIR, Hawosvillc, Ky.

P RICE LIST OF 1*17100 ITALIAN

Queens and Bees from Shaw A Daniel's
Apiaries, for 1873:

For last year’s Queens, sent ns early as the
weather is suitable, $5 each.

Tested Queens, during the season. $1 each.
Untested Queens in June and July, $t
each. After tho.isjt.of August, $2.50. All
Queens sent by mail warranted pure and
fertile* Safe arrival guaranteed.

Nucleus* llivcs containing pure Queen,
with 6 frames each, by O' $8 each. Can
bo built up into strong swarms or used for
wintering surplus Queens.

Full colonics in one story Langstroth Hives,
ten frames each, $13. Wide hives with mova-
ble partition board from 14 to 17 frames each,
815, Two story hives containing 21 frame-*,
$15 each.

American Hives, containing 9 frames with
space between top bars, $15 each.

Each colony will contain a young Queen
and 0 frames of comb, with extra frames*
►Scut by express and safe arrival guaranteed.
Address m

.1. SlIAW & SON, Chatham Center,
or 1. E. DANIELS, Lodi, Medina, Co., O.

W ECAN FURNISH HIVES

AKltANti-

For the Quin by Frame,

For the Oallup Frame,

For tlio American Frame, or
For tho Langstroth Frame,

At tho uniform price of $1.00 each or pi <•!>.
ready to nail. These will hold such frames a*»
arc commonly used, or wc can furnish frames
with metal corners for tic. each, or both kind*-
ot frames can bo used in the same hive. We
can also furnish an extractor made especially
for cither of the above. Cheap stylo, 80 ; bosi .
$11, ready to ship by freight or express. We
oiler tho uborc principally as samples, and
repeat our former statements that some om>
should furnish such articles iu every neighbor-
hood, and thus save transportation expenses.
The above hi ves are one-story . and it takes
two of them for a two-.Hory hive. As bottom
board and covers aro just alike, only one O
furnished with each story. About li>0 metal
corner frames complete, can ho packed in «
single etny. A* I. ROOT & CO*.

Medina. 0.

Or how to Realize the Most Money with the Smallest Expenditure of Capital
and Labor in the Care of Bees, Rationally Considered.

PUBLISHED MONTHLY.

Vol. I. MEDINA, O., JUNE 1, 1873. No. d.

STARTING A\ Al’I VKY.

No. (i.

B Y June 1st, all Colonies should be
strong and ready for gathering, and
the skillful Bee Keeper should be able by
diligence and care, to make them so;
independent in a measure, of unfavor-
able weather. That is, if we are un-
able to make up for bad weather dur-
ing the yield of honey, we should be
at least able to get our stocks all in con-
dition for honey gathering before the hon-
ey season dues open. To do this, brood
rearing must bo kept up during March,
April and May, and this must he done,
even should a season occur colder and
more backward than was ever known by
the "oldest inhabitant,” etc., and in short,
we shall tell you that if you don’t get hon-
ey, the fault is in the Apiarist and not the
season. If colonies get weak as they will
sometimes, it may be necessary to take
them to a warm room, and to avoid the
inconvenience of invading our dwellings,
we will have a stove in the bee house tem-
porarily, in the spring if needed. If the
upper ventilator be made of galvanized
iron it will answer equally well for a chim-
ney, and a stove can bo set up with little
trouble. Warmth and food will always
induce the queens to lay, but it is another
thing to get the eggs hatched into larvae,
(see Problems.)

Posses in the spring months must, be
avoided, and after one or two lessons of
experience, eve shall expect you to keep
good all stocks having a laying queen aft-
er they are on their summer stands. Let
every reverse only make you all the more
determined to do better in future, and keep
at this time of the year a constant watch
over each individual colon}', for you may
set it down that those colonies that are
petted, opened and handled most, will
always be the best; be gentle and careful
and don't stand before their door-way, nor
annoy or hurt them in any way, for
they very soon learn to distinguish your
attentions from the rude bumps and jars

that too often fall to the lot of bees be-
longing to those who seem to think them
sworn enemies to mankind.

We are often told to provide hives, etc.
for new swarms, but we say provide bar-
rels for your honey, and we should say at
least one for every live colonies, for you
may have a Hood of honey without notice
or warning, that must be taken care of as
fast as it comes, or it is lost irretrievably.
Get good, sound, new oak barrels; strong
and tight, and to be sure they won't leak,
treat them as follows: Get bungs nicely
fitted and everything handy and then pour
into the bung-hole, through a tunnel with
an opening as large as will go into the
bung hole, not less than ten lbs melted
bees-wax made quite hot; drive in the
bung, twirl it quickly on one end then the
other, then roll it once over and back to
the point of starting; knock out the bung,
which should come out with a “pop," (re-
member not to hold your head over it,)
with the help of an assistant pour out the
wax, and if you have done all “quicker
than blazes,” you will find your barrel
nicely coated, every crack and cranny
filled and not more than 1 lb. of wax used.
The hot wax heats and expands the air
inside forcing the wax into the pores of
the wood and coating the whole as if it
wore varnished; with a small mirror you
can reflect the sun on the interior so as to
examine the quality of the work.

Place your Extractor on a bench or
shelf placed at the center of the south
side of your bee house, and of such a
height as to allow of rolling a barrel so
that the bung-hole just comes under the
molasses gate. Screw the Extractor down
firmly and make some little bags of cheese
cloth for strainers, those are to be hung
in the bung of the barrel with a wire ring
a little larger than the hole, sewed in the
top to support it. All the arrangements
should be used and takon care of by some
one of the “neater” sex, for it their
strength is not as great, they more than
over-balance this by their dexterity and
cleanliness in the use of such implements.
A couple of barrels make all the stands
or tables uceded. (They should be well

42-

“ novice’s ” GLEANINGS in bee culture.

painted after being waxed and the hoops
driven tight.)

A wire strainer will be needed to set in
the top of a deep jar to place the cappings
after each day’s work; don’t pat them in
the top of the hives nor attempt to save
any honey of any kind by giving it to the
bees during the working season, for it will
prevent their gathering honey to an ain’t
greater than such odds and ends are
worth. After the caps have drained sev-
eral days, separate the wax and honey
with the wax extractor. Our wax ex-
tractor cost us about $8.00, but something
to answer the same purpose could be made
by almost any tin-smith for not more than
half ns much.

With the given arrangement of the api-
ary, the labor is not great, if each comb
be carried in and extracted as fast as the
bees are brushed off; but if preferred a
light frame can be used holdiug from five
to ten combs. With proper care in avoid-
ing any exposure of honey that may in-
cite robbing in the forepart of the season,
that disagreeable feature in operating,
may he almost unknown.

When you have some honey barreled
ready for sale write us how much you
want for it nnd we will open our honey
column again, and we hope to make it a
long list too.

P. S. — “P. G." says, “tell 'em” before wax-
ing the barrels, to stand them in the sun until
they are. hot and dry, drive down the hoops
and proceed. If the barrels are cool or
cold more wax will adhere than is neces-
sary or profitable.

aiTF.KNS.

*J*roukic queens are an absolute ncces-
«4i sity for strong colonies, and strong
colonies are the only ones that give us
profit. We have, for many years, built
up weak colonies in the spring at the ex-
pense of combs of brood from the strong ,
ones, but we have of late come to the
conclusion that we damaged our best
ones by so doing more than poor ones
were worth; yet it must be borne in mind
that this applies only to such as are weak,
because the queens are not prolific ; oc-
casionally the bees get thinned down in
spring by dysentery or gradually from
freezing in small clusters away from the
main body until they cannot take care of
the eggs even, of our best queens, and
such stocks it will unquestionably pay to
help. We have this season several colo-
nies that had dwindled down to almost I
nothing, and to save queens that we sup-
posed valuable, after futile efforts to
strengthen them up with hatching brood,
we caged their queens and exchanged
places with strong colonies while flying
briskly. Two of these were killed when
r .‘leased, although they had been caged
fair days; one don't lay eggs at all now,
and two have been replaced and queen cells
st irted from their brood, a state of affairs
that don’t please us we assure you. It is

sometimes difficult to decide whether the
fault is with the queen or elsewhere, but
we should advise replacing all queens not
up to the standard, as soon as wo can get
a better one. We can usually judge of the
queen's prolificness by her manner of de-
positing the eggs. If we find eggs and
larvae of different ages mixed up with
sealed brood, wc should pronounce the
queen a ‘‘slow ccacli” and deficient in
system and judgment at any rate, and af-
ter submitting her to the following test we
can be pretty suro of getting a correct
measure of her worth, viz: as soon as the
colony will bear it without injury, place a
nice, clean, empty worker comb in the
center of the cluster, and in 21 hours
count the eggs, and see if they are in a
compact cluster. If at the first experi-
ment the comb should be filled with honey
and pollen, try it again. In good weath-
es not less than 1000 eggs should be depos-
ited in that time; but much depends on
the strength of the colony.

Who can report the largest number of
eggs in a comb in 24 hours?

If so many queens are poor, the ques-
tion may be asked, how are we to be sure
of rearing good ones? That’s the ques-
tion, and to be frank, we really don’t
know. We do know that we have reared
long-lived, prolific queens many times un-
der what would be called quite unfavora-
ble conditions, and others reared under
conditions that seemed all we could desire
have failed in from three months all the
j way up to three years. Although we have
I used queen cells constructed when a queen
was to be replaced, and also at the time
of natural swarming, we find them on
an average no belter.

Suitable weather and enough bees ( more
than a fair working colony is useless)
seem almost a necessity, buteventhen but
few extra prolific queens are reared.

“Novice" insists that “lots of pollen” is
the key to invariable success, but we can
hardly expect anything practical from
him until he gels somewhat over his "pol-
len mania.” If each one of our large
family of nociccs will send in their expe-
rience and opinions on the subject, we
may be able to glean from them some-
thing valuable. Are queens reared late in
the fall or early in the spring usually as
prolific? “P. G.” thinks a lot of queens
equally as good as a dozen of our best,
would be worth $25 apiece to us now, but
that a dozen like our poorest would be
dear at about four cents apiece.

We will, for the benefit of Apiarian Sci-
ence, advertise gratuitously anything we
deem of universal value to bee keepers,
offered at low rates. At present this de-
partment only includes honey and eggs
from Imported Queens. We hope to add
artificial comb foundations, when some
can be furnished that fully answer the
purpose.

“novice’s” gleanings in bee culture.

43

AGASSIZ’S “I.IFK IN THE BEE
HIVE.”

W 1' would seem that, in this age of bee jour-
nals and in consideration of the fact that
under the present system of managing bees
whereby the bee-keeper becomes as famil-
iar with all operations of the interior of
the hive, almost, as of the transactions of
his own domicile; our people’s teach-
ers might at least keep pace with our late
discoveries, and drop errors of the past,
since even “Novices” now recognize them
as such.

The lecture of Prof. Agassiz, aswehave
it in the Tribune of May 10th, given at
Cambridge, Mass., must have been the
work of some one not conversant, person-
ally, with boos, and not familiar with mod-
ern bee-keeping.

Passing over the remarks in regard to I
swarming, for the error in regard to the
cause of swarming may have been only
the effect of so brief a notice, we read :

“The swarm having alighted near a fa-
vorable spot, a single working bee — one
out of twenty thousand, perhaps— starts
from the crowd and lays, not the first
stone, but the first piece of wax which is
to be the foundation of a new comb.”

And again :

“The first bee having made the first
cell, a second bee comes and stands oppo-
site her, head to head ; then another at
her side, so that the two stand side by
side, and the rest follow in definite posi-
tion, each building a cell around itself,
until gradually a good-sized comb is built.”

Now actual observation shows (and the
matter can be tested in a few minutes in
hundreds of apiaries where the bees are
accustomed to being handled) that a
"single bee” never makes a cell at all,
and bees never, under any circumstances,
“build the cells around themselves,” but |
that in comb building the bees all change
about so rapidly that it is seldom that any
bee builds comb more than five minutes
at a time, and even then the work is
a series of skippings about from one place
to another, always standing cn the outside
ol the cells; and the surprising part is
that the work of each one so nicely agrees
with that of the rest, as if each one was
only a part of the same insect or organi-
zation, for whether they build worker,
drone or queen cells, they agree in work-
ing toward one common end.

The cells are seldom or never built full
length at once, but are sometimes used by
the queen when scarcely more than the
foundations are completed, and are also
used for honey and pollen when built half
length or less, and arc afterward length-
ened out as needed. Finished comb is
also “cut down" and “lengthened out” as
circumstances may require for brood-
rearing or honey -storing, as the case
may be, so frequently that our combs are
constantly undergoing change; and all this
work is done by no single bee, but by

the community, seemingly guided by one
intelligence.

Although considerable variation can be
seen in some combs, maDy of them, when
conditions are favorable, are more uniform
and correct than most works of art, or na-
ture, either, and we believe we are justi-
fied in saying that irregular comb is the
fault of external conditions, temperature,
ventilation, etc., and not the fault of the
bees.

Again we read :

“Two or three such cells will usually be
formed in one comb. In old colonies it
often happens that no provision is made
for the advent of a new queen, anti in
that ease no royal cells are built; but in
a new community several such cells may
be seen upon one comb.”

The above leaves the impression that
queen cells, as well as drone cells, are an
original and permanent part of the comb,
which is by no means the case, for they
are constructed only temporarily and over
any cell upon any part of the comb; are
removed immediately as soon as they have
been either used cr abandoned, and are
never seen upon the comb only at such
seasons of the year as they may have oc-
casion to rear queens, unless it be an ex-
ceptional instance, where a comb has by
some means got outside of the cluster be-
fore the cell was removed, and then we
have only the rudiments of what may
have been or was intended for a queen
cell. Queen cells are rarely, if ever, used
twice for the same purpose, and we should
at once consider that something was wrong
with the queen of a “new community”
should they construct queen cells on their
combs.

Since queen-rearing has become an im-
portant industry, points that were but lit-
tle understood a few years ago are now
quite familiar matters, and our queen-
rearers have, with much care and skill,
carefully noted all the requisite condi-
tions lor rearing perfect queens, and,
what is still more commendable, have
compared notes through the medium of
our bee journals, each one giving gener-
ously the full result of his or her investiga-
tions, and, as a consequence, error has
given way and much truth has been
brought to light. When scientists can be
brought to work side by side with our
'practical workers, we may hope for bel-
ter things; and the fact that the latter
class are mainly actuated by dollars and
cents will not, we hope, be found to make
their deductions any the less valuable.

Out apiary now numbers only fifty-
seven hives that have bees in, and of this
number ten are queenless, besides a
dozen more that contain queens of the
"four cent" valuation ; for they scarcely
excel "Old Grimes’ hen,” that

“Laid two eggs on every dav
And Sunday she laid three.

44

“ NOVICE’S ” GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

NOVICE’S
(gleanings in Culture.

** _o _§?

A. I. ROOT & CO.,

EDITORS AND PROPRIETORS.

Published Monthly, at Medina, Ohio.

Terms: 75c. per Annum.

A » y one tending vs 5 Subscribers can retain Toe. for
their trouble , and in the same proportion
for a larger number -

IPRINTtO AT MEDINA COUNTY GAZETTE OFFICE !

Medina, June 1, 1S73.

Ix our January number we gave the
credit of the "Railroad idea” to Mr. E. B.
Blakeslee ; it should have been E. C.
Blakeslee, Medina, Ohio.

At present, May 22d, both the bees and
"Novice” are rejoicing over a yield of
honey from apple blossoms that we have
never before seen excelled. Some colo-
nies have filled one story so full that we
have given them a second one, and at this
rate extracting will have to be the order
in less than three days ; yet not more than
a week ago we were feeding to prevent
starvation. “Such is (not life, but) bee
keeping.

Wf. are realty fearful at the present
date, May 28th, that “eggs for hatching”
will only answer when mailed short dis-
tances ; for our third piece of comb from
Mr. McGaw has also failed to produce
any brood although the weather was
quite favorable during transit. As an
experiment we have to-day placed a piece
of comb with eggs in our bee house and
will report just before going to press
whether it retains vitality three days. As
we can get no imported queens until
Dadants first importations, we arc obliged
to send such eggs ns we have, or forward
the orders to Mr. McGaw. W e consider
a queen received last fall from It. M.
Argo, Lowell, Kentucky, our best lor
disposition, and abundant egg laying, and
shall send comb and eggs from her. Of
three queens received from Mr. Cary, of
Colerain, Mass., we succeeded in bungling
them all out of existence finally, and
Novice sorrowfully remarks that he fears
he shall be a “Novice" always.

Latest: — Eggs out of hive three days,
all right. Temperature 50 to 80°.

God helps those who help themselves,
is an adage quite true in bee-keeping. In
the spring of 180!) we lost all of our forty
colonies by dysentery except eleven.
'These eleven were increased to forty-sev-
en colonies that season, for our losses on-
ly strengthened n “dogged” determina-
tion that we would conquer , and with the
aid of our bee house we wintered every
one of the forty-seven, and secured 0102
lbs. of honey from them in 1870, which
was sold mostly for 25c. per lb. Jl r c
worked for this result, for the sting of
loss in wintering was not lessened by the
prophesies of “wise heads” that such en-
ormous increase could not be healthy and
and natural; but the three tons of. honey
was both “healthy and natural,” and we
laughed in turn at those who had talked
“nature” versus artificial swarming.

ROBBING.

hfNTff'ANY complaints have been made
L this spring about robbing and that
even Italians not only failed to defend
themselves at times, but allowed the in;
vaders to carry off their honey with per-
fect unconcern and good nature. Now we
have prided ourselves on having liept our
bees all honest this spring, and have told
our friends that the fault must have been
their own carelessness, etc. But just as
fruit blossoms were yielding their best, it
occurred to us that our Quinby hive
should be brushed out and got ready for a
new stock of bees. The hive contained
perhaps twenty or thirty pounds of sealed
honey, natural stores which remained
alter a strong colony had died of dysen-
tery in it in March; (exclusive natural
stores as a last experiment) ; well after
all our care and experience we forgot and
left the entrance open, and of course we
had robbing too. The mischief was
stopped as soon as discovered (only a few
hours) but not before three colonies wen-
in turn attacked and demoralized befor.c
wc could get them sufficiently over their
astonishment to defend themselves from
the ruin that they, for a wonder, seemed
to bo entirely unaware was threatening
them; two of the queens were found, but
died afterward. They were caged and
theiv hives “swapped ’ for those of the
robbers ; this gave plenty of bees and
stores, but we now have queen cells in-
stead of queens, which wc think a bad
“swap” for the first of June. Novice
really begins to think that if things con-
tinue thus lie will have to turn back and
learn over again. Moral, — Be very care-
ful how you leave combs of honey at any
season where bees may get at them and
thus acquire bad habits.

“novice’s” gleanings in bee culture.

45

HEADS OF DRAIN FROM DIFFER-
ENT FIELDS.

Of.— Is dissolved sugar as good for
]|'vl raising young bees ns honey? You ap-
“jtI pear to "go strong” on wintering boos
on sugar. In this country, where honey is
high, I would like to put as much on sugar as
I can. Daniki, Ford, Floral, Kansas.

We think it certainly as good and with-
out question, cheaper, lteports from
many sources justify us in saying that the
addition of cream of Tartar, vinegar,
glycerine, Ac., are entirely useless. Mr.

.1 ohnson informs us (see Heads No. 59)
that his bees did not winter well after
brood-rearing in February and March, and
that he considers the vinegar injurious al-
though his great loss was occasioned
mainly from large amounts of honey dew
gathered last fall. A single comb of
such honey, heavy and completely sealed
would kill a strong colony in a week that
that had been heretofore healthy; and,
strange to say, the bees seemed to winter
on it wcdl enough until they commenced
brood-rearing. Is there not a connecting
link between this fact and the idea in
Problems of this No. ? To go back; for
spring feeding use sugar and water in
whatever form is most convenient, so that
bees will take it without waste, and it may
be dissolved in hot or cold water, as is
convenient; and the same can be said of
feeding to prepare colonies for winter, on-
ly it must be scaled up before cold weafh- i
er.

05,— I put 10 stocks of bees into a clump
made by piling the hives in a pyramid, cover-
ing with straw, then earth, with no ventila-
tion. One died from lack of stores and one
from having nothing hut candied honey. The
rest value out in splendid condition, with the
exception of a few mouldy combs. Most of
the stocks wore weak when put in and had
very little honey. I think the clamp is agood
way to winter weak stocks. I put them in
Nov. 12 and took them out March 25th .

Apis,

Will Apis tell ns if the candied honey
was sealed over? It is our impression
that neither honey nor sugar syrup is in- |
jured by being candied if sealed over.
The objections to clamps are the necessa-
ry litter and untidiness generally, besides
inconvenience of access.

6d.— It has been a principle with me for sev- 1
oral years in market gardening to rniso tho
largost possible amount from the smallest
amount of land, and to sell so cheaply that
those who had heretofore bought articles at
high prices us luxuries could now buy so low
that in time they would consiilor them as a i
necessity, and by this means croatc a perma-
nent market. 1 think that to he the drift of
"(! leanings,” and if so I’m with you. You
claim to he aNovico, but I am a "novico-or”
fellow than you, and when I read tho article,
"Italian Quoons for Twenty-five Cents.” the
idea eccurrcd to mo that pure bred drones
could he shipped cheaper than either queens
or eggs. What think you of tho idoa ? Would
it not revolutionise things somewhat 1 Stock
breeders tell us that by using the rough bred
males always we can soon obtain all tho
desirable points we wish. Following out tho
idea, 1 do not sco why puro drones, of which
there are always plenty, could not bo used to
fertilize our black queens by Mrs. Tupper's
method, and in a short time our colonies could
become Italianized. 1 do not know why u lot
of drones cannot be kept by theinsulves on

hand for use whenever wanted through the
1 season. J. M. Hill, Greenville. 111.

In our locality black drones outnumber
Italians so greatly that we fear the use of
drone eggs will be of little use. So very
few have succeeded with Mrs. Tupper’s
method that we fear it will have to be
abandoned, and can’t help thinking that
there might have been some mistake in
the original experiments. Until we can
have some process by which others can
succeed at least occasionally, we should
advise not spending more time or money
on the subject.

fi7.-How would it do to paralyze bees with
puff-ball and commence transferring immedi-
ately in a warm room ? I think I will try It.

N. E. Fukntick, Castalia, 0.
We would much rather have live bees
to deal with than paralyzed ones, for they
would then get out of the way and cluster
around their brood. Turn over any box
hive and give them a little smoke, and
they are almost as harmless as flies. Dur-
ing the bloom of the apple trees we should
even omit the smoke.

08.— For the past two winters I have left my
strongest stocks on their summer stands
protected from the north wind, and they have
died. While I have saved most of those put
in the cellar and some of them are verylight.

M. G. Palmkr, Portland, Maine.
Such seems to be the general report,
although a few report directly to the con
trary.

69,— 1st. How can you raise bees and grapes
together? Our Congressman, lion. K.T. W.
Duke, refused to receive as a gift one of your
papers, saying ho intended to destroy his
bees because they destroyed his grapes.
Send the Journal to him at Charlottesville
containing your answer.

2d Is tho wintering house for bees advisa-
ble in middle Virginia? Not a month pusses
but the bees can fly out, no discaso, nu loss
except from starvation or loss of queen, late
swarms useless, and no pasturage alter tho
15th of J uly.

2d. How can I remedy tho defect? want
of late pasturage.

4th. I want to make five Italian swarms
out of the 25cts. of comb. How am I to do
it? I have a lot of comb on hand in Langs-
trotli fratnos and some 20 stands of bees
mostly in I.angstroth’s hives. Season bad
for 12 or 15 duys past— cold and wet. Apple
tree blossoms lost. I once wintered a late
swarm in a dampish collar on 5 lbs- of honey ;
combs vory moldy, no upward ventilation,
little loss in bees. 15th Nov. to 1st March.
John - 11. Townlry, Red Hill Depot, Vo-

1st. After giving the matter consider-
able attention at different times we fail to
discover that bees ever notice grapes of
any kind unless they are broken opeu by
birds, fowls or insects, they then gather
the juice as they do from sweet apples,
etc. We have always raised a line crop
of Concord’s and some Iona’s, Catuwbas,
Isabellas, etc., but never had them in-
jured in the ieast by the bees, although
our hives have clusters of grapes all
about them. When common fowls had
access to our apiary the bees seemed
quite active on the clusters they had
broken and destroyed; but when they
were fenced out, the bees ceased to notice
the grapes although muny of them hung
on the vines until after frost,

2d. Having had no opportunity to test

4G

" NOVICE’S " GLEANINGS IN DEE CULTURE.

the matter would suggest that bees be
housed in a location where a zero tem-
perature is known in winter. We think a
.snving of stores might be effected even in
warmer climates, but perhaps it might be
necessary to use a cellar or one made
purposely, to keep them cool during warm
spells.

3d. We think it will be found that as
more bees are kept, pasturage will grad-
ually improve, for those plants that are
visited most by bees produce more per-
fect seeds, and thus the bees themselves
ultimately aid in producing fall pastur-
age by r their agency in fertilizing the
blossoms. When you (and bee keepers
generally, of course), have kept 40 or 50
colonies in one locality for a half-dozen
years, we think yon too will find that you
have fall pasturage.

4th. When you have the eggs hatched
in your pieces of comb (see directions in
May No.) make five nuclei and compel
them to raise queen cells from the larvae
in question. When the queens are
batched build them up by combs of brood
from other colonies; your empty combs
will assist very materially. We have also
known a colony wintered on a little over
one pound of food per month, and have
faith that it can be done every time; but
we have as yet been unable to arrive at.
such a result uniformly.

70. — Pour years ago last fall, two of my
brothers, who were partners living near Cov-
ington, had 38 colonies of bees and it so
happened that one of our merchants had a
lot of good coffee sugar which somehow had
got scented with coal oil, so he offered it at
half price. Mv brothers concluded to try
some of it for their bees, so they took all tho
honey away from one stock and fed them
enough of this scented sugar to do them over
winter, they took it as though there was
nothing in it and sealed the most of it over
nicely; during the winter and spring they
lost all their bees by dysentery except four,
and the one that had the sugar was the only
one that was not diseased.

Jacob M. Mohlkk, Covington, Ohio.
We give the above as a sample of many
of the reports in the same direction.
Next fall we will try and give plain and
and simple directions for preparing bees
for winter.

71. — My experience in losing swarms by
the swarming out process is us follows : t
have never known a swarm in good condition
with plenty of bees to leave the hive, whether
wintered in a repository or on their summer
stands. 1 have frequently lost, and have lost
this spring, several weak swarms. Is it pos-
sible that a few robbers get in and demoralize
the swarms causing them to fly out leaving
honey, brood and even the queen '! 1 leave
the question for others to solve.

SCIENTIFIC.

Reports seem to indicate that it is weak
colonies generally, but sometimes, we
are sorry to add, good, strong ones ; and
we feel “cross” now to think ofihe recent
loss of a favorite queen, bees and all
by this cause, leaving much unsealed
brood in all stages.

72. — I like your hive except the entranco,
which looks liko u poor thing. Perhaps your
door-step when attached, makes it all right.
Can you regulate the entrance in hot and cold
weather in a satisfactory manner.

John Ashley, Bloomington, 111.

With the door step, (which should have
two strips nailed across like a letter V
inverted, to prevent warping, and to guide
the bees to the entrance when made small
in the spring,) we have no trouble. Those
who prefer, can bore an auger-hole in the
front end, and Mr. Quinby, we believe,
thinks such an entrance an advantage, be-
cause the bees show a preference for it ;
we, however, can discover no positive ad-
vantage and dislike the holes when any
one of them happen to be used for an up-
per story. Our aim has been to have any
piece answer equally well anywhere, and
to have those pieces as few and ns plain
and simple as is possibly consistent, with
convenience and rapidity in handling.

73. — Notwithstanding my loss, tho evidence
I see in favor of Sugar Syrup is so favorable
that I would without doubt feed it on a largo
scale in preference to their native stores. It
does look to mo as if tho idea would lie one
of vast sorvico to us notwithstanding X have
beon alow to conclude that any food was as
natural for them as their own stores.

R. Wilkins, Cadiz, O.

74. — However objectionable tight top bars

may be, I must think that it would be an ad-
vantage to have the frames secured in their
places at the tot* at least. I expoct my ideas
will be much modified by experience, but I
find it vory much liko loarning to swim ; you
have got to go in on your own judgmont be-
fore you know how, hut hail better keep in
h?i allow water until you yknow what you are
about. I want all the advice from the exper-
ienced that I can get, but as much of it is so
conflicting, shall have to decide for myself af-
ter all. G. Lbk Portsii,

Cedar Mountain, N. C.

Mr. P. utters some rare good sense in his
last remarks, and we do hope be will try
closed top frames in “shallow water” be-
fore “going in deep;" ns our experience
may have some weight, we will give it
freely. After an experience of five years
with about 30 hives with closed top frames
and as many more open top, we were
forced to conclude the closed top out of
the question, where bees are to be hand-
led, as it seems to us they must be for box
or extracted honey either. Wherever
bees find two pieces of wood close or
near each other in the hive, they glue
them fast with propolis ; also every crack
and crevice and even the entrance blocks
arc “gummed” in place so that unless
they are frequently “scraped off’ they
cannot he kept up in place. Again,
combs all alike in thickness and curva-
ture, for they will curve, are not to be
had, and the consequence is they must
be always replaced in the same order or
brood is killed and bees and combs are
crushed. If we attempt to number the
combs and always keep them in the same
place and in the same hive, how are we
to make artificial swarms and equalize
brood and stores. Whenever an opening
is made into a hive large enough for a
bee, those inside especially young bees,
begin to crawl out and those outside to
crawl in, and when we are closing tin-
tops of the frames together the same
thing happens; it is true by bringing the
sharp edge of the frame up gradually
they can be made to crawl in or out, but

“ NOVICE’S ” GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

47

can we afford to waste so much time, for
in extracting 50 two story hives wc should
he obliged to do this 1000 times. With
frames made of l width top bars we can
give each comb wherever it may come, all
the room needed, and the average thick-
ness of the ten combs being such that we
never find any trouble in giving each one
the proper amount of room, or in remov-
ing any one we wish “in a twinkling,”
even without stopping operations in comb
building, brood rearing or ovipositing.
The same remarks will apply equally to
closed end frames, yet almost every be-
ginner in apiculture "goes strong” on the
idea that frames should be kept at fixed
and equal distances ; a very nice theory,
like many other things, but wo believe
generally quite inconvenient when put in
practice.

'•a — Do you leave all the frames except the
one in which you put the piece of comb,
empty, or is it bettor to put in with it, other
frames oontaininjt brood. See., from tho old
hive? Please answer if not too much trou-
ble, for I am a boginner.

James W. SEWALL, Old Town, Maine.

A frame of sealed brood just next the
comb containing the eggs from the im-
ported or choice queen, would be an ex-
cellent idea if one could be found in tho
old hive positively without eggs or larvae,
or any brood confli might be put in after
'I 'teen veils were scaled from the choice
eggs. But be sure you make no mistake
or you might blame the sender t>f the
eggs when he was not in fault.

76.— Tell tho boys and girls to carry two or
Ibree i pine burn to throw at flying swarms, it
will hrinff them every time, for pino burrs
look like a bunch of bees.

\v. Stuakt, Natchez, Miss.

AN ITEM.

S ’F a swarm of bees is hived in a “sinr-
i plicilty” or other movable comb hive,
will they he as likely to build combs
across the frames as parallel to and in
them ? What plan do you adopt to make
them work by the "square rule?” We
need more light on tiie question, “How
shall wo get the bees to build straight
combs in frames?” Light your candle,
friend Novice, and place it on a "simplic-
ity" hive. Jos. Sintox, Ithaca, N. Y.

A pious old deacon who was fond of
fish once told his hoys “never, under any
circumstances, to go fishing on the Sab-
bath ; hut if they did to always briny
home the fish.”

Now we say don’t have natural swarms,
but if you do, always give them some
comb for a pattern, and insist on having
each comb built between two good ones,
or one and the side of the hive. This is
no more trouble than to teed your pony
daily, yet you never omit that. We know
of no nicer fun than to watch and direct
the growth of new eombs. Again, never
put a new swarm into an empty “simplici-
ty” hive, but if you do, fix the quilt close,
ly over the top of the frames and raise

the back end a little; we believe the bees
■seldom fail under such conditions to build
their combs along tho thin comb guide.

Wt; clip the following from the Rural
New Yorker :

Bees by Mail.— T he shippers of bees
by mail are complaining because some of
them pay only paper postage on their
shipments while others are compelled by
post-masters to pay letter postage. They
demand an uniform interpretation of the
law. Then the post-masters are com-
plaining because bees are shipped by
mail, and evidently think they should be
excluded. They are shipped in this
wise: 'ihe cage is a block of wood, in
which are three large holes, covered with
a fine wire netting. Seven bees, includ-
ing a queen bee, are placed in each com-
partment, and are introduced through a
hole in the side of the block, which is
plugged up by a piece of sponge soaked
in honey. The post-masters and clerks
allege that the honey soaks through tho
paper placed over the holes and daubs
other mail matter, and besides, as one
post-master complained, the clerks in his
office did not get through examing and
studying the contrivance until the bees
stung every one of them, and in showing
them how it w as made, and how to handle
it without injury, they stung him too I

Now it may be that all queen rearers
use a block in which arc bored three holes
and that they put in seven bees, but we
really cannot think they have been so
careless, shiftless, or slovenly is the prop-
er term perhaps, as to put in honey in
such a shape as to soil the other mail
matter or allow a possibility of the bees
getting out. If the wire cloth was pried
off by the clerks of course they could not
blame the bees nor the sender ; but as wc
read the postal laws a queen and a dozen
bees can be sent for two cents as well as
other merchandise, and it any kind of
care is used in shipping, there can be
nothing about them to endanger the
mails or employees of the department.
Mr. J. W. Winder of Cincinnati, makes a
queen cage that we think might answer
excellently for mailing, if he will add a
secure cap to confine the bees and also to
aid in preventing it from being crushed.
Mr. Quinby sent us a queen a few days
ago with no other food than a hard lump
of loaf sugar and some water in a sponge;
they seemed in excellent condition and
we think the plan worthy of imitation.

So many prefer i instead of J inch space
between the frame and tho hive, that we
have reduced the length of the arms to
our metal corners J of an inch, and all
made after May 20th, will have arms i in-
stead of i as heretofore. The change is
so slight that no inconvenience need re-
sult thereby.

48

“novice’s” gleanings in bee culture.

PROBLEMS.

M O. 12. Can bees raise brood without
pollen if all other requisites be sup-
plied, viz: Honey or sugar syrup, sum-
mer temperature, eggs, etc ? Our recent
experiments seem to indicate they cannot;
for instance, we placed several weak col-
onies in our bee house during the late
cold storms and warmed it with a stove to
the proper temperature. Eggs were laid
in abundance, but none of them were
hatched into larvae until a warm day oc-
curred, enablingthem to gather natural
pollen, this was quickly gone and unseal-
ed brood was found ; there came more
bad weather and when the pollen was
gone we had the same thing over again.
Even strong colonies destitute of pollen,
during the bad weather, had only eggs and
sealed brood, although fresh eggs were
found daily, none seemed to hatch until
pollen was secured.

No. 13. “Novice” has so far "gone wild”
on pollen that he insists on our offering a
reward of $5.00 to the bee keeper who will
give us a substitute at an expense of not
exceeding 6c. per lb., that bees will use
from an empty comb during bad weather
and thus cause brood to be reared when
desired. He reasons that one pound of
pollen would produce more brood than ten
lbs. of honey or syrup fed daily in small
quantities, and the latter is certainly la-
borious compared with giving them a like
quantity all at once.

We have tried the unbolted meal that
they work on freely when they can fly out,
but have never been able to induce them
to use anything of the kind in the hive;
but “Novice says, a comb of old pollen
even will insure a comb of unsealed lar-
vae immediately, and so his “last hobby”
is FORE SUGAR SYItOP FOB WINTER DIET, and
then in March or April, or whenever brood
is deemed desirable, combs filled with
pollen are only to be inserted to secure
brood rearing up to any limit short of the
number of eggs the queen can furnish,
and observation shows that very few in-
deed of the eggs laid are allowed to hatch
during the months mentioned. We do
not think much brood rearing desirable
before March, and cannot find it any pos-
itive advantage to have much brood rear-
ed very late in the fall. Who will get the
$5.00 ?

ANSWERS TO PROBLEMS.

P ROBLEM 9. We have had two pie-
ces of comb from Mr. McGaw, neither
of which produced any larvae, owing to
the frosty weather during the time they
were on the way we suppose. Mr. McG.
writes May 19th, thus:

Your comb goes by way of Chicago,
and it is several degrees colder there than
here. In June, if you want a virgin
queen, let me know and I will send you
one, I mean free. I sell them at one dol-

lar each,' and guarantee safe arrival.

In answer to Problem No. 10, I use a
hinge constructed as follows: Take four
common screw picture rings with ij inch
screw and about.’ inch ring; screw two
into the upper edge of the hinge at proper
distance apart, and two into lower edge
of corner, so they will set close inside the
lower rings and the rings opposite. Pass
a round strait hard wood stick through
the rings and you have a hinge that costs
but a trifle and can be taken apart in a
second. Will (his do until you find some-
thing better? Yours, &c.,

Scientific.

Thanks friend Scientific, your device is
very cheap, (rings can be purchased for
40c. per gross,) and we think will an-
swer every purpose. We would suggest
smaller rings and a galvanized wire put
through with the ends bent enough to keep
them in place. These would be less in
the way and we think will prove all that
could be desired. One-eighth inch rings
would do, and we shall think it a favor if
any one can find a sample of such in the
market and lowest wholesale rates.

Our bees will persist in rearing hosts of
drones. It is true “Novice” slices their
heads off; (“P. G.” refuses, as she says,
"Tain’tiu her department,") but is it not
a great waste to get up drones for decapi-
tation? We can, with considerable trouble,
get comb enough all worker for a few
hives, but the best will have some drone
comb intermixed. Can we not have arti-
ficial Comb all worker? Will not some
one put them in the market?

ABVEItTISEJIBNTS.

Advertisements will be received at 30 cents
per lino each insertion, cash in advance;
and we rciiuiro that every Advertiser satisfies
us of his responsibility and intention to do
all that ho agrees, and that his goods are
really worth the price asked for them.

P URE ITALIAN HELEN BEEN.— Solid
for circular and price list. Address .1 .
SIIAW & SON, Chatham Contor, or I. E.
DANIELS, Medina Co., 0.

H

ONEY JARS.— One lb. per gross, $5.75;

corks, 60 cts. Two lbs. per gross, $8.75;

corks, 70 cts. One-quart Fruit Jars with Tin
Caps, per gross, $9.50. Other styles furnished
if desired. Address

NUNN BROS., Oberlin. O.

W ANTED.— 300 hives of bees to be used
as nurses in roaring Italian Queens.
Address, R. WILKIN,

Cadiz, Harrison county, Ohio.

TTAMAN BEES.— Wo offer for sale about
1 200 colonics of Italian Bees in the Ameri-
can Movable-Comb Hive. Also Queens
throughout the season, l’urity and safe ar-
rival guaranteed. For further particulars,
prices, &c., send for circular*

BALDWIN BROS.,

2-9 Sandusky, N. Y.

Or how to Realize the Most Money with the Smallest Expenditure of Capital
and Labor in the Care of Bees, Rationally Considered.

PVJBLISHI3D MONTI ILY.

VOL. I.

MEDINA, O., JULY 1, 1873.

No. 7.

STARTING AN APIARY.

No. 7.

"f ^ INI) readers all, if you have followed

Js us thus far you are probably now
ready for business, and to confess the
truth, we prefer during the extracting
season that you stand beside us and help
us decide upon the best plan to “run" it,
now that we have you fairly started.

In the first place, those of you who
have, like ourselves, been in the habit,
until recently, of having the hives some
distance from the extractor, liaveof course
been accustomed to removing all of the
combs from the hive and then taking
them, at one load, to be emptied. Now it
seems to make hut little difference wheth-
er the bees be left, destitute of combs un-
til they are returned or not, for we believe
they always wait patiently tor them, or
whether the set of combs from the previ-
ous hive be given them.

It would seem that the latter course
would send them to the fields again soon-
er, and we are quite certain that it makes
no difference to them whether they have
their own combs or those from another
hive, and as a considerable amount of la-
bor is saved the operator, we shall recom-
mend the latter.

The objections are that very soon the
identity of any hive of bees is lost, and
you have no particular choice stocks to
show visitors, for all hives contain hybrids ,
or Italians, just as it happens, and there
is some danger of throwing a quantity of
brood and eggs under the care of a colo-
ny too weak to supply all their wants.

With the “hexagonal plan" of the api-
ary each hive is so near one of the doors
of our bee house that the work is not
very great if two combs be taken from
the hive, carried in to bo extracted, and
two empty ones brought back ; when
robbers are not troublesome this plan is
very simple and does very well.

The nearer our bees become pure Ital-
ians the greater is the difficulty of remov-
ing them from the combs, for the harder
heavy combs are shaken the more per-

sistently they seem to hold on, and brush-
ing oil' a large number with our bunch of
asparagus tops is slow business. Now
comes the point where we want “head
work.” If we take two combs from the
upper story first, and shake and brush oil'
the bees, the same ones will need to be
“got otT' again, and still again ; which is
a troublesome process, besides being al-
most, too much even fer the patience <>l
Italians. It they are shaken in front of
the hive, as we did formerly, they arc a
long time getting in. The thin honey is
throwu on the ground and door-step, and
attracts robbers, and t lie danger of losing
the queen is greater than when they are
shaken on the lop of the frames or direct-
ly into the empty hive. Lifting the o p
story oft' ami doing t lie lower one first
partially remedies the difficulty, but No' -
ice says although he can carry “stoves,"
etc., when necessary, he don't “hauker'
after the job of lifting an upper story lull
of honey and setting it down “somewhere
carefully if it can by any means be avoid-
ed, besides, bees that have been “well
brought up" and behave well when han-
dled in the ordinary manner are almost
sure to “kick up a row” when divided in
this unceremonious way without recourse
he had to smoke, and we cannot think
smoke necessary at any time during the
honey season.

“Well, Mr. Novice," says'T*. Cl.," “what
would you have? It seems you can nev-
er be satisfied."

“I would have an extra set of combs fur
the first hive, which should lie slid its
length backward and a new one pvt in its
place containing these combs. Now all
we have to do is to shake the bees into
this hive, and they can proceed witliwork
at once. When all the combs are out.
slide the hive just back of this I at the
next trellis) back, put the empty one in
its place and proceed as before."

“But, Mr, N., quite a number of bees
will remain in the empty hive, and possi-
bly the queen ; these must be jarred oil',
and then, when the combs arc emptied,
they must be put somewhere. Why not
carry the empty hive iwto the house, and

50

“ NOVICE’S ” GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

then I can arrange the combs ready to be
placed on the stand at once.’’

“Yes. I have thought of that; our “Sim-
plicity” hives could be carriedin that man-
tier very well, but as most of the hives
are the old style Langstroth, ’twould be
rather laborious. Again, we could not
slide the former back on their stands as
we have them arranged its well as the lat-
ter. If one was ‘big and strong’ and ‘felt
so’ aM the time during this hot weather,
the combs might be placed in an extra
hive after the bees were removed, taken
in and extracted, then placed on the
stand of the next, moving that backward
as we have mentioned.

This would make less steps and would
expedite work considerably, but would
necessitate carrying an empty hive, or
rather one story without cover (covers
should be loose for this purpose), in doors
and out continually.

I presume friend Blakeslee’s railroad
would solve a part of the difficulty; but
I can hardly fancy I should, like the idea
at all of having extractor, barrel imple-
ments, etc., perambulating about among
the hives.”

“Nor i, either, Mr. N. Our bee house,
as it is now, since we have two doors,
painted, etc., is nice and convenient, and

I wouldn't want to be pushed about in a
car, no how.”*

And now, fellow bee-keepers, having
shown you just the quandary we are in
at present, we should very much like to
hear from each and all of you on the sub-
ject; give your plans and ideas, that we
may compare notes.

If the “railroad” solves a part of the
difficulty, Adair’s “Lung Idea' hive would
solve the other part, but only at the ex-
pense of having double the amount of
cover and bottom board for the same ca-
pacity as for a two-story hive, and being
obliged to carry all the hive or none in-
doors to winter, and having no place
to keep our extra combs secure unless
they are all kept in the hive the year
round.

“Ik (!.” remarks that “extracting hon-
ey by the ton is a laborious operation any
way we can fix it,” but we know it can be
so managed that many useless steps may
be saved and much heavy lifting avoided.

I I must be done at a season when labor
commands the highest price; few can be
hired to work thus among bees at all, there-
fore it is of the utmost importance that
we economise in the ways we have named.
We think in our own apiary, as it is now
arranged, two tons of honey can be got
ready for shipment with as little labor as
was required three years ago for one.
Our barrels are made for us by a cooper
who keeps bees, and so knows how they
should be made. They hold about forty-
four gallons or about four hundred and
sixty or seventy pounds, and cost us
about $2 each, transportation extra; they
are strong enough to ship safely anywhere
when waxed.

Several have written ns that the beeswax

may be half resin and answer equally
well, as it can be purchased for about five
cents per pound in quantities.

1’. S. — Mrs. N. thinks we had better ad-
vise our friends not to go off and leave
the resin and wax while melting, for it
might “boil oyer," aud also, when on the
hot stove, it might take fire, besides the
mixture might get on divers household
utensils and fabrics from which it is loth
to quit its hold, unless some one like Nov-
ice, who has studied chemistry in his ear-
lier years, should happen to be around to
inform the "distracted feminines" that
benzine dissolves the waxes and resins as
readily as hot water dissolves sugar. Not
that tee have had any such trouble — oh,
no— but then considerable trouble might
happen in getting (he “pesky stuff ’ off the
stove before it takes fire and burns up the
culinary department.

1’. S. No. 2.— Novice, thinking it ought
to have a good “bile,” so that so much
wouldn't stick to the barrels, left it and
sauntered off to look at the grape vines;
after lie had concluded that it would take
them until the middle of July to recover
from the effects of last winter’s severity
.sufficiently to present a good appearance
for the photographs, his attention was
called by the cries of the women and
dense clouds of black smoke rolling qui-
etly over the “simplicity” bee hives. Of
course his “chemistry” made everything
all right, but Mrs. N. thinks practical ex-
perience would give a more vivid impres-
sion of the “stickativencss” of equal
parts of resin and wax than anything the
books tell about.

1 m uss that the man who “raises moth
worms” does it for the same reason that
I try to make all the weed seeds in my
garden sprout and grow (by stirring the
ground occasionally during warm weather
whenever there is no crop on it) in order
lo get them large enough to sec them, so
that 1 may have the pleasure of killing
them. Am I right?

When a swarm of bees have already
enough honey to keep them till flowers
bloom, how much honey or syrup
should be fed daily to stimulate them to
breed during March and April? Is it
necessary to feed daily?

Joseph Sinton, Itiiaca, N. Y.

If eggs of the moth retain vitality dur-
ing the winter as seeds of weeds do, your
plan would answer, but we think they do
not, and that they only survive the winter
that arc in the combs with live bees.
Will Prof. Cook tell us if we are correct?

Our “Editorial Corps” are divided in
opinion as to whether feeding is of any
benefit to stimulate brood rearing when
a colony has plenty of stores. Novice
says that when you want brood you must
have pollen, that daily feeding is only a
bother to both bees and owner.

“novice’s” gleanings in bee culture.

51

CHEAP HIVES.

OIINCE first describing the cheap form
of Langstroth hive in the American ..
liee Journal , in onr “Gleanings,” many
comments have appeared in regard to it,
and most of them, we believe, take the
ground that because it is cheap, it must
necessarily be small and inefficient; we
think our readers, however, have under-
stood that by using two or more as may-
be needed all the room can be furnished
that is required, and it can be done also
simply and expeditiously. For large
amounts of box honey it had better be
made double width as we have explained
before and this also admits of spreading
the frames out horizontally. The covers
in this case will be better, made of two,
three, or even four boards ; and instead
of matching we would saw in the edges of
the boards to be joined, with the buzz
saw about half an inch, by- raising the
table to the proper higlith, if the guage
be set properly, by reversing the board
we can by two or three saw cuts make a
nice groove 3-1 G by A inch in debth.
Now saw a strip from our | lumber 3-1 (>
in thickness flVbe driven in the slot thus
formed between the boards of the cover,
and we have a joint much less liable to
leak than the one formed of matched
lumber.

The objection raised that the “Simplic-
ity" or “dollar" hive is not ornamental
we shall perhaps be obliged to admit, yet
where they are painted some light color
and grapevines be trained to shade each
one, as we have advised, we think them
pretty enough. (They should always ■ be
painted and the color if not white
should be light enough to prevent their
absorbing too much of the beat of the
sun in hot weather, ns dark colors always
do. With our arrangement of the apiary
we should also have them all one color).

So many seem to think a projection of
the cover necessary-, and almost entirely
on account of the "looks” that we will
enumerate our reasons for preferring none.
First and formost it would add considera-
bly to the weight of each hive ; and we
particularly wish our hives for facility in
handling to weigh not otic ounce more
than is absolutely necessary. Secondly, ]i
they would occupy more room, in the
house, in shipping (by wagon especially)
or when piled away full of empty combs,
or when put aside for any purpose until
wanted. We presume most bee keepers
have had experience in shipping hives or
bees of the annoyance caused by the pro-
jectingcovers “jostling" each other, knock-
ing tops loose, etc., etc. Thirdly, the
tendency to warp is much greater with
the projection, and twould be quite dif-
ficult to “let the cover in” to the frame
that holds it to “cross nail” as we do, and
thus prevent the possibility of warping.
Fourthly, the expense for projections on
fifty or oue hundred hives is quite an

item, and further we should finfl it diffi-
cult to get boards of such width that a
single one would make the cover as it
does now easily, for either the Langstroth,
Gallup, or American hives. Fifthly, wo
could not well have them made bottom
and cover one and the same thing and so
that the bevels fit exactly, close and
tight, no matter how- they are piled up,
hives alone, covers alone, or both to-
gether.

We have just sent Mrs. Tapper an
American hive made “Simplicity” fash-
ion or rather a Simplicity hive made with
frames just one foot square, and she
writes us she is so well pleased with it that
she has a man at work making twenty
like it.

This hive is even easier to make than
the Langstroth because all the boards
used are of one width, viz: 1-1 inches
finished, and cover and sides are of the
same dimensions, so that we simply cut
off from a board 15 inches wide or about
that, three pieces 16 inches long for sides
and cover and two pieces 13$ inches foi-
ends. Now make all to an equal width
(14$) and rabbet out ends of side pieces
(frames in this hive go crosswise) and
cut off strips to go around the cover with
machine as described and illustrated in
our March number.

Hinge the cover on one end and make
the entrance on the same end, and we
should advise having the entrance with
this hive fronting the south and let the
bees go out directly under the grape vine
trellis, thus giving them unobstructed
(light even while we are making examin-
ation.

With a circular saw and power, ami
nice, well seasoned pine boards dressed
just i thick, we know of no nicer and
more profitable “fun” than making just
such hives for $1.00 each, but if you want
really to enjoy it, please be careful in ad-
justing your guages and don't make mis-
takes. “He sure you are right then go
ahead.” The above hive takes ten frames
just 12 inches square outside dimensions,
and when the hive is worked two story, if
we have a prolific queen, it. works beauti-
fully, better than the “Gallup” hive to
our notion, and wc used both last season,
but wc hope both Mrs. Tapper and Mr.
Gallup will excuse us for disagreeing
with them in preferring the standard
Langstroth frame for rapid brood rearing.
However, had we an apiary all of Ameri
can hives, that is, frames one foot square,
we presume we should use them so, but
we would certainly transfer them if we
had the old kind of frames which are still
deeper.

So great is the inconvenience of using
more than one sized frame that wc have
this present week transferred both our
Gallup and American hives to onr Lang-
stroth frames; not that these hives did
not do well, but that we were obliged on
their account to keep an extra extractor
standing around. ’Tis true we might use
one that would take any sized frame like

52

“novice's” gleanings in bee culture.

those now in market, but in our opinion
this is a grievous error; worse, far worse
than making hear;/ and unwieldy, hives,
for the sjieed required to throw out the
honey tells, even on superfluous ounces or
fractions of an ounce.

As we have our apiary now, every
comb goes nicely in our light extractor
and we can work on, until a barrel is full,
smoothly without being called on perhaps
while a hive is left open, to get out an-
other extractor or to lift up or strain
honey, or any such "foolishness.”

Tis true we have one "copy” of the
Quinhy hive but this is not to be extract-
ed. Their combs are full and sealed, and
one of our very best colonies is idling
away their time preparatory to commenc-
ing in the thirty-two boxes; but as they
were partly filled with comb last season,
we hope to see them finished this, and
the extra price of box honey will, we
hope, make up for loss in quantity.

NOVICE’S

j^lcmthtgs w |)cc ^ultmrc.

A. i. root &Tco.,

EDITORS A X I) PROPRIETORS.

Published Monthly, at Medina, Ohio.

Terms: 7Gc. per Annum. j
A nu one sending us 5 Subscribers can retain 75 c. for • '
their trouble , and in the same proportion
for a larger number.

SPRINTED AT MEDIN A COUN TY GAZETTE OFFICE.l

Medina, July 1, 1873.

Have sold one barrel of honey for 15c.
per pound.

We too are rejoicing now in copious
showers, but honey don’t show more than
three pounds per day yet.

ix heads of grain No. GO read “ thor -
mii/li bred” instead of “rough bred.”

It seems to us that with our present fa-
cilities we can expect little from drones
unless we can keep a strong colony rear-
ing choice ones in large numbers and de-
capitate them in the balance of the hives, M
and even then, where common bees are
kept considerably, it has seemed to us |j
they were almost sure to "mix in." How-
ever Italians must soon begin to prepon-
derate (we hear they' do in many locali-
ties), and then Italians will be the rule
and blacks the exception. Hear all your |
queens persistently from one having the
most desirable points; get your neigh- j
hors to do the same, and thoroughbred j
male:: will be sure to be the result.

Just before going to press Novice wish-
es us to add. that after many experiments
he would extract from the upper story-
first, replacing combs as fast as emptied,
keeping quilt over them if robbers trouble.
When finished, let them remain until you
have done the upper story to the next,
hive in the same way', this will secure
most of the young bees out of the way,
from the lower combs (see problem 5)
and they are most difficult to brush off.
As the upper story is lifted off when
empty ’tis much easier, and wo should
use the quilt over the combs as fast as
they are replaced.

If hives are far from the extractor a
light frame of pine sticks covered with
cloth to keep off' robbers is convenient.
Leave the top loose, except at one side,
so it can be thrown over the combs, and
spread a sheet of paper on the bottom to
prevent honey dripping on the floor. We
know of nothing to brush off the bees
equnl to a hunch of asparagus tops, make
it two feet long and bushy enough so that
when simply rolled in the hand it will
"roll" off "hybrids” without provoking
their anger.

It is amusing to read letters from Miss-
ouri and Tennessee, saying it is so wet
that bees can gather no honey, when we
are parched and dried up hero with se-
vere drouth. An unusual number of bees
seem to have worn their wings out, and we
imagine it is because they are obliged to
visit so many blossoms before getting a
load. A friend who “bosses” the print-
ing of this suggests that they "snapped
their wings to pieces, they had got so dry,
but bless you, he don’t know.

Our index scales show a decrease in
weight of from one to one and a half lbs.
between G and it o'clock a. m., while the
workers are going out. From this time
until 12 or 2 p. m. they just about bring
the index back to its former position in
the morning, and about one pound is
gained from this until 5 or G p. m., be
tween which time and dark it falls rapidly,
making a total of perhaps 2.1 or 3 pounds
on an average. This is slow work and
quite different from the proceedings
of former seasons. As usual, the
Italians do much the best, and our yield
of honey is not far from 150 lbs. of very-
thick honey daily from our entire fifty six
colonies. (One more actually played out
in the month of June.)

“NOVICE'S” GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

HKAIKH OF OltAIN IKON OII Kl.lt-
K.\T F1KI.UN.

77.— The "setting of eggs” I roceivod
i| | *|l from you has hatched ono <iucou, and

1 1 slic is aheauty. You do not advertise
uure and fertile queens for sale : but what of
it. can't you send a fellow one? The honey
we are extracting now (white clover) is so
’hin that I fear it will sour. Do you use a
Sacchnromcter to ascertain the degree of
your honey? What degree will keep and
what will not? Can you furnish me with
one? I think Mrs* Tuppor was vory much
mistaken when she said the extractor would
injure the brood if properly used. Mine
hatches all right. K. E* Prentice.

Cnstalia, 0.

11

J hanks, Mr. P. We liave very few re- |
ports of ‘'eggs for hatching” that are en-
couraging unless it he where they have :
only been sent short distances.

Cool nights may have caused the trou-
ble, and we not only regret the disappoint-
ment it has caused but will ninhe good
the amount sent us when it has been a to-
tal failure if our friends will notify us of
the fact. c

Some have succeeded where comb has
been sent considerable distances, and if
we learn the secret of success invariably,
will try again till around.

No succharomcter is needed tit all.
Don’t commence extracting until the
honey is partially sealed, and no feat-
ured be entertained of souring.

We have at, this date (dune 20th), near-
ly two barrels ol the thickest honey we
ever saw, probably on account of the ex-
treme dry weather.

No. 78.— I have two queens left, ono hybrid,
with about a pint of workers, the other black,
with less workers. Isn’t this a glorious start
for the first of Juno? Respectfully,

It* J. McKee, Luingshurg, Mich.

N. B.— You will think I write like an old
acquaintance. Well, having taken tho Amrri-
run JJrr Journal several years, may I not
claim as much ?

Bless your heart, Mr. McKee, and all of
the other unknown friends among our
readers, nothing gives Novice greater
pleasure (no, not even tons nj' honey) than
to hear from friends that have followed
him through successes and reverses for
years, and to hear that he has assisted and
made brighter the lives ol others, is an
additional stimulus toward further experi-
ment, lie begs us to add that your let-
ters are all read with the greatest of in-
terest even if they do most of them go
unanswered. In the attempt to have
them all answered through this depart-
ment, a pile has accumulated nearly sufti-
eient for the rest of the year; yet we
hope to get things in shape soon, that we
may he able to give our opinion, at least,
on all questions proposed, very shortly af-
ter they are received.

Bee Hive Cottage, Milton, I

BRISBANE. QUKKN.SI.ASI>, AUSTRALIA, -

No. 711. March 22d, 1878. J

Deiir Novice :— You will no doubt ho a little
surprised at hearing from the folks on this
aids of the River, hot you see you are no i
slrangor oven in this sunny clime. Your
articles in tho good old Journal have often
cheered me up when 1 have been in n very
low kef. However 1 lost sight of you tor II

83

two years after leaving England, and I began
to think I should never see your name more.
This is a splendid country for bees. No
wintering here, the bees aro on the wing all
theyenr round. The bee is most certainly a
native of the tropics. My observing hives
are 2 and 3 feet square; containing only a
singlo card of comb. I simply put a bar
across tho large frame to support the comb.
The hives open on oaclt side. I raiso hun-
dreds in them of queens. The bees aro never
taken out; the winter, if it can he called
winter, is not sevore onough to kiil boes even
in n one comb glass hive, in fact we have no
winter. We can raise queens and have them
fertilized at any time during the year. Do
you want to know what I think of your new
hive ? Well, I have had timber cut for 200
of them, and intend to give it the following
name ; “Novice’s” “Hive oe Hives.’.

J, Carroll, Boo-Master to His Excellency
Tho Marquis of Normandy.

Will our distant friend, if he does re-
reice this number, please accept our
thanks for his kind letter? Does beget
honey the year round, too, and is the
quantity per colony per annum after all
much more than in our own land of frost,
snow, rain and sunshine alternating?
Verity, if Novice is going to be copied
thus far, it behooves him to tread careful-
ly in new paths.

No. 80. — Friend Novice :— In upper stories
ol tho Simplicity hive, my bees fasten upper
and lower frames together, I cut off all the
comb between but it tnado no difference ; can
you tell a preventive. Also to make nat
oral swarms as early as possible. Should I
put on surplus frames as soon as the lower
story is tilled or does it make no difference.

E. W. Poole. West Richfield, 0.

Wc have more trouble in some cases than
usual this season of comb being built be-
tween upper and lower frames; we sup-
pose because the honey has been procur-
ed so slowly they have been averse to
building in the frames, hut preferred to
lengthen out cells near brood and to
build between frames over the cluster.
After they can be got to work strong in
both stories they usually cease to trouble
in this way. Putting surplus frames
above generally delays swarming but not
always. ( Ihliging bees to swarm for want
of room is at the expense of a considera-
ble loss of honey that they might other-
wise gather.

No. 81. — Don’t tho bottom board become
waxed up so that they are unfit for tops? It
so what is the use of making them just like
the top? Would not a plain board with slats
on the ends bo just as good? Hew much
would you bevel tho hives? Your descrip-
tions nro not plain enough for many people.
As you move the hive forward on the bottom
board, the back end of the sides raises some,
which will give a place for worms, unless the
boes wax it up, which they will be sure to do.
Have you used your style of bottom boards
long onough to know how they work? 1 hope
your hive will work all right, for I like it-
simplicity and its general plan. Yours,

La Fayette Norris.

Wc should seldom use one that had
done service as bottom board for cover,
yet wc would make them all alike to avoid
having an extra different piece about the
hives, for instance, we might hnve in our
apiury more covers than bottoms, or the
reverse, ami in making hives we should
he obliged to get out an extra set of stuff
for bottoms. We have aimed at "simplic-
ity” and brevity. Jl bevels are made

54

“ NOVICE’S ” GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

with the simple tool given ill March num-
ber, no trouble will be experienced from
the causes mentioned and we certainly,
at this date, have no cause to change our jl
decision.

A FRIEND hands us a circular from N.

C. Mitchell, 308 Race street, Cincinnati,

O., from which we make the following ex-
tracts :

We guarantee all onr students who
come to our apiary and remain with us
eight days — long enough to take sixteen
lessons in bee culture — can return to
their homes and take from any good stand
ot bees they have, from one to three hun-
dred dollars’ worth of honey annually.
There are some agents that can learn nil,
or enough to commence business, in two
days, but all had better remai" with us
one week. No agent will be allowed to
teach any one our mode of making arti-
ficial comb without our consent. They
may sell hives and rights and everything
else, but they must keep our mode of
comb-making to themselves. The one
that sends their money to us first is the
lucky one.

Now if Mr. M. is equal to the task of
managing an apiary of one hundred col-
onies, why don’t he keep quiet and have
an income of $30,000 all himself? We
presume he could make them produce the
highest figures, of course. If that would
be too selfish and lie is willing to share
his great discovery with the world, why
does he charge forty dollars for just two
days tuition? (Our readers could all
learn in two days if any body else could).
Our Agricultural Colleges are certainly
behind the times. Again, Mr. 'M. and
several other advertisers should remem-
ber that there is no law by which any
person can be prevented from teaching
all they kuow il they choose. We don’t
know about our foreign friends, but we
think our American Ree Journals are
anxious to give every valuable process
to their readers as soon as known, and
the subscription paid entitles them to all,
even if we "have spent days, months, and
hundreds of dollars, to accomplish it.’
When we look over the old numbers of the
National lice Journal and notice the dis-
coveries for artificial fertilization, etc.,
that would be sent for ten or twenty dol-
lars and the queens that were to be given
subscribers, we must confess to a feeling
of doubt about who the “lucky” person
will be. We have given Mr. M. the bene-
fit of a free advertisement and propose to
“help ’ all we can, if our readers will only
send us all such circulars, emanating fi om
anySouree whatever.

FROM ONE OF OFK FEMININE NOV-
ICES,

‘'.P 1 AM only a beginner. I commenced
with one colony in 1871, in box hives,
had three swarms; first one decamped
and third one froze : they were wintering
on their summer stands. In 137'J I com-
menced with two colonies, had three
swarms, one of which lost their queen
two days after hiving. 1 stopped them
up (till they became reconciled, giving
them two frames of comb with eggs, larvae
and brood of all ages) a few days, and
felt sure they would rear a queen ; did
not examine them again till they begnn
to decrease in number, when I found they
had no queen, but one or more workers
laying drone eggs. I examined them
very carefully and know they had no
queen. Now the query comes, why did
they not rear a queen ; first, there was a
failure in honey at the time; secondly,
the laying workers might have prevented
their rearing a queen. I have commenc-
ed using the Quinby hive and think it
about as good as any. 1 obtained sixty
pounds of box honey the past senson ;
will entirely' discard boxes in the future
and use only an extension, or two story
hive or both combined, so as to get the
full benefit of the extractor. Owing to
the bad luck, I have been forced to ex-
periment with my bees this winter or
lose my weak colonies. 1 commenced
to winter them on their summer stands.
Examined them December 24th and
found my strongest colony in a box hive
nearly all smothered and frozen for want
of ventilation, the queen among the num-
ber. I obtained a queen from a swarm
found in the woods, which was also near-
ly all frozen, being apparently' dead, but
after careful warming two or three hours
the queen revived with a few bees: they
were introduced to the queenless hive;
making probably a pint, of bees in all.
They are now in the family room with
another very weak colony that I have
been feeding sinee that time. Moth
are doing well February fith, and
have commenced breeding. Noise does
not disturb them in the least but the light
does very considerably.

They become restless and uneasy when
too hot or too cold. When I commenced
bee-keeping I hardly knew a queen from
a drone; consequently failed to make it
pay, not realizing one-fourth the amount
which 1 might have done. This set me
to thinking how 1 might succeed better;
so I began to post, up in Apiculture. 1
got Quinby’ s Bee Book, Dolman’s Rural
World, North American lice Journal , A.
F. Moon’s Forty Years’ Experience, and,
lastly', Novice's "Gleanings,” which, 1
hope, will be the best of them all, and
think if (ills a very important place. We
need some one to criticise and expose the
various humbugs. I intend to get every-
thing else that I can on apiculture, hop
iug that by diligence and perseverance 1

“ NOVICE’S ” GLEANINOS IN BEE CULTURE. 55

may yet succeed and turn the past experi-
ence to a good account at last. In con-
clusion I would say to every beginner,
)iusl up, and thoroughly, too ; get. one or
more ot’ the best text boohs published, al-
so one or more of the best bee journals.
Remember that knowledge is power, and
with this and proper care you will succeed.

Annie Larch, Ashland, Mo.

As to why bees at times refuse to rear
queens from brood, it is hard to decide.
In some of our earlier experiments this
was often the case, yet for some reason
or other we have no such failures now.
We have known a queen with bad wings
to prevent cells being started time and
again, and thus threaten the ruin of the
colony until she was hunted out and
killed. Miss Annie’s example of perse-
verence is quite commendable, and well
may she add "knowledge is power” in bee-
keeping. By the way, we imagine her
sex is as fond of power — i. c . , the power
to command success — as the "lords of
creation, even.

A coon WAY TO HITE A SWARM.

4M|L1P the queen's wings; attach a
Quinby queen-yard to the hive, and
when they' swarm the queen will usu-
ally be found moving about on the bottom
of the queen-yard. Sometimes she will
be surrounded by a cluster ol bees. Cage
the queen and place her at the entrance
of the new hive, which must be placed as
near the other as convenient. When the
swarm is all out, lay a cloth over the
queen-yard to prevent the hoes from re-
turning to the old hive, which you can
place where you wish to have it remain,
and liberate the queen. .1. Pratt,
Mallet Creek, Medina Co., 0.

Quinby's queen-yards for an apiary of
fifty hives or more would be quite an ex-
pense, and itill more of a bother, it seems
to us. If the ground is kept clean around
the hive, as we have directed, the queen
can be found generally with little trouble,
without a queen-yard or anything of the
kind.

Hives, extractors, etc., etc., can, of
course be sent cheaper as freight, but
many do not seem to recognize that it
is cpiite uncertain as far as time of tran-
sit is concerned. For instance, we should
expect to get a bee hive from New York
by express in at least three days, but if
we ordered it sent as freight it might
come in a week, but if it should take three
weeks we should think it nothing very
strange. Hither way is safe, although we
must expect that goods by the latter way
may be exposed to rough handling and
rough weather too, perhaps, and so they
should be more carefully packed.

Where there is no immediate need of
the articles, and they exceed 20 or 2."> lbs.,
in weight, we should advise via freight

SHAM, WE EXTRACT FROM THE
IIROOO COMBS ?

DfjMjHAT Mrs. Tupper, and in fact the.
ssii entire National Convention fell into
a grievous error in supposing the extract-
or injured the brood, admits of no ques-
tion, but Mrs. T’s further suggestion that
nothing be gained by extracting combs
containing brood is a point that might be
[ considered. A case to the point has just
j occurred during the late dry weather.

Our index scales have shown a daily in-
crease of two or two and a half lbs. per
day, and Novice argued that spreading
the combs by placing an empty one be-
tween them would secure all the honey
until they were storing in the upper stor-
l| ies.

Recollect we were so fortunate as to
have plenty ot extra combs which is not
always the case, but "P. G.” strongly in-
sisted that the better way was to go “right
through" and extract them all in regular
order or at least to commence in that way
and slop whenever it seemed advisable.
The result was that we obtained nearly
two barrels as lias been slated elsewhere
and the brood combs were found so tilled
with honey that it was utterly impossible
for the queen to deposit eggs with any
kind of convenience, lor even the empty
combs placed in the middle were gener
ally tilled with honey and pollen.

The honey was found principally in
bulged or lengthened cells around near the
brqpd, and had evidently been stored and
capped in a manner that was certainly
poorer economy of both wax and labor
than would have been the ease had it been
stored over the surface of whole combs.
That the latter result can be secured, was
shown by two hives that had been extract-
ed about a week previously, and further
still the index scales showed a gain of
three and throe-fourth lbs. instead of two
the day after they had been extracted.
Was not "P. G.” right?

Again our friend G. W. Dean of River
Styx this county, contends that a single
story Gallup hive of eighteen frames will
give as much surplus honey as two or
more stories, and were it not for the fact
that Mr. D. gets about as much honey pet-
hive as any of us, we might feel surer that
he had gone to another extreme. In 1870
he took 5)00 lbs. from the six hives that
comprised his apiary, besides making sev-
eral artificial swarms. He obliges his
bees to build all worker combs by remov-
ing their brood to weaker hives wlien they
try to build drone comb, and altogether
he gets a line lot of honey with but few,
simple appliances and little labor; and
now we have just got to the point, for he
gets all his honey stored around the brood
and makes it a point to have brood in
every frame during the honey harvest.

Mrs. Tupper speaks of natural swarm-
ing at times when the bees were not stor-
ing honey or as she expresses it "when
, i there is literally no hopey to be expect-

56

NOVICE’S ” GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

ed.” (See Jlce Keepers Mayaiine for !
May.)

Unless the hive had been previously
tilled from an abundant yield, we cannot
remember that we have ever had a case
of natural swarming under the c ircutn-
stanees mentioned, and think at least
(bey are unusual, yet we have seen colo-
nies after they had got the swarming fev-
er, that swarmed when every other frame
was an empty one, and in one case they
swarmed with the combs spread over an
area of several feel outside the hive while
we were extracting.

Now wo still think that had their combs
been faithfully emptied with the extractor
as a preventive, they would never have
had this swarming fever; however, Mrs.
l upper should know best for she has had
much more experience with natural liatur* i
al swarming, we presume, than we have,
lor our experience has been mainly with
bees that were not allowed to swarm.

Is there any danger of getting brood
chilled so as to destroy it while transferr- .]
ing? It seems to me there might be al-
though I think I have never seen any
thing in print to that effect. A Subscriber.

We have never had brood chilled in
transferring, but have known unsealed
brood to chill when combs were lifted to
the upper story too early in the season, I
but this only occurred when the nights
were so cool as to be slightly frosty, caus-
ing the bees to desert the combs and go
below. We have made no accurate ex-
periment, but think brood could be kept
out of the hive a short time, say a couple
of hours, with a temperature as low as
10° and in warm weather, say from 00° to
S0° brood will keep sealed up safely until
it is hatched. Unsealed larvae would of 1
course need feeding, but where well sup-
plied with food, they will keep alive one
day and in some cases two days, and we
think very small larvae just hatched from ii
the egg may be our best way of mailing ;
comb for queen rearing, for short dis-
tances.

It has been observed, probably, that wc
advised bars of folded tin instead of wire
cloth for our extractor. Further experi-
ment satisfies us that tinned wire cloth is :
better, (as it mars combs less) which can
be laid against the tin strips and fastened
by folding the ends over the top and bot-
tom bars. Wire cloth should be about
five meshes to the inch of small wire. We
can furnish the proper kind, both sheets,
by mail for 25c., and the same will be ;
sent without charge to all those having i
purchased Extractors of us, on applica- 1
tion.

Advertisements and Problems crowd- j
ed out this mouth, as you’see. I

NOTICE.

';(r'F there arc any goods in this case that
J^do not give entire satisfaction in ev-
ery respect, you will do us a great fav-
or by returning them at our expense.

We are so well pleased with the above
— which came a few days ago in a box id'
goods from a lirst class business house in
New York — that wc have copied it here,
and it expresses our sentiments exactly,
only we should end the sentence by say-
ing “tell ns wherein we do not meet your
approval.”

We have abundance of complimentary
letters in regard to our “Gleanings,"
which we forbear publishing because of
“ native modesty," for one thing, and that
we can’t see how such letters really assist
our readers with their bees, for another:
besides every one can see for themselves
whether our paper is of value to them.
Now the point is, we have had too few
criticisms: we don’t believe all arc pleas-
ed with us, and those are the ones wc
should like to hear from. The same might
apply to the simple hive wc have recom-
mended, and objections and even abuse
lias conic quite freely from some sources,
but none from those who have made and
tried them. We are quite anxious to hear
that the plan of making and using hives
pleases others as it does us, and if it don't
wherein lies the trouble? but wc do not
value criticism from those who have never
seen the article criticised.

We are glad to learn that many of our
friends have rigged up saws and are doing
a good work in making hives for them-
selves and neighbors. To aid our friends
who wish to set up in the business, we
copy a neat little circular received a few
days ago :

Dickinson Parsonaue, Spring of 18711.

l o my fellow bee keepers in Cumber-
land Valley, I offer a superior Movable
Comb Hive at about the price of the com-
mon box or chamber one. The box is of
the style used and recommended by A. I.
Root, Medina, ()., — one of our most suc-
cessful Apiarians, and whose articles in
the American Bee Journal, over the sig-
nature of “ Novice” have done so much
to simplify and popularize the whole bus-
iness of Apiculture, — and well deserves
the name it has received, "Simplicity
Hive.” Having built a buzz saw express-
ly for the cutting of this hive, I can sell it
at a price much below the cost of produc-
tion “by hand.” Terms — “Trust" till
September: then $3 cash paid by you, for
the hive, or $3 paid to you for the bees—
as you prefer. A. S. Woodm en.

Dickinson, Cumberland Co., I’a.

HONEY <‘OI.VHN.

fU barrels extra thick white clover
honey, for which wc want 15c. per
In quantities of 5 lbs. or less, 20c.
• lb. If we can’t get that price, we are
nly resolved to keep it "forever and

... n A I ltrwvr A- Cm

Or howto Realize the Most Money with the Smallest Expenditure of Capital
and Labor in the Care of Bees, Rationally Considered.

PUBIilSIIED MONTHLY.

Yon. I. MEDINA, O., AUG. 1, 1873. No. 8.

STARTING AN Al'IAItY.

No. 8.

“rajBESUMING our friends have all stic-
— 1) ceeded in extracting all the honey
that has been gathered, satisfactorily to
themselves at least, thus far, we shall re-
commend now that steps be taken at once
to rear queens. (We are presuming these
remarks will reach you about Aug. 1st.)
Whether we rear queens to replace those
not sufficiently prolific or for making new
colonies, we want just the eerg best we
ran. have, and in giving directions for so
doing we shall confine ourselves to such
processes as are least likely to fail, and
have been fully tested.

In the first place assuming that among
bees “like produces like," we would ask
every one of our readers to mentally de-
cide which is his very best queen, i. e.,
which one invariably fills her hive with
brood early in the season and as surely
gives you a large yield of honey. At the
same time we would have this progeny
show the three yellow bands as an indica-
tion of Italian blood if possible, yet bear- i
ing in mind that when we are obliged to
select stock to rear queens from our own
apiary, we should consider it better to
rear from a very prolific queen nut pure ,
than to use a queen producing very light
colored bees though not very prolific.

This advice may be qualified somewhat
by those who very much fear stings, but
as we are to “make the most money" at
all hazards, we shall have to make stings
a secondary consideration, and rest as-
sured that you will all in time learn to
fear stings but little. If you are so for-
tunate as to have a queen, very prolific,
producing three banded bees, and these
of a quiet disposition, too, consider her
worth $25.00 at least, for we have found
such queens quite rare ; our most prolific
ones oftencst produce cross hybrids.
During poor seasons we welieve the full
blood Italians invariably gather more
honey according to their number than the
hybrids, and to conclude we should dis-
like to rear many queens from a queen
that we had not previously tested our-

selves. We would have an imported
queen if we could afford it, because we
should then be sure of having a pure
mother, but did she not prove prolific we
should use some other, perhaps one of her
daughters.

Having carefully decided on your best
colony, we now wish you to point out
your least profitable, in all points enum-
erated, i. e. diametrically the opposite of
your best.

If your apiary contains fifty hives or
more you can probably find one so poor
that her head had better be taken off at
once, no matter if she is pure Italian.
Some, we are sorry to say, knowingly
sell such queens, thereby doing much to
deteriorate the reputation r.f the Italians,
for all such stocks are sure to die out un-
der the old order of things and are con-
sequently never or rarely permitted to
reproduce themselves. We shotdd be
very careful that we do notsubvert nature
by carefully nursing unprolific queens
that would otherwise die before they could
have a chance of perpetuating their poor
qualities, simply because they produce
three banded workers.

Assuming that introducing queens is
always risky (we shall treat this subject
in future) we will avoid the necessity of so
doing by “swapping" all the In-ood combs
of our first mentioned colony for an equal
number from the latter. This should give
us at this season of the year from fifteen
to twenty queen cells, and you arc to
count them carefully in just one week
from the date of making the exchange.

Now if you have in you apiary so
many queens that arc not good ones, re-
move and destroy them the same day that
the cells are counted. A very plain test
of what we call a “good queen" is to des-
troy all that are not working in an upper
story at this date, presuming that had
there been no more than a pint of bees
April 1st, she should before Aug. 1st have
made a good colony, and if she has not
done this we would throw her away and
try another. In two days more or in
nine days from the time our cells were
started we will insert a cell in each of the
queenless colonies, and to avoid ns far as

58

“ novice’s ” oleanings in bee culture.

may be, having it torn down, we would in-
sert it in place o(’ some one that the bees
have started during the two days. For a
simple mark to designate which hives we
have made qucenless we slip a grape leal
partly under the cover of the hive and
the leaf is left there until the young
queens arc found to he laying, which we
lind to he in Irom six to twelve days after
insertion of the cell. It may be objected
that much time is lost in keeping a colony
queenless thus long, but it is at a season
of the year when more brood is generally
of little account and the time is not
greater, many times, than would he con-
sumed in introducing a queen, besides,
our cells are built and queens are hatch-
ed in full colonies, points which although
they may not he absolutely necessary at
all times, are certainly safe for“Novices.”
1 f your object be increase of stock, hav-
ing queens already good, proceed for cells
as before. Have your new hives, trellises,
sawdust, etc., arranged before hand and
in place of removing queens lake two
combs, one of honey and one of brood
hatching out, from each colony that can
spare a swarm, put these with all adher-
ing bees (hut not the old queen) into the
new hive and cover the top and sides ot
these combs with the quilt, insert colls as
belore and when the young queens are
laying give them combs enough (without
bees) from any old colonies to fill out the
hive. These combs should be mostly
brood combs, and thus we shall have full
colonies tit once equal to any of the old
ones, and indeed, if the season continue,
in a few days these new colonies can
spare a comb or two for other new ones,
but we should avoid having frames only
partly filled in the hives for wintering.

Kemember if we are going to try and
winter all colonies without loss, they must
be all good so far as combs and bees arc
concerned and most of all, a good queen.
No matter about the honey so they don't
starve before .September for we wish to
take it till away then.

Above all things don’t let robbers have
any hand in the business, whenever they
get very bad you had better stop. ‘'Nov-
ice'' says you had better stop whenever
they get so bad that a bee veil is neces-
:ary, but “I’, (1.” doesn’t quite agree to
that, yet she is getting a “way.” this season
of working about among the bees without
any covering at all for the head, and with
apparently I he greatest u neoncern. Even
a “sting in the mouth ’ isn’t the “terrible
allair” now, that it used to be, and the
swelling instead of lasting two or three
days now lasts but a few hours.

l!y the way, dear readers, we will im-
part a great secret if you’ll promise
never to t II any one else, for it is worth
a great many dollars (more or less). Tis
a perfect preventive of robbers and you
may open hives, leave them open, leave
combs all around the apiary, and be as
free from annoyance as if on a desert
and “navy” bee to bother. If it don’t do

all we claim, money will be refunded.
This is for our unfortunate friends who
don’t have fall pasturage. Well! Ahem!
Extract the honey or whatever other
work you may wish during warm, moon-
light evenings. You will need to use
considerable smoke to subdue the bees at
first, and you will have to be careful ol
you lamp or lantern if you use one.
Unless you arc hunting queens, etc., you
can learn to do very well by “moonlight
alone. ”(We mean "only," “’tain t good "
to be “alone.” )

1 J . S. — Mrs. “N.” says if she is expect-
ed to be assistant, she prefers some other
“post.” than holding the lamp.”

P. S. No. 2. — We would advise all who
feel disposed, to try the queen nurseries,
butcan only add that our opinion remains
unchanged, viz: that to rear the best
queens we would prefer that they have
the full run of the hive as soon as hatch-
ed. Unfertile queens, wo are inclined to
think, would be of as little use to “Nov-
ices” as they are to strange bees, and we
have found them very uncertain property,
to say the least. We have succeeded well
in making new colonies, as follows: Cut
out your cells and place them in the
nursery, with bees or without, it don’t
matter. A lot of queens cages fastened
or suspended in a frame make a nursery ;
if pasturage is not abundant, some pro-
vision should be made in one end of the
cage for the queen to feed herself. Hang
the frame, cages, cells and all in the mid-
dle of a populous colony; remove the
empty cells as soon as the queen is
hatched to give her more room, and as
soon as you can thereafter, release her
among the bees on one of the frames ol
comb removed from the hive. Place tbit
comb, bees, queen and all, between two
combs of hatching brood from other
hives, in a new hive and on a new stand.
When she lays, lill up as before. You
thus save some time and are not obliged
to make yOur swarm until your queens
are hatched and approved of. If you
have more than ten or dozen cells a large
colony will be required to give bees
enough to each queen. It may not in-
jure young queens to be kept caged sever-
al days, yet we do not feel satisfied that
such a course is advisable.

If your income from bees has been
small, make ypur expenses in that direc-
tion correspondingly so. Many times ’tis
hard to come down to rigid economy, but
it generally “does a body good" after all

’Tis very bad economy to feed bees all
winter and then have them die. Eel us
all resolve to attempt to winter no more
stocks than we can probably take through.
If all are now agreed that sugar for winter
is as safe as honey, nothing will be lost
but our time, in giving it a further trial,
for the honey sells for the most.

“ novice’s ” gleanings in bee culture.

INTRODUCTION OF QUEENS.

Jl\ ^ m«ny infnlliable plans have been
Sr*i given for introducing queens per-
haps, as for any other operation in Bee
Culture, yet the great number of com-
plaints that are continually being made of
humiliating failures, seem to indicate suc-
cess by no means certain with any one
plan. Several points require considera-
tion in the matter ; for instance, we can
afford to run some risk of losing a queen
occasionally, rather than to consume the
amount of time required for some of the
methods given, such as caging the queen
or keeping the colony queenless until all
brood is hatched, or letting one of the
cells hatch and then destroying the young
queen after she has torn down the rest of
l lie cells, and before she has become fer- 1
tile.

We think Mr. Quinby favors one, or
both of these processes, and it is true that
queens will often be received this way
when quicker methods fail, but as the
danger of having queens die in the cage
when they have been some time confined,
is considerable, we cannot think it much
advantage after all. We cannot think any
of the plans invariably safe, such as scent-
ing bees and queens with peppermint, to-
bacco, etc,, fora queen is often well treat-
ed for a few hours and then attacked and
stung. In mid-summer confining the
queen on combs of hatching brood with-
out bees, is probably as safe a plan as
any, and will do very well for a queen of
considerable value, but as we must gener-
ally make a new colony to do this, and it
takes considerable time, we think it can-
not come into general favor, besides it is
next to impossible to do this except in
very warm weather.

Mr. Langstroth's plan is the one we j
think best, all things considered, and we
shall make no additions to his directions
only to say that no exact time can be giv-
en as to when the queen shall be liberated.

1 n warm weather, during a yield of honey
they can almost always be uncaged in
about . twenty-four hours, and we have
sometimes succeeded perfectly in releas- j
ingthe queen at once, without caging at all.

Wo would strongly recommend Novices to
experiment with queens of no value until
they learn to judge by the behaviour of
the bees when danger may be expected.
Queens are more often “hugged to death’’
than stung, and where they have been re-
leased after being caged but a short time,
or when the queen is very valuable we !
should always examine the hive after an |
hour or so, and again altera lapse of sev-
ernl hours. In early spring, or after fall i
pasturage has ceased, queens are most
difficult to introduce ; at the latter season
we sometimes have them killed even after
t hey have filled several combs with eggs, so
we think it best to attend to all such work
as early in the fall as is practicable. We
do not favor stopping the cage with cloth,
paper wet with honey, comb compressed

69

in the hands, or any such means, because
we wish to see the bees when the queen is
set free. When they first become aware
of the fact that they are queenless, the
cage of the strange queen is generally
densely covered with bees, sometimes
knotted so closelylhat they can hardly be
pulled apart; but if the wire cloth of
which the cage is made, is of a mesh not
less than ten strands to the inch, no dan-
ger need be apprehended to the queen.
The knotted bees often make a buzzing
sound, and it is never safe to release the
queen before this buzzing has ceased, even
if they keep it up for four days or a week,
ns we have sometimes known them to do.
When she can be released safely, but few
bees should be seen on the cage and these
not excited and angry. Slip out the wad
of paper that confines her ns quietly as
possible, and carefully note appearances.
It they offer her food which she partakes
of quietly, all is well, probably; but if they
crowd after her and grasp her as they
would a robber, pick her up with your lin-
gers carefully and recage her. If a bee
attempts to sting her while in your hands,
you had better crush him; some smoke
here is quite serviceable, and if you should
get stung yourself, dont make a fuss
about it until your queen is safely caged.
Keep her caged until toward sunset the-
next day and try again. Sometimes it is
best to destroy all queen cells after three
or four days, if they “don’t behave;” also
removing all their brood, "does good’ at
times. If that wont, do, take their combs
away, and when y r ou can’t get them to have
any queen unless they rear it from a cell of
their own, console yourself with the idea
that you are no worse off than, some oth-
er folks have been occasionally'.

If you wish to become an expert in
such matters keep practicing \ learn the
conditions necessary for being able to
take a frame of brood bees and all from
one hive and place if in another without
fighting. The matter is very easy', when
the bees are in the proper mood, and it
expedites work greatly, such as giving a
colony choice brood wherewith to rear a
queen and strengthening them up in num-
bers at thp same time.

Bees are wonderfully tractable and
yield to our wishes with the greatest good
nature when wo have learned just where
and how they may be “imposed upon ’
with impunity.

If we have decided to winter our bees
on sugar syrup instead ol honey, the only
question remaining is, whether they have
bees enough and a good queen, i. e. one
that has proved herself prolific; and not
whether they have stores sufficient.

Skx» us all the circulars pertaining to
bee culture you can, if you have reason to
think they contain misrepresentations.

(!0

“novice’s” gleanings in bee culture,

NOVICE’S

j^Icttmuijs in flee Culture.

A. I. HOOT & CO.,

EDITORS AND PROPRIETORS.

Published Monthly, at Medina, Ohio.

Terms: 73c. per Annum.

Any one sending us 5 Subscribers can retain 75c. for
their trouble, and in the Home proportion
for a larger number.

(PRINTED AT MEDINA COUNTY GAZETTE OFFICE.J

Medina, Aug. 1, 1873.

Ol'R Qtiinby hive has again lots of Iters
but “nary” box honey.

In preparing to introduce Queens, re-
member that a hive sometimes contains
two. ■

Doleful. Novice’s basswood Orchard is
being eaten up by the Grasshoppers, but
he declares “there'll he blood shed be-
fore they finish. If grasshoppers made
honey what tons of it our county might
furnish.

A. T. Wright Chicago Ills, sells a very
small pamphlet, recommending his patent
hive, for 25c. He not only endorses su-
gar syrup for wintering but leaves Novice
far in the shade in directing that it be fed
to bees to produce nice box honey profit-
ably. Nice looking comb honey can be
produced it is true as our experiments in
feeding last fall gave us ample proof, but
in taste 'tis sugar syrup still, and worst of
all twould cost a dollar a pound or more.
It may lie right for Mr. Wright to charge
people for a "right'' to make his closed
frame “Coming Hive,” but we don t think
it right to charge 25c for the book. Me
Ileekeepers work hard for our “25 eents-
ex” Mr. TV.

HONEY COLUMN.

vp II. SHANE, Chatham Center,
id/ g Center, Medina county, 0., has
3000 lhs. nice clover honey, wants 1C cents
for it.

1 have 2000 lbs. (4 bbls.) of first-class
extracted honey for sale at IS cents. Bar-
rels not to he returned.

K. Wilkin, Cadiz, Ohio.

We have about 1500 lbs. for which we
want 10 cents. ("liaised one cent,
’cause honey’s scarce ")

A. I. Root & Co,

ITALIAN QUEENS FOB #1.00.

■i:

i J N our prospectus for “Gleanings,”

mentioned that wo should endeavor to

test all improved processes before recom-
mending them, but the very plain state-
ments made in regard to sending eggs
successfully by mail induced us to deviate
so far as we did. The result, as we have
found it, is that eggs may hatch and pro-
duce good queens when sent short dis-
tances only, but we have in no case
known them to retain any vitality when
two or more days were occupied in transit.
Now, as we wish to make amends as far
as we can for the disappointment, we will
credit the parties who sent us money for
eggs, the amount on something else, or
will return the money if they prefer, pro-
viding the eggs were properly eared for as
soon as received, and produced no brood.

Novice was so unwilling to aband-
on bis project of furnishing Italian stock
to the mass of bee-keepers at a small ex-
pense, that he could not give it up ; ac-
cordingly on the 23d of July he rode
about twenty-five miles on horseback vis-
iting neighboring apiaries, with the follow-
ing result:

We, whose names arc placed below, will,
after Aug. 1st, furnish Italian queens un-
tested and unwarranted for $1. 00 each, for
the balance of the season. Queens will
be reared from the choicest mothers we
can procure, and will be shipped by ex-
press ns soon as they commence laying.

.1. Shaw & Son, Chatham Center, Medi-
na Co., O.

W. H. Shank, Chatham Center, Medina
Co., O.

E. H. Parsons, Lodi, Medina Co., ().

1. E. Daniels, Lodi, Medina Co., O.

A. 1 Root & Co., Medina, (>.

In regard to chances ot the queens
meeting impure drones, we would say
that Messrs. Shaw, Daniels and Parsons
have almost no black bees in their locali-
ties, and their apiaries comprise over two
hundred colonics of choice Italians. Mr.
Shane has not more than half a dozen
black colonies in range of his apiary, and
agrees to have these all Italianized it l.e
has to do it entirely nt his own expense.

As for our own apiary (we have now
hut few black colonies in our own neigh-
borhood) we are diligently at work weed-
ing out all inferior queens, and as we pro-
pose to roar all queens from a well tested
queen, ours will be — well, good hybrids,
the worst of them. Those from the first
mentioned apiary, we think', will be near-
ly all pure. As the Postmaster General
lias decided that bees are not mailable,
we recommend that queens be sent only
by express, and many queen breeders
think it much the best mode of transit
tor the future welfare of the queens. In
case more orders are received than can
he filled this season, the money will be
returned. To have least trouble in intro-
ducing, orders should be sent as early a»
possible.

“ NOVICE’S ” GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Cl

Ol'K 1‘IIOKM. K A 1*IIS, AA'I) A CHAT

with our ri:ai»i:ks.

A FTER waiting until the 17th of July
i for our grape vines to get “presenta-
ble,” we now respectfully offer a view of
“our home” to our friends, with the sin-
cere wish that it may he of value to them,
as the place wherein our “successes and
reverses” of the past seven years have
been made in the science of bee culture.
In front of the bee house door, Mrs. N.
appears so intent on having the “blue
eyed baby” deport herself properly that
she doesn’t consider bee culture very
much, and, in fact, in one of the best of
the negatives, the Lombard plum tree in
the fore-ground obscures her face entirely,
which she excuses by saying, aforesaid
baby had pulled her sun bonnet over her
eyes and she was assisting her to extricate
herself, for like all babies, she wanted “to
see the whole performance." Miss Maud,
and Master Ernest, (Novice Jr.,) of ages
nine and eleven, stand at her left, and
have demanded so much attention in
time past in the endeavor to have their
young ideas "shoot” properly, that Mrs.
N. lias never been, practically, much of
an apiarist: besides, Novice has never
yet succeeded in persuading her to get
stung once every day during the season,
or oftener, that she may get over the “dire
effects” that follow from being stung only
once.

“P. G.” appears on the left of the pic-
ture and insists on being passed by with-
out “note or comment,” trusting that she
may be able to assist in the cause of bee
culture notwithstanding. Novice is so
well known that nothing need be said of
him , and in fact it is the apiary rather
than the dramatis persona 1 with which
we have most to do.

To digress a little: ’Twas but yesterday
we visited the apiary of one of our sub-
scribers who we hope will pardon us
when he sees this. As he was away we
took notes as follows: A very serviceable
bee house had been built, but we did not
go inside; around its door, some near,
some more remote, were scattered hives
of diverse sizes, shapes and colors. We
believe none stood square east and west,
or north and south, and we remember
none that were perpendicular; a few con-
tained bees, but more, none; those that
did were so covered with grass and weeds
that the poor little forlorn looking black
fellows had to dodge and twist to get out
or in. Many of the hives were made with
much care and skill, but we fear our
friend had become discouraged. Ameri-
can hives lay around all sides up, and the
movable side seemed always anywhere
but in place, whether they contained bees
or not. A line looking new hive made
something on the “Adair idea,” revealed
wheu the cover was raised, nothing but a
heap of dead bees and some shreds of

moth-eaten comb. And this was the 24th
of July.

How many of our readers have discard-
ed or empty hives lying around ; and we
wonder, too, if they have ever resolved to
waste no money or time on new fixtures
and experiments ?

Our friend’s apiary certainly was not a
pleasant place, and we fear he had avoid-
ed it for that reason, and because the sea-
son for honey here is very poor.

Now this is nothing new — it is almost
an old story in bee-keeping — and we rec-
ognized it when we took up bee-culture.
The plan of our apiary has been changed
many times since we started it, and the
hives have been changed, too, when
’twould have have been better to have "let
well enough alone.”

About live years ago we recognized the
value of shade in the hottest weather, and
planted sixty Concord grape-vines. They
were planted according to “Fuller on the
Grape,” and the trellises were made as
lie directs. The vines did finely, but the
arrangement of trellises, which can still
be seen in the foreground of the picture,
made rapid work with the hives very in-
convenient; also eight feet between trel
lisses was farther than was needed between
the hives, and so caused useless steps.
With the present arrangement work i
much facilitated, and we have as yet
found no inconvenience from hives being
too close. Each hive has a precise place
assigned it, and the simplicity hive can
be leveled up with a spirit level if desired.
As but little ground is occupied, but little
labor is requisite to keep it clean and
free from weeds, which we think most im-
portant, for then rubbish is more apparent,
and you will be more likely to keep it
gathered up. Wo first used the Lang-
stroth, bnt soon was led to think the
frames difficult of removal, and so made
fifty American hives, besides trying a
great variety of patent - hives. Every
frame now goes nicely in every hire in
our apiary, we are happy to say. On the
right of the picture may be seen our
“spring balance,” which suspends a mod-
erate c l iny. So far we have not had
more than two weeks that the hand on the
dial has shown increase this season, and
now it is going the “wrong way” at a rate
that admonishes us to see that there he
no colonies that may need feeding, for
starvation may happen even in July and
August.

In front of the “balance” may lie seen
one of the open sections of the “dollar
hive,” and we feel more than ever satis-
lied that nothing- more cumbrous is ever
needed in the shape of a bee hive; as to
whether their appearance is so "very
homely,” can be judged from the row of
them on the left. It will lie observed that
our old style Laugstroth hive shows a back
ventilator, these we have thought, from
the experience of late years to be worse
than useless and so have fastened them
up permanently. If they are opened in

C2

“novice's" gleanings in dee CULTURE.

hot weather they are soon used for an
entrance and then cannot be closed again
without loss of bees. Covering with wire
cloth will not do for they will be soon
covered with propolis. If all ventilation
be given in front, as in the “dollar hive
it can be enlarged to any extent and then I
contracted without annoyance to the bees.
The door in full view contains no window
and perhaps one window may answer yet
there are times when two might be better.

We prefer windows in the doors, for
then they are closed dark when the inner
doors are in place in winter; besides if
bees collect on the windows they are otf at
once when the door is opened. The hoe
and spade left standing by the door are
favorite implements with “Novice” espec-
ially this season, for many of our trellisses
under the new arrangement were left
“vineless;” these we find can be rapidly
tilled up by simply burying a long, grow-
ing shoot, an inch or more, under the
ground and then bringing it up where
wanted; these green canes take root in
a few days. One thrifty Concord vine
will make a dozen or more good, strong ^
vines in a season. We have several such
shoots that have covered a trellis with
heavy foliage already. The “railroad”
and car is but dimly visible through the
foliage, and the extractor we hope will
assist those who could not “make it out,”
even if it be but a distant view. The
“camp chair" in the vicinity of “Novice,”
might suggest “taking things easy,” but
we believe he seldom uses it only on the i
Sabbath.

We would say, in conclusion, that no
great amount of time has been expended,
as some might suppose, for it has been j
mostly done at odd times, before break- ,
fast, after supper, etc., and instead of
being a task most of the work has been
but a pleasant recreation.

P. S. — Of course our bees don’t sting
when they are well treated. (“It s a story."

“P. G.") Mrs. “N.” and the children
wouldn’t be there if they did, for they
don’t "take to stings.”

CAUSE OF DYSENTERY.

M 'Y bees, twenty-four stocks, wintered

i on their summer stands, all healthy,

but not strong in numbers as usual at the
opening of spring, but some recruited.
Their stores was almost exclusively hon-
ey dew, And now when I tell you I have
been a bee keeper since 1803, in localities
where this source of supply is often very
abundant, and that I have kept on an av-
l’rom twenty to eighty stocks a season,
and that, 1 have never lost a colony of
beet from dysentery, or any other disease
that 1 know of, you will not think strange
that I cannot indorse all the complaints
laid to its charge. I have little however
to say in its favor, except that it usually
appears about this season, when in this
locality, where we have neither white

clover nor linden, but often as is the case
this season, would have a hard season
without it ; it keeps the bees breeding and
helps out, wonderfully until the summer
and fall (lowers come, from which our sur-
plus is principally gathered.

E. K. Gian,

Appleton City, St. Otair Co., Mo.

That honey dew was not the only cause
of dysentery, we have had ample proof,
and we are glad to learn further that bees
sometimes thrive on it. Every additional
fact furnished will help determine just
how food acts in this matter, for that food
is at the bottom of the whole trouble, few
now feel inclined to doubt.

PROBLEMS.

'0. II. — Queen’s cells after being
sealed, it is said, will hatch as well
anywhere else as in the hive, if the tem-
perature be right. What temperature is
right? "Can’t we send ’em by mail?
suggests Novice; but “P. G.” says not,
for they must not be “bumped” or rough-
ly handled. Again, are all the requisites
for extra queens dependent on the treat-
ment of the larvae before sealing the
cell, is there no development that, re-
quires full liberty, air, exercise, etc., after
hatching? Wo dwell on this unduly,
perhaps, but firmly believe that extra pro-
lific queens are the secret, of large yields
of honey.

No. 15. In some localities our bees are
ir. the habit of invading Groceries and
l onfectioncries etc. in the fall. Now is
there any way to keep them busy so they
will not annoy our neighbors i. e. can we
feed them in any way that will not incite
robbing? We know of one case where
this was done accidentally as follows :

Quite a quantity of honey was hung up
in a wood house in frames, and of course
the bees began to carry it away, but. lor
some unaccountable reason no robbing
ensued. They worked at the honey until
fruit trees blossomed, then abandoned il :
commenced again after they were gone,
and so on ; yet there was no robbing
at all. In this case itseems the abundance
of the plunder made them think it was
natural stores, but we have in vain tried
to produce a similar result. We should
like facts on the subject but would advise
cautious experiments or it might result in
a "big row” and disgust a, whole neighbor-
hood with bees and Beekeepers. The
case mentioned was in Mr. Shaw’s Apiary,
alluded to elsewhere, and the bees were
Italians. We are afraid t’would’nt work
with black and hybrids.

No. Ki Has any one ever wintered a
colony absolutely without pollen and did
they rear brood successfully ?

“ NOVICE’S ” GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

63

IIEAH.H OF OR At IV FHOH DlllIK
ENT FIELDS.

\V[f!J • 82.— Wa* being scarce I used my
I *'] grafting wax (Downings receipt 3 of
~ f ‘ - 1 beeswax, 3 of rosin, 2 of tallow,) for my
barrels, which makes a tougher wax, less lia-
ble to oraek and molts easier than wax alone.

Mrs. Tupper was certainly wrong whon she
said that tho extractor injured tho young
bees, my little girl turned so fast as to throw
some worms out, and yet tho bulnnco hatch-
ed out quite satisfactory. You have left us
“greenhorns” in a complete muddle about
tho best way of extracting. It is well I had
got through before your July No. eaino to
hand or elso “P. G.” would havo scared mo
out. Tho only advico I can give is to
got your extractor as near the hivo as pos-
sible and then 90 it. J. B. Townley, Rod
Hill. Va.

We don’t know why grafting wax' is not
just the thing for barrels. We arc very
glad that Mr. '1'. found no trouble from
robbers in using his extractor close to
the hive. We have this season had no
day as yet that the yield of honey was
great enough to induce them to behave so
well. If each hive gave JO or -10 lbs. ol
honey, as they should, Mr. T. would have
to stop so often to carry in his honey that
’twould be a bother; and if ho carried a
barrel along, too, he would need Mr.
Blakeslee’s “car and tent”. If his hives
wore none of them more than twenty-
four feet from his bee house door, as ours
are, would he not think it cheapest to
have his extractor a fixture, implements
stationary, and carry in the combs and
return them?

No. 83.— I am going to ask a groat favor of
you. hoping that you will take the time to
grant it. My cellar is not right somehow to
keep my bees in. They mould and get damp,
although we call it a dry cellar, and I have
made up my mind that if you would take the
time and givo mo written instructions just
how to build a bee house that would accom-
modate 100 colonics and have it so that I can
use it in the summer to extract honey in.
I would repay you in somo manner sufficient-
ly to satisfy you, I want descriptions or
specifications vory minute and plain, so that
a common carpenter and joiner couhi not err
in building the same. I have undoubted con-
fidence in you with regard to this building.
We havo long, cold winters here.

Martin 11. Adams, Port Ann, N. Y.

It is H. pleasure for us to be p.ble to as-
ms! our subscribers in any way, and the
subscription paid for “Gleanings” entitles
all, to all the information wo are able to
give oil the subject of bee culture. Were
we to build again, avc should make out a
bill for lumber as follows. Sec plan of
l lie hoc and honey bouse in April num-
ber :

.’>2 pieces for joists and studding, 2x12
inches and 11)1 (ect. long. These are to
be nailed together so as to form thirteen
frames, 101 feet square. The ends may
be simply lapped at the corners on all ex-
cept the two frames that are at the ends
of the building. These should bo let into
each other so as to have the corner studs
and outer floor joists flush with the out-
side of the building. This makes our
joists for tho floor and overhead and for
the. studding only one foot apart ; but wo
think this none too near when we consid-
er tho barrels of honey that are to be

rolled on the floor, and the necessity of
holding our packing so it will not sift
out.

Mr. Washburn remarks that 11x12 stuff
would do equally well for tho studding
and overhead, and we think ho is right ;
for when boarded tight on both sides such
a frame is very strong.

Your carpenter must manage, by somo
means to nail a floor on the under side of
of the joists as well as above to hold the
sawdust packing between the two. We
accomplished this by raising the lloor be-
fore putting in the uprights, so that a
workman could nail on the under side.
About a dozen more pieces will be need-
ed for the studding for the gable ends, and
these should be got out as long as con-
venient, for these at each side of the door
had better reach up to the roof.

The rafters, tweuty-six in number, may
be 1 1x4 and of such length as will be de-
termined by the pitch of your roof. Ours
projects one foot from the eaves, aud the
roof boards the same at the ends, so we
have a one foot cornice all round. This,
however, is more for taste than utility.

With the aid of our photograph, any
carpenter would be able to construct the
building without further directions, we
think.

We have made our roof with rather a
sharp pitch for convenience in storing the
shelves and inner doors in the loft in sum-
mer time. The floor is to be packed with
sawdust when laid, but all the rest is sim-
ply put in the loft and pushed over be-
tween the studding until full. As it set-
tles in drying, more can be pushed in every
fall before storing the bees inside, for sev-
eral years.

As with extractors, each one must de-
termine how much expense he can put in
such a house, but we should always build,
if possible, so that the house may he
painted sometime, if not when built. We
presume that a house could be built for
$00 that would winter bees perfectly ; but
in that case it would have to he rough
and plain. Ours cost about $200 com-
plete. Before you decide you cannot af-
ford a house for wintering, reflect that in
ease even as many stocks survive on
their summer stands, we shall have to
provide at least five pounds of food per
stock extra every winter.

No. 81.— Don’t make such swooping asser-
tions about foeding as you havo lately. Ke-
oicmbor you aro a “Novice, as of old.” Wit-
ness tho loss of a stock in Juno, which, if it
had boon fod, perhaps might have boon mak-
ing part of tho tons of honey yielded by tho
"Hexagonal Apiary.” It strikes mo that you
havo boon running that “old windmill” at
such a rate this spring, that tho poor bees
have often had to exclaim, “Alt I ho is only
aNovico ! for ho has not attended to us as ho
onco did, and wo shall havo to givo up.”

P. II. Gibbs, Guelph, Ont.

Thank you, friend G., for frank criti-
cisms. We are certainly still but "Nov-
ices,” but not such cruel ones as to let
any bees starve, we assure you, nor can
we look back and see that neglect was
the trouble, unless it was neglect in male-

64

“ NOVICE’S ” GLEANINGS IN EEE CULTURE.

iny nitre that each colony had prolific
queens last fall. ’I lie stock lost In June
was this way: Their queen Tailed in
April or May, and to keep them up one
from another weak colony was given them
that failed also. Hatching brood, of
course, would have saved them, but it
would have been too much like dividing
stocks under the circumstances, so we
gave them a queen cell and they held out
until not more than a dozen Italians were
left, and these few guarded their ain/i/e
stores uf sealed syrup until none were
left but' the sentinels who stood guard at
their domicile until the last. May we
not learn from them a lesson ol perse-
verance?

No. So.— Judging from present behavior, my
b6es will only take advantage of basswood to
raise more brood, begin more queen cells,
and keep me continually anxious and contin-
ually at work trying to circumvent them. Ii
between “plenty of pollen” and plenty of
brood there lie the relation of cause and effect,
it is clear enough why they thus behave— lor
all the season through (thus far) there has
been a superabundance of pollen stored. 1
I bad a comb in one frame that as to contents
was literally nothing but pollen at one time.

I wonder if they don’t make mistakes in this
direction sometimes 1 I am sure my bees
will never use all the pollen they store.

Lucy A. Wilkin. Far wen, Mich.

We hope our friend ere this meets her
eye will have had ample proof that such
a thing as too much brood is impossible,
i. e. if there he honey to gather, and we
have sometimes thought a powerful colo-
ny of Italians would almost store honey
when there was none. If a colony should
contain an unusual number of bees after
the season of surplus we should make
t hern raise queens and divide them in the
fall into two or even three stocks. We
should prefer that each stock contained
plenty of bees however. (See prepara-
tions for winter in next number.)

No. 86.— I went to Kentucky three weeks
since and brought homo 8.7 hives of bees, I am
now in a few duys going to risk shipping 100
or more hives of bees to Gallup’s neighbor-
hood for the fall pasturo. Will I loso the
whole thing? The “G leaning’s system” is my
hobby now, R. Wilkin, Cadiz, 0.

May all manner of success attend friend
W., although we have great fears that his
project may end no better than ours did
several years ago, viz: Wo carried a doz-
en stocks and set them in a buckwheat
Hold where they made the air resound with
their busy hum, but while they came near
starvation, their companions at home
had gathered nearly enough for winter.

No. sf.— I lost all of my boos last winter.
Now I know of a swarm in an old box hive
that I am going to get to-night and bring
homo. Shull I transfer them this late? 1
think it will do. but my wife tries to discour-
age me. What says Novice?

E. HUNTER. Manchester. Mich.

J uly 3d, 1873.

Transferring can he done at almost any
season, hut a hot day in July and the hive
lull of honey would be almost sure to re-
sult in a general sticky muss. Don’t do
it unless your wife agrees, and further
more agrees to help. It is almost, wo-

man’s work, and if you and she both can
save all the comb containing brood, and
get them into frames without breaking the
heavy combs of honey and having it run
all about we shall think you both quite
skillful. Save out the heaviest combs of
honey for yourself unless honey should
fail when you will be obliged to feed it
back. Please report your success.

No. 88.— Your notion of making at least ten
stands contribute to the making of ono new
ono coincides exactly with my opinion. Hon-
ey and swarms don’t go together. Ypu prac-
tice on Bonaparte’s rule— of having an over-
whelming foyer at the right time and place.

Yours, Ac., J. B. TOWN LEY,

Red Hill, Mo.

Thank you Mr. T. for the illustration.
Could we have had “an overwhelming
force” June 1st. in all our hives, we
should have had more than only one toil
of honey from fifty-six colonics; however
should there be no fall pasturage, we feel
impatient, to see if we cannot do better
through another winter. Twenty-five col
onies with extra queens and plenty ol
pollen we feel sure would have done far
better than the fifty-six.

No, 80. — Some time since 1 wrote you how
I tliouiilit handles or recesses were cut in
boards for the lingers, by the circular saw. 1
have just seen the arrangement, which is a
saw about six inches in diameter with a wab-
bling motion : this is got. by slitting a. one
inch pine wheel at. an angle and placed inside
collars. R. 11. DIXON, Canadaigua, N. Y.

Thanks, friend 1>. We have never made
any such cuts in our hives, because wo
have found them quite easy to handle by
taking hold under the lower edge, (we nev -
er carry the bottom boards with them.)
It has been said they would Sting the fin-
gers, hut such has not been our experi-
ence.

Photo, of our Apiary (8x10 size) is now
ready to mail and will be sent on receipt
of :40c. Or to any subscriber sending us
one new name besides his own. Ol course
same names cannot lie counted twice.

i _ r

ADVERT I s 13 VI E7VTS.

Advertisements will be received at lit cents

per line each insertion, cash in advance;
and wo require that every Advertiser satisfies
us of his responsibility and intention to do
all that ho agrees, and that his goods are
really worth the price asked for them.

H ONEY JAMS.— One lb. per gross, 8.7. 73 :

corks, GO cts. Two lbs. por gross, *8.75 ;
corks, 70 cents. Olher styles furnished it
desired. Addrcss^^ upoS., Oberlin, 0.

rpllE 1*KICE 1'Olt ITAI.I AN qllEESiS

J after the 1st of August, will be for
Tested Queens, '

Warranted Qucons, r-' 111

J. SHAW A SON, Chatham Center,

1. E. DANIELS, Lodi,

Mmlmn l!n (I.

V IIKY CONVENIENT Queen Cages for
shipping, introducing or hatching cells
on the “Nursery plan.” Printed directions
pasted on each cage. Price 10 cts., or 81.00
per do/,. By mail 3 cts. caeh^extra.^ & ^

■V

Or howto Realize the Most Money with the Smallest Expenditure of Capital
and Labor in the Care of Bees, Rationally Considered.

PUBLISH El) MONTHLY.

VOL.-I.

MEDINA, O., SEPT. 1, 1873.

No. 0.

STARTING AN AIM ARY.

No. !>.

^ we ttre admonished to “in times of
peace prepare for war,” so we sav
during this month prepare for winter. It
is our sincere wish that each one of our
readers carry safely through the coming
winter every colony they underlake to,
and further more we are persuaded U ran
be done if the directions we propose giv-
ing are carefully followed.

If directions given Tast month were at-
tended to in regard to having all queens
prolific ones, we are all right on one of
the great essentials. Do not undertake
to winter any colony whose queen produ-
ces but a small patch of eggs and brood,
lor she will probably be only an expense
if her colony does not fail outright in the
spring; we want none hut those that will
go through safely and surely. Of course
in ‘taking the measure" of a queen plenty
of food must be on hand.

Having made up your mind what colo-
nies are to he wintered, satisfy yourself
by careful inspection that they have good,
entire combs, anti, if yon have surplus
frames of comb, choose none but the I
best worker combs; he especially cure- |
ful that none are left in the center of the
colony built half way down, for many a
hive of hoes have starved thus in severe
weather because they were unable to get
over to the remainder of their stores; if
such combs must bo used, place them on
the outside as they would be built by nat-
ural swarms. Unless you can permit, all
the pollen to remain in the hives, gathered
during the fall, make arrangements to
give it hack to them early in the spring.
Considerable has been said about giving
them for winter, one less comb, that more
room may be allowed for the bees and
that they may thus cluster more compact-
ly. As we have had no experience in the
matter, we cannot advise, but think with
very strong colonies it could do no harm,
at all events. We have never known a
hive too full of honey to winter, for in '

our locality they always consume enough
from the central combs to have plenty of
clustering room before very cold weather.

We unhesitatingly advise all to extract
all of the honey before giving them their
winter supplies ; our reasons are briefly:
First and foremost, the great "lice mala-
dy" of late seems to he much on the in-
crease, and localities where bees had for
years died only from starvation, have sud-
denly been visited to such an extent that
almost none were left ; you may have al-
ways found your bees healthy; and yet the
coining winter may take all. A list of re-
ports seem to point out that neither honey
dew, late pasturage, nor any other partic-
ular yield is the source 01 the mischief.
Those who so confidently relied on sealed
combs of clover honey gathered in .lune,
seem to have had, many limes, (be very
worst, form of the disease. Secondly, we
are happy to add, that in a "dollars and
cents" view, sugar is enough cheaper to
abundantly pay for the exchange ; lor the
liouey remaining now in the hives is gen-
erally the very thickest and best, and with
us sells at 15c. by the quantify, and re-
tails at 20c. We presume A. collee sugar
can he purchased anywhere in I he United
States almost as low as we get it, viz;
lie. b.V the barrel, and this will make the
cost of thick syrup, fully as thick as hon-
ey, only a little less than Dc. per pound.
Allowing one fourth of this syrup to lie
consumed by the bees in eliminating the
wax to cap it over, and we have total co. t
of sealed syrup 11.1c. It the honey sell,
for 1 fie. , there still remains -fie. to pay
for labor of extracting and feeding. It
supplied wi'h plenty of feeders, we could
prepare the syrup and give twenty colo-
nies 25 pounds each and do the work easi-
ly in one day, amt $20 or over the amount
• saved in giving them syrup instead of
honey, vve think very good pay for nday's
work.

now To MAKK tub sviiri'.

Justin this way: Borrow your wife's
wash boiler, and with it her advice and
assistance; put it on the stove (the boil-
er,! pour in water, and put in sugar until
a sample of the syrup, when cold, i.-.

66

“ NOVICE’S ” GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

About like lionev. When you have made
one boiler full, pour it into your extractor
and start another. Don't let it burn, the
women know how much it should be
stirred.

We believe the syrup answers equally
well it made of cold water and sugar sim-
ply stirred up, and the syrup poured off
when the sugar has settled, but we cannot
get it as Illicit by this method, and conse-
quently it takes the bees longer to evap-
orate it to the point at which they decide
it should be to seal it up. I.ast season
we fed sunc that they kept in the cells
nearly two weeks before they would seal
it, but they wintered on it equally well,
and besides, if we wish them to take it
rapidly, it should be given them warm.
In regard to cream of tartar, we would
add about twelve teaspoonsful to every
hundred pounds of sugar simply to pre-
vent granulation of the syrup on our
utensels, etc., while handling it. If you
can get it into the combs and the bees
seal it up before it has time to erystalize,
it answers every purpose just as well, but
to do this you must have all strong colo-
nies, as in fact you should have any way.
So many have succeeded without cream
of tartar that we have no hesitation in
saying it is not essential. Even should
the syrup turn to sugar in the cells, it will
do no further harm than the fact that
they are very apt to waste it in the spring,
when it is being consumed.

HOW TO KEEl)

don't matter, so you get it all sealed up as
soon as possible. We think it will pay
you to get your tinsmith to make you
about one-fourth as many tea kettle feed-
ers as you have colonies, and you can
then probably get all through in three or
four days, and where he makes a number
at once they can be made cheaper. It is
true a tin milk pan placed on top of the
frames with a cloth laid over it does very
well, and some of our friends say they
work as rapidly, in warm weather. We
prefer the tea kettles because they hold
just about 25 pounds each, and when
once filled and placed on the hive, that
hive is done; besides, it can all be attend-
e I to without oven daubing the fingers if
you are careful. Have your extractor
mounted on a box of lint right higlit to
allow the gate to run into the feeder,
place these when filling in a shallow pan,
lint learn to fill them without running
them over; when the syrup is cool enough
to allow your hand on the feeder, place
them on the top of the frames of the hive.
Ifefore you have learned rite knack of in-
verting them quickly, you had better car-
ry along a pan, and hold them over that
until they cease dripping. Above till
thuigt don't get robbers at work: to be
sure that none of your feeders leak, try
them all with boiling water before using
them Sometimes in soldering, a crevice
is only closed with resin, and the hot syr-
up melts this out. If they will not leak a
drop when inverted full of water, there is

i

il

no danger, and after they have onee been
used they are all right. for a life time, evert
if made of the cheapest tin. Wash the
outsides if you wish but not the inside.
They will never get sour if thick syrup
be always used, and when dried on, it
prevents rust. The hive must be nearly
level, of course, and this is a feature
about the “simplicity” we like, for we al-
ways have them thus. A second story is
always used in feeding, and one such may
be used for several by turning back the
cover until feeding is done, and then
moving both feeder and upper story to
the next.

now MUCH TO FEi.l).

Many experiments seem to indicate
that ten pounds of sugar will safely carry
a colony through the winter, but it is so
easy to give them the whole amount to
take them through until May, while we
are about it, that we think such a course
best, and we arc fully satisfied that sealed
combs of food is more economical and
just as beneficial as any possible way of
“tinkering” with liquid food in March and
April. In buying the sugar, to he sure
and have ample stores, we would calcu-
late twenty pounds of suyar for each col-
ony.

Some, of course, will consume more
than others, and in April and May we
should see that supplies are equalized
with the two-fold purpose of supplying
the needy, and getting syrup all used up,
out of the way of honey.

Had not unscrupulous patent hive
venders encouraged the idea that honey
could be made by feeding bees sugar, we
should not, deem it necessary to state here
that sugar syrup will always be that, and
nothing more. Those who choose can
try, il they like, to see how much it takes
to build comb.

WHAT TO 1)0 WITH FA I, I, HONEY.

As we have never been so fortunate as
to have a yield of honey here after the.
middle ol Sept., we can only suggest a
remedy. If there is no lull in the yield
of honey during warm weather, it might
lie difficult to get them to use the syrup.
Experiment will have to be the guide.
When you get eotubs nicely filled with
syrup, endeavor to make them store in
comb given them temporarily, and these
may be taken away, or combs might be
lilted at any time, and laid aside until all
pasturage was over and then given them,
and were it not for the danger of thus
depriving them of all their stores of pol-
len, we should call this a very good way,
and in fact we have made first-rate colo-
nies by shaking the bees and queen from
after swarms that were destitute, (obtain-
ed from neighbors of the “box hive per-
suasion ’) on a few Langstroth frames of
scaled honey in December. As winter
stores are safer than honey alone, even if
only partly of syrup, we would advise
those having box hives that need feeding
to use the syrup by till means, and the
same remarks will apply to thusc having

“novice’s” gleanings in bee CULTURE.

f)7

no Extractor at command. If extra emp-
ty combs can be had, exchange all but
the brood combs and then feed ; if it can
be so managed that the bees use their
natural stores during mild weather they
may do very well.

And in conclusion we will add, that to
succeed you must feed early.

Our best results have been from those
colonies fed up in September; Oct. if the
weather is warm may answer, but colo-
nies fed even in the fore part of Nov.
have almost invariably been unhealthy.
Weak colonies most especially are slow
in sealing their stores, and these, should
be fed tirst, but a better way is to have
no weak ones, for by exchanging brood
we may equalize them to a great extent.
We have of late had success in removing
a comb of brood, bees and all, and in no
case has there been quarreling. (Be sure
you dont get the queen too, for that
would assuredly be a loss.)

IMPROVEMENTS IN BEE CULTURE.

MR. EDITOR: — In your article on
the rearing of queens, in the August
number of “Gleanings,’ 1 you give very
good directions for the improvement of
bees by selection. But allow me to tell
you that you consider the question only
on one side. For it, is not all to have
prolific breeders, you should have also
good sires. In this question, drones are
as important as queens. If we allow
nature to have her way, as to the produc-
tion of drones for the fertilization of our
queens, we will run the risk of losing as
much on one side as we gain on the other.
Indeed, if we let chance have a hand in
the matter, we will be apt to raise drones,
from the least prolific, as from the best.
Besides, if we wish to produce pure Ital-
ians, we cannot do so unless we control
the production of drones, for if there are
any hybrids or blacks in the neighborhood
they will be sure to raise a quantity of
drones.

To prevent this, let us remove all drone
comb (as far as possible) from every hive
ill the spring, replacing it with worker
comb. Then let us choose the best or
some of the best stocks and introduce
one or two drone combs in the middle
of the brood, early in the season, say in
April. These stocks will furnish drones
for our queens all the season. In July,
when the bees begin to kill their drones,
we should remove these combs containing
drone brood and introduce them into
some queenless stocks, kept queenless for
that purpose. Care should be taken that,
the drone-breeding queens be not of the
same family, or at least not too closely
connected, with the queen-breeding queens,
in order to prevent in and in breeding.

This removal of drone comb in the
spring, which seems at first very tedious
and long, is easily performed with a little

j patience. It can also be attended to with
advantage when extracting honey.

A few more remarks and I am done.

; We never kill the queens of the hives in
which we want to introduce queen cells
until the tenth day in the morning. We
introduce the queen cells in the after-
noon ; this leaves the hive hut a short
time without a queen. A beginner, how-
ever, had perhaps better remove the
queen a little earlier.

I also find fault with your way of mak-
ing a queenless stock, by putting a leaf
partly under the cover. By that way, if
you have a large number of hives, you
don’t know the date of the insertion of
the queen cell and may have to inspect
the hive several times without result, (to
the other hand, if a J’oung queen gets
lost, .von are not aware of if in time, as
you do not know when she should be lay-
ing, unless you can remember the date.
For this purpose and for all other mat-
ters pertaining to the apiary we use black-
boards on every hive. They are made of
j inch boards, J by 5 inches ; on one side
1 they are painted with patent liquid slate,
to be had in any of your large Eastern
cities. The other side is painted white,
with the number of the hive on one cor-
ner. These boards are fastened behind
the hive by a small tin holder. When the
hive is queenless we write the particulars
and date on the board and turn the black-
side out. When the queen lays we mark
the date of her beginning to lay and the
year in which she was born, and turn the
white side out. We thus know the age of
every queen, her pedigree and in fact all
the particulars about the hive, by referr-
ing to the black board. In summer we
also keep a large slate on which we write
all the work to be done in the apiary, in-
troduction of queen cells, inspection of
1 young queens, removal of hybrids or nn-
prolific queens, &c., &c. When Mrs.

1 Tapper visited our apiary, some two
years ago, she was struck with the ease
i and facility afiorded by these black-boards
and adopted them immediately. Since
you seem to make it a business of furnish-
ing cheap apiarian supplies,. could you
not manufacture these boards, with tin
holders for the benefit of your readers Y

But I notice that my “few remarks ' are
degenerating into a long article, 1 will
therefore close by declaring myself one
of your admiring friends,

C. P. DaPamt, Hamilton, 111.

August 7, 18711.

Many thanks, friend Dadant. We saw
the advantage of rearing choice drones,
also, but. feared to confuse some of our
, friends by giving too many directions at
once, and we still insist that if all queens
reared are from choice or pure mothers,

I we shall in time have far better stock
than at present. Natural queens or
queens from natural swarming are al-
ways hap hazard stock, and should not be
tolerated by any one having the least dt-
|j sire to receive the benefits of the Italian

“ NOVICE’S ” GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

08

rate. In regard to keeping a stock
queenlcss two days, we do not see as it
matters much in duly, August or Septem-
ber, but we must confess that we have
had so many cells torn down of late that
we are not satisfied that inserting cells at
once as soon as the old queen is removed
is not almost as well. (See queen rearing
on another page.) in regard to the
blackboards, we were “deep" in a similar
device when your article was received,
and it seems from the Bee Keepers' Jour-
nal that Mr. Winder, of Cincinnati, has
been working in the same direction.

Now our device came about mainiy as a
matter of necessity, for Novice has been
having a touch of partial paralysis in his
right side again, ami any kind of writing
was almost out of the question for a few
weeks. He could raise queens — or at
least thought he could — but when it came
to even keeping a record of queens or
anything else — well, he submits the follow-
ing, which is supposed to be printed on
stout weather-proof card board, such as is
used for shipping cards :

No.

Ktyiuy.

If, on our next visit, we find her again,
and she should be laying, we set. the in-
dices to read "laying — Aug. 25th," and
thus it remains until we can judge wheth-
er she is prolific, and workers three-
handed; then we move only the index to
“approved,” and thus it remains until she
is sold or fails from old ago, when we set
it “not approved.” If we remove her it
may he expedient to give the colony eith-
er eggs, brood, or cell for replacing her,
and we indicate which and date. If we
give them a virgin queen, call it “hatched,”
if killed, call it “missing,” and “blunder
away,”. for you know as well just “where
you are” at all times as did the man who
tried to yoke a pig. When “piggy” made
his escape by jumping through the win-
dow of his shop, lie conscled himself with
the ejaculation: “I > r a I. it, I’ve got his
dimensions any how. Seven by nine, ex-
actly.”

There's nothing like system ami pre-
cision, and as we always sell everything
we consider of value, we have ordered a
large number of these cards or dials
Mart'll*

Oef. Apr.

Bate heil.

Aria m > </.

>St ut.

May.

Any.

June.

Cell;.

Brood . Mt

Eyo'i.

Af. I lie centers are a Mixed a thumb
screw, with a point projecting at one side
for an index. These are made cheaply
by soldering a piece of galvanized sheet
iron, (.shaped as in the accompanying fig-
ure,) in the head of a small wood screw;
these screws should also have their heads
tinned, to prevent rusting. With four tacks
of galvanized iron, fasten the card on any
conspicuous part, of the hive. Make a hole
in p.jieli of the three centers such that the
screws will turn in and hold firm, but yet
turn easily. An explanation is hardly
needed, but, we will give one illustration
Suppose we are examining a hive, to
see if a young queen has commenced lay-
ing, and she can t be found, before leav-
ing we turn the index on “missing, and
the other two are made to indicate the
date, whatever it may be, as "Aug. 22d.’

July.

1 2

31 8

30 4

29 ft

made, and think we can sell them for
about one cent each, if we can afford
them cheaper, will say how much next
month. The screws and tacks we will
furnish ntrlil further notice for each card
for do., making the whole cost of our
Queen Index for each hive five cents.
They can probably be sent by mail at a
cost of about two cents for four com-
plete set. The cards can he mailed at
printed matter rates, and we will pay the
postage when one dozen or more are or-
dered.

We acknowledge with thanks t lie re
eoipt of many valuable articles, items and
queries, ami much regret that, want of
space forbids considering them at once.
The printers inform us that the matter we
ji have sent in would fill at least another
number. Editorial also crowded out.

Not Ana'ovt-d.

“ NOVICE’S ” GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

CO

NOVICE’S

^Icititiugs in l^cc ^nlfiuc.

A. I. ROOT & CO.,

E I) l T O K S A X I) P R () l» R I E T O.R S .

Published Monthly, at Medina, Ohio.

MVrm.s: 75c. per Annum.

Any one tending vn 5 Subtcriberscan retain 75c. for
then- trouble, and in the Name proport ion
for o larger number .

I PRINTED AT MEDINA COUNTY GAZETTE OFFICE. I

.Medina, Sept, 1 . 1373.

■TAI.1AX tUKDXS roll OX I'. OOI.-
1.AR.

®EBHAW Rims apology should be
— ■: made before submitting our plans of
queen rearing to many who have bad so
much more experience in that branch of
bee culture, yet hoping we may have
struck on some few ideas of value some-
where, we as usual fry to help whether we
do or not.

In the first place, kind reader, we found
our hives about the middle of July run-
ning over with bees, almost, and a very
poor prospect of any honey to be gather-
ed during the balance of the season. In
some of these the bees actually hung all
day on the outside of the hives and we,
Yankee like, kept reflecting whether these
bees could not .just, as well earn some-
thing, for, without a doubt, should we re-
move their hive and give them a new one
with a small piece of choice brood, they
would rear queens at once. As this would
necessitate making a new colony and the
attendant, expense of extrastores, we dis-
liked the plan, for, if we preferred winter-
ing only our present number, we should
have before us the tedious process of
uniting when through. We finally
thought of using the surplus bees to rear
queens in the upper story and have suc-
ceeded so well in getting queen cells
started thus, that we have been wonder-
ing if the loafing bees tire really not
superior for this purpose.

Due colony produced J m/i/six fine
queen cells in the upper story immediate-
ly, on having all eomtnnniealion cut oil’
from below; and we have, as a general
thing, had more and finer cells built above
than in the main brood uppaMmeut. As
our quilts did not make a ‘sure thing be-
tween the two stories, we also interposed
a thick sheet of Manilla paper, making
the entrance immediately over the main
one, on the roof of our old style I.angs-
trotli hives, and we put on an extra door
step on the upper story of the simplicity
hives. When the two colonies are again
united the scent being the same we have
nothing to do but to close the upper en-
rance and shake the bees below. As we

have quite a number of hives that have
not worked above, we have divided these
by a sheet of tin, boards being two thick
and clumsy in our opinion ; we give the
old queen all the hive except three frames.
,, these being sufficient for queen rearing,
! and in some enses we have given the
! nucleus the old entrance, obliging the
main colony to use a new entrance in the
I back end, for we wish to afford the young
queen every facility for returning without
any mistake from her excursion. As
sheets of tin are somewhat expensive we
have employed old tin ware to good ad-
vantage; for instance an old wash boiler
flattened out and cut up in pieces of the
proper size, with the wire left on the lop
edge for the quilt to rest on, answers
every purpose. Wire cloth will not an-
swer or at least not with certainty, for no
queen cells will be built so long as com-
munication can be kept up between the
two colonies. The crevices at the en-
trance and on the rabbit where the frames
rest may be closed with wool or small
rolls of woolen cloth. If we have one
choice queen to rear from, we should give
them, after they are fairly started, only
brood from this queen, ami by' cutting the
the comb in small strips this brood may-
be made to go a great ways, thus having
all queen cells started, valuable ones, and
much progress will be made on queen
cells while waiting for an inserted
cell to hatch. If the cell should be des-
troyed they, of course, are rearing good
ones in its place. Now comes an im-
portant item. Although we may insert a
dozen eelis and have them all hatch
properly, the next dozen may he nearly
nil torn down, and to prevent this we
have been using the queen cages ad-
vertised last month, which are made as
follows: In blocks two and three-fourth
inches square, cut from boards dressed
to i inch in thickness, bore holes two and
s inches across; these, we bore with an
expansion center bit made very sharp: if
the blocks split badly bore the holes first
and saw them out afterward On one
side with four tacks fasten a piece of tin-
ned wire cloth about sixteen meshes to
, the inch; on the other, make a door by
bending a square of wire cloth over a
square frame of rather stout, wire; hinge
tile door by driving staples made of com
moil brass pins over the Vice on one side
of the door. A third pin driven in the
wood at an opposite corner and bent at
right angles makes a sort ol button to
fasten the door securely.

Now then, with a populous colony, in
warm weather, we have only to put our
queen cell In this cage amt lay the whole
on top of the frames, for the heat from
the bees passes through the light wire
cloth, and when covered by the quilt it is
kept abuiidantly warm. With weaker
colonies we cut out a place in the comb,
and this comb, containing a queen cage,
can always be carried to any r hive in
which it may r be needed. As the cage

70

“novice’s” gleanings in bee culture.

contains ample room we may allow the
queen to remain i n it a few days if the
colony has queen cells not quite ready to
remove.

Again fifteen of these cages just fill a
Langstroth frame, and when fastened with
transferring clasps or some similar device
until the bees wax them fast we have a
very convenient nursery, just as good as
if it was patented. The whole could in
fact he made of one piece of wood if pre-
ferred. While bees in with the cells are
not positively necessary, we should al-
ways put in a few unless in cutting the
cell apart some of them get cut open.
And here is a point new to us at least :
In cutting apart three cells built all to-
gether we supposed the central one would
have to he destroyed, and we cut out a
white queen, without wings or even legs,
hardly; at a suggestion from P. G., the
embryo queen wns laid on a leaf in one
of the cages on top of the frames of a
hive. Imagine our surpriseand astonish-
ment at finding a few days after a full
Hedged and colored queen as occupant,
and stranger still to us was it to see her
well received by a queenless colony in
another hive, and the way she went to
diving into the cells for honey the first
thing, caused “P. G.” to christen her
“Lunatic” and of course her queen.
She is now a fine, large, yellow one.

Now it has always been to us one
of the things inexplicable why a queen
was always well received in a hive from
simply being hatched there, and it seem-
ed almost like superstition that a whole
colony of bees know whether a young
queen, when seen crawling about on the
comb, was hatched in the hive or was
placed there. Those who have made
futile efforts to introduce virgin queens
will readily understand us. And we were
still more surprised to find that our friend
Shaw introduces virgin queens by caging
them from twelve to sixteen hours, not
more. The experiment, with “Lunatic"
seemed to imply that the bees had no
grudge against an infant queen, and to
our great surprise and relief we have
been for the past week putting queens
just hatched into any hive with impunity.
We simply remove a frame from the
queenless hive and place the young queen
among the bees, she instantly begins to
search in the cells for honey, and so far
we have hardly had a bee take any notice
of them unless it was to attempt to drag
such a puny, weak thing out of the hive
when we cage her a few hours or until she
is able to walk steady. These queens
after a few hours seem perfectly at home
and as we have had only one out of near-
ly a dozen “turn up missing” we shall
think it. safer and less trouble than to in-
sert cells. A large number of cages can
be kept in one hive and thus facilitate
examinations; or indeed the whole top of
the frames of a strong colony may he
covered with cages so arranged that no
bees can pass abeve them, and we can

'then open the doors to put in cells, ex-
amine queens or remove them without
smoke, veil or anything of the kind.

The top of a Langstroth hive will con-
tain thirty of our cages, or a frame can
bo made of strips of wood divided into
apartments of the same material and the
whole bottom covered with wire cloth, so
that we can have sixty-three cages nearly
two inches square each. Of course each
one must have a separate door and to use
all the apartments we would need a very-
strong stock of bees, a two story hive re
duced to one for instance, and the whole
should be made very close and warm,
with a soft thick quilt on top. Such an
apparatus should be examined two or
three times each day ; for to succeed in
introducing the queens they should he
removed almost as soon as hatched. Put
three or four bees in with each cell taken
from (lie hive on which it was built; these
may be secured by holding the cell against
a cluster of them. When a cell must be
cut open in separating them, omit the
bees, but it. must then he examined oftener
and the young queen will soon die unless
they have a drop of honey.

Since writing the above we have actual-
ly been using a fifty-four cage nursery-
above the frames of a hive without doors
at alt, but simply a piece of rather thick
still' woolen cloth is tacked to one edge
and spread over the cages, and with a
quilt over this the cells are as warm as in
the body of the hive. We used a two
story “simplicity, 1 ’ reduced to one so that
it is crammed with bees, and we can ex-
amined the whole in one minute, for all
that is to be done is to raise the lid and
roll up the cloth and quilt. No fears
need be entertained that, the queens will
get together, for they instinctively stick
to the wire cloth on the bottom of the
cages, seeing the bees below. We need
hardly add that not having a bee in your
way to bother is a great relief, and we are
certain that just as fine queens hatch out
without any aid from bees being kept in
with the cells, nor is it necessary to make
any provision for food in the cages, as the
queens should be removed and introduced
in a few hours at most.

The time occupied is less than that
of inserting a cell, and we find it less
risk; where we have waited until the un-
queened colony had started cells, we
have had no loss, and we have usually-
succeeded, even when the old queen
was killed and the young one put in on
the same da^\ and even with the most, vin-
dictive hy brids at that. To make a nur-
sery as we have described, it is only nec-
essary to make saw cuts across an inch
hoard, two inches apart and half way
through ; now, when strips are ripped off
from this hoard just thick enough to fill
the saw cut, it will readily he seen that
they can be pushed into each other, so ns
to form cages two inches square. Cover
the under side with wire cloth, lay it on

“novice’s” gleanings in bee culture.

71

top of your hive, and pack strips of wool- I!
en around the sides to make it bee tight,
put in your cells, and it. seems to us that
any bee keeiier could rear “queens for a ,
dollar.” Those who rear the best and fin-
est ones will of course get the most or- |j
ders. There’s room for all who will aid
us. Wo will insert their card free.

Of course we may expect such attacks
on "dollar” queens ns we have had on
"dollar ’ hives, but "by our works shall
we be known." To aid in the matter we
will furnish filly-four cage nurseries for
Langstroth hive, ready to put together,
for fifty cents; this includes wire cloth,
and the whole can be sent by mail for ten
cents.

IIEL'APITUI.ATIOS.

Queen rearing may be reduced to the
following simple operations, with the im-
plements we have mentioned, supposing
your hives are all divided and each part li
has learned to protect itself from robbers, '
gather pollen, etc., etc. :

Suppose your nursery stocked with
cells, we will give the first queen hatched
to the first queenless hive, and the next
to the next, and so on. On examination
next, day, if the queen is all right, the
hive containing her may be omitted in
our daily examinations until she is a
week or ten days old. When found lay-
ing she maybe shipped to fill orders or
used as required. All queens missing in
our daily examinations should have their
hive supplied with a strip of eggs or very
small larvae from our choicest queen
mother, for if the queen is really in l!.<
hive and has only been overlooked, tlii> :
will do no harm, and if she is lost, cells of j|
value will be started and thus we will
keep our nursery supplied. We should
never or seldom lisk introducing our
young queen until we are assured they
aie queenless by their having started
queen cells.

Thus we rear cells, and when these are !
sealed cut them out and give them a I
a young queen ; after the young queen
lays we rear cells again, and so on, pre-
suming the queens will be better received
after cell rearing and that better cells will
he built after they have had a queen.
With the queen index and a fifty-four
cage nursery, the work of the apiarist is
very simple and well defined ; providing
lie is prompt, neat, careful and diligent.

I’. S. — We need hardly state that cells
should be reared only in colonies that can
do it welt , and that their own brood
should always be replaced by that from a
carefully lusted queen. With our nur-
sery all cells may be saved, no matter
how closely they are built, for il wo wait *
until the queens are fully formed they I
jipen equally well, so far as we know, il
kept warm, whether out of the cells or
sealed up.

Jn consequence of the very sudden and
unexpected death of our Artist Photo's j
J.Vive been delayed.

HONEY COLUMN.

~.f HAVE got off 1600 ths. box honey,
s=s which 1 have sold for 25 ets. per
pound. Extracted sold for 1 4c. I have
also worked another small apiary for
half of the honey (box honey), from
which I have taken 1)00 lbs. I have also
worked a 150 acre farm with the help of
one man, and to tell the truth I am near-
ly worked out. G. M. Doolittle,

Borodino, N. Y.

1 am having considerable of my honey
sold in our town at 25c. Commission 10
per cent. R. Wilkin, Cadiz, O.

I shall extract all my honey next sea-
son and hereafter, for I have no trouble in
selling all 1 can produce at 20c.

John A. Buchanan - , Winlersville, ().

We have 1200 lbs. nice basswood honey
for which we want 12Ie. per pound, and
pay for kegs. Kegs hold 150 lbs. Have
some in barrels. G. M. Dale,

Border Plains, Iowa.

1 began on a small scale, as you tell
about, and try to learn as I go along. 1
began this spring with three swarms; now
I have ten, and Id lbs. of nice box honey,
which I have sold at 10c. per lb. ; HO lbs.
extracted honey sold at doc. How is
that for a new beginner, and in the cen-
ter of the city at that?

II. A. Hoi.comu, New Bedford, Mass.

Have taken 800 lbs. honey from eight
swarms, and increased three new swarms.
I have one barrel containing 500 lbs.
which I wish to sell for 15c. per lb., bar-
rel not to be returned. S. Rowei.l,
Faribault, Minn.

Fhiend Novice: — I have three thou-
sand pounds of nice extracted honey, for
which 1 want 11c. per pound, the barrels
thrown in. I have HO swarms of bees in
good condition. They are gathering
honey very fast, and I have all that I can
do to keep up with them. I have all
Italian bees; am the only person in the
county that uses the extractor that I am
aware of; have been reasonably suctess-
ful, and don’t think of giving it up; but
can't get 500 pounds from one stand yet.

Geo. Parratt, Winimac, Ind.

E. C. Blakeslee of this place has 1000
lbs. extra white clover honey.

G. W. Dean, of River Styx, Medina Co.,
O , has about 1500 lbs., and we have
about 1000 lbs. of our own remaining.
In view of th“ scarcity of honey in this
locality, and the extra quality of the Me-
dina Co. clover honey, our prices will be
for the present 18c.

In regard to the honey market we give
prices as follows :

(For tho "(i leanings. ”J

Aug. 21st, 1875.

We have made arrangements for the
sale of large quantities of honey. Ex-
tracted honey is made a specialty. We
do not handle honey on commission, but
pay cash on delivery.

72 “ NOVICE’S ” GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

The prices for extracted honey depend
on the color and quality, and range thus:

Buckwheat honey from 10c. to 12c. pr. lb.
Mixed “ “ 10c. to 13c. “

Basswood “ “ 13c. to 15c.

White Cl’ v’r “ . “ 15c. to 18c. “

“Mixed” honey means two or more
kinds together. We do not want honey in
ijlass jars ; must be in hulk of 5, 10, 32
or 40 gallon packages ; have no objection
to candied honey.

Comb honey ranges from 20c. to 30c.
per lb. ; same price for same quality of
honey in large frames as in small boxes.

National Bek Hive Co.,

St. Charles, Kane Co., 111.

Friend Novice : — Your request for quo-
tations rcc’d, which please find enclosed.
These quotations are based on the merit a
of the several kinds of honey. You will
observe that we quote basswood honey
lower than white clover. This is proper,
as we find in practice that white clover
not only sells better, but is preferred as
an article of food. We can sell 10 lbs.
white clover to one of the other.

Sooner or later beekeepers will find it
to their interest to keep the several kinds
of honey as distinct from each other as
possible — otherwise they will have to sell
it as ‘‘mixed” honey. Yours truly,

M. M. Baldwin, Secy.

We regard the above rates as very fair :
but now comes another consideration, and
we hope no one will feel hurt unless they
are guilty, if we do speak plainly.

It is this : we bee keepers want to he
aare of our money when we send it away.
Two years ago we sold our honey to C. O.
Perrine, of Chicago, who agreed to pay
for it as soon as received in Philadelphia.
Messrs. Shane, Shaw, White, Dean and
some others sent their honey also. We
got our pay by making deductions for in-
ferior quality and leakage after about
three months; Mr. Shane also got his, but
i he last three have as yet only got renew-
ed promises, and we are well aware that
the loss of the amount (about £300 or
over) lias been keenly felt by all. We
don't know how much he yet owes, but
many similar complaints have been sent
us.

Again, Baumeister Co,, of Chicago,
this season, after receiving a sample of
honey from Mr. Shane, wrote him they
would pay him lfic. for a barrel, and that
he should send it by express C. O. D.
On its arrival they refused to pay t lie
charges, amounting in all to about $15,
and Mr. Shane had no choice but to pay
the amount himself, leaving about I3e.
per pound for his honey net, or to get it
back as best he could.

1 1 seems to us that ordering 500 lbs. of
of honey by express C. O. D. is rather a
queer proceeding. We leave our readers
to draw their own inferences.

In regard to the standing of the Na-
tional Bee Hive Co., whose card we have
^ivtij, we can only date that we don’t

find them quoted at all, and we have had
no time to make propel* inquiries before
going to press. As they sent us no refer-
ence wc hope they will excuse these re-
marks, for we would caution our readers
to in all cases find out the precise respon-
sibility of the parties to whom they are
sending their honey. No honest man
will object to such a proceeding. A large
amount of honey is now being rt tailed
in towns near where produced, put up in
glass fruit jars. I liese jars are always
wanted in every family, and quart jars,
honey and all, arc sold here for 75c. each.

(Ifoeers are usually willing to sell them
for a commission of ten per cent., and as
the whole transaction is near home, there
is no risk and no loss. Kach jar should
have a neat label, with the name of the
honey and also of the producer. These
can be procured of T. J. Walton, Salem,
O.. printed in two colors, eutand gummed,
as follows : 1000, $3 : 500, $2 ; 250, $1.50.

No less quantity than 250 printed. Sam-
ples sent on application.

In conclusion : It costs too much to
produce a ton of honey to allow irrespon-
sible parties to cheat us out of it. We
have tried having honey sold on commis-
sion in New York, but it resulted in gel-
ling about half what it was worth alter
great delay. If your crop is not too
great, we advise having it sold by grocers
in your own neighborhood.

heads or <;kai.\ riioM Dim;it

ENT HEEDS.

No. DO, — I have built si cellar, walled and
arched with rock*. Is it advisable for me to
cut my bees in there this winter »>r leave
them on their summer stands? Inclosed you
will find one dollar for which you will send
me a queen. If you can send her by mail all
right. But it that is played, you need not
send her ns there isn’t any express office neui
me. My faith is very weak on Italian bees.

1 have several hives and they are not as Rood
as my blacks. I will try a little longer and if
I don’t soon get better ones, I will stop try
ing Italians. M. II. Milstkk, Nrohna, Mo.

Such a cellar if not damp we think
would answer ex .'client I v. As to whether
bees arc better in doors or out as far
south as Missouri we are unprepared to
answer, but would suggest that our friend
try half of his hives each way and re-
port to us. As wc learn that queens are
still sent by mail by queen rearers gen-
erally, we shall continue sending them
thus, until notified to the contrary. The
difference in cost of a two cent stamp and
ordinary express rates is quite an item,
besides remoteness ol express offices
compared with post offices. Bear in
mind, however, that any writing in the
package whatever, besides the address,
subjects the writer to a penalty, and the
cages must be so put up that the I*. M.
can, without trouble, ascertain the enlire
contents. This and the two following
letters sound strange, to those well ac
quftiuted with the Italians, but they only
show how little we can judge of many
matters pertaining to bee culture from a
single or few experiments.

Or how to Realize the Most Money with the Smallest Expenditure oi' Capital
and Labor in the Care of Bees, Rationally Considered.

MONTHLY.

Von. I.

MEDINA, O, OCT. 1, 1873.

No. 10.

KTARTING AN Al'IAHY.

No. 10.

II^EEPING AN APIARY" instead
of the above heading would
probably be more appropriate for tbe next
six months ; yet we do feel confident,
kind reader, that, with proper precautions,
all stocks in good condition now, may be
preserved without deterioration until j
April, 1874.

Jn giving directions for wintering we lj
are obliged to bear in mind that our read- j
ers are, many of them, placed under cir-
cumstances widely differing, and that to I
have our remarks equally applicable,
these varying circumstances must be con-
sidered.

To illustrate: How many of our read-
ers have only one colony to pilot safely
through the winter ? But few, we trust,
yet we will briefly consider the duties ol
such. If no dysentery or bee disease lias
been known in your vicinity, and you pre-
fer to run some risk of losing them rather ]
than to remove their natural stores, or if
they are only in box hives, perhaps you
may leave them on their summer stands.

We would not undertake to protect them
from the cold in any way that would de-
prive them of the sunshine, for that is
one of the great essentials for out-door
wintering. Protect them on the north,
fast and west, by fences, walls or build-
ings, from cold winds all you can, but
don’t intercept the sunshine; if they have
no such protection, give it them now, and
let it remain the year round. Such a i

a fence can quickly be made of cheap ,
lumber, and it will be an excellent idea to
have it extend on the south side also ; but
far enough away to cast no shadow on
the hives. If you contemplate building
up an apiary, make it hexagonal all ;
around your apiary, and it may run as
close as within three feet of the row of
hives furthest north, a little more than
that on the other sides, and perhaps ton
feet from the southern row. This fence
should be at least eight feet high, and if I

you secure it from being blown down,
more would be still better. If you have
plenty of ground, a hedge of evergreens
will cost no more than a board fence, and
will continually grow better. Consult
your nearest nurseryman for particulars :
you are sure to be humbugged if you e\en
consent to talk with "tree peddlers.”

These wind breaks are wanted even if
your bees are wintered in-doors, and
should not be neglected. In regard to
ventilation, for out-door wintering noth-
ing need be changed from their n.-unl
summer condition, unless it be to nearly
close their entrance ; but as this is liable
to become stopped with ice or sleet, some
upward ventilation should be given in
such a way that it cannot become closed
with snow or ice. A quilt made on pur-
pose or any woolen blanket or clothing
spread over the frames seems to answer
best, for it prevents a strong current of
air through the hive and yet allows them
all they need; of course this covering
must he well protected from the rain.
Should the sun come out at any time very
warm and bright after snow Inis just fall-
en, it may be well to shade the entrance
with a broad board, as lias been oftliines
recommended.

Now when we consider that out-door
wintering is almost always unsafe, can we
not, with less trouble, put even one colo-
ny in the cellar? Where a dark, dry,
warm cellar is at hand we should have no
doubt in the matter.

Much has been said about double ’walk
for hives, and hives packed on all sides;
but aside from our own observation (we
have just gone over the whole file of A liter-
tain llee Journals for tbe past seven
years, as in fact we have all tbe other
bee journals published as well, but their
evidence is so meager compared with that
of the A. II. ./., we hardly consider them
worthy of mention in order to //lean
facts on this subject particularly,) tin
evidence seems to he that hives of thin
lumber placed in the sun do as well or
better than the double or packed walls.

We should bear in mind that, strong col-
onies winter well (or have in former
years) under almost all cireinnstane ps

74

“ NOVICE'S ” GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

and many times when some new arrange- |
incut has been tried, the credit has been
given that , whereas it simply did not hin-
der them from wintering well. Many
cases are mentioned of bees wintering
lirirly in hives without bottom boards or
with great cracks in, and, in some cases,
almost without hives; yet no one advo- j;
cates such a plan. To sum up, wc should 1
say the arrangement for out-door winter-
ing that gave them most sunshine, with .
the fullest protection from the wind and
rain, would .succeed best.

A single colony cannot generate the j
amount of heat that forty or fifty would,
and we think it very doubttul about their j
being benefited, even bad they a cover-
ing one foot in thickness on all sides.
Would not a single pail ot water freeze
under such circumstances? ^ ct il it
were buried in the ground, below where
trust would reach, it assuredly would not,
and so we would put our one colony in a
trust proof cellar, or leave them lull in
the Min. It is well known that they will
bear a very low temperature for a short
time — a few days or a week — it they can
only bo warmed up occasionally, to ena-
ble them to lix up for another cold snap.

1 1 you live in a region where the cold may
continue ten days or more below a zero
temperature, we advise a cellar or frost-
proof bee house, by all means.

To those who have five colonies or about
that number, wc should advise as above,
only that it would probably pay to have a
small part of your cellar enclosed, so as
to be perfectly dark. Objections have
been made to fastening the bees in with
wire cloth, yet, when housed, many suc-
ceed in so doing without irritating the bees
at all, and if has the advantage of pre-
serving the floor free from dead bees at
nil limes: also, if the temperature should
rise- to 50° or more, many get out and fail
lo find their way back; besides, in carry-
ing the bees into their winter quarters
and back again, a bump carelessly given
would not result in the loss ot bees.
More experiments arc needed on this
point, and we hope to be able to give the
result of some in our next.

AVc have just seen an apiary of forty
slocks or more that were so confined, and
Kept in a cellar that was but slightly dark-
ened ;• yet no bees objected to the confine-
ment, and very few were found dead on
the bottom boards: no colonies were lost
ai all. They were fed on sugar syrup, oj
ruiirsr.

A - soon as you have a do'/.en colonies,
v, <• would advise a boo house such as we
have described. A good collar may an-
swer, it is true, hut a house made especial-
Iv is much more convenient. We really
hope our friends will have all feeding fin-
i -■ lied up soon after they receive this, for
we wish to advise in regard to placing the
different hinds of hives in-doors in our
next.

Sept. 27th. Bees are working quietly on
u half barrel of sugar. Cidor-inill deserted.

OVKEN IIEAR1XU.

sQ? to press a number of cool nights
nights rendered our fifty-four cage queen
nursery inefficient to keep up a brooding
temperature, and many queen cells were
lost, hut its great convenience during
warm weather made us loth to give it up.
While studying on the matter wc observed
that the copper reservoir of water on our
Stewart stove, kept warm even after an
interval of many hours, without lire, and
that a body of water changes temperature
quite slowly. To be brief, in less than
half a day, Novice, with some assistance
from his friends the tin-smiths, made a
simplicity hive, all of tin, with double
walls and having a fixed bottom double
also; the space between the two contain-
ing about eight gallons of water. The
stove used last spring was again set up in
the bee house, the top removed and our
hatching nursery placed on it, making the
joint close with strips of woolen cloth be-
tween the tin and iron. A shallow tin
lamp made to hold about a gallon, and
supplied with a common burner and
chimney, was placed on the bottom ol the
stove, and so arranged that it could be
replenished with oil by simply opening
the stove door.

After about twelve hours, our thermom-
eter inside showing a temperature ol
about 1 00, the lamp was turned down con-
siderably, for hives rearing queen cells
showed on an average only from 86° to
1)0°. Well, with some solicitude we re-
moved several frames, containing cells to
our miniature conservatory, and were re-
warded by seeing very soon large yellow
queens uncap their cells and walk lortli
with all the strength and vigor of those
reared in June and July.

As we dislike to out combs and brood,
as we must do to give each cell a separ-
ate cage, we propose leaving them all as
built in Ishc hive and trust to our skill lo
"keep peace in the family” by visits four
or five times a day. Now please try and
imagine our exultation, kind reader,
when wc discovered that the queens could
be plainly heard gnawing out of their
cells, and that by holding the comb to tin-
ear the precise cell could be selected and
tbe queen liberated, and safely caged an
til wc nre ready to introduce them. The
apparatus works most beautifully, for the
temperature can lie kept to a degree, il
necessary, by turning the screw to the
]am]i, and lifter the cells are sealed we
think them safer thus than in their own
hive even. From one strip of comb con-
taining thirteen cells we hatched out
twelve fine queens, and at one time wc
hatched eight in one day. In fact, wc
have supplied each one of our queen
rearing colonies with fine yellow queens
in so short a time since starting the ap-
paratus that we begin to wonder what we
shall do with our rapidly increasing fam-
ily of infantile aspirants to royalty.

“noviceV gleanings in bee culture. 75

Since the cool weather they arc very :
tardy indeed in beginning to lay, but ;
should they not become fertilized this fall, '
we cun,, at least, give the matter of hatch-
ing queens by artificial heat a good test
and be ready to commence early next
season.

The combs are covered with a quilt, of
course, to prevent too much escape of the
heat, and it is essential that a stove be
used with a pipe to cary off the products
of combustion, for even a lamp burning
continually would render the air impure.

The expense of oil is from one to two
cents per day and our bee house is kept
comfortably warm by it even during
frosty nights. We have no doubt but that
the apparatus could be used for hatching
eggs and may be brooding the chicks
afterward, also for a miniature conserva-
tory for plants, if a glass case lie put over
it ; but we leave the subject for others ns
our province is only bee culture. In ease
of a weak colony suffering from dysen-
tery, they could be quickly warmed up
and fed wholesome food and then, combs,
bees and all returned to their own hives.
The expense of the whole need not ex-
ceed four dollars, for any tall stove will
answer; but we presume the expense of j
oil necessary to give the required temper-
ature, would depend very much on the
room in which the whole is located ; our
lice house retaining heat a long time
when once warmed up. We have no
trouble at all, as yet, in introducing
queens just hatched, and as a proof that
the bees do not recognize such as queens,
we will mention that on giving brood to a
colony when the queen (given them the
day before) was called missing, they
started cells and produced two large fine
ones. On cutting these out on the tenth
day to give them another queen just hatch-
ed, a live queen, appearing at least a week
old, was found endeavoring to destroy
them, but was prevented by the bees. We
explain this by supposing they had not
noticed her being in the hive until the
cells were sealed and then they prevented
her destroying them. These two cells
produced two fine queens which were
found crawling about in our conservatory
next morning.

Should any one ridicule rearing queens
by artificial heat, bid them ask experi-
enced Florist or Market (hardeners if plants
thus reared are notequal to those produc-
ed in the open air.

We should add that Mr. F. It. Shaw
first gave us the idea of using a lamp but
lie used warm air instead of water.

Mu. 15. C. Bi.akesi.ee and Willis A.
Phelps, of this place, add their names to
t he list given last month of those offering
queeus for #1. With the aid of the im-
provement mentioned in this No., we
hope to be able to furnish them at the
same rates during the whole of next sea-
son. j|

OUR 1'AI.I, mi.EHJIA.

(gflNGI? ’tis the fashion, we too have

eSc been moving our bees “where thy
flowers bloom,’’ and Novice was dispatch-
ed yesterday with forty colonies and takes
sixteen more to-day (Sept. 20) to a swamp
twelve miles distant, where hundreds of
acres of yellow “posies” are “wasting
their sweets on the desert” or rnlho.r
swampy “air.”

Thirty-one colonies of two story Lungs-
troth hives, with nuclei in the upper
stories, were carried safely on a hay rack
placed on a common lumber wagon.
Strips were sawed just right to slip be-
tween the frames at each end and wire
cloth was then nailed over the portico.
As the covers to the upper stories would
not fit over the lower ones, we were
obliged to cary the whole bulky apparatus
even if the upper story was empty.
Never before did the Simplicity hives
show their advantage more plainly;
for they only required wire cloth over
the bottom and they were ready, no mat-
ter how strong the colony, and as they
could be packed close up, almost as many
stocks could bo carried in a light spring
wagon as on the aforesaid hay rack. The
advantage of handling a light, plain,
smooth box compared with the others
(and yet their inside capacity is precisely
the same) has decided us to offer our
whole lot of two story. Langstroth hives,
minus frames, for fifty cents each, if they
don't sell for that, we propose breaking
them up in the spring.

The first thing to-day will be to hang a
colony on the spring scales, and we will
report progress before going to press.
There has been a reason besides the.
aforesaid (lowers, for this sudden migra-
tion, and that is a neighboring cider mill.
We were invited to call and see the “cider
works” a few days ago and beheld per-
haps more Italians in a body than we
ever did before. They covered the
pomace, had ranged themselves along the
channels where the cider coursed, or
generally coursed, and seemed all ready
for the moment when the screws wen-
turned ; and indeed so well had they fol-
lowed the business that almost cver\
drop was sucked up as fast as expressed,
and “nary” left for the “cider man. Wi-
told our neighbor, who seemed very fair
and friendly when he found that we were
so disposed, that we would take the bees
out of his way at once ; and as some of
our subscribers tell us that, the “swamp”
never fails to furnish fall honey, cannot
we “kill two birds, etc.,” by moving our
bees every fall- Had our neighbor not
hesitated to tell us the true state of af-
fairs sooner, wo should have bad them
removed a month ago. Of course even
drop ot cider and swamp honey will be
removed by the middle of October, and
we shall have to (rust to “tea-kettles” and
“Novices skill,” to put our colonies all
in winter trim so much later than we
have recommended.

76

“ NOVICE’S " GLEANINQS IN BEE CULTURE.

gleanings in §|ult«rc.

A. I. ROOT Si CO.,

EDITORS AND PBOPRIETORS.

Published Monthly, at Medina, Ohio.

Terms: 75c. per .A.zinaixn.

Any one sending us 5 Subscribers con retain ' 75c. for
their trouble % and in the Home proportion
for a larger number.

(PRINTED AT MEDINA JMUNTY GAZETTE OFFICE.]

Medina, Oct, 1, 1873.

Ox page 55 July No. it seems a line was
omitted in Mr. Pratt's article. After the
words “old hive," read “and allow "them
to enter the new one,” which, etc.

“My little girl sends love and a hiss to
the ‘blue-eyed baby,’ ” writes a subscriber;
and we return the compliment hoping the
“baby” may live to know all her friends,
through "Gleanings,” at least, if not in
person .

“Mrs. N.” and “P. G.” earnestly re-
quest our friends nol to use magnifying
glasses in viewing the photo, for the ar-
tist assured them that no one could see
their eyes even if the blazing western sun
did almost put them out. It was neces-
sary to have all objects illuminated by the
sun direct, for a well defined picture.

Wi: have quite a number of complaints
that a few who advertise queens largely
have received money for them and will
not even answer letters of inquiry in re-
gard to it. \Ve have written to these per-
sons direct, and if they give us no explan-
ation we shall give them the benefit of a
free advertisement of their mode of doing
business. We propose sifting out the
unreliable names.

Perhaps we should remark, in regard
to our discovery in introducing queens
just hatched, that Mr. Langstroth almost
suggested the same thing at the Cincin-
nati convention, and that ('. C. Miller, of
Marengo, 111., also said, in the American
Bee Journal, some time ago, that it could
be done with a colony constructing queen
cells; however, strange as it may seem,
we have found, as yet, no colony hostile
to a queen just hatched, although a few
have been missing the next day,

Last month we made the offer of wire
cloth for extractors by mail for 25c., but
further experiment showed that the light,
close mesh was unsuitable for very thick
honey’, and none could be found in the
market just as it should be. As the coarse
wire is heavier and costs more because
made especially to order, we shall have to
charge 15c. per square foot for it. The
untinned, such as we have been using, we
can furnish for 8c. per square foot. If
sent by mail, postage will be fie. addition-
al. We can furnish also very nice tinned
wire cloth for queen cages, sixteen mesh-
es to the inch, for 15c. per square foot ;
postage, tc. per square foot.

We hope our friends will accept our
thanks for circulars sent us pertaining to
bee Culture. While most of them seem
to have been sent out with a wish of doing
a fair and honest business, we find it is
hard to get over the old idea of “selling
rights."

llusg Bee is sont fora three cent stamp,
and, even if it does run a patent hive,
contains considerable that is valuable and
but few errors. We clip the following :

ARTIFICIAL HONEY OR BEE FOOD.
“During the winter of 1871-72 our bees
wore lacking supplies, and being anxious
to obtain a cheap and reliable food 1
communicated my knowledge and obser-
vations on artificial bee food to an emi-
nent chemist of New York, and employed
his services to aid in compounding a food
answering the same purpose as honey.
After conducting a number of expensive
experiments we succeeded in discovering
a correct method for compounding an
artificial honey equal in every respects to
the natural article, and at one-third to
one-half the cost of honey’. To obtain
this recipe has Cost me nearly $500. 00,
besides my time and experiments, but it.
is the sublime mode of making honey in
every respect as good as that made by
the bees, and if the simple directions are
followed in mixing it will appear like
amber, clear and fresh, free from wax and
unfomenting. It will also keep in any
climate. If bees are fed upon this Am-
brosial Honey they can be wintered with-
out any of the risks or other disadvanta-
ges consequent upon depending on the
natural method alone for the needful sup-
ply. The Ambrosial Honey can be made
by any one with ordinary kitchen utensils,
and with very little labor.”

"To enable bee keepers to satisfactorily’
compound this cheap and beautiful arti-
cle of food we have the recipe printed
with full directions to manufacture and
use, so each one with very’ little outlay
can have the benefit of our labor and es-
j pensive experiments. The recipe to

NOVICE’S

77

“ NOVICE'S " GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE

manufacture for individual use or apiary
will be sent securely sealed by mail, post
paid Cor $2.00.”

“The recipe is coprighted and 'secured
according to law. Parties receiving it
are therefore cautioned not to self the
same or in any way make it known to
others. It is warranted as represented or
the money will be refunded.”

Now if we haven’t a. fondness for good
things, we don't know who has, and this
“ambrosial” — Well, we have sent a two
dollar greenback, and really we can hard-
ly wait until the mails shall bring us the
“wonderful” paper, If it wasn’t for the
taw and copyright we would give the
whole to our readers in place of a $2 00
chromo, etc. On second thought we will
give the whole thing in our next number
to all our subscribers and take the conse-
quences ; and, furthermore, send us all
the valuable receipts you can and we’ll
send the money to Mr. H. Herman Flick,
Lavansville, Pa., or to anyone else ; for
“Gleanings” must contain all that is of j
value about bees or honey, no matter J
what it costs, nor how many suits at law.

' * ' -

HEADS OF (JBAIS FROM DIFFEK-
EST FIELDS.

til.— 1 never had but one Italian queen (or
purported to be), and kept her three years.
She was uncommonly prolific, but I never re-
alized but one threo pound box from the colo-
ny. .They raised a queen last fall to supply
her placo, and although there nro quantities
of bees thore is no honey but a little extract-
ed, while I have throe black colonies that will
average over a hundred apieco (only six colo-
nies in all, one new one) mostly box honey,
they are all running over with beos, some
two stories, with boxes piled round sides and
(op. 1 never have any trouble in getting it
put in boxes if any is to be gathered. Side
boxes are a humbug. No honey, in my expe-
rience, will ever bo stored in them, unless a
comb of brood is next the boxes, and then you
will have brood in the boxes, especially if
(here is drone comb in them. It is aluiostab-
solutcly necessary to stick pieces of comb in
boxes in any position. The most of it is
stored in small boxes, about three pounds box
and all, and brings gross weight, white clo-
ver, golden rod, Ac., in new comb, right
through, doc. wholesale. Evon in a long hive,
with empty frames on sides or ends, with a
powerful colony they will store it on top in
preference. One hive with fifteen frames of
brood and six empty ones on eaoh end put
over fifty pounds on top of tile brood frames,
and the ends are not moro Uian half full, I
have no doubt but what ITould get larger
quantities by extracting, but only take what
is absolutely necessary, as last year 1 sold the
most I extracted for 10c. Tho quality this
• v ear is the finest I evor knew, and I retail it
atzno, 200 lbs. would glut the market at any
price, while comb honey can bo sold by the
•on. E. C. Nnwel.l,, Brooksfiold, N. II.

We believe we never saw a strong colo-
ny ot Italians that iliil not store honey
when olliers did, but we have reserved
vome very prolific nearly black queens
ontil this season that, did just that, i. e.,
clustered all over the hive in idleness
while the Italians filled their combs, or at
■least slowly added to their stores. These i

black stocks required feeding to prevent
starvation, and so we pinched the heads
of two very prolific queens. There is so
much diversity of opinion in regard to
“side storing’ that we opine that the
progeny of some queens incline to work
out sideways more than others. (See
“Can Our Bees be Improved?” in May
No.)

Wa think our friend, with many others,
will find that ta fine qualtity of extract-
ed honey begins to sell almost as readily
as comb honey, and prices begin to come
up very close.

92.— I lost last winter 21 out of 3G stands of
beos on account of extremely cold weather :
temperature was for two weeks from 30 to to
degrees below zero. I winter on summer
stand. Have increased my stock from S to la
by natural swarming. Have tried your plan
of double story for extractor on one hive ;
gave empty comb from hives I lost; extract-
ed 23th of June 30 lbs. nioe honey from upper
story with Gray and Winder’s extractor. I
have not disturbed the lower part of the hive.
From my other seven hives I have taken four
boxes of box honey, about 45 lbs. in all, throe
hives not yielding anything. If pasture
should bo bettor in September, I may receive
four boxes yet, which are partly filled now
(about 40 tbs.) Next year, if wo are spared,
I shall try the extractor, provided pasturage
is favorable. My bees are all natives. Have
tried to Italianize them, but lost them iu
winter. C- A. IIigold, Arcadia. 111.

If our friend would get the full benefit
of the extractor, he should “go below,”
too, and when begets the Italians, he, and
not the bees, should manage the swarm-
ing.

No. 93,— My bees havo done very well. I
have taken about 900 lbs. from my 25 stands.
During the last of June my scale hive
showed a gain of from 4 to 6 pounds daily ;
this month has so far been rainy, cloudy ami
cool, the gain has only been about 1 lb. daily.
Mrs. Tuppers notion that it injures the brood
to extract the honey from the brood combs is
an unmitigated humbug. I havo extracted
the honey from brood combs every season for
five years and never injured any brood un-
loss I turned too fast and threw it out.
This year I am extracting the honey from ail
frames more closely than ever as I find it for
the mutual advantage of both beos and my
pocket. W. J. Ronald, Fairview, Iowa.

No. 91.— I havo made another hive, tho mate
to yours only not so rough. I’ll say no moro
now. Stephen Young, Mechanicaville, Iowa.

Thank you, Mr. V., we hope you and
all others will say just what they think of
our wares. We have no doubt many of
our readers can do better work Ilian we
did, but we gave you the idea which was
our greatest object. “P. G.” scolded so
much about the “knotty hives” that we
finally did purchase better lumber.

No. 95.— Doar Novice;— I told you some
time ago that I could not uso a thin knife,
but, I havo found since that I did not know
how to use it, as I can now uncap very nice-
ly and without hot water.

Ohas. E. Widener, Cumbeland, Maryland.

We are quite glad to hear that others,
as well as “P. G.,” are learning what
skill can be acquired with a thin knife.
If made very thin and used on nothing
but wax they can be kept very sharp, as
they should be. It seems to us that, hot
water or any machinery would be much
more trouble and after all not as rapid,

“novice’s” gleanings in bee culture.

78

NO. {Ml. — My bees are gathering honey by
Die barrel. Yours, truly,

N. K. 1’arxTK'K, Oastnlia, 0.

jii.y 1st, 1ST;;.

Right glad to hear it, hope they'll keep
doing so.

Xo. 97.— Your extractor I believe to be a
Rood thing, but having never seen one of any
kind, 1 know nothing of the principles upon
which they work. I must confess that I am
more dumbfounded with its description than
I am with the hive. Couldn't you get up a
xnwplo.of it also, that you could send by
mail and charge enough to pay you? Very
respectfully, Wst. C. Gaunt.

98. Can your gearing be attached to the
Peabody extractor without much cost? I
have one of them. In feeding bees in your
"simplicity” hive, will it do to pour sugar
syrup ou top of the frames? If not, what is
the best mode? Cttis. D. Elms,

lidentown, N. C.

Wo regret to say that wc know of no
way in which the Peabody extractor can
be made better, if gearing could he at-
tached, the momentum of so much metal
beside* the honey would make matters but
little better.

We have now on hand a half dozen
Peabody machines that have never been
used which we will sell for $8 each ; regu-
lar price, $15. They will do excellent
work, and very likely will never wear out,
hut the one who uses them we fear would.

99.— Most porticular P. S.— Fearing that
my long sheet’s contents would get some-
what crossways in your pile of unreadable
letters, 1 have concluded to give you the gist
—"nothing but the gist.” 1. Howto make
bees build worker comb only, and when to
feed bees syrup— here — for winter. 2. Price
of empty worker comb. 8. Could your scales
be gotten up cheaper than $o, and is more
Ilian one pair needed in an apiary ? llow do
you rig a hive to at any time weigh witli the
scales?

T. J. Kennedy, Custulian Springs, Tenn.

Illess your heart, friend K., we have
never yet had a letter on the subject of
bee culture that was unread, though some
of them required even 1’. (i.’s utmost ef-
forts (she lias been a “school inarm'' four-
teen terms), and we think they have all
repaid I he time spent.

1st. Wc don’t know. This past sea-
son we were so well pleased to see them
build comb at all, that we were not over-
particular. We keep drone comb out < f
the way of the queen, and find it just as
good for the extractor. A colony with a
young queen is not as apt to build drone
comb, and by reducing the worker force
wc think it, can almost always be managed.
Few things are jjositively certain with
bees.

2d. Novice suggests that our best
worker combs are worth a dollar apiece to
us, but P. (I. says we don’t want to sell
’em at any price. Won’t some of our
subscribers offer them cheaper, /. e., in
metal cornered Langstrnth frames?

:id. We should consider’ but one pair
of scales necessary in an apiary, and we
keep ;i one-story hive permanently hung
mi them. It is held by a wire running un-
der it, and is kept from swinging by the
wind too much, by two more wires attach-
ed to front and hack carried horizontally
to stake : leaving it to rise and fall by

>1

II

each ounce of increase or diminution.

Again, $5 is too much for an imple-
ment like that for bee culture. But that
isn’t the worst of it. Our stock is sold
out, and dealers and manufacturers now
say they cannot furnish any more at less
than $65 per dozen ; that ours was stock
remaining on hand, etc. Novice threat-
ens to study up something for about a dol-
lar that will tell when a hive is gaining or
losing at a glance, but even then it’s very
convenient to have scales that will weigh
accurately' when we are feeding for win-
ter, etc., and as they must be weather-
proof, perhaps they can t be made any
cheaper. It is just fun for its to know
every ounce of success or the contrary.
To. illustrate : our bees have been going,
northward of late as soon as daylight and
almost sooner, and on returning they were
covered with yellow dust. By the time
the scales had shown a few ounces in-
crease, Novice investigated, and found a
ten acre cornfield that it seems had beeu
planted with pumpkins, and corn put in
occasionally. The time was sunrise, or
shortly after, and he claims the hum of
industry that arose from a sea of yellow
blossoms (rivaling anything in Vick’s col-
lection in size if not in splendor) was
enough to — to — well enough to make any
spring balance feel the effects of it. In a
few days the grasshoppers, too, discovered
the nectar, and they seem now to be dis-
puting with the Italians as to who shall
get up earliest.

X' o. 100.— I have kept bees in Iowa for live
years, and I tliink it is one of the best States
in the Union for bees. But our best honey
harvest is from the middle of July till last of
September. 1 kept black bees for2 years and
diil not get a pound of surplus, and tile sum-
mer I gave them Italian iiueens I got over SOI)
pounds from 5 stocks, t use the Langstrolb
hive exclusively.

Ai.ritED McMaixs, Chariton, Iowa.

No. 101.— My extractor Oust finished) works
"like a charm ;” the only trouble is the
strips of lin came very near cutting the first
pair of oombs into four inch strips; however,

I soon learned to turn slower and did not
cut them so badly, but think the wire cloth
will be much better. My extractor is a home
made one, but 1 think it is on the right, prin-
ciple : stationary can, revolving frame.
Any man that gets mo to raise box honey for
him after this, will have to pay me at least
three times the price of extracted honey for

it. John Atkinson* Nelson, Bo.

Nothing gives us more pleasure than In
hear from those who are succeeding with
home made implements. There is a
species of independence in being able,
when needful, t#make materials at hand
answer onr purposes that we always ad-
mire.

No. 102.— I will enclose you a letter from
the young man whs took my bees to Iowa.
If my bees do any thing like what they re-
port there, 1 will he happily disappointed,
i had counted on exonerations; having ex-
tracted nearly all tile bunoy and reduced the
hives in bees as much as if they had swarmed,
it was as much us I expected that they would
Imild up lo proper condition for winter, as 1
know they would have accumulated nothing
here. It. Wii.kin, Cadiz. O.

We rejoice at the prospect of Mr. W s.
.success in his project, and enclose ex-
tracts from the letter referred to :

“ NOVICE’S ” GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

79

Hurrah for Basswood Ten and fifteen
pounds stored in 2% days. Gallup says the
first crop at least is mainly a failure. Mr.
Bindley hero says if 1 had got hero one week
sooner they would have stored several times
as much. Hundreds of Linn troes perfectly
covered with bloom. The honey nice and
thick* If they store at this rate I will soon
have to extract. Went to see Gallup, lie’s
a very pleasant, sensoible man, with lively
flow of good humor. Not a single colony
died on the way here. Generally in good
condition I think. Just 165 hives, (yours)
counted twice, llad an awful hard fight to
keep tho beos from smothering on the way.
l!se<l good many barrels of water on them.
You know how they squeal when smothering.
Water only saved them. W. IUnitiSOK,

“Beekeepers’ Paradise” (Osage, Iowa.)
No. 103.— Tho days have been sunny with
cold, frosty winds, so that every bee that was
enticed by the sun to leave tho hive, was cut
down by tho frost. What would you do in
such circumstances? To return tho bees to
their winter quarters would be considerable
work. The “Gleanings” informs us that the
entrance to all your hives arc toward the
east or west. 1 am very curious to know
why. Is it. to keep the bees within doors on
unfavorable days? Another question which
I wished to put, not to a Novirr, but to one of
Novice’s experience in bee keeping : During
the winter months, aro the frames of hives to
he left as close to one another as in summer?

1 am under tho impression— though I never
acted upon it— that if the bees had more
space in the center of the hive to form a
cluster, they would winter better. Combs
partly full of honey ami bee-bread passing
through tho cluster must, I should think,
operate against them. What say you on this?

I f I could get all mu hives from winter quar-
ters, and through tho spring season, in as
good condition as 1 find some of tin m % I could
astonish tho world. And I cannot see why
one colony docs not succeed as well ns the
other, whon, as far as I can see, all things
arc alike. J know some bees consume more
food in winter than others do. This perhaps
may affect them, as too much food affects the
glutton. One winter I had a good colony that
wintered well and required no feeding in
spring with 15 lbs. of food : another of equal
strengh, and next to it in winter quarters, al-
most, perished for want of food before 1 got
thorn to their summer stand, though they had
double the quantity of food the others had
when put into tho cellar. So I feel that 1
ha ve much to learn yet about bees.

J. Anderson, Ontario, Canada, Apr. It).

We have experienced the same trouble
our lriond mentions, and know of no
remedy except to build a high, tight fence
on the north and west sides of the apiary,
and in fact on all sides if it be so arrang-
ed as not to obstruct the sun. Such a
fence makes a different climate, almost,
and bees regain their hives where the
wind would otherwise destroy them. A
belt of evergreens when grown would he
excellent. Our trellises run east and
west, that the vines may shade the hives
in summer, and our hives obstruct the
paths less and leave the best place for
working on the north, side when placed
east and west, for no other reason. As
we like the sun to strike them in the
morning we have them all east. \\ ill
some one who knows answer in regard to
more room between the combs lor winter.
We, too, “could astonish the world if we
could make all colonies equal our best :
and wo are laboring with “Gleanings' for
just that result, or that some of our sub-
scribers who have got the energy may do
so, when we unitedly work and study out
the wav.

104. — X have succeeded in getting ton good
queens from tho hatching of eggs 1 got from
you July 2d. 1 am much pleased with them.

1 term them my live-cent queens. Who cun
boat that for cheap queens? S. II. Miller,

Ashland, 0.

We are very glad, indeed, to hear of the
above success with the eggs, simply be-
cause it shows that 'twas not all an error.
However, so many failures were reported
that we think queens for a dollar mu'ch
the surest plan for Italianizing.

No, 105. — 1 have received over 100 lbs. comb
honey from one colony, llonoy was made in
frames ; Langstroth hive. Wintered in cel-
lar— taken out in March, and fed sugar syrup
all they would take, perhaps two pounds per
week, until May 7th, when they sent out a
large swarm, notwithstanding no blossoms
were out at the time. Swarm was returned.
Bee* were hybrid. One comb weighed 21 lbs.
Colony was built up in the fall with sugar
syrup and was wintered entirely on sugar
syrup. Cjias. lloor, Sheffield, 0:

The above somewhat shakes us in our
belief that plenty of food sealed up in
the combs gives us all t he advantage of
feeding liquid food daily or two or three
times a week. Jn this case, also, the large
y ield of comb honey was at a time when
other colonies in same locality gave no
surplus at all, for they were at that time
getting built up into condition to stoic
surplus. With fifty colonies or more
feeding twice a week even, is a task, and
is M'ldom attended to promptly. Novice,
suggests that with “car apiary” (see prob-
lem 17) an arrangement could be made to
feed the w hole at “one dose. ”

ITEMS.

/'.[‘JIMS number closes the volume for
those who only subscribed to “Glean-
ings ! as a quarterly, and we have mailed
all such, six numbers instead of the four
promised, and presume all are satisfied
that they have received their 25 cents’
worth, unless, forsooth, there be those
who would have been better pleased with
a lesser number than a greater; for we
do know, kind reader, that, in this age of
periodicals," such things arc sometimes a
nuisance.

Now, in view of this, (for we should be
very sorry indeed to send anyone “Glean-
ings” who did not value it.) *wc propose,
for the year 1871, to have no non-paying
subscribers, and to send it to none, not
even the President or Queen Victor i a }
should they happen to be bee-keepers un-
less they manifested their wish to receive
it by the usual remittance of 75 cts.

Of course we will with, pleasure send
sample numbers when requested, hut in-
asmuch as we like full liberty to purchase
what we choose without urging, we wish
our friends to fully enjoy the same free-
dom. If we succeed in making our little
sheet of such importance that our friends
iiud it. a good investment, we will wel-
come subscribers and do our best, to serve

80

“ NOVICE’S ” GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

(hem ; but' we wish it (o make its way en-
tirely by its own merits. We expect to
be able to furnish back numbers to all
who may need them, at all times. Shall
be pleased to exchange with all other bee
journals, and will cheerfully pay thediffer-
encc in price.

We see by the Bee Keepers Directory
just out (first number) that its editor, >!.

C. Mitchell, proposes to “sail along the
shore in shallow water.” lie also adver-
tises "dollar bee hives;" but he don’t sell
them for a dollar — he only sells us a right
for ten dollars, and then we can make
them with frames and all painted for a
dollar or less. His mode of “making
comb” is now sold away down to five dol-
lars, and we are going to send him the five
dollars to get it for “Gleanings,” i, e., when
we get tho “ambrosial honey,” if it is
good. Mr. M. also “teaches school” a
good deal cheaper. His hits in the Di-
• rectory on ventilation are certainly not
very far wrong, and if he didn’t always
keep wanting to sell receipts and “rights”
for ten dollars or more, we should really
like some parts of his quarterly. Cincin- 1
nali : 2oc. per year.

Wc are happy to add that we have found
the screw mentioned in our last, for the
queen-rearing cards are entirely unneccs- j
sary. Common brass pins driven through
the card into the hive half their length j
and then bent at right angles answer every
purpose, as the head of the pin plainly
designates the date or condition of things.
The pins cost almost nothing, and do not
rust by exposure ; and so the expense of !
the device is only one cent per hive; the
convenience of it can only be appreciated
by use.

ritonLEMs.

M O. 17,— Granted that fifty colonies
are as many as are profitable in one
locality generally, and that more honey
could be secured by giving them a locality j
iu autumn different from their summer i:
cue. Could not a wagon or car be con- ji
slructed, perhaps something on the plan '
of a photographer’s car, that would give
the whole fifty the requisite room and
space between each hive, and have a per-
manent place thereon, a light room to be
arranged for extracting in the center, and
the hives arranged around the outside ?

I he winter repository to be arranged so
that the whole can be run in and housed
in a minute or more, uud as quickly
brought out to have a fly during a warm
day in winter. A simple mechanism
could be arranged to close all entrances I
with wire cloth at once, and also to open
them as quickly.

When pasturage’ is scarce, single hives
hung on spring balances could be located
at desirable points for ten or fifteen miles
around, and when one of these showed
that honey was coming rapidly, our trav-

eling apiary could, in a few hours, take
advantage of the yield. Many other ad-
vantages present themselves, such as
quickly housing our bees during severe
frosts in March or even April, likewise
some disadvantages. As several have
this season reaped rich rewards for mov-
ing bees where they could have fall pas-
turage, wc think the matter an import-
ant one. Nunn Bros, report 1500 lbs. in
about one week by moving their bees only
a few counties west. Further reports
next month.

HONEY COLUMN.

^rSKt^E have sold all our honey but
™ one barrel for 18c., and the de-
mand seems to exceed the supply for fine
clover honey. There seem to be many
buyers at good prices, and many of our
friends have sold their crop already at
2ue.

Give us the items, if you have any to
sell and don’t get fair prices at home.

We lake great pleasure in inserting the
following extract from a letter just rec’d.
The more so as Mr. Clias. F. Muth’s name
is quoted very fair and our readers can
rest assured that lie is both reliable and
responsible : “I will pay for all the choice
white clover honey I can get. lli cents per
lb. at Cincinnati depot. 1 can use a
few bbls. of dark or Linden honey, and I
may get a good demand for the latter be-
fore long, but do’nt think I could pay
more than 13 cents for it.

Cius. F. Moth,

1»7G and 1)78 Central Avenue, Cin., O.”

Doleful again. A series of severe frosts,
cut short at one “fell sweep” both the
“swamp posies” and Novice’s hopes, and
to prevent demoralization our bees have
been returned to their homes In regard
to the cider mill, Novice, when baffled at
Problem 17, turned desperately to the so-
lution of Problem 15, and he and the bees,
are now rejoicing at what seems to bid
fail' to be a great success, viz: Employ-
ing robbers and all hands at work on dry
sugar in the open air, exposed to the sun
but protected from rain. Further partic-
ulars next month.

ADVEHTI SIO M KNT8.

Advertisements will be received at 10 cents
per line each insertion, cash in advance:
and we require that every Advertiser satisfies
us of his responsibility and intention to do
all that ho agrees, and that his goods are
really worth the prico asked for them.

rilHE I* It Ml. FOB ITALIAN UUEE.VS

J after tho 1st of August, will be for
Tested Queens, JU.Otl

Warranted Queens, 2.00

.1. SI1AW & SUN, Chatham Center,

I. B. DANIELS, Lodi.

Medina Co., Os

No. 11.

s rp : have just returned from a visit lo

Jj'-ll a friend who wished us to put his
bees in winter trim ; and to illustrate how
little eare is really necessary for moder-
ate success we will mention that we sold
him two colonies of Italians in l.ang-
slroth hives about April 1st, 1*72. At
the same lime lie purchased a third in a
hive labelled “Prof. Flanders" and some-
thing clsp, we can’t remember what, but
the frames were triangular. We located
them at. the time as we thought most fa-
vorably, and saw them no more until
sometime in .Tune, when we occupied
about an hour in swarming the three arti-
ficially. We did this with two of them, by
simply giving a new hive placed on a new
stand, two frames of brood and the ad-
hering bees, with perhaps five empty
combs from the upper story (the two hives
we sold had a. full set of combs above as
well as below) ; the Flanders hive we
swarmed by shaking about half the bees
only in a new hive, and giving them, as
with the others, two combs of brood and
five empty combs from the l.angstroth
hives.

All three made good strong colonies,
and in October (same year) we prepared
the six for winter, and took out over 10(1
lbs. ol comb honey in frames, after giving
an ample supply for winter. As no he*
cholera has ever been known in that lo-
cality, we were not surprised lo learn that
all ol the six wintered finely. They
Mood out doors oil the summit of a hill,
within half a mile of l.ake Frio, and the
wind was often such that the covers of
'he hives required to he fastened on ; yet
'hey had no covering except the cloth
*iuilt we used, they of course being confined
io the lowcrslory. They did well, because
'heir food, although natural stores, proved
to be wholesome.

I his season our friend, finding artificial
swarming so simple, decided to do it him-
scll, and would doubtless have done it all
right, had not the six ‘‘simplicity" hives !l

we sent got delayed somehow, so (hat
four swarms came out and at least
went off. However, he made swarms
Horn tour ol them, and three of these \v p
have just examined and found in nice*
condition, hut the fourth contained no
queen, and only a handful of bees, and as"
the greater part of these were drones, we
presume they failed in rearing a queen
and the drones came here from other col-
onies. With these few Italians, however,
We found the combs clean and no’
trace ot the moth miller. W c saved out
some comb honey after giving the nine
colonies an ample supply, and learned
they had extracted about 2(10 pounds,
which had been sold for 25c., making an '
income ol lf.»0 besides the value of thd-'
three new colonies, which were fine Ital-
ians; all the result of our friend's own
management, entirely.

W'e were amused to find that pur
friend had used the bottom hoards to the
simplicity hives upside, down. No harm,
had resulted, except that a few pieces of
comb were built, below the bottom bars.

Now we have an idea that this would he'
most an excellent arrangement for win
tering. for all dead hoes would fall into
this space and he easily llirowu out in’
the spring, and we should also ho relieved
of the necessity of having our shelves'
more than a foot wide in the bee house
(see page 2ti, April No..) which would
give us more room ami greater ease :■
handling the hives.

As the bottom boards are usually more
or less soiled, and the covers are not
needed in-doors, we can simply put them
under the hives instead, so that ou-r Kol-
tom board can remain on the summer
stand all winter, and will be ready when
we set them out in the spring, door step
and all. In this case it would probably
be well to paint the upper side of the
bottom board as well as cover, but we re-
ally don’t know from experience whether
the painting ol the bottom board would
assist or retard the ell'orts of the bees al
tidy housekeeping. Wc have always
found them quite ready to appreciate all
cflorts at tidiness, such as sweeping the
dead bees away from the front of their

Or how to Realize the Most Money with the Smallest Expenditure of Capital
and Labor in the Care of Bees, Rationally Considered.

l'UBXASIIEl) MONTHLY.

I- MEDINA, ()., NOV. 1, 1H73. No. I I

NT A HTI.VO AS APIARY.

82

« NOVICE'S ” GLEANINGS IN BEE CUtTITltE.

hives, etc., and one colony persists not
only in cleaning away all loose sticks,
6 ravel, etc., but actually tries to pull up
tke weeds and grass when we are so care-
less as to permit any to start.

Well, our cover inverted under the bot-
tom board of course closes the entrance,
and we hope we are infringing on no one
i n considering lower ventilation unnecessa-
ry. Now, so far as this we have bad ex-
perience, but in confining the bees to
tljeir hives entirely by putting a sheet of
wire cloth over the frames (under the
quilt) we have not; but still, as we have
decided to try our own in that way, we
shall describe our method: it we dislike
the arrangement we can at any time re-
move the wire cloth. In order to have
these sheets of wire cloth lit nicely and
not, have their edges rough and incon-
venient, we shall have them lined with
strips of folded tin. I hese will be put
close down on the frames and the quilt
over them about the last day the bees can
By before going into winter quarters, thus
giving them time to get perfectly quiet
before their removal.

Stocks that persist in keeping up an
excitement can have the quilt turned
back or even removed entirely ; but with
stpree of pure, wholesome food we have
Tittle fear but that they will be quiet with
the quilt tucked snugly over them, the
wire cloth ouly being required when we
are carrying them in or out, when we
wijsh to make examinations or when they
get restless toward spring and need addi-
tional ventilation.

Our readers will perceive that we again
have occasion to remove the cover of the
hive Vheri wintering; in fact, we don’t
want covers on when they are in doors at
all; arid that reminds us that we have had
as'yet no satisfactory solution of Problem
10. The combs in the upper story we
usually remove just before feeding, at the
trine when we look the colonies all over
arid select the best worker combs for the
wintering combs, so that when brood-
rearing commences in spring we are "all
right to go ahead.' After feeding, about
the most convenient place for these sur-
plus combs is in these same upper stories,
and when carried away for that purpose
tb* covers are needed over the lower one;
when put out in (he spring they are need-
ed again until June, when we bring out
our surplus combs once more. Tis true
that by having the cover hinged perman-
ently .on the upper story, we may get
along very well by shifting the combs in-
to that, or the reverse, especially if metal
cot'nered frames are used; and that it the
we have done, tail this plan ol using
the covers under the hive almost necessi-
tates loose covers. It is true "Scientific ’
gives us a plan on page IS, June No., but,
we'nover quite liked the way it worked,
; u , it don’t bold the covers firm, and is
iothcwhal in the way.

VVe think Novice s solution under the
head of Problem* will be found to meet

every requirement. We have just com
menced using them on the hives now be-
ing made.

If our Langslroth hives are not all sold
I before going into winter quarters, we
shall prepare them by tacking wire cloth
over the portico, leaving the entrance
blocks as usual, and covering the frames
with the wire cloth and quilt, as above.

REPORT FROM A1)A« 6RIH.

JjrtfPJjHE hard winter, fearful spring and
ail noor summer had almost ruined my
l| stock of bees. By incessant feeding and
doctoring, T have with the aid of the
splendid fall weather, succeeded, not on-
ly in restoring my colonies to good con-
dition, but increased them from 485 (1
sold 30, and lost 105) to 850, which I will
winter. I extracted no honey but secur-
ed 3,500 lbs of box honey for which 1 aui
offered 28c a pound. A. Fuerbinger, who
lost only 3 colonics during winter and
spring, out of 08, got from the remaining
05, 23 young, natural swarms, ami 2700
lbs. of box honey which he sold at home
at 24 cts a pound ami 1100 lbs. of extract-
ed, ami his beesare in splendid condition,
They are mostly good hybrids. This man
makes, estimating his young colonies 88
per hive, clear $1000 from 05 colonies in
this moderate good season.- lie is a coop-
er by trade, but says lie will hereafter on-
ly make his own barrels, and put all his
time into beekeeping. This is very en-
couraging, but 1 will give you another pic-
ture. W. Wolf here bad, two years ago this
autumn, 181 extra good and heavy stocks.
He sold in all 17 colonies and had only
$50 worth surplus honey last year and on-
ly $5.00 worth this year, lie now has 39
, colonies. Of course he laments over the
} poor season, claims that he has no luck,
when in fact it is nearly all duo" to his care-
lessness. If he did not know what to do,
i could excuse him for his failure. We
460, 850,

| have iu this neighborhood, 45, 35, 131,

ifflfil.

25,

(HI. 120, 0.100, 200,

224, «m.

118,

69,

(i, 12, aS*>0 30,

24, 75,

lull.

12.5.

00,

15,

17,

3, colonies of bees,

or in all

1 123, that produced 9078 lbs. of surplus
box honey, and 2740 lbs of extracted lum-
py. 'The above numbers of stocks include
the young colonies, which numbered 650
colonies, leaving 873 old colonics which
yielded on an average a little over 10 lbs.
of box honey, ami about 3 lbs extracted.
But only three beekeepers extracted honey
and a very little at that. This is a very
poor show when compared with the sea-
son of two years ago, when my average
yield was to my recollection, 73 lbs to ev-
ery hive 1 started with in the spring,

Yours Respectfully,

Adam Grim, Jefferson, M is.

1’. S. 1 forgot to state that 1 took
home last Saturday evening, 9 colonies of
bees, in whose neighborhood a eidermill

“novice's" gleanings in beb culture.

had commenced working tliat day, The
owner of the farm stated that the bees
had worked very briskly on the cider, h’ive
of the stocks were not opened on Satur-
day remained shut in by a wire screen
put before the portico 8x12 wide until
Monday night. I was terror-struck to see
from a pint, to a quart of dead bees in three
of those hives. Several bees were exam-
ined and found to contain n large drop of
some kind of liquid not in their honey
bag, but in their extremities. This makes
me think that cider is very injurious. Per-
haps those bees would not have died if they
could have discharged their fames. Two
years ago the bees of my home apiary had
been weakened so much by working on
cider, that they came very weak through
the winter, and amounted to nothing at
all the next summer. A. G.

Many thanks, Mr. Grim. We value the
above report as it gives an idea of the
profits of beekeeping as it really is, gener-
ally the country over, and presents no ex-
aggerated inducements to beginners, that
will be sure to lead them to disappoint-
ments. In regard to the cidermills, P. (1.
has insisted all along this fall that the
number of dead and dying bees in front
of our hives surely indicated something
wrong. Novice suggested that it was on-
ly old bees whose span of life was "spun"
out, but after sweeping the ground clean,
in a very short time it was again
strewn with their distended bodies,
and many of our stocks are so sadly de-
populated that if they all winter safely
twill be a wonder indeed. Since the dry-
sugar experiments, matters have much
improved with the exception of the time
when mauy bees were lost in working on
the dampened sugar.

MOW NOVICE FED OI K BEES,

TfJiOUU barrels of sugar were purchas-
«“*i ed about Oct. 1st, at an expense of
lljf C per pound. We could have had it
tor even 11, two months earlier, but we
make it a practice as ageneral rule to buy
as low as we can when an article is need-
ed without attempting to speculate on the
probable rise or tall of any staple com-
modity.

As Novice expressed a very sanguine
belief that he could finish the whole
feeding in three days if furnished with
plenty of "tea kettles," the whole mat-
ter was turned over to him alone, and he
commenced operations at .'I o’clock, Oct.
8th, tho day being very line though cool
towards evening.

A large pine box lined with zinc, of ca-
pacity' equal to four barrels, was the only
material used, not found in every house-
hold, and this had been originally made
for another purpose, but has been used
in our apiary to keep empty combs in, etc.
The barrels of sugar were in the bee
house where they had been rolled from
the car. Well, at 3 o'clock as we said be-
fore, this zinc lined box was placed in

3*

front ol the bee house at about six feel
from the door, the light ladder used to
gain access to the loft, was placed so at
to form an incline from the threshold of
the door to the edge of the box over
which it projected beyond the other edje
of the box.

1 1 is clear that with this arrangement
but little strength and very little time was
required in rolling a barrel up so that it
rested directly over the box, removing
the head and dropping the whole contents
without waste into the box. The next
operation was to pour the contents of a
large washboiler of boiling water on said
sugar, and as the quantity seemed insuf-
ficient the contents of the teakettle found
on (lie stove were used also. The absence
of said utensil, when preparations were
being made for the evening meal. Novice
failed to consider at all, and in fact had
lie done so it would probably have troubled
him but little, for when be is at work at a
project for shortening labor lie seldom
considers its bearing on other people or
things, at the time.

When liejudged that the boiling water
for a barrel of sugar was sufficient, rapid
dissolution was the next desirable point
and a hoe was hastily divested of the great-
er part of the accumulation on its blade,
when Mrs. N. ventured to remonstrate, on
the ground that the garden hoc was hard-
ly a tidy implement for such a purpose ;
lie replied that she did him injustice for
'twas not the garden hoe, but the one
used in the stables. (Novice here insists
that with the aid of said teakettle of
boiling water the hoe was made perfectly
clean.)

Perhaps fifteen minutes was occupied
in acquiring the art of using the hoe to
the best advantage, which consists in
making a channel in the sugar and then
forcing the hot water along this with con-
siderable force by keeping the boe con
stantly submerged, and directing the cur-
rent toward the sugar until it all disap
pears.

After supper, the undissolved sugar had
settled to the bottom and the syrup above
remained clear and about the desired
consistency. A shelf was suspended in
the box on which to place the feeders, and
the syrup wns dipped up with a collee-pot
and poured into them; whenfull the feed
cr was inverted oil the shelf to see that
noue ran out, and then carried in this
position to a hive that had been previous-
ly uncovered. Before returning, the next
hive was uncovered and so on ; by thus
saving steps, twenty hires were each sup
plied with the contents of one ot the tea
kettle feeders, before (i o’clock ; ami in
short a whole barrel of sugar was tuade
into syrup and fed to twenty hives in less
than three hours. In proofthat syrup can
be made in this way without the addition of
other ingredients to prevent cry stall za-
tion, we may state that at this date, Oct
1 1 tli, the syrup is, the greater part of it
nicely capped over, brood is to be seen in
all stages aud a healthier it»te of afiair*

“novice’s” cleanings in bee CULTURE.

*4

inside a bee hive we never saw, l>’rom !
previous experiments we were fully satis-
fied of this before, anil we are inclined to
think now that stores of pure sugar are
healthier than where either cream ol
tartar, vinegar, or glycerine are used.
About half of thn twenty feeders were
empty next morning, but some colonies
take it so slowly that two days or more
are required. As we have mentioned,
with this first barrel everything worked
beautifully, but the next afternoon another
one was prepared precisely the same way,
only that the extra teakettle of water was
omitted thinking perhaps the first lot of
syrup was n little loo thin, the conse-
quence was that more stirring was re-
quired and the syrup when cold produced
a thin sheet of sugar on Its surface.

This has candied somewhat in the cells,
has daubed the bees to some extent and
they have been longer it; taking it down,
hut these difficulties are only temporary as
will appear further on.

Our first feeders were kept the proper
distance, above the frames by ordinary
“teakettle ears" soldered on in such a
way that two of them, and the screw cap
for filling, formed three legs as it were,
for them to stand on. Now these “ears”
have a rounded end that forms a very in-
secure support, unless they are arranged
very carefully to stand in the centre of a
top bar to the frame, so insecure, in fact,
that once or twice they have tilted so
much that the syrup ran over the combs,
on the bottom hoard and erystalized or
hardened there, and to observe the effect J'
we let it remain so, hut have inund, as we
had expected, that "our bees' when they
have finished their feeder go to work and
work up all this sugar or candy ; in fact
we have never failed to have them do so,
and this morning being a damp one we
were gratified to find the bees busily
working up quite a sheet of the candy
that had formed in the portico, the hive
having been tilted backward when the
feeder “tilted," to save the syrup. We
have observed such cases before hut al-
ways find the hoes, hive, and combs clean
after n week or two. Still it is a nicer
and quicker way to feed the syrup moder-
ately thin, say about five quarts of water
to 'JO lbs. of sugar, instead of a gallon.

Mr. Alley and sofiae others who objected
to our receipt for syrup as being too
thick, were probably' right about it and we
hereby thank them for the criticism. Il
was overlooked perhaps, as we have been
accustomed to add water to the sugar
without taking the trouble to weigh or
measure, nor should we do so now, for
the matter is uot one requiring exactness,
ff too thiu the bees will quickly' evaporate
it, and if too thick it may cause them a
temporary unuoyance, but by bringing
water they can soon remedy this fault.

A barred of sugar contains about 300
lbs. and costs about $34.00, and divided
between 20 hives gives 1 j lbs. of sugar,
worth $1.70, Who would not invest that
amount per hive if they could fee! sure Jj

that it, supplied them amply with a food
at. all times wholesome ?

Very heavy' stocks, or those wintered
out of doors, might, require more before
fruit trees furnished a supply- next May :
hut we think the amount mentioned, safe
in the majority of cases. Should any of
our readers have colonies yet destitute
when this reaches them, if they ar tsirony
in bees the.y can yet he fed up ; and ’tis
our impression that the very best stocks
in 1874 will he those that were entirely out
of honey in the fall and had stores sup-
plied them entirely of sugar.

'fhe manner of feeding just given we
consider the quickest, simplest and safest
of any having come under our notice:
and Novice now agrees to undertake feed-
ing 100 colonies their winter food in one
day, providing the honey has all been pre-
viously' removed and that, lie can have
plenty of

T K . V - K K T- T I . K F E E 1 ) E 1! S .

Oh, yes — those “cars." Well, our tin-
smith “run out," of “ears” (for tea-kettles
we mean,) and before we knew it, had
made a lot with supports formed of a
piece of tin 1 )xl inches, folded like a let-
ter Y, and soldered on in place of cars.
These, having apoint of support 1 ] inches
wide, stand firm on any frame or across
two; and we like I hem so much belter that
we hope he will never get any more ears.

Wc have tried a ring of tin for a sup-
port, but it, “cuts bees in two" when we
work fast and does not seem to afford
them the liberty to work that the 4' shap-
ed feet do.

ritom.EM no, 18.

AN NOT those hoe keepers who own
orchards of sweet apples and a cider
mill do a thriving business in the fall in
making cider honey. With very little
trouble it could he so arranged that no
bees need he killed or drowned, and we
think the honey would command a very
fair price, labeled as “Apple Honey. ’’
About six barrels of sweet cider would
produce one of honey, we have estimated.

The objection is that such cider stores
might prove unhealthy and thus depopu-
late our hives. But we imagine if the
work were so conducted that no eider was
allowed to ferment, no injury to their
health would result,. We have made the
experiment of feeding a colony' a gallon
of sweet cider and it was quickly stored
and produced very pleasant honey, altlio'
as they were working on sugar at the
same time we could not well keep the ci-
der honey pure. Of course the cider
honey must all he removed before feeding
for winter, at least until some experiments
can he shown to the contrary.

A lady in this vicinity gave her bees a
mash of boiled sweet apples, last fall to
make np their winter stores. We gave
her a caution at the time, hut she was in-
clined to disagree witli ns. We learned
in the spring her bees all died, hut
have not learned t)ie particulars.

(( NOVICE'S ” GLEANINGS IN BEB OUL'TtTRB,

NOVICE’S

®>leinmtcis in iitt (fFnltnrt.

A. I. ROOT & CO. ,

K I) I T O RS AND l'ROPRIK T OHS.

Published Monthly, at Medina, Ohio.

Terms: Trie, per Annum.

A ay one. send i ng vt 5 Subscribe mean retain 7 or. for
tlirir trouble , and in the name proportion
for a larger number.

IPRINTED AT MEDINA COUNTY GAZETTE OFFICE !

Medina, Nov. 1, 1873.

I'jXTit actf.d honey lias “got over” lining
a Urng in the market.

\Yi: hold the remainder of our clover
honey nt 22c. retail, or 20c. hy the qnan-
tity.

We are very careful to mail “Glean-
ings" correctly. Most of the failures ■
have occurred where subscribers have
omitted to give their county.

Tub price of “Gleanings” for 1ST I will
he 7.T cents, and should wc enlarge it, as
we may do in cusp the circulation in-
creases sufficiently, no farther increase in
price will he called for. For $1.00 we
will include photograph of Apiary, or it
will he sent to any one sending sjs one
name besides their own at 75 cents.

If there are any of our friends who have
not received their queens or money when
this number reaches them, we hope they
will advise us of the fact at once. Our
limited experience this fall has convinced
us of the great advantages that would ac-
crue to all parties if the queens, like oth-
er goods, could he shipped the day the
order was received, /. r., during Ihequeen
rearing months. Those old in the busi-
ness may smile at the idea, yet wc have
faith that it can he done, and we shall
endeavor the coming winter to make
preparations to that effect. It seems to
us that ’t is ito very difficult- matter for an
experienced bee keeper, with fifty colo-
nies, to rear one thousand queens in a
season, and at one dollar each this would
he a very fair income, Who will volun-
teer to assist in the work of disseminating
Italian bees at prices which the masses
can afford to pay ?

IIIIIRIIOS AND SWINIkI.KS PEK-
TAINING TO BEE ( II.TI RE.

[We respectfully solicit the aid of our
friends in conducting this department, and
would consider it a favor to have them send
us nil circulars that have a deceptive appear-
ance. The greatest care will heat all times
maintained to prevent injustice being done
any ono.l

“AMISROSIAJ.” HONEY.

M, FTKK some delay we received for
s^Si j our $2.00 the following:

H. H. I-'MCK’s AMBROSIAL HONEY OR 1IEE
l-'OOP.

Entered According to Act of Congress
in the Year 1873, by If. If. Flick, in
the Office of the Librarian of Con-
gress at Washington.

RECIFE.

F ifteen Pounds White Sugar.

Four Founds Soft Water.

One-half Tea-spoonful Tartaric Acid.

< ) ne Tea-spoonl'ul of Salt.

Four Drops Oil of Peppermint
One Drop Oil of /lose.

1 oz. Gum Arabic (dissolved i pint of
water. )

Put the whole in a brass or copper
kettle and boil until all the sugar is dis-
solved, remove the scum and add 1A pint
infusion of Slippery Film, (2 tea-spoon-
fuls of Slippery Elm bark grated, and If
pint water make the infusion.) When
nearly cold add another 1U. of good
Honey.

THIS certifies that A. I. Hoot A Co.,
of Medina, Ohio, arc entitled and hereby
authorized to make and use the Ambros-
ial Honey for their own use or Apiary,
and no other, nor shall they sell to any
one or in any way make it known to
others.

Given under my hand and seal this 4th
day of Sept., 1*73.

[D. S.] H, If. Flick.

Hy referring to our last number our
renders will see that Mr. Flick claims to
have invented this during tin* winter of
1*71 72. with the assistance of the “ex-
pert New York chemist," costing him
nearly $500, etc., etc., hut it is really
nothing more than a copy o( the old
honey recipe, without a single addition or
improvement. In fact our readers will
find the whole, with some Valuable com'
ments and suggestions thereon, in Dr,
Phase's Receipt Hook, published in 1807.
The whole hook can he purchased for
$1 .25' — seventy-live chnts less , than Mr,
Flick charges for his one receipt. I it Id,*
advertisement in the Journals Mr. Flick
mentions his artificial honey i q a way
that would lead readers to expect his
Eusy Heo to contain the process of mak
ing it, but when the circular is purchased

“ novice's” oleaninus in iieg culture.

m

(price 10 cents now) we have the smooth
falsehood only instead, to entice $2.00
from the unsuspecting. From another
part of Busy Bee we clip as follows :

“All the marvels of bee architecture and
government, which so delight, charm and
elevate the soul, point out to us a higher
and lovelier state, where we shall not on-
ly see the Creator's wisdom reflected, but
can see Him as He is. They are the Al-
mighty’s decrees, reflecting His wisdom,
and cannot be violated with impunity.
The patient and untiring aparian, who la
bors to unfold the mysterious nature of
the honey bee, will, as he unveils the skill
and power of the All-wise Creator, be
taught a lesson well-calculated to elevate
the mind above the gross and carnal, and
he must be dull indeed who cannot here
gather volumes of instruction and enter-
tainment.”

It is the greatest pity, Mr. F., that your
pursuit has not as yet elevated your soul
sufficiently to have deterred you from
taking $2 from your fellow men for some-
thing that was already common property,
and worst of all to pretend it was the re-
sult of your own researches. Has it real-
ly come to such a pass that whenever we
see Scripture quoted or appeals made to
the wisdom of our Creator, we must
straightway look about to see what new
swindle is being prepared for us ?

We at first proposed that Mr. Flick-
should go in company with Mitchell, but
we feel sure now that the latter would he
ashamed of such small meannesses. Oh,
yes, Mr. F., we want our $2 back. The
recipe is not as represented. For bee
feed, omit all the ingredients except the
sugar and water. For table use it may
do for a syrup, but no one would mistake
it for honey. The slippery elm will cause
it to ferment in warm weather (see Dr.
Chase's book.) We have given the re-
cipe to all our readers, and Mr. F. has
good grounds for seeking legal redress if
the law allows any in such cases.

We presume that courtesy and custom
would dictate that a pleasant mention be
made of the Oct. No. of the National Bet •
Journal just at hand, with Mrs. Topper's
name appended as Editor and Publisher;
yet the whole appearance of the number
is so unlike her work, and so little to her
credit, that we forbear any criticism for
the present, farther than that the number
of typographical errors in many places
seriously interferes with a proper niid< r
standing of the subject . Mrs. T. has not
yet “got hold of the reins,” we presume.

HONEY (,'OI.l'MN.

,1 Ei VKKSON, Wis., Oct. 18, 187:5.

M ?it. A. I. ROOT : — Dear Sir:— Bee
y keeping has added over $22,000.00,
during the last five years, to my earthly
posessions; my income is such that i
would have no need to keep bees for the
sake of making a living. But I am satis-
fied that I could not live a contented life
without the keeping of a large number ot
colonies of bees, and therefore will keep
them until I really get tired of them.
Well, I have been in Chicago to sell my
own and some honey I had bought of my
neighbors. 1 called on C. O. Perrinc,
who had written to Mr. Fuerbringer that
he was prepared to pay cash for all the
honey he could get ; and when 1 asked
him if he could pay me the cash, if I con-
cluded to sell to him he replied that he
' could pay no cash under 00 days, but
would pay me 12 per cent, interest. He
j had formerly, once invited me with ray
honey to Chicago, under the same pre-
tense, and I was forced to take his notes
for thirty and sixty days, or remove the
honey again after 1 had delivered it. I
call this a mean trick. There is nothing
that can make a bee keeper feel better
than the clean cash for his surplus honey
crop at the end of the season, [Have we
a reader who don't intensely feel the truth
of this remark.— E d ], and to be forced
to take notes of a very doubtful value
creates quite an unpleasant feeling.
After enquiry I found that great solitaire
honey house of C. O. P. had lost its chief
pillar. His former wife and almost ex-
| clusived manager of the house in Chicago
for two years time (C. O. P., carrying on
a honey house in Philadelphia,) separated
! from him last winter. After more care-
ful inquiry I learned that C. O. P. only
keeps above water by paying up old debts
and making new ones. I think it is my
duty to the American bee keepers to com-
municate this to you, as I had recom-
mended C. O. P. as a honey house to
which a large amount of honey could be
sold at one lick. It is true after a forced
drawing off of over $50, 1 got all my pay-
out of him, but other parties have not
succeeded so well. 1 will only add that 1
sold my honey to some parties who are
about to open a honey house under the
firm name of the Chicago Honey Com-
pany, 300 Wabash Avenue, Chicago, and
got a very satisfactory price and the cash
i'or it. It will be carried on by the former
Mrs. C. (). Perrinc us principal manager,
the little honey woman to whom I en
[ trusted, after the great Chicago fire, my
large honey crop of two years ago, com-
ing to over $1,001), and who paid me
promptly as agreed until ('. O. P. came
back to Chicago and then pay was com-
ing very slow. And now Mr. Editor if
you consider this of any value to your
readers, 1 give you leave to insert it in
your columns. Very respectfully,

Adam Grimm.

“ NOVICE'S ” GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

87

PROBLEM NO. 15 VEHKI'N CIDER
MILLS.

our bees were removed to the

yV/ swamp, the Quilvby hive, the one
containing our choicest queen, and four
weak stocks, were left at home, and to
keep these from the eider mill a quantity
of dry sugar was spread out in the sun
for them.

They very soon commenced on it lively,
and finally, on the second day, heoameso
vehement about it that we feared they
would get to robbing each other; but on
the third day were delighted to observe
that they were working almost as peacea-
bly as they did in the spring on their ra-
tions of rye and oatmeal, apparently hav-
ing decided that it was common plunder,
enough for all, and that there was no need
of qnarrelling over it.

After this there was no trouble, and
when our whole fifty-seven were again
safely on their own stands I Novice hardly
slept nights -during the u-hole week they
were gone, and the “awful stillness'’ of
the deserted apiary during the day decid-
ed him to turn Problem 17 over to those
who have not so strong an attachment for
home and its surroundings,! it was with
some trepidation that a half barrel of su-
gar was temptingly spread out with a view
of satisfying tho hosts of winged thieves,
whose passion lor sweets had seemed sa-
tiable with nothing short of a whole eider
mill. And right here conies a note to
show that we have at least one friend far
away who sympathies with us fully:

Ontario, Canada

Mb. Novick: — Aon know what it is to
wait for the “ambrosial” receipt, and yet
you don't mind keeping jour readers in
suspense about “bees are working quietly
on a half barrel of sugar.”

Knquirkh.

Thank you, “Enquirer.” You give us
courage to enter into details without fear
that the subject, may interest others less
than it did us. Well, as in the first exper-
iment, we soon had a "hubbub." The
bees that found the plunder first, coming
home laden, put their companions in a
frenzy, and in their eager haste took wing
before they received directions (if they
ever do, which we are inclined to doubt,)
and all the premises were visited — bee
house, kitchen, cistern, pump —all the
hives in turn, until we began to almost
wish we had not tried such an experi-
ment ; hut finally most of them settled
down at (lie right spot, and labored “with
a will,” as Mrs. Tapper lias it, at the dry
sugar, as reported just, as we were going
to press last month. Very soon it was ev-
ident, from the number around the pump,
that water was in demand, and Novice
soon took up the idea that with _\vatcr in
abundance they would till up for winter
■heir own select. Brilliant idea! Tea-
kettles finally superseded. A wateringpot

was procured, and the sugar dampened,
until where hundreds of bees had been
working before, wo had thousands, and the
voyaging around the neighborhood in
quest of the mine of sweets by bees which
hadn’t found it, became alarming. Clus-
ters of bees were seen tumbling over
each other on the sidewalks, several
squares distant, and everybody was in-
quiring what so many bees were doing
everywhere and into everything; but Nov-
ice persevered, and dampened the sugar
anew, until all did really seem working
into the hum of honest industry. But a
new trouble presented itself. Such a
temptation was too much for "bee sense”
in October, and the vagabonds wouldn't
stop when it was dark, nor when 'twas
rainy and cold, and after seeing them
gorge themselves at such unreasonable
times that they were unable to get home,
the sprinkling part was omitted, and they
now work oil dry sugar when ’tis pleasant
as quietly and happily as one could wish.

This is really an important point, for
although the amount stored is small, it
gives at all times a steady increase of
stores, and prevents the possibility of any
colony starving, however weak they may
he. Our nuclei for rearing queens began
to improve at once, and although drones
were mostly gone before the experiment,
our queens most of them became fertile,
and we filled many orders for dollar
queens on which we had concluded to
return the money. We have also induced
them to work on meal to some extent,
when placed near their sugar, but not
briskly. This is the more desirable, as
we have a number of colonies so weak
that brood-rearing is almost our only
hope of saving them. In fact, we have
just discovered two colonies so reduced
that the queen has ceased laying entirely,
and no brood in any stage is to be seen ;
and this state of affairs occurs Oct. If.
Without some of Hosmer’s skill, we shall
assuredly fail in wintering them.

As they had a fair number of bees a
month ago, we can only attribute the loss
to the cider mill, for thousands of bees
were unavoidably worked in with the po-
mace.

It is principally when making sweet ci-
der that they seem most demented in pur-
suit of the spoils. In conclusion, we most
earnestly urge that bee keepers and own-
ers of cider mills arrange troubles of this
kind in a friendly and neighborly way,
for quarrels in such matters only result in
increasing the annoyance on both sides.

I n removing the honey preparatory to
winter feeding, we found it to possess a
decidedly apple flavor, something like ap-
ple preserves, and as our cider mill neigh-
bor refused compensation, we sent him a
couple of jars of the aforesaid honey.

Wk have retailed hundreds of lbs. of
extracted honey this season at 20c., while
extra nice comb honey by its side waits q
purchaser at (JOc,

88

“novice’s” GLEANINGS IN BEE CUL'i'UKE.

ANSWER TO PROBLEM JO.

'POR each hive you will need two pieces
(Jy of rather heavy galvanized iron
■Jjxf inches. Three holes are lo be drill-
ed iu each of these, one in the middle
and one near each end. it is somewhat
difficult to make it clear on paper, how
these are to be used, but we will try. Iu
the simplicity hive, it will be remembered,
a strip goes across under each end of the
cover, and two four-penny nails are used
to nail this strip into the end of the longer
strips. Now instead of the four-penny
nails, use sixes, and drive them through
two of the boles mentioned iu our hinge
pieces, this will leave the strip of metal
projecting (containing the third hole)
down over the body of the hive; and
it is plain that if we drive a strong
nail through this hole into the hive,
tve have the cover hinged quite substan-
tially. To make il removable 'tis only
necessary to make the last mentioned
hole in tiie strip with an opening iu one
side in such a way that when the cover is
raised perpendicularly it can readily he
lifted oft'. A cover with the strips attach-
ed forms a gauge by which to drive t lie
two nails on which it turns, and if the
cover and hinge strips are alike, any
cover will lit any hive. Still farther by
driving two nails in the same way at the
bottomyedge of the hive, (he cover can be
readily attached to the bottom for winter-
ing, which see in first article. Jly using a
metal hook on the cover and one nail for
it to hook over, on both upper and lower
edge of the hive we can fasten the cover
in a trice to either the bottom or top of'
the hive. In making the device we were
agreeably surprised to find tha(,the cover
when raised up would stand alone, which
it will not with common hinges. We can
furnish the hinges or hooks for one cat/
each if desired. To work nicely the
opening in the strip of metal should be j;
of an inch from the lower end and should
be deep enough to just reach the center
of the strip, the strip being nailed flush
with the stick to which it is attached both
top and side.

Novice says lie has made this matter a
study at odd times for over a year ami
that before he had reduced it, to its pres-
ent state of cheapness, efficiency and sim-
plicity, it cost him, he really believes, as
much brain work as did the Ambrosial
Honey Mr. Herman Flick.

Any kind of a pair id' hinges requires
at least eight screws. Novice's "great in-
vention" requires none.

P. S. — Since writing the above Novice
has so far improved it as to be able to
present a hive having no external indica-
tions of a hinge whatever, and yet the
cover is hinged very firmly and lifts oft'
when straight up as before. It differs
from the above in no respect only that
(he strips of galvanized sheet iron form-
ing the hinge are nailed between the strips
that go around the cover instead of on the
outside; and before uailing the hive, one

of the side boards is sawed slightly shorter
on egeb of the four corners, in such a way
that space is left just sufficient for the
metal ears to crowd in. Now drive a nail
just right, down through the opening in
the ear or hinge, and if your work is ac-
curate, the cover works just beautifully,
without a screw or nail more than is used
in putting the hive together ordinarily.
Novice keeps opening and shutting the
hive every hour or two, and then looks
for somebody’s bat to sail in token ot vic-
tory of — of, hard and persevering study
over lumber and metals.

HEAPS OF GRAIN I'KII.II Jlll l ltK
ENT I I El. IIS.

loti. — 1 hayo astrong nucleus. How.er
||M can I keep it ever safely?

» sJ M. It. Uavis, Petersburg, Mich.

It is possible to winter even a small nu-
cleus hive, as many experiments have
proved; but it is very difficult unless a
warm, frost-proof cellar be at baud, and
even then the greatest trouble comes in
March and April, when it is important
they should begin rearing brood. Weak
colonies, as a general thing, may be win-
tered easily in a proper repository; but
1 lie trying time comes when they com-
mence flying iu the spring in search of
food.

No- 1117. —Would you advise or approve the
introduction ol' artificial boat, of steam, or
of a stove from an adjoining room into the
hec-room in severe weather, when it can be
done without disturbing the bees?

11. Aloysios,

Corporation of New Milleroy, Town.
Wc would not advise artificial heat, at
least until we had good evidence of its
utility. ’Twould In: very difficult to pre-
vent some stocks from getting too warm,
and we think, with such a house as we
have advised, there would rarely be need
o-l it, more especially il the room con-
tained 40 or 50 colonics. It might be
beneficial to weak colonies or nuclei,
should any be so unfortunate (as we are
now) as to have such, and a correspond-
ent writes that our “lump nursery, ’ de-
scribed last month, was just the idea he
had been after, to moderate the tempera-
ture of his bee house in the most severe
weather. We may make some such experi-
ments ourselves during the coming win-
ter.

A srnoNii colony can be wintered with-
out a queen, hut we arc not sure that it
pays.

The bees that were fed the "gallon of
sweet cider” looked decidedly like the
“bee cholera’ during a cold “snap of
three or four days.

Hkhk we are again “all full," having
used only two of the “Heads of Grain”
out of nearly a whole field of valuable
ones all ready for the printers. Novice
says “taint his fault,” for wo must cither
make our Journal larger or gel our friends
to manifest less interest iu his work of
hive making, feeding, etc.

Or how to Realize the Most Money with the Smallest Expenditure of Capital
and Labor in the Care of Bees, Rationally Considered.

PUBLISHED MONTH L V.

VOL. I.

MEDINA, 0., DEC. 1, 1873.

No. 12.

STAKTIXO AX APIARY.

No. 12.

‘Tf^-IND HEADER: As wo only pro-
posed to give an article with the
abere heading for each month in this
year, we are now near the completion of
our task; and, before commencing in an-
other year’s volume

1IOW TO CONDUCT AN At'IAIlT,

we feel like pausing with a feeling some-
what akin to that experienced by a young
man or woman when first settling down
by themselves, as “children no longer.”
We presume you are all “started,” after
some sort of a fashion, at least, and, per-
haps, some are depending on us to some
extent to tell them what to do next.

We have tried to impress upon you the
importance of having all work with bees
done up in its proper season, yet we are
pained to receive quite a number of let-
ters from those who had not fed their bees
us late as November. While this is had
and may result in heavy losses, there is
still a chance.

A neighbor of ours came to us in De-
cember, a few years ago, and asked if his
bees could be saved, stating that some
boys had turned the hive over and robbed
it of all ibe honey and nearly all the
comb. As it was a box hive the bees had
clustered on the stumps of comb remain-
ing in the top, and he could not think of
letting them starve. We told him the
case.was nearly hopeless, but ns lie was
determined to try feeding them, we di-
rected him to nail a fine fanning mill seive
over the hive to keep them in, and to
place them in the cellar, the hive inverted,
and to feed them on sugar syrup sprinkled
through the sieve on the cluster until
spring. This he did and they came
through strong enough to build new comb
in the spring and swarm beside. Since
then we have heard of other instances on
a larger scale, when winter feeding turned
out badly. Perhaps the secret is to feed
only so fust as they consume it, and then
we run n risk of starving them unless fed
daily.

We have another instance of a swarm
being wintered without a particle of comb,
the amount, of honey they required being
given them daily.

Although the edilor ot the Bee Keepers'
Magazine replied to correspondents most
positively that bees could not be wintered
without comb, we have sometimes t hought
it might be the safest way, could they
have their food furnished them promptly
without trouble. A "log house’ made of
sticks of candy might do, and if any
among our readers try it we hope they
will report. In this locality we usually
put our bees indoors about. November
20th. Many of our colonies are now
quite weak, owing to their “cider diet,”
we think, and as these have not got thc-ir
stores sealed up well, we antic ipate some
losses before spring. The colony j t b a t
had the "gallon of eider” have no sealed
stores and we should give them some from
other hives were we not desirous of test
ing the matter still further. We are
pretty well satisfied now that cider acts
almost as a poison to bees when confined
to the hive by cold or otherwise, and
shall take prompt measures next season
to keep our bees busy elsewhere during
cider time.

See your hces often in winter as well as
summer and try and know at all times
; their exact condition. Many of ua huvu
suece“ded finely in wintering one or two
hives ut times when their prospects seem-
ed very doubtful; can we not now, when
we have our dozens, or hundreds, do the
same thing over again if we give them
attention iu proportion.

With best wishes to all who huve fol-
lowed us thus far, whether they accom-
pany Us through the year of 18V'i, or not,
and hoping onr efforts to assist in "Starl-
ing an Apiary" have been productive of
some good, we - remain, as ever, hopeful
and willing to labor lor the rewards that
another year may have in store for us.

Nohtii American Bee-Keepers’ Socie-
! I ty. — The next nnnuul session of this
society will he held at Louisville, Ky.,
commencing the first Wednesday iti De-
cember and bolding two or three days.

!|

90

“ NOVICE’S ” GLEANINGS IN BEE bULTUIlE.

IN IT WKM. TO I' N BERTA 14 K TO
WL\TElt A ((l ErSLKSS COLON V ?

E are sure there are at least
a few of our readers who have
seriously asked themselves this ques-
tion, anil, without claiming we haTe
done it ourselves, we will tell you what
we do know of the matter.

In our experience in queen rearing
during the past summer and fall, a friend
called on us, and in discussing the matter
of having young queens attacked by their
own bees, he suggested that this almost
invariably occurred during an entire ab-
sence of eggs or brood in the hive; and
that the bees worried the queen because
she didn't lay eyys for them to take care
of. Perhaps we may here remark that
our experiments did not tully corrobor-
ate this theory, for we have had queens
attacked when about ten or fifteen days
old even with brood and eggs in the hive,
tint we think the unsealed brood helped
to prevent it.

Well, we so far fell in with the idea that
wc determined to keep eggs or unsealed
brood constantly in nil of our queen rear-
ing nuclei, then numbering forty or fifty.
Now in ease the young queen be lost in
any way, it was plain that a new one
would be reared, from this brood or eggs,
which made it quite desirable that all
•these eggs should be furnished by our
ehoicestjqucen : and Novice proposed the
Argo queen be kept furnishing eggs con-
stantly, to lie taken as soon as laid and
distributed among the fifty nuclei, "just
to keep them busy enough to be out of
mischief.”

"Hut you’ll ruin our 'Argo’ colony, pro-
tests "P. G.”

O, no,” says Novice with animation,

• for we will keep them supplied with
brood from other hives, and a prolific
queen like that one will lay two or three
thousand eggs daily, when necessary.”

Accordingly the hive mentioned was
deprived of all the eggs it contained ami
an empty worker comb interposed be-
tween two brood combs. After about 48
lmui'8 we almost invariably found this
comb nicely filled with eggs. These
combs when thus filled were cut into
strips about 2x11 inches, and when pit.
into the nuclei were •(•''thoroughly cared
for that almost every egg produced a bee.
As each square inch produces about titty,
each slice adds to the population of one
nucleus something like 1100 full blood
Italians, hi order to have the comb of
eggs taken care of without fail it should
tie inserted in the center of the cluster of

ill*.'.

Our combs will cut so as to give about
sixteen such pieces, and in order to give
one to each nucleus about, once a week,
our “Argo” queen was obliged to lay over
g.tlOO eggs daily, which she would do
readily if sealed brood was constantly
kept on each side of the comb in which
we wished the eggs deposited.

Would all those eggs have produced a
like number of bees, had they remained
in the hive? Most assuredly not, but
where they do go to, we are not now pre-
pared to determine. One thing is very-
certain. and that is that nearly every
queen lays a much larger number of eggs,
both in spring and fall, than can bo used
for brood, unless a great part of them be
taken care of by- other queenless colonics,
or colonies containing queens that don’t
lay.

Perhaps our readers have remarked
with what eagerness a colony, destitute of
eggs or brood from any cause, will take
to a comb containing eggs, and how
surely each ol these eggs will produce a
bee.

To get round to the point from which
we started, then our course would he to
winter a queeuless colony, just as we do
the rest, providing they contained .suffi-
cient bees. As soon as practicable in

1 the spring we would insert a comb in the
cluster of a strong colony, just long
enough tor the queen to deposit a few
eggs in it, and give this to the destitute
colony and about once a week repeat the
operation, giving a few more eggs each
time. Of course they will rear a queen
which they may keep until nearly time
for drones to appear, when she should be
killed to induce them to rear a good one.
The colony from which the eggs arc taken
sutlers almost no loss at all compared
with that sustained where combs contain-
ing scaled brood and larvae are taken;

• and likewise the queeuless colony will
undertake to rear only so many of the
eggs as they can conveniently take care
of, whereas had sealed brood or larvae
been given them they would many times
have allowed the greater part of it to per-
ish.

it is our opinion from the experiments
we have mentioned that one good queen
could be made to furnish eggs thus, sul-
ficient to not only keep up the population
of one dozen colonies, but to slowly
build them up. We should advise such a
course only to those who think it a
pleasure to work with and handle bees,
admitting, of course, that by tar the
easier way is to have a good queen in
every stock, but ns queens lire sometimes
lost in November or the winter months,

' i i s well to consider what is best to be
done in such a case. Our readers can
probably recall many instances of pro-
ducing good strong colonies of those
found qurenless in the spring, when linit-
]y aid lias been given. Oetting eggs in
the combs is a simple matter, hut getting
these eggs hatched into larvae by the
thousands in one hive, at any desirable
season of the year, is yet an unsolved
problem. See Problem No. 12 and Id.

; Wk expect to be able to furnish back
numbers to all applicants, and the price
for Vol. I. will lie the same as Vol. II.
Jloth will be sent, with photograph, tor
|| $1.30.

“novice’s” gleanings in bee culture

DDE KEEPERS' CONVENTIONS. ||

*3% BE KEEPERS’ CONVENTIONS
JJL& -where organized in your own im-
mediate vicinity, without doubt, should be
attended, and those large affairs, which
we are expected to travel over whole
States to reach, may be a good idea for
those possessing ample means; but to
the mnsses, thoss who keep bees ns a
source of income, and not for pastime
merely, we should unhesitatingly recom-
mend some other investment of the
money, so far as money is concerned.
IIow much real good have conventions
accomplished? The National Conven-
tion at Cincinnati was well worth the in-
vestment to see Mr. Langstrotk and hear
him speak, but a vast amount of time
was wasted in useless controversy scarce-
ly pertaining to bee culture. At Cleve-
land we ready cannot find that all the
good accomplished, was sufficient to
overbalance the injury done by the pro-
mulgation of erroneous theories ; and at
Indianapolis there seems to have been
nothing left but patent hive men and
theorists who hud as little acquaintance
with bees or bee culture, as the late N. V.
h’armers’ Club had with farming, and still
worse, no one seems to have discovered
their mistakes in time to prevent their
going out before the world through the
press. Candor compels us to go so far as
to state of the numerous reports of dif-
ferent conventions sent us, (for which we
hereby tender our thanks), that we have
found nothing contained in them suf-
ficiently new or important to entitle it to
a place in “Gleanings,” unless we except
t he address of Mr. Quinby, alluded to in
our March number. The expense of at-
tending distant Conventions would gen-
erally much more than cover the cost of
all the Bee Journals published — perhaps
Langstroth’s and Quinby’s work besides—
and we must think a careful perusal of
these wonid be a more profitable invest-
ment of the money.

One of the health journals hns an arti-
cle on the adulteration of sugar. Now
the only part of it that concerns us is the
possibility that our A coffee sugar may be
other than chemically pure, say ninety-
nine per cent. pure. We can conceive of
no substance with which it could he
adulterated, having the taste of sugar or
no taste at all, having the appearance of
sugar, and being at the same time per-
fectly soluble in water; and shall accord-
ingly consider it sale bee food, for all
times, places and uuder all circumstances.
Some of these "Health Journals” in their

fll

Perhaps it may be as well to state that
our article on Conventions was written
and sent to the printers for last month’s
Journal, hut was crowded out. Mr.
King’s report of the Michigan Bee Keep-
ers’ Association, in some respects, would
rather corroborate our opinion of their
value. If there is no misprint about it.
Pres. Bingham in his address said :

“Patent right men were that class of
persons who have made bee culture what
it now is, as a pursuit, and were the first
to demonstrate the possibility of profita-
ble bee keeping. Yet they are misrepre-
sented, abused and maligned by a class of
persons of which is the represen-

tative type, who are a hundred times
more unprincipled than the patent right
men themselves.”

And before he gets eight lines further,
in the same strain, he eloquently sums up
thus :

“And what has been the result? Sim-
ply this, that bee culture as an occupa-
tion, is a failure. This is no idle assump-
tion. Statistics aflord ample proof of
tliis. Ninety, of every one hundred per-
sons, who keep bees, have utterly failed.
Nine out of the other ten, will no more
than pay expenses, while the remaining
one is moi-e or less successful. "

Mr. B. was certainly driving vehement-
ly at some idea, and we should give it ns
above to our renders as Problem No. 111.
were we not in doubt ns to whether it re-
lates to bee culture at all. If patent
hive men have made our pursuit what it
j noil' in, and ninety-nine out of one hun-
dred (bee keepers not “patent’’ men)

“don’t pay expenses,” why . lmt wo

give it up; our venders will have to
“puzzle” it out for themselves.

The first subscriber on our hooks,
for 187-1, is Adam Grim, who has
netted §22,000 in five years. The
next is It. Wilkin, Cadiz, Ohio, wo
don’t know how much he has realized
from bees, but do know he has a pleasant
way of paying cash dou-n on some pretty
large hills for queens, etc. Now as we
have no idea that our pages would contain
the list of successful ones, we would re-
spectfully solicit (lie names of all of our
subscribers who have lost money in bee
keeping during the last five years. Tell
us all about it and we'll give you a depart-
ment, and call it "Repository of Blasted
Hopes.” If it don’t unfold some tales of
“deeds to make and use,” our name ain’t —

“Now, Mr. Novice, if you don’t stop,
there won’t be any room for ‘Heads of
Grain’ this month.”

“Never mind wc are soon to have mir

“ KO vice's" GLEAKINUS IK BEE CULTDHE.

NOVICE’S
^Ic»ninj[js in $cc C^itltitrc.

A. I. ROOT & CO.,

EDITORS AND PROPRIETORS.

Published Monthly, at Medina, Ohio,

Terms: 75o. per Annum.

Ani/one sendinovs 5 Subscribers can retain*oc. for
their trouble , and in the same proportion
for a larger number*

[PRINTED AT MEDINA COUNTY GAZETTE OFFICE.)

Medina, Dec. 1, 1873.

Imagine Novice’s consternation at find-
ing the types in the .4. R. J. careless-
ly allowed to make him say he had "more
friends than he desired,'' when it should
have read deserved !

After the "cider” colony had dwindled
down to less than a pint of bees and wero
evidently' near their demise, they were
handed over to the tender mercies of P.

G., at her earnest solicitation, and they
are now humming merrily under the com-
bined effects of clean dry comb, candy,
sugar syrup, and a warm room. We pro-
pose to follow their adventures, should ,
they survive long enough to meet with
any. "

Should we offer cbromo3 and the like
as premiums, some might be induced to
take our little Journal on that account,
and not for its own intrinsic, merits.
This we would not have, much as w r e
would like to see its circulation increas-
ed, and when it can not still continue to
make its way simply on account of its I
value to beo keepers, wc will "bow and
retire,” still having full confidence in tho
discriminative appreciation of our Amer-
ican people.

lx our notice of the Bee Jsce2>crs'
Journal in our Jan. No., wc mentioned
that it was to be hoped the “patent hive
teaturo" might be removed, and wc arc
now happy to state that such is the case.

See advertisement. Chromo's aro cer-
tainly less objectionable, when 'tis optional
with tho subscriber whether they have
them or net, and as the National Agri-
culturist and Bee Journal is oQ'ered for
11.00, witbou any premium we consider
it quite low, for so pretty a family paper.

Our index to Vol. I, of “Gleanings,"
will he given in our Circular and Price
List for 1874, which will be issued this
month. It will be mailed to all subscri-
bers as soon ns out, and will be sent to
any one else on application.

Nov. 21. — "P. G." insists that the bees
should have been housed before this
severe wintery weather, but Novice says
there has been no suitable weather for
moving them, and that just a9 soon as the
hives are dry again he will fix them all
nicely.

Notwithstanding the fact that “Glean-
ings" will be considerably enlarged, be-
sides being printed with new type, new
press, and on new paper, for 1874, we
shall furnish it for only fifty cents, in
clubs of ten or over. Any one sending
u3 ten names at 75 cents each can, of
course, retain $2.50 for their trouble, and
all over 50c. each, for any additional num-
ber' Additions to clubs may be made at
any time, and when the number reaches
ten, we will credit the amount that has
been sent us over 50c. each.

Should any be so unfortunate as to
have bees destitute of adequate food for
winter when this roaches them, we should
advise using plain candy. Mr. Wilken, of
Cadiz, O., has just paid us a visit, and
among many valuable items given us, he
mentioned that he had frequently saved
colonies even in midwinter under circum*
stances like the following: An old Qua-
ker had two colonies in December that
had stores insufficient to last them a
month, and had left them to their fate, as
he couldn’t "fuss to feed them." As Mr.
TV. was pressed lor time, he proposed to
savo both, for one of them asfpaymont in
the spring, which proposition was readily
accepted. We think a dollar’s worth was
purchased, the hives were inverted, and
the sticks pushed between the combs, the
two colonies being placed in a cellar, of
course. Our friend saw no more of them
until the following summer, when ho found
both had swarmed and all wero doing
well. Tho owner gladly paid him for can-
dy and trouble, and went his way rejoi-
cing. Mr. W. was unable to add that (so
far as he had observed) candy storos wore
a preventive of the bee disease, although
his experiments have been only with such
as had partially enough honey to winter.

“ NOVICE’S 11 OI.EANINOS IN BEE CDI.TBM.

S3

Hit. Chase's Second Receipt Book is a !
considerable part of it devoted to bee |
keeping, and (be author has been wise iu j
securing articles from only those who
have been successful in the pursuit. We
would suggest that Mrs. Tupper’s prize
essay, before being copied further, be
thoroughly revised, by herself, up to the
times, as it was written many years ago.
Col. Hoit's article is for the most part
quite safe and reliable, but his statement
that “A swarm of bees put in a clean
hive, will build their own comb and do
much better, than a swarm put into a hive
with the combs already built," is rather a
grave error and one calculated to do
much mischief. A new swarm will fre-
quently gather ten pounds or more of
honey the day after being hived, if they
have combs in which they can store it, and
the queen will also nearly fill a comb with
eggs in the same lime, giving them a
great start in advance of those having no
comb. We cannot see how a single ex-
periment ever made, with two swarms I
coming out on the same day, could have !
given a result unfavorable to the hive
furnished combs. As the Colonel used
movable comb hives, we can’t account for
his want of experience in the matter. As
Miss Katie Grimm’s experience with the
extractor is given in another place there
is a chance for the Dr’s, renders to give
modern bee keeping something like its
just dues alter all. We really believe the j
book contains nearly all the truly valua- jj

bio receipts afloat. Price, . Ad- j

dress Dr. A. W. Chase, Ann Arbor, Mich. (

lx the Hural New Yorker, of Sept.
-iih, Prof. C. V. Riley attempts to justi-
fy his course in advising retaliation as a
remedy against bcc keepers, whose bees j
are supposed to have injured neighbors
fruits, lie advises to plant the milkweed,
that the bees may be ensnared thereby
ami the hives thus decimated to such an
extent that they "give out," etc., etc. To j
say nothing of the folly of such a pro-
ceeding, which would almost parallel that !
of "removing the meeting bouse" because
no offensive, deceased snake lay behind |
it, is it not strange that a man with Prof.
written before his name, should imagine
that neighborhood troubles of that kind,
would be peacefully adjusted by such
measures ns poisoning each others bees
by "fly poison" (cobalt and arsenic), and *

that retaliation would not follow retalia-
tion, until a case resulted that could only
be settled by the law, and, as often hap-
pens, the States prison walls might close
about one or both of the parties. We
feci confident that the very persons Prof.
Riley cites, would be reasonable and fair
could they be brought to talk over the
matter in a friendly manner. We bee
keepers, Prof. R., are for the most part
certainly an independent and reasonable
people, and whenever our bees are annoy-
ing our neighbors we will make good the
damages and taka prompt measures to
aoate the trouble. Bees in our locality-
do not injure fruit, although mnny seeia
to think they do. The matter lias already
been discussed so mueh that we have no
room for more of it here.

HUMBUGS AND
TAINIKU TO

NWINDLE8 PEK.
BEE CULTURE.

[Wo respectfully solicit the aid of our
menus in conducting this department, and
would consider it a favor to have them send
us all circulars that have a deceptive appear*
anco. Ihe greatest care will beat all times
maintained to prevent injustice being done
any one.]

L BOUGTON, Illiopolis, 111., and
S Will R. King, Franklin, Ky., nra
complained of as having received money
for queens and refusing to answer letters
of inquiry relating thereto. In answer to
our letters of inquiry, Mr. Boughtou
makes no reply, and as the Bee Keepers'
Magazine 1ms given him the position he
has earned for himself, we drop him.
Will 11. King answers at length and wh
give the following extracts from his letter :

“In reply I would saythatl sold a largo
number of queens in tlie spring and sum-
mer of 1872 ; very many of my orders I
filled the fourth and fifth time, complaints
coming that the queens died in the cago
before being released, Ac., Ac. Some
said that they arrived dead, others that
they were so near dead that they died be-
fore being introduced, Ac., Ac. Several
sent what purported to he statements of
Post Masters and Express Agents, certify-
ing that they were dead, or dying, or
going to die, or did die, or might, could, or
should have died, Ac., Ac. All such com*
plaints wore listened to attentively, and
more and more queens were sent. I be-
came suspicious that I was being played
off on ; and it .turned out that some of
these so-called certificates of P. M’s. and
express agents, purporting to be signed
bv the same parties, were in fact written
in different hands, Ac. I feel fully satisfied
that I was swindled out of at' least 200
nice, pure queens."

Mr. K. goes on with much more in the
same style, says he never received aur

“novice’s” gleanings in bee culture.

1)4

num 03' sent by mail unless letters were
registered, etc. Now- can any one for an
instant think so badly of our bee keep-
ing friends as to believe that, there arc
those among us who would send for
queens th e fourth or fifth time alter they
had received one in good order. Our ex- |
nerience has been quite the contrary.
Not a dollar has been lost so far as we
can learn out of over $200 sent for
queens. Our customers have been more
patient and forbearing than we could ex-
pect, and in a few cases when queens
were lost directly, bv our own careless-
ness, we really felt ashamed of ourselves
on receipt of kind and courteous letters
informing us of the mishaps, without im-
plying in the least that we were expected
to make good, losses occasioned by our
blunders. It has been our impression for
the last year, from the tone of letters re- |
reived, that our people have been so
abused, kumbngged and imposed upon,
that when they do send money by mail, |
they hardly expect to be treated as a
fellow-being. The evidence against Mr. j
K. (see A. B. J. for Get., page — ) is at
present much stronger than any that he
can bring against our friends who read
the 1 See Journals.

HOBBY COI.IMJT.

"|j|[ HAVE 300 or 400 lbs. of nice llass-
Z|j wood honey that I will deliver at the
depot for 18c, and 100 lbs. of dark honey
for 10c. Husky Palmer, Hart, Mich.

Machine extracted honey has sold with
me first-rate so far. I have sold since !
July between “000 and 8000 lbs. With the
exception of about two bbls. it was all put
up in 1 and 2 lb. jars and in .1 lb. jelly
tumblers. Of the latter only a small
quantity, of course. 1 have a first-rate jj
retail trade for machine extracted honey
and I am sure that in a short time the ex-
tracted honey will be the only honey call-
ed for. In a show window l have an as-
sortment of different jars of honey all
put up at the same time and from the
same lot, hence the same honey : some of
the honey has crystalizcd perfectly white,
other jars next to those crystalizcd ones,
or above or below them, are perfectly
clear yet. "What is the reason for this
difference. Remember tbe jars being
closed in the same mariner, keeps them
alike air-tight, of course. I wish to
answer that question so ol'len asked,
“Why does that jar of honey candy and
the one next to it does not,” a little more
satisfactorily than with my present “don't
know.” I don’t remember of having seen
the question of cryslalization discussed
in a Bee Journal, and it will interest nil
to let the knowing ones come out 011 that
topic. ('. H. Mi th, Cincinnati, O.

We at onetime found the candying pro-
cess a great drawback to the sale of

best honey. 'Tis true it is some trouble
to get it out of barrels when in the solid
stale, but wc manage to get our barrels
into the cellar of our store, near tbe hot
air furnace, before frosty nights, whore it
never gets colder than about 50°. M e fill
jars from fliese barrels with facility by
means of a molasses gate, Idling several
dozen at a time, as they may be needed.
These jars of honey candy, of course, as
soon as they are exposed to a temperature
of 30 or 40 b ; but this we care little about
for we can at any time restore it to its
original appearance and flavor by melting
it. The most convenient way of doing
this in our own family, we have found, is

10 place the jar for several hours on the
reservoir of our Stewart stove, or if some
honey be wanted in a hurry, the cap and
rubber is removed from the jar which is
then placed in the back oven ; should the
honey be too thin and need “ripening’ it,
can be brought to any desired consistency
by continuing the process, and we must
confess to a weakness for clover honey so
thick that it requires to be handled with
a knife in very cold weather. Our chil-
dren make a very beautiful candy of honey
in the same way, working it as they do
molasses candy. As we can not give Mr.
Muth a single idea as to why one jar ol
honey candies sooner than another, we 11
slop.

I have about 400 pounds basswood honey,
extracted and in good order, all stored in
jars from 10 to 30 pounds. I should be
very glad to sell it at 18 cents net cash.
My’ honey is thick and 1 do not see bow
anyone can have better. _

Jo.SKfii Dn'i’Ki.Kn, Wequiock, Wis.

1.1,'CK IX IS EE KEEPING.

\Vf- 0 \V. sir. J want to tell you there i« such
j v a thing as luck in keeping bees: they
— 4 mny be managed over so well nnd then
bad luck comes in. J will tell you bow it.
happened. I bail some of my best Italian
storks close to my bouse nnd trented ns you
gave in "Gleanings ’ for winter. The very
best stork win stole right from under my
window, last, Sunday night. I felt as bad
about it as I should if ithnil been one of lny
horses. Now, Mr. N., if your tea-kettle
feeder is not patented 1 wish you would tell
us how, and with what, you keep tile
syrup from running too fast forthobecs to
takeaway. M. Uicinunsox.

l’ort Colborne, Canada.

Wc ure really sorry fog our friend mill
can oiler 110 lemedy unless il bo to make
the high board fence around the Apiary,
thief proof ns well ns wind proof. It

1 1 Were possible to tell who were the un-
principled depredators could not they be
told kindly that we would give them tbe
lioncy twice over rather than luive them
destroy our choice Italians. Wefeelstlre
their better feelings might be appealed to.
Our friend has not tried the tea-kettle
feeder we think. Atmospheric pressure
keeps them from leaking, on the same
principle that a small mouthed vial will

95

“ NOVICE’S ” GLEANINGS IN USE CULT0BE.

IIKADS or OR MX FROM ]>IFFER- II
EXT FI El, OS.

h |V(T J 0. 108.— In your bee house, in winter,

| y\\ what is the exact temperature you
s-*' JJ would constantly maintain, if possible?
The temperature of the general atmosphere
outside of the hives, I mean, with the tops
olF. liosmer lays stress on having all mirier
ventilation, cloned. lie lays so much stress up-
on this, that one might hastily conclude that
a perfectly tight-litting {bottom is what ho
advocates — what ho uses successfully. My
knowledge of physiology and chemistry
teaches me that in every instance, a perfect-
ly tight hive— an air tight hive— would till up
with the carbonic avid t/nn, from the breath of
the bees. (i. C. CoBjun, M. 1).,

St. Johns, Mich. I!

Our corrcspuiultMit need be under no
apprehensions that Mr. Jlosmer’s hives
will fill up with carbonic acid, for, as thej’
are of the “American persuasion/' there
will he ample room for all gases to crawl
out or in through the innumerable crevices,
even when closed as best they can be.
Our bees are usually quitest at about 40°.

N .. 109.— How shall J free combs from old
pollen? Will tho bees do it themselves?
How to separate tho old bees from tho young
so as to have nearly all young bees in the hive
at the beginning of winter. All my hives are
two story and both stories are now filled with
bees. Tho lower story will not afford suffi-
cient room for till the bees and 10 sheets of
comb. The upper story, of course, I shall
remove as soon as honey ceases.

.J . 11. Wii son Lexington, Texas.

September 1st, 1873.

Novice says your large amount of pollen
is the secret of the large number of bees,
and that you should save both by all
means, (iive the upper story a queen
and plenty of stores and they will do as
well as the other. Our bees always use
i heir pollen in spring, besides usually
large amounts of Hour or meal. This is
one ot the cases in which it is desirable
that both upper and lower story should
constitute a complete hive when need 1 m»,

( i la simplicity.

No. 110. — If hives arc kept .'haded from the
sun, me combs apt to break down in frames
II inches deep by 1 7 1 wide? (from front to
rear). J. Uumuarunkr, Jr', Kiinbolton , 0. !:

Although there would be other objec-
tions to a frame so deep, (see Prob. No. J
I and Heads ot drain No. 22), we should
have no fear of combs breaking down
from the cause mentioned. We have
never had combs melt down but on one
occasion, and then the hive was an Amer-
ican painted dark brown, nearly black,
and was without shade. After painting
the same hive white, we hud no trouble,
although left in the same situation.

No. 111. -I wish to know where silver hull-
ed buckwheat can bo got on fair terms this
hill, for seed next season. Bees almost all
died in this section last winter, l only saved
,,n <; *tand out of forty. Bought a few in the
spring and, having plenty of cmiiIj, have in-
creased <ii ;! i stands. Hope to have better
success wintering this time.

Jonathan .Sautii, Willow Brandi, Ind.

Will some, one toil ns whether the silver
hulloi! is :my boiler than the common for
to *os. Wo have an impression of ha vino
heard that its value hits boon over esti-
mated. \\ e have now only one word of
ml\ iee to I hose lm vino lost liens win tori no;:
K-t.'-li-A it.

No. 112.— Friend Novice AVhnt doc* it
mean, a queon that doe* not lay an egg ;
there is neither brood nor eggs in the hive.

M. Kaop, Poo, O,, Sept. 12th.

It probably moans they arc short of
stores, (live them at once enough syrup
to make them feel good, i. e. All up their
combs nicely and if Iter majesty dou’t
straight-way make a whole comb ‘ sparkle' 1
with eggs it is because s/te is had. The
former is most generally the trouble, how-
ever, at this season.

No. 112. — I think I could help you on the
pollen question, if wo lived near each other,
by swapping combs, as 1 have a superabund-
ance of it. Perhaps if you would raise an
aero of hemp every yoar, your bees would
Blither enough potion in the fall to supply
their wants the next spring. I havo heard
that if bees arc fed syrup on brown (rye and
I iniian) bread crusts they will cat all the soft
part of the bread. Perhaps that might be fed
in dull weather as a substitute for pollen.

S. Rowkll, Faribault, .Minn.

Many (hanks Mr. It. A\ e shall certain-
ly try the hemp next season, and we have
made experiments, without success, simi-
lar to the last, lias any one else ever
known bees to use brown bread as a sub-
stitute for pollen. We should like to semi
the So. 00 to some one.

No. 114.— Friend ‘•Novice” The pins, to
designate the condition of the stock* to
which the queon-roaring cards arc attached,
as suggested in the last number of ‘‘Gloan-
ings” answer a very good purpose, so far as
two of tho venters are concerned. But for
the center of the circle of tigures, 1 prefer a
tinned tack and two small pieces of zinc, or
brass, one of them a trifle longer than the
other, and arranged like the hands of a clock,
l.ct the shortest one indicate tho year ami
the longest the day of the month a queen was
approved. For instance, supposing a queen
was reared during the season of ’72, then let
tho shortest index point to tho figure 2, if
during '72, let it point to the liguro 3, and so
on. In that way tho cards, as now printed,
ea n be made to indicate the age of the queen
until the year 1001 , and by that time some one
may study up something better, and perhaps.
Imre it jHitcnted. J.axks Bolin, West Lodi, O.

We hud thought of your device but
considered it rather expensive, and feared
’twould get ‘‘out of kilter.” We would
suggest that one of the bent pins be put
anywhere in the hive to designate the
year. Imagination can suppose figures
around it like a clock dial, and we keep
record thus: Straight up, of course in-
dicates 12, and slanting slightly to the
right, 1 : horizontally to the right would
mean if. and a little above horizontal, 2:
while below horizontal a little, would be
1, and so on. The four positions up,
down, right and left, being plain at a
glance, a slight inclination from any one
of these positions would indicate the re-
maining eight numbers, with little danger
of mistaking, especially after some prac-
tice. This is an important item, for such
records might iie used to indicate num-
bers for a variety of purposes, for in-
stance: our friend Shaw desires to in-
dicate flic hive from which he takes brood
to rear queens ; as his apiary consists of
over Kill colonies, two pins might be used
side by side, and reading the numbers
designated as we read figures, we would
have :!:> by fuming both to the right, fib
by turning both to the left; 63 by turning

96

“NOVIClV GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

the first straight down and the second to
the right, and so on. On the first, the
positions 11 and 12 would not be used,
unless we chose to go over 100, and per-
haps 10 should always be read as naught.

We hardly need add that the practice of
marking hives up with a pencil is untidy,
and besides a pencil is not always at hand.

No. 115. — I put into winter quarters last
Nov., 108 good colonics of bees in good cendi- I
tion andcamo out with 24 pretty good colonies
and 22 in a weak condition. The 24 gave us t
3500 lbs. of honey, nearly all out of the j
comb, and increased them to 32, A little ;
after the middle of tho honey harvest wo
smothered 2 of the best ones and got no in-
crease from them. I have now 70 colonies
and 4000 lbs. of honey in all, of tho best j
quality we ever had ; wo have sold about 2500 i
lbs. of it at an average of about 24 cents por
ponnd. My bee house is a second story, with
saw dust walls 11 inches thick and well ven-
tilated. I think bad honey was the cause of \
our loss. P. W- MoFatrioe,

Carthage, Ind. II

We are obliged to our correspondent,
for tw* reasons. First because ho really j
has done exceedingly well, and secondly t
because Mitchell, in his Directory , gives
an account of what agrees in name, state |
and many particulars with the above ; yet j
he states the result was obtained from '
right stocks instead of forty-six. Quite a ;
difference Mr. M., yet we don’t know but j
'twere wrong to expect truth from you at l
all.

No. 116.— I think you are a little too strong I
on your syrup theory for winter food, and if
my bees winter as well this year as they did I
the last two years, I shall most certainly con- j
vert you to mv straw mat arrangement. I
don’t feed at all, except in particular cases of
course ; and oven the stimulating in spring,
outside of rye (lour, I have never dono with J
satisfaction. The uncapping of a comb occa-
sionally suits me much better.

C. F. Muth, Cincinnati, 0.

Supposing syrup no better winter food jj
than honey ( we think all agree that 'lis :
just as good,) the great saving, owing to ,
the difference in price, would always, we |j
think, lead prudent bee keepers to use the i|
sugar. We are already converted to Mr.
M.’s straw mats as a means of keeping
the bees dry and warm, and they may
serve a better purpose than the cloth quilt,
but wo have always considered them J
about their equivalent. We have au im-
pression that straw mats are untidy and j
are always scattering straws about. Is it i
not so ? The colony mentioned under j
Beads of Grain No. ti9, that we wintered
on less than 1 lb. of food per month, wus * 1
packed all over with fine swamp hay and
kept in the cellar right beside our cider j
barrel. As we expected them to be out j
of food before New Year’s, wo tapped
daily on the hive (?) to eeo if they re-
sponded, and to our astonishment, they
did this promptly until the last of March,
and then when set out had nearly all oj
tlieir one comb of sealed honey, given
tJiem in November. There was less than
a quart of bees in the fall, and few if any
more in the spring, but they built up
eventually to a fine colony. We attempt-
ed to winter onr whole apiary of 40 colo-
nies, the winter after, in the same way,
ottly we didn’t Tfce the hat. Wo lost all

but 11 with the bee cholera. We have
many times since wondered whether the
liny possessed some rare virtue, or if the
“tapping” may not have had some tabs-
manic effect. If we remember aright, not.
a dozen dead bees were found on the bot-
tom board, but after their first (light so
many bees were missing #v feared the
few remaining young bees would never
get strong, but they did. We think the
diverse reports in regard to spring feeding
come about because the condition of the
colonies differ; with one containing “lots
of pollen,” lavish feeding produces hosts
of young bees; but where pollen is want-
ing, feeding with honey or svrnp docs lit-
tle good. Rye meal, or anything they
will take in lieu of pollen, always gives
abundance of brood. Are we right ?

We “extract" the following from the
Chicago Honey Co.’s circular. If they
are not entirely in the right they are
“most

“The honey thus extracted possesses a
most delicious flavor, and can be eaten
withoutfear of sickness. It is eating the
Comb that makes one sick, the Rees nor er
eat it, and phycians say there would be
as much propriety in drinking ale from a
bottle, and then eating the bottle, as to
eat the Honey and Comb ulso.’

A t» v 33 1 IT I8EMBNT 8.

Advertisements will bo receive'! at 10 ocnls
per line each insertion, cash in advance ;
and we roquiro that, every Advertiser satisfies
us of his responsibility and intention to do
all that ho agrees, and that his goods are
really worth the price asked for them.

1 MEMO AX BEE JOERNAE.— Estub-
/\ lished by tho late fiam’l Wagner, at
Washington, IJ. C. Now published atChiea ■
go. W. F. Clarke, Editor and Proprietor.
Subscription price, $2 a year in advance.
Sample numbers sent on application.

R ee-keepers, attention t— Send

25 0 * 8 . for throe months’ subscription to
National Dec Journal, now published and edit-
ed bv

ELLEN S. TUPPEB, Dos Moines, lows.
Liberal terms to Agents. Specimen num-
ber free-

A DAIR’N ANNALS OF BEE (El.

TUBE.— The fourth volume will hois-
mod in 4 quarterly parts, cnuli the sir" of
formor volumes. Atf.Oe. each. $2 por Vol.
Tho first will bo out about the first of Decern ■
her, 1873. Prospectus and Club Terms soul
on application. Hack Volnmos, excopt the
first, can be still furnished at. 60 cents each,
in paper, D. L. ADAIR, lluwesville, Ky.

TA /ATRY IT 3 Motif (in fop 10 Cent* t

LM /or with SJCbromo, l'or50 cents : or six
mouths with “Tho Flowers of Paradise,” a
first-class 86 G'hromo, Vo'/, x 21 inches for 81.
The National Agriculturist and lleo Journal
is a gixtecn-pogo paper of 64 columns, baud -
mutely illustrated in all its departments.
One ofthc best Agricultural and Family pipers
published. Only hi per year, or 81.25 with
best Bee-Book, or 81.58 with a beautiful
Cbromo. Boo-Kuepev’s Magazine, a 82-pavo
monthly, samo terms, or bolh for 81 . 75 ,
Pend now for samples, and Eibernl Terms
t« Ajrent# 1'rce, II. A. KINO k OO.. 14
Murray Pt., N. Y.

“Xovicn's ” Wind-mill Print.

B E E S AND HO N E Y

JB OSBOfSLAn fph i

WHICH, TO BE FRANK, IS PRINCIPALLY AN ENUMERATION OF

W II A. T W E HAVE TO SELL!

Besides Being a Condensed View of Bee Culture for 1873,

w,tl * w,,at wo 1101,0 18 «• ” ot

DOES BEE-KEEPING- PAY AS AN OCCUPATION?

Sixth Edition. MEDINA, 0., DEC. 17, 1873. A. I. Root & Co.

Introductory.

We trust the iibovo hearting will introduce ussuffl-
■I.'iinv to such ol our renders ns we meet for the first
, ’m' ’! i i °1’ V s . 11 ' ^ sb<u,1<l not prevent them lYom getting
an Idea th:d this is only a new dodge to beguile their at-
tention while we slowly and cautiously unfold marvel-
ous reports ol astounding yields of some “patent hive”
"L '"‘'"l-.”,™ "ill state: First, that every mti-
. V. ne<1 » ? ur l lst ' witb perhaps a single exception,
an he made by the bee-keeper himself at home, and
>o uni have only to consider which vou have the most
I’ 1 ,'.' 1 or money. Secondly, we furnish the

CM’liwt directions for enabling vou to make your
\ ' Aiplcmenta, or anything we oiler for sale, and
h . i .,n- ° VV y l<> tl 1 e<;kle ' b - v lhc price, whether vou can
pfements t0 pulcliase of us > ()r (<) use home-made im-

lww^ni? t (,G ?‘ 5, le that we are “too clever”, we
in our Monlhlv 1 V,,U,al,le kn,nvlci, S« "e furnish
“GLEANINGS IX BEE CULTURE,”
lor whirl, we ask the modest, sum of 73 Cents
X or 3c ear, or 50 cents in Clubs.

1873 ass a Honey Season.

Notwithstanding that we have many times evnerl-

'° hoa, ' ins “/«»<><>•• nailed the S4
st'itin,";. ''S" 11 !’ must he excused for

fm m..v m, ‘ ,,,nmt T °‘ 1H ' :! baa been the poorest
mi none\ we have ever known.

h-.,n!!»o l),o r.T ls f ;' irl - v ’ hut when White Clover
aii w vic,,,1, ig harely ten days a “dry spell” set; in,
wood W n thc ilst 01 boney for the season. Bass-
I ‘ ! 1 u ‘*V Uv . K V V< “, us a n,lvnl ' of it, and other sources
Kiluips lunnshrd the bees nearly what they consum-
t •' ,1 '!"h r "» swarms issued in this vle.ln-

tfiei'r Imes hZ.t.'Z® ™ r our box-hive friends will lose
uun Dees bj starvation generally.

" s l'imisure to add that we t hiuk we can
s ' . : , 1 f bo laade t0 I>ny even In such sea-
sons, and that only ten days of a yield of White Olo-

rcst of the^ear 4 P8y f ° r a " troub “ nmI expense the

eok.n'lM* l ? n dn V mentioned we secured, from 5G
hein , ’ ” ne ton ol nice Clover lionev. which has
SHtioo wV i S ° ’’ nt ? n “yeeage, say of 17c., making
to vi Iri,' ll , ! vc Pyebused and fed them preparatory
neZo lr ! g ’ V 1 !® 0 barrels of A coffee sugar, at an ex-
eeivmi r 1 about *100.00; but as at least Sco.oo was re-

lionev v?.u V ueon8 h> t]lp upper stories after the

mi ra-sh ov..,' ov< ;i ■’ cal > S}'« the result as £300.00
1 een hi tlmhni J 7 lh S v - ,,xcl>|,t '“bor. We have not
it b'lnlw .1 making any account of labor, unless
t,.„ ,i! ' 'b* boney season, (which was of less than

bees Is 1 } ltlim , thc past summer.) as the care of our
tilai- msim « ‘ y 11 I de “sont recreation from our reg-

meits Smersi as B ®. cs - I 80 Ito »«e, and imule-
Wl . | llM fr. . ‘ 1 • ; bare been Invoiced at about £1,00(1.00,
U lt . whdn "fbidelhnt "" per cent, a very fair ,iroflt on
of l . f‘ al ,, ln ' r , L ' s 1 tmc > u ' even If il has been the “worst
nearly all of , f , n ,° ,no JC® th:| n fair to state that
est ami il ,., i yield was from about 40 of thestrong-
eei al t,, { ‘.J? opinion. 25 really good stocks, say

" than our wli, lie ^ hOTC b™ 1 ”-

t | ii',>i|.']!!mt'i'hn C i'r >l i b “ 3 , buen , reported mostly poor
and u'e v lull " yi 1 s «‘"ie localities report it

points hJuey^ldeZqultewell ° Hr “ C0HUty » ,V "'

Implements for tlie Apiary.

Almost the first thing lo be considered in eommem-
ng Bee-Keeping is Ilives for our bees, and as the
“ 1V ? ( b*termine<l by the sized frame we use, it seems
that the frame is alter all at the real foundation of a
start in Bee-Keeping. We need hardly add now that
whatever dimensions be decided on, ho other should
be used In the Apiary under any circumstances what-
ever. Make up your mind on commencing, the size
and shape you prefer, with a decision that shall be a
llnal one, tor the want ot uniformity between Apiarie*
is had enough now, without having the same trouble
exist in a single establishment, i. c., have every frame
Jit nicety in any hive.

Now those who have one kind of hive and frame al-
ready, perhaps had better not change, even if there
are a hundred and one different kinds ; blit our friends
who are making a start, it seems to us, etui certainly
decide upon one of the live kinds of frames now suc-
cesstu iy in use, given below; we give them in order
ol their size, on a scale of one-sixteenth of their act-
ual size, outside measure, the Quinby being the largest
and thc Gallup the smallest.

11 Xl

Gallup.

>-*

To avoid a semblance of injustice we will say that j
\)w frames we consider Langstroth frames, every one ;
«»f them, and we believe he experimented with ’them j
all, and many more besides, before settling down on |
i he {Standard Langstroth ; but custom seems to have
found it convenient to designate them as we have, by I
the names of those who use or prefer them thus. We |
keep only the Standard Langstroth on band made up, |
as we think it best, all things considered. Were we to ;
choose next we should select Adair, then American, ;
then Quinby, and lastly Gallup. Were we to rear
Queens largely we might ptel'er the latter to all others
on account of the small frame. We should use for any |
of these frames what we call the Simplicity hive, that j
i- a plain box made without top or bottom, aud to give
them the requisite strength to keep square and true, ;
we should "halve in” the corners that they may be
nailed from both ways. As the Quinby, Adair and
Gallup frames are of the same depth, one width of j
boards will answer for all, both sides and ends, and as j
eight frames till a Quinby hive, the width is just right ;
to take the Gallup frames crosswise, of which twelve ,
are used ; thus making the same hive answer for
either, with the exception of making the rabbets in
the ends for the former and in the sides for the latter.
About ten frames of the Langstroth, Adair, or Ameri-
can, are needed for a single story hive, and so we may j
make them all of the same width, viz: 11 inches, i
For facility in working we would always have the up- •
per and lower stories precisely alike, and for the same
reason we would also nave tops and bottoms exact ly
alike, and these should be made with strips around
them like the cover to a trunk to effectually prevent j
warning; we use a simple hinge that hinges any one
of them instantly on any hive, as may be required.
For more precise directions for making these plain. |
simple hives, see Gleanings for 1873. ’Tis optional
whether common nailed frames be used in these hives,
or those we make with metal corners, the latter are of |
course more expensive, but when the Apiarist’s time
is valuable we think they are a good investment, not
only because they are never gummed fast, but also on j
account of their superior lightness and strength, and
as much less wood is used in their construction we !
have more square inches of comb surface for brood or j
honey In the same hive. As quite expensive maehin- I
erv is used in the construction of the metal corners we
have had them patented, but the right is free to every i
one to use them, we only reserve the right to manu-
facture, which we presume will never inconvenience
.Bee-Keepers, so long as we furnish them at the low |
price of one cent each, or less in large quantities.

Whatever form of Hive be used, soft, light, cloth
quilts should always be used to cover the frames, ami, j
indeed, with metal corners these are almost a necessi-
ty, for a honey-board would be liable to be stuck to the
frames sufficiently to raise them up when it is remov-
ed. These quilts, to work well, should tit accurately,
and if they are soft and light they may he pressed
down on the Bees when they cover the frames without
injury.

Before dismissing Hives we must not omit to add
that any one of these five frames may have a hive
made wide enough to contain the full number needed
in a single story, and Adair claims that a good Queen
can use a hive ror his frame four feet Long and con-
taining, if we allow 13 a inches to each frame, about
thirty-two frames; this we believe he styles the "New
Idea Hive.” While admitting some great advantages
from this arrangement, such as not being obliged to
lift off an upper story, being able at any time to re-
move anv comb at pleasure, facility in extracting, for
we can shake the bees off the combs directly oil those
that have been emptied, etc.; yet we cannot agree
that any greater amount of honey may be obtained by
such ah arrangement until we have more positive ex-
periments in the matter; nor can we think the a r rung-
men t of spreading the combs horizontally sufficiently
new or novel to be the basis of a Latent Hive. The
disadvantages are that double the amount of bottom
board anil cover are needed to enclose the same num-
ber of combs, the hive is spread over more ground, is
not as compact, and if housed in winter the whole ar-
rangement must lie "lugged” in. All things consider-
ed, we are not now prepared to decide that the form
may not ultimately obtain, over the two-story hive.

I" 'or box Honey we would use any of the hives men-
tioned two-story, or we would make them double
width and use two stories, thus enabling us to add
boxes at the sides of the comb as well as on top. This
arrangement is said to give enormous yields in some
localities, but we have never been able! to secure any
such results here. If bees art* furnished lilenty of
room near the brood combs during a \ i> Id of iione\ w c j
presume it makes little difference whether it be at the J
side or above. We cannot think it possible for bees to J

build the comb, and store, under any circuinstanoes*
the quantity of honey thev would with empty comb
furnished them. Where box honey is relied’ on, in
most localities, disappointment has been so much the
rule and success the exception, that 'tis a very preca-
rious business indeed. \\ ith the Extractor and a set
of surplus empty combs, the Bee-Keeper is almost sure
of a crop, be the season ever so poor.

llxt raetors.

It would seem there has been more thoughtlessness
in the construction of extractors, if possible, than in
movable combs for hives, and nothing short of direct
experiment seems to have any influence in convincing
that revolving the can of the Extractor is a most in-
tolerable error. To be brief: Have every part station-
ary that it is not absolutely necessary to revolve :
make the revolving frame just as light as it possibly
can be and have the necessary strength, and in order
to secure this lightness and avoid useless centrifugal
force, all frames should go in the longest way up and
down. The comb should stand when revolved, against
a sheet of wire cloth firmly supported at about live
inches from the center of shaft, and were the combs
used the longest way horizontally we should be oblig-
ed to use a very large can, and those portions most re-
mote from the center would of course receive the
highest speed, requiring a waste of labor, and endan-
gering the throwing out of the unsealed brood before
the honey was all out of the middle of the comb. Ex-
tractors should be made all of metal for obvious rea-
sons, and the center and gearing should be supported
by a single arm, that we may have nearly the whole
top of the can open to handle frames rapidly. The
whole apparatus should not exceed twenty pounds in
weight, and should be sufficiently compact to be plac-
ed over the bung-hole of a barrel, that we may work
uninterruptedly, without being obliged to stop to
empty or strain honey in the height of the honey sea-
son. Lastly, every drop of honey should run out of
its own accord, and a large sized .molasses gate should
be attached, that we may close it quickly, when a bar-
rel is full. Notwithstanding the advantage of having
an Extractor that will take any sized frame we have
mentioned, we would have at least two sizes, for it
would be too great a waste of time and strength for
one possessing an Apiary of Langstroth hives, to work
a machine with the superfluous metal necessary to
contain a Quinby or American lYamo. A seventeen
inch can will do Very well for all frames having a di-
mension of 11 inches or less, and we should use a
twenty inch can for the Quinby and American frames.
’Tis true that for the American, Gallup, or Adair
frames, we might have a shallower apparatus than for
the others, yet as the expense is but little more in
making, we have usually made them all of a depth of
about 20 inches. For directions for making, see
Gleanings tor Feb. 1873.

In regard to Transferring, Artificial Swarming, Bob-
bing, \\ intering, etc., we have little to add in addition
to our remarks in our last year's Circular, more espec-
ially as each subject has been frequently treated in
Gleanings.

We can ship promptly, by Freight, Express or Mail,
(none mailable except those designated,) goods men-
tioned in the following list. Hives, Extractors, etc.,
can be sent much cheaper by freight, but in this case
they should Ik* ordered three or four weeks before
needed, if the distance is considerable. During the
months of April, May and June, orders may some-
times be delayed several days, but our customers may
rely upon receiving prompt notice at once on receipt
of all remitpmccs.

At, the prices given below, cash must accompany
every order ; as the sending of goods C. O. I). entails
an additional expense, and goods mail) times fail to
be taken, we must be excused for refilling to send any
that way. When hives or frames are ordered in quan-
tities, the additional expense of boxing is such that
we can make no better rates on large orders. Orders
for frames or hives of dimensions different from those
named, will also be liable to some additional delay,
especially during the "Honey months.”

P H ICE E I W T .

Simplicity Hive, single story, without frames or
bottom board, made for either Quinby, Langs-
troth, Adair, American or Gallup frames, each.. $1.00
Tile same, ready to nail, including nails, hinges,

metal rabbets, etc 90

The above furnishes a complete sample hive to work
from, as the bottom is to be made precisely like the
cover; two of them forms a two-story hive, and the
extra cover then furnishes a bottom board.

Kithei- of the above furnished double width 1 r,n

Double width, will. ™V™:£S

the latter contains the same mimlipr „r

‘te C ad"ofabSve! ,iVe ’ but is “ xten,lod borlzo.mdly In-

A except iSS’fc 1 "^ 50

» y b Mnx??h°i to -*

'\fc h !®e^reK^W. nnteth ° 50

* ™;>e« with metal corners lor above, or'in'iuct

liamcsol any desired dimensions ’ 0(;

, ample lrame with section of metal rabbets. ’hi-

. eluding sample ol transferring clasps, (by mall)... 15

fri^

r’ Ut " p !" Packages of 100, i. e.

Per 1 ,'to.. ' anK ’ S ' 1 * ’- v "WU cents extra,).... 1.00
l’er !, .oo

aboVewUMm included withoutchai^c’ 010 ’ ° U0 of tho

^trip^ofmeha”* running foot."'^ 0 . ®f. f® 1 ^ M
Folding Ihe strips adds greatly to the strem.ii, Y„"
sides liiniishing a smooth hard surface for thiK ml of
lie lrame to strike when replacing i and nrevtents the

y S" to oxtl-ff.“ f .!^!. hlvca menli ° a «'- (by mail

The same double width!!.'.'

trl i;!c Width, (for ".New Idea,”)!;: l o

' Ihy mulTlS^f' pennu-kage of 10,^' ' ' '

just^fnclf. m “ d ° t0 m our IVunles or any other frames

Honey Knife by mail , on

Halt dozen, by express.. !!!!!!!!!" '500

kee„ t ’.o!‘i l ? dd ,ha( 0U1 ' Honey Knives are sufllcicntlv
lshed.0” y ’ and thu "'“o'o H very Strong gd

! 5 !Vv! 0 ’ ?» a * crl an(l painted , nn

| ' advanced so much that we

I JjanUj dare quote them, however, we can fur-
nisb a very nice, recently improved article, for.,8.00

mmm

Sl Onnnfu! SSO i rs ’ ’P'S’ lin c pointed, for dinning

Queen s wings, hv mail 11 ® Jn

Implements' ami 'opera- ‘ "

u in, Ym 8 * by In, securely packed and mailed 30
Alstkc Clover rased, the best, less than 111 lbs. ’ "'35

“ p'^r ••

by mail, postpaid 4,3

; ■ queens.

Hv uTIm.'noI'lnr' of comm< ? n bees kept In our local-
Ini will i' nr,,! !, ‘ 1 'l |lc< ‘iis lor sale, warranted pure :

n osrc rof il i L'.l cma’ n ‘ ! .‘!' r ' i iV . Hm Hie brood of il,
Sr *l no midZ fhl I?,n m “ th "r a > imported if possible,
Will 1 . 1 1 ^ , 0 lollowing conditions : The mieens

will be shipped as soon as tlit-y begin to lav \ ,,1 , •

tlmm'bv mail or 1 ' K,ri, ' U >' in iotatfon. We^vU ' . end

; X,Z ^

feuaiantoe ot sale delivery or purity. ^

reel fvpd 11 .. 110 ? l3 !n 11 a PP 1 b*ants ns soon ns the money is

1- • S , 'a a r ,m , n ,'n lilV U “T “»“» } when the queens
in- ‘-nipped, nut at the very low price mpniinmlri

ponses must be mndc ns light ns possible \#» nrlwl
can be booked until the money C been mSyJS*

wile'll on ,. 1 .I! ', 1 ' 1 ' 1 ’ 1 ! 1 ! 1 '’ retu V n 'be money at any lime!

might liml unavoidable. “ As “ever id 'axiferienced
nueeii rearers have promised to assist in the w ork w,>

! t0 Shi " ducens

! ssaassr-s-*:

1 Hitli the dollar qu ‘ens. We think ir t*iirnn •.

1ml h®! ,S # 0 ?’ t ! ley nii » ,lt 1,0 built up into a st rung colon y l
opportunity to fully test the mnu«w
frame! thu abovu 1VamDs ' ih one l.angstrotb

J 'rnSi! 0 Hoe-Feeders that will feed a colony
Cienf Sw V0 P“! >l0 C’rcumstaiices 25 lbs., or sum'

KvIv 'V * 01 'Y mter > m ten hours I ()()

f- XU actors lor any of the frames mentioned!! .'!!!: iiVol!

in&ve'd a d H 18 been recently lamsidernbiV

liacS i ;S

hot'onT (be"" Ibc' nuu'ldne^was

Swa&Wffihvar.SiSi : 1

cliine coats? P’"'P° 808 > “ <iall - v what the whole ,na-

httve^iot^pt'thom'on h*antl. Cmi<Ild ^ tllCSU that w
lnch,l1ing a " «««»«• to j

Pino tinife, I' 1 '" Ibm ' iV' ma' iY .n- U ^uldifhnud!;’. . . If,

• s unerior xvhii ' sizc ' 1(,, ‘ Kxlraetors r>e

about 375 lbs!; each . . l !! ! ! !?. !'? V Mmy ' cai,acily

j Index to Vol. I, Gleanings in Bee Culture.

in'fbe Jan No.?* re “ d 1V01 " 9 t0 18 a > c tVo.n 1 to S, as

j A-dvertlsers, should they be responsible.. u

Gratuitous . {.5

Agassiz’s “Life in the Bee Hive,” la

Apiary, start lug. . 2, 1 7 . 25 , .I:,; 311 , Vl', 4 n', 57 ,®, ' 73 , 81 , \sb
“ Keepin"" 1 lleceas a ri ’y expensive p

, . Kvergreen hedge for!!.."!!,’!!.',' 7a

Artuidal lertilization a failure... . A' '

Barrels lor honey, capacity, etc.. ,V

, waxing • 41 42

“ < n ut ion ’ r.ii

“ Coating wit h grafting wax. ‘ II I m

Bee-veil, how to make?. ... .

Bee disease, the

I Bee literature, notices of ’. ’ ?

| Beekeepers, do they usually pay expinses! *m

Bee-house, how i«» build I oV

„ Temperature of. * “ ’a*

l»ee culture, improvement in ,V 7

Bees, moving

;; And granes ! .’ . ! .’ ‘ .’ .* .’ ’ * ‘ ' * ' ' ' * ‘ ' ' ' ' ‘ ' ' ’ jJJ

u Bvin-iil ' 1C * V housed in Southern States .. 15

“ Mischievous — r>

!* hould they be handled during cool weather >-

in spring ..y

Poisoning, etc m

“ stealing, is there a remedy .’ a±

smothering in winter, little danger oi\ ! .* .* .'<>
loo many m hive for wintering, what to do

“ i,''fcua.Y::.'.Y.Y'.'.'.'.Y;.'.Y:.

“ And cider mills • r , a, si 'sV'aJ

Box honey, appeal in favor of. 87, ^

n I I. V"| 1 “^'racto.;, comparative merit's of' SO, ':u
Books devoted to bee culture \ 7 pj

Brood, can the heat of sun assist in rearing 27

“ Building u]) weak colonies by combs of. .4*2, 64

44 And pollen.

Broodcombs. shall wo extract from.

Candy, for winter food

How to make from honey..

Can our bees be improved

Chromos

Cider, is it injurious to bees

“ Mills to avoid trouble with. . .
Coaxing bees from combs..

..(>4 I

, 32.

, 9*2

94

34

92

32

74, 80

.24, 52

Conservatory for queen cells, or plants, how to

make, bow to keep warm for 2c. per day

Covers and bottom boards alike, why 53

Conventions, do they pay generally !

Combs, emptv, how to keep 38

44 Mouldy 38

44 Cappings for extracting, how to care tor — 42

44 Building |3

44 Worker wanted 48

44 Drone, removing — 67

“ Value of frames of empty worker 78, 1)3

“ Breaking down from heat of sun, pre-
vention 65

44 Built true in frames, how to have 4/

Drones, value of pure ••••45

Eggs, for hatching^ 26, 85, 44, 53, 1 1).

How ninny does a queen lay, and

how many of them produce bees BO

Evergreens for windbreaks 71)

Extractors, how to make at an expense not. to ex-
ceeding $5.00 .13, 10, 22. 38, 39, 5(5

“ Gearing and inside work for • .39

44 Don’t injure b.ood 13, 77

44 Are they dangerous 23

Extracting, how to do it easiest 49, 50, 52, (53

Feeding meal in spring .24, 81 I

44 Does it pay in s])i*ing when colonies have _ i

sufficient stores 79

“ For winter, when, how, how much, how to

make the syrup 14, 65, 66

“ On sweet apples 84

“ IIow to give 100 colonies all they require tor

winter in one day

“ Stimulative, does it pay

44 Foulbrood, preventative, etc

Feeder, teakettle

“ 4 * llow to make

44 Tin pan for

Frames, common and metal cornered

•• Small for Nuclei and comb honey. . .

“ flaking

u Closed tops or closed ends

“ Building upper and lower together

“ Uniformity and size of

Fumigator, is one needed

Grape viues for shading hives

44 Trellises

“ Easily propagated

Heads of grain . . .'.5, 14, 21, 29, 37, 45, 53, (5:1. 72, 77, 88, 95
Hives, Simplicity, hinges cover and handles for,. 40, 48.(4

•• ' Complete expense of 18

44 41 Quinby and Uazen 37

“ American, to make 51

44 Selling, a novel way of >6

44 Gallup, to make 18

44 Cheap. ---Si ,

44 Deserting in spring, why 21, 3i

44 Hinges for 82,88 ,

4 * Cover of as bottom boards for winter 81 (

44 patent 1 j Wintering, Nuclei

44 Form of *3

44 Simplicity t*

» i-*of box honey, a la Quinby and Ha/en 5

4 * Handles for, substitute '. 6

44 space between frames 9, 47

44 Dol'ar. where credit of belongs 13

44 Shallow versus tall, for rapid broodrearing. li»

44 Making ■•. }l

44 How lumber should be used in w

44 ! 1 ow to saw bevels

44 llow to nail, and what to paint them with.. 18

»• Children can assist in making.. 20

“ 8m ill, for wintering and shipping queens.. 20

41 Painl mg, color important

Honey, Ambrosial 85

4 * ' Column 8, 13, 24, 27, 40, 5(5, (50, 71, 80, 80, 9j-

44 Dew, deleterious to bees — — 22

44 44 4 * Not always 62

44 Plants * 30

44 44 Swamp, groat yield of 30.31

44 Comb and extracted which now sells best.. 87

44 Extracted, ripening 94

Implements, home-made — *78

Index scales 52

Italians, how they winter 1(»

44 Queens for 25c 2(5

Linden harvest, duration of 15

Maple sugar for bees 37

Moth, habits of 2/

Moving bees to take advantage of fall pasturage 64

Our fall dilemma 75

Periodicals devoted to bee-culture ••••••6

Photograph of Apiary 16, 3(5, 61

Pollen, is it absolutely necessary for brood-rearing. .45

44 For wintering 32

44 From hemp 95

44 Spring feeding 9(>

Propolis, glueing hives with, how to prevent — •

*• Answers to 6,7,27

Pumpkin blossoms for honey 7 8

Problems 3, 24, 27, 40, 62, 80, 84, 88

Queen nurseries 28, 69, 70, 71

Queens

.83 I
50

....84
....14
.... 16
.23, 30
. . . .35
....4(5
. . . .53

9

. . . .31

. .62

42

Testing comparative value of 43

Keeping caged../. 38

44 Recording age of 67

44 Rearing •••58

44 Introduction of -59

44 Two In hive 60

44 Dollar 60,09

44 Cells 02, 09

“ Cages •••69

44 .Just hatched, well received anywhere. . .71, 76

44 Registering cards 68, 95

44 Hatching by artificial heat 74

44 Not laying, why 95

Quilts, newspapers for *i

Railroad to the bee house

44 Plan for an Apiary

Report from Adam Grimm 82

Receipts, selling, etc •]}

Robbing •• • JJ

• 4 How you may defy °8

Rubber gloves, hot an advantage 24

Sawdust paths for the Apiary 26

4 * Objections to ‘-4

Saws, buzz or circular for hive making 9

Shipping bees by wagon 76, 78, 80

*• 4 * Expense of, etc., 29

Spring balance lor testing daily yield of Apiary 78

spreading combs, advantages of, and caution 33

Stings, remedies for -8

’ Stupefying bees, don’t J?

surplus from single stories ■ • • ■ ■

Su"ar syrup , • J"

Sw indies pertaining t o bee-culture 80,93

Swarming out in spring ‘J**

Swarms, to bring down

44 A good way to hive

Obliging bees to

i>3

Transferring

. . .33

Woman’s work, almost 64

W ax e xtractor • • J-

19, .5i)

Wind as a motive power.

.88

Wintering.

Artificial heat for 88

Without a queen S< J

W ithout comb

Losses in

5 (»

Shelves for 26,82

In clamps

IIow best to winter one colony, ditto

five, ditto twelve 73

Double walls for.

Fastening bees in hire H

Straw mats l'or

Wire gnaze over frames

'pi ion on cover a disadvantage (Akaninos, for 1873, furnished at any time for 75c.;

'aheing bottom boards or mm, v,,l. I and H together for 91.50, including

.13.41
40

44 I

Hone)*, extract' .

44 Straining, simplest way oi..

44 Adulterating

44 Artificial or bee food ,( >

• 4 ('yyslalization of 01

44 C omb less wholesome than extracted 96

44 jiow to sell and avoid irresponsible par-

lies 72, 8(5

Photo of Apiary. ,

To enable our friends to economize time and m one) .
wr enclose an envelope addressed to ourselves. 14
you care for our ‘-Journal,” write your address across

the end of Hie envelope, put the 7f>c. inside, and von
»re under no notwitji oi writing ns u letter unless

Med Ins, O.

von choose. Respectfully,

A. I- ROOT* t'O

DEVOTED EXCIitTSIVELTr TO BEES A 1KTT~i FTm\T~R~y

Vol. II.

JANUARY 1, 1874.

No. 1.

HOW TO CONDUCT AN APIAHY.

FTER wishing our readers all botli old
S%, and new, a “Happy New Year,” we would
remark that we should he very happy indeed to
he able to tell them thebest way to conduct an
Apiary during this month, if we could, butper-
liaps it may lie as well to be frank about it and
say in the beginning “we dont know.” If colo-
nies are all strong and the weather is cold per-
haps the best advice we could give would be
to say “let ’em alone.” They might be given
candy even liow if any were in danger of starv-
ing but we hope none of our readers have been
so improvident. Should your Bee House con-
tain a large number of very strong stocks, dur-
ing ndld weather they may get too warm and
become uneasy, or should the room feel close
and have an unpleasant smell we would open the
doors after dark and then close them again
next morning before light. A caution is proper
here, however, for ’tis to be remembered that
our thick sawdust walls are as much to keep
the inside mol at times as to keep the bees warm,
and so wcwbuld never open the doors so long as a
thermometer showed a lower temperature in-
side than that of the out door air. Many times
we can keep the temperature at 40 degrees in-
side when it may be (H) or more at midday out-
side. Bees wintered out doors need no atten-
tion when they are healthy, unless it be to
shade the hive, when they would get lost in a
very light snow as has been sooften recommend-
ed. To be frank again we have of late had almost
as little experience with out door wintering as
with Box Honey , yet we are always glad to get
reports from its advocates. ’T would be rather
easier to stop here and not consider colonies
that were not healthy and prosperous, for we
really know of nothing we could recommend
to be done for bees with the Bee Malady at this
season, with much hope of success. Actual ex-
periments so far as we know, such as taking the
bees into warm rooms and feeding sugar syrup
in clean comb, etc., at this season, do not seem
to have been very successful. At the present
time of writing Dec. 12, from reports we have
been able to collect we should prefer to risk
them at a temperature of 40 or 4.1 degrees,
rather than 10 or 00, and if any change were to
be made in the food we should if possible give
them sugar syrup that was sealed up in the
all or summer; if this could not be had then
candy. We believe Feb. or even March have
been the worst months, and cannot help think-
ing that comm. s ing brood rearing has some-

| tiling to do with the matter. See problem in
tliis No. We strongly suspect that problems
12, 10, and 10 also, will be found to have a close
connection with the matter. In looking for
facts to guide us in the matter we glean from
the back numbers of the v.arious Journals as
follows: Bee Keeper' e Magazine. Vol. I, pages 711
and 74.

“Will bees breed and rear young bees with-
out being permitted to fly for a length of time 1”

“Will the flour that is put in the . sugar-candy
recommended for winter feeding, supply to
some extent the want of pollen ?”

As the Editor gives no other answer except
the brief monosyllable “Yes” to both inquiries
lie lias helped us but little. The second query
however suggests an idea that may be valuable.
Mr Wilkin stated lie had made some such ex-
periments, but nothing- definite had resulted.

In A. B. J. Vol. IX pages 137 and 138, we find
something that agrees much with our experi-
ence, viz: that bees when confined to the hive
during brood rearing, become rapidly depopu-
lated, and to use Berlepschs’ own words, “The
death rate increases from day to day, the most
of tiie bees becoming weak and enervated.”

We presume this refers to a condition of things
where pollen is absent from the hive.

Lungstroth’s Book gives us more information
on the subject than all other sources combined,
see pages 81 and 82, and lie also mentions hav-
ing succeeded in inducing them to use rye
flour in the hive but this was during the month
of Sept. To sum it all up it appears that brood
rearing cannot certainly go on to any great ex-
tent without pollen, but we do know that brood
is reared in strong colonies to some extent dur-
ing Jan. and Feb. even when confined to the
hive by cold weather. Should these same colo-
nies be kept in a room warmed up to 00 or (i()
degrees and confined to the hive, more brood
might be reared if the supply of pollen was
kept up, yet we have had no direct experiment
to show that the health of the colony would
not be seriously injured by such confinement;
and as to building up weak colonies by supply-
ing artifleal heat, it seems that to do this they
must fly out or have some such exercise.
Whether this exercise can be given them in a
way to answer the purpose and still prevent
their being lost remains to be seen. There is
one tiling we can all do safely, and that is to
provide a quantity of Rye and Oats ground
together very fine for them to use as soon as
spring opens. We would advise providing
about one bushel for every ten stocks.

4

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

JAN.

WHAT IS A HIVE OF BEES WORTH)

NOVICE why cannot wc sell bees
AViL.too ? We have been selling Hives,
Frames, Queens, and in fact almost everything
pertaining to Bee Culture except Bees. Now
we certainly have no objection to selling a
whole hive, bees and all, if they are willing to
pay what they are worth to us. Now what is
a fair colony of Bees worth ? That is, how
much shall I charge a friend of mine for one?"

“Truly, the point you mention needs con-
sideration. If our bees are valuable to us
they would probably be so to others, and to
those who prefer buying a colony all in work-
ing order rather than to undertake the task
of transferring, Italianizing, etc., it certainly
is no more than proper that we should have
some kind of a regular valuation for them ;
but our queens — we dare not warrant them
pure, how about that ?”

“Oh, wc can make our estimate with ‘dollar
queens’ and then if the one under consideration
should have proved herself extra we can add a
proper amount for desirable qualities ; Messrs.
Shaw & Son offer tested Queens for $2,50. and
should one have proved herself extra prolific
besides, estimate her at from $3 to $5,00. as the
case may be.”

“Very well, then we have only to decide how
much a colony’s bees, combs, and contents of
the combs are worth, and add them to the
value of Hive (one story) Quilt and Queen,

and — here, give us a pencil,

List three items, from our price list are

worth $2.25

Ten frames of comb, metal corners and
fair average of worker comb, each

75c 7.50

Four quarts of Bees worth per quart 1.00.. .4.00
Pollen and brood etc. contained in comb
say 2.25

Total $10.00

Should tile queen prove equal to the task of
rearing three banded workers ‘every time,’ call
it about $18.00 and If extra prolific $20.00 per-
haps. If in addition to all of these the hive
should contain suffleeut bees to occupy an up-
per story at a season when these bees would
be available for honey gathering or Queen rear-
ing perhaps $25.00 would not be an extrava-
gant price, in our own locality.”

“There, Mr Novice you have gone and con-
sidered the “bright side” of the subject only,
but ’tis for all the world just like you.

If a “quart” of Italians are worth a dollar,
how much are hybrids and even black bees
worth ? and then suppose the queen does not
rear three banded workers but only two, one or
possibly bees without “ary” stripe, what is she
worth ? and supposing that combs should be
black, and crooked, and nearly all drone, or
or not built half way down; or supposing our
colony had neither honey or pollen, and that
there wasn’t even one quart of bees, how much
would a swarm be worth then ? Be frank now
for even in our Apiary wc occasionally have
Hives having some, if not all of these faults.”

“Well, well, give us a little time and a better
pencil and we’ll take all the ‘dark shades’ into
consideration too, let us see, to go back to
$16.00 and take the 'down grade,’ we shall

have to fix a value on dollar Queens that turn
out hybrids, and as we have repeatedly pinch-
ed the heads off some fine ones, we will value
them at only 25c. and as to black queens, well
really, we never heard of selling them at all,
until Mrs. Cotton's circular quoted them at five
dollars each, but as we promised not to ‘com-
ment’ we will only say that we could only con-
sider a black queen tolerable until we could
replace her with an Italian. Hybrids we will
rate at 75c. per quart, and blacks at 50c., drone
combs ( as good for extractor) at 50c., and we
really can’t rate old dark colored combs any
less if you women do persist in thinking new
white ones most valuable ; if the frames are
only partly filled, we’ll say 25c. each, and now
(where’s that pencil again,) wc have value of a
poor swarm of bees thus :

Hive and Quilt $1.25

Black Queen 00

Ten frames of comb partly filled at 25c. . . . 2.50

Half a ‘quart’ black bees at 50c 25

Contents of comb 00

$4.00

There, how will that do?”

“But Mr N. we don’t often have such a colo-
ny (all bad) in a simplicity hive, it would more
likely be found in a box hive, or what is it they
call ’em at the south ?”

“Gum ?”

“Yes ‘Gum.’ Ilad’nt you better subtract$1.85
from the four dollars for hive quilt and frames,
and call a — the ”

“Gum ? ’Tis really too bad that your educa-
tion has been neglected so much that you have
never seen one. We should not value them
any higher than common Queens, but Mrs
Lizzie Cot .”

“But you are not to mention her any more,
you know.”

“Well our colony of Bees we mean, and at
two dollars and fifteen cents we really think you
cannot accuse us of not having considered the
value of poor stocks as well as good.”

“But do you really mean Mr N. to value the
combs of such a colony at $1.90 and the Bees
and Queen at only 25c.V”

"We do; for a very small colony of Black
Bees even in the hands of an expert would be
very uncertain property ;but empty comb can be
kept any length of time and we fear has never
been properly valued. As ’tis a tedious job to
fasten pieces of comb into frames we shall if
possible endeavor to have all comb made in
such frames as wc prefer in the first place, and
if not filled out they are always ready for the
bees to take it up right where their predecessor
left off.”

Before closing it may be as well to consider
that many large sales of Italian Bee^ have been
made at figures considerably less than the es-
timate, for instance, Adam Grim sold 11. Wil-
kin, we think something like 50 colonics of
choice Italians in good movable comb hives for
$11.00 each, in the spring of 1872. Transport-
ation from Wisconsin to Ohio cost a little more
than $1.00 each only. As the above was given
from memory it may not be exact, but we think
is not far out of the way.

Bees like other stock or merchandise, should
be sold at lower rates in large qns'ifities, per-
haps it would be fair to estimate^ that Bee-

1874.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

5

keeper could as well afford to sell 50 colonics
at $12.00 each as to furnish a single one at
$18.00, taking into account trouble of prepar-
ing them for shipping etc., etc.

Just as we are finishing, friend Patterson, of
Freestone, writes to know how many combs a
colony should cover in Oct., for instance, to
enable them to winter. Now to give a careful
guess at it we would say that if you do not see
bees clustered in at least three, spaces during a
cool day, you had better not undertake to win-
ter them. If they can be seen in four spaces,
call them fair; five spaces good, six spaces fine,
and seven, “tip top.” More bees than the latter
we should not consider desirable for one queen.

FROBLEm ,\0. 10.

- V f'/IIAT are the necessary conditions to iu-
yj'sJI sure healthy brood-raising in winter,
should it be desirable? It is pretty generally
agreed we believe that full colonies winter much
safer than Nuclei and many times we have col-
onies that have been weakened by different
causes in the fall to such an extent that the at-
tempt to winter is unsafe to say the least, and
yet they have valuable queens. Now where
we have many such it would well repay the ex-
pense of a room artificially warmed and all
cost of food could we thereby get them up into
good trim to stand it until spring opens.

There seems to be adifllculty in the matter of
brood rearing during confinement to the hives,
but little understood. Our experiments given
ou another page as yet (Dec. 12,) have produced
nothing very encouraging. To be able to
build up a colony at pleasureduringany month
in the year (as we do in June for instance) and
thus have a full Apiary of extra strength inde-
pendently of the weather whenever we choose to
invest the necessary amount to acomplish it,
Novice estimates, would be an acquisition cal-
culated to give Bee-keoping a great start, and
that the desired information would be worth
$100 at least to us alone. We cannot raise
good queens in winter ’tis true (or at least we
suppose it is) but if it is really true Florists
and Market Gardeners have become able to
rear almost everything in the vegetable king-
dom at pleasure regardless of season, why can-
not we rear bees in stocks where we have good
queens? P. G. fears ’tis almost an impossibility,
but Novice remarks “we have ultimately suc-
ceeded with so many difficult points during the
past season, why may not careful study and
experiment vouchsafe us a similar reward in
this; and may not such research at the same
time unvail the mystery of the Bee disease?”
Who among our readers will help? We shall be
very glad of reports.

Mr. Quinby's excellent article in the Agri-
culturist for Dec. on wintering bees, contains
the following :

“That syrup of sugar does not prevent It in such
weather was proved ill many cases the past winter
whore tile combs were tilled with it. ami nothing else,
and were badly soiled before the bees failed.”

Now in the great number of reports we have
received, no such have ever come to hand
where the bees were fed in time to seal their
stores. Thin, unsealed syrup has in some
eases seemed to be unwholesome, yet not like

honey after all. We really hope Mr. Q.’s sug-
gestion of keeping the bees in a room warmed
artificially to a temperature of 50<> or there-
abouts, may be practically a success, as bees
never suffer thus in warm weather.

Could they be allowed to fly out there would
be no trouble, but we fear it would not do to
fasten them in at that temperature, more es-
pecially toward spring. Darkness will not keep
them in at such times, for we have had them
buzzing about our ears when the room was
dark as “ink in a stone bottle,” and the worst
trouble with dysentery we ever had was in the
winter of 1808, when February was almost as
warm as April. The bees were in a cellar and
had natural stores. We could not keep the
cellar cool even by opening the doors and win-
dows nights. As Mr. Q. says, a good strong,
henlthy colony of bees seem to be almost obliv-
ious of any degree of cold, yet after they get
thinned down or weakened by disease, cold
seems to operate disastrously, and a room
warmed artificially for such, we think might
save them. We have one just such, now near
us; the bees seem bright and healthy, but the
queen looks very small and thin, and we find
no eggs in the combs. We have (to-day, Dec.
1,) just inserted a comb containing pollen, to
see whether it will start brood-rearing.

Dec. 4th . — We find the queen has deposited
eggs quite plentifully, although the pollen giv-
en them did not fill more than 2 doz. cells.

Dec. 9th . — Found eggs in combs as before,
but nothing more. Placed the pollen next the
eggs and improvised a wire house for them to
fly in, which they did, but few of them got
back to the hive without help.

Dec. 10 th . — Gave them flying room in an up-
per story with wire cloth on top; with one
corner of the quilt turned up they got back to
the cluster without trouble. Kept the temper-
ature to-day 10'* or more higher by placing the
hive over a stream of air warmed up to about
70».

Dec. \Hth — No eggs, but the bees look quite
healthy, and have died very little since last ex-
amination. Pollen remains in the comb, all,
or nearly all of it.

We entirely agree with the Agriculturist's
view of selling receipts. Of those offered for
sale at prices ranging from 25c. to $10, or more,
we have never found one yet so offered of any
value, and the same thing is almost invariably
found more intelligently given, free in our Re-
ceipt Books or through our Scientific Journals.

Snoui.D the bees get uneasy during warm
spells of weather in winter, the doors or win-
dows of the Bee House or cellar should be open-
ed during the night. If they are confined to the
hives by wire cloth this is all the more import-
ant, After they have been once quieted down
and induced to go back on the combs the temper-
ature may usually be allowed to come up to 40
or even 50 degrees without again making them
uneasy.

6

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

JAN.

Gleanings in Bee Culture,

I'llbliNhcd Iflonllily,

-A— I. ROOT Sc CO.,

EDITOHS AND PROPRIETORS.

MEDINA, OHIO.

Terms : 73e. Per Annum.

For Chili Rate* see Second Page.

IVLETOJlSr^A, JLA-JSr. 1, 1874.

In answer to several inquiries in regard to
the “tea-kettle feeder,” we would say that it is
neither patented nor patentable , nor is the idea
of soldering perforated tin over the mouth of a
tin fruit can, or any other utensil, for feeding
hees, patentable.

On the wall opposite arc a very pretty pair
of cliromos. They were received from II. A.
King & Co., as samples of those they offer with
their Journals. While we should not think of
estimating their value at $5 or $10 each, we
certainly consider them well worth the price
they ask for them to any one wishing to purchase
pictures.

When we quoted from Pres. Bingham’s speech
last month we had not learned he had said
“Novice” where Mr. King had placed a blank,
nor did we know that he had a “patent hive”
“all his own.” Novice rubs his nose meditativc-
1 f on receiving the above items and remarks
something about having supposed he had fin-
ished that piece of work and “got everything
swept up cleau.”

This No. with our circular will be sent to
many who are not subscribers, but hereafter
none except sample copies will be sent unless
paid for in advance; no exceptions.

We prefer to send Gleanings to none except
those who really value it, and we should be
very sorry to intrude it upon any one who
might consider it an unwelcome visitor; there-
fore we accept no evidence of its being sincere-
ly wanted other than the customary remittance
of tlie modest little sum of 75c. or less in clubs.

Mns. Tupi’ek, in her Nov. Journal, says: “But
if we must have a rule for the syrup we will
say a gallon of water to four lbs. of sugar.”
Now we thought Mrs. Cotton’s “feed” at six
cents a pound very cheap even if the recipe did
cost $10.00, and had we not wasted all our

money for the “Ambrosial” we might have sent
for it; but Mrs T.’s plan is cheaper and she
don’tcharge anything either. Let us see, a gal-
lon of water weighing eight lbs, and sugar four,
makes 12 lbs., and total expense is. less than
48c., or 4c. per lb. and we really think it the
“most wholesome food that can be made,” only
we fear ’twould be like the old gent's discovery,
viz: that sawdust was excellent food for cattle
when mixed with bran, but a queer fact was
that the more bran he used, the better was the
“feed.” We presume Mrs T. meant one quart
of water, instead of a gallon, but she should
remember that “little pitchers sometimes have
very long ears.”

We believe the consistency of the syrup as we
find it sealed up by the bees is at about the rate
of 20 lbs. of sugar to a gallon of water, with
sugar at 11 1-2 c., the real cost of syrup that
will compare well with honey and will cer-
tainly go as far for feeding, is very near eight
cents per lb. When feeding must be done
does any one doubt which is the cheapest ? We
have just sold our last barrel of Clover honey
for twenty cents.

Bee Keeper's Magazine for Dec. contains an
excellent article by Mrs. Tupper, entitled, “All
About Hives.” Her view of the subject is
liberal and broad, with a clear view of wants
and needs of future Bee-keepers. Iler remark
that “the time is coming soon, however when
honey will not be sold in the comb at any
price,” is rather a bolder assertion than even
Novice would make, yet we think it quite
probable, We can hardly agree with her that
bees should not be examined in winter, for our
view of things, if we had waited until March,
for the past two seasons, might have been a
sorry one.

We have supposed that a good many had
been saved by nursing them through the win-
ter, and that "a stitch in time saved nine,” etc.,
but it may be our efforts availed little after all.
So many report having wintered finely in cel-
lars where vegetables were kept, and where
lights and footsteps were matters of daily oc-
currence, that we are inclined to think the dis-
turbance occasioned by frequent inspection
not injurious.

The suggestion that Novice claims to have
first discovered that bees could be wintered on
sugar is certainly a grave error, but that he
first advocated the idea in print that sugar
stores for winter was a remedy for the bee dis-
ease, and hence safer as well as cheaper, we
shall maintain until some document be shown
to the contrary. If Mr King do; . not yet feel

1874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

7

satisfied to recommend sugar in place of
honey we would advise him to carefully re-
cord the results of the great number of prac-
tical experiments made of that kind.

A remafk made in the A. 13. J. intended to
express our disapproval of the plan of not giv-
ing residences of correspondents, perhaps impli-
ed more than we intended it should, but we con-
fess to a dislike of finding when we reach the
end of an article that ‘twas from plain “John
Smith” with no other earthly clue to his where-
abouts ; and although we cannot say we feel
satisfied, ’tis the better way, we must admit
we have had the subject presented us from a
standpoint of view we had not heretofore con-
sidered, and that there are some very cogent
reasons for withholding the full name and ad-
dress. We hope we shall never be unwilling j
to acknowledge an error or injustice when sat- j
isfied we have committed one, whether it be !
commonly considered derogatory to the Edit- ,
orial character or not.

Filling pieces of comb with syrup as Mr !
King advises might have given very good sat- )
isfaction in 1868, but we fear our modern Api- ]
arist would hardly be content with so slow
and laborious a method ; and does he consider
too that in selling the Peabody Extractor he
cucumbers his patrons with a patented machine
that must be eventually laid aside for the supe-
rior light running home-made ones? ’Twould
be idle to argue a point that demonstrates it-
self so readily by actual experiment.

We most heartily approve of Mr King’s
method of furnishing hives of any kind order-
ed from manufactories close at hand, and we j
commend the Dec. No. of the Magazine as par- i
ticularly valuable.

We were certainly much pleased to receive |
Mrs. Tapper's Journal for November done up in I
a style so neat, and with such an attractive j
cover that we never should have recognized !
the old National Bee Journal at all, were it not |
for the name. We shall have to conclude that
woman’s taste is certainly equal, if not superior
to that of the sterner sex, in such matters.
The typography and general appearance of the
whole fully agrees with its appearance exter-
ually, and the whole work certainly does her
credit. We wish her a large list of sub-
scribers. Mrs. Topper’s Journal is cer-
tainly valuable, it could not well be otherwise, j
and right here we would ask why it can not |
be railed Mrs. Tapper's Journal , and thus aid In
making it possible to explain to our friends i
'bat the National Bee Journal, was a separate

institution from the National Agriculturist
and Bee-keepers Journal ofN. Y.

Mrs. T. says “Novice does not differ so wide-
ly from other Bee-keepers as he would have us
suppose,” which we are well aware of, for what
was considered some of his most extreme views
a year or two ago are now being echoed in a
way that would sound very much like some
who say when forced to concede a point, “why,
we always said so.” Now Mrs. T. your other
remark that: “It has always appeared to us
singular, to say the least, that in no one of our
bee journals is found mention of another —
each one ignoring utterly the existence of an-
other,” was rough on us, for in our opening No.
we certainly did notice all the Journals, and
there were more then than now,, and we did
also notice your own National Journal so well
that one of the associate Editors wrote “awful
bad” to us ; if you meant that Gleanings wasn’t
a Journal we shall feel worse still, for our Feb.
No. informed you that ’twas constituted a
Monthly as soon as the first No. was before
the public.

If Adair's theory that bees breathe- through
their wings be true, and that “a queen with a
clipped wing is like a man who still lives
though a part of his lungs be gone,” how' will
he explain the fact of queen’s living and thri-
ving with no wings ? Is it possible in his expe-
rience ’practically, helms seen no such? We
remember one of our best queens, in fact the
mother of the colony that gave us the 330 lbs.
in a season, had both wings gnawed otf close,
probably in being introduced, anil she was
equally prolific for two seasons at least.

Queens two or three years old are frequently
almost destitute of wings. Our opinion of
conventions was mainly intended for those
who had not made bee-keeping profitable, and
we have no reason yet to change our decision,
that those who make their bees mbs! profitable
are not those who are fdfemost a-i .our large
conventions. Mrs. Tupper’s report- of the North
American Society certainly contains much of
value, and we tender her our thanks for giving
it to the people in a correct and valuable shape,
but we arc pained to find that she again insists
that Extracting injures the brood, totally Ig-
noring the mass of evidence from those who
have for years been in the habit of extracting
honey by the ton. If conventions are to be
valuable they should embody at least enough
practical bee-keepers to keep down Adair’s
folly, and Mrs. Tupper’s inexperience with the
extractor.

It may be well to add that ’tis only necessary
to clip a very small portion (to avoid marring
their beauty) of one wing of the queen to pre-
vent loss in swarming; we have lately been
informed that Adam Grim clips the wings of
his queens in his whole Apiary of nearly 1000
colonics.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

JA1*.

8 '

W E this month omit the usual heading of
this department out of respect to the
sex of delinquent. Our readers can each and
ever } 7 one determine for themselves as to where
she should be classed.

A subscriber writes, enclosing circular:

‘•As you have gone into the recipe business, I here-
with send you a circular fram ‘away down in Maine.’ ”

take up the food furnished ; at other times they have
found that it has incited the bees to robbing, and
many stocks have been destroyed by robbing, whei*
the prime first cause was an attempt to feed some
weak colony, as after bees have once been rendered*
furious by plundering a weak stock, or by. being fed
all together in the open air, they often venture to at-
tack strong stocks, and thus many stocks are annually
destroyed ; and bees as usually fed frequently become-
diseased, suffering from dysentery, etc., through the
winter, and often die before spring from this cause,,
or if they live through the winter they are so weak in-
the spring as to be of little profit that season. But'*
with mv lood no such loss will be experienced. This
food fills a want long felt by bee keepers. I warrant
it the best food for bees that can be produced.

Frick list.

As we always prefer to hear both skies of all
questions, we dropped the lady a line, which
elicited the following:

I will only sav that I hold myself responsible for all
statements made in my circulars, and shall hold you
responsible for any statements which you may pub-
lish in relation to ine or my business.

Respectfully,

Lizzie E. Cotton,

P. S.— Much is often gained by minding one’s ow n
business, or,

“To speak a little plainer that the point you may sec.
Is it any of your business What my business may lx? ?”

Now it seems to us the lady certainly cannot
complain if we assist lier in advertising, by
giving a few extracts from her circular, with-
out note or comment, and without any charge
whatever. We clip as follows :

Cotton’s Controllable Hive. I have succeeded after
many costly and unsuccessful experiments, and care-
ful and determined investigations, in constructing a
hive which used in connection with a new system of
management, original with myself, is destined to
work a complete revolution in the management of

The capacity of mv hive for surplus honey is 31 glass
boxes, containing when well filled about 4 lbs. each.
These hives are so arranged that the bees have direct
access to them from the main combs of the hive, with-
out passing through any partition or obstruction
whatever. Bees invariably enter these boxes without
manifesting the slightest hesitation. They never re-
main idly clustering on the outside of the hive, as is
so often seen in others.

Controlling or preventing swarming. I claim that I
have solved, so as to render available to every bee
keeper, this leading point to successful and profitable
management of bees. Ever}/onc who is acquainted
with management of bees will readily see the great
advantage arris ing from successfully controlling or
preventing' swarms. I am able with my hive to obtain
either swarms or surplus honey at will. When swarms
are desired I arrange at the commencement of the
season to have them issue, and when surplus honey is
preferred, I with a very simple process original with
myself, turn the whole force of bees to storing honey,
and at the same time keep up the same increase of
bees as if swarms were allowed to Issue, and to those
who have not tested the matter it is surprising what
quantities of honey a colony of bees not allowed to
swarm will collect over one casting swarms. There
have been several plans advocated lor controlling or
preventing swarms, but all have failed.

Food for bees. Feeding bees is sometimes absolutely
necessary to save the stock from starvation, at other
times it is desirable to feed to induce early swarms,
and at other times feeding is resorted to for the pur-
pose of filling the brood section of the hive with
honey of inferior quality for the use of the bees, in
order to secure In boxes all that is collected from the
fields by the bees. I will here state that I am an ad-
vocate of feeding under each of the above circum-
stances, and I have labored to prepare a food which
will suit the tastes of bees, and not prove injurious
to them. I have succeeded in preparing a foo<l for
bees which meets all requirements, besides being
very cheap, costing only abou£ Six Cents per pound.
Rees readily store it away In coml>s, and will build
combs for storing it, when fed on this alone; anti
whether fed In large or small quantities, no bad effect
is produced upon the health ol the bees. Bee keep-
ers who have attempted to feed have generally found
jt up hill business, the bees many times refusing to

For a vigorous colonv of Native bees in Con-
trollable hive, with full and minute direc-
tions for management, safe arrival at end

of express route guaranteed .

For vigorous colony of Italian bees, other con-
ditions same as above

For an empty controllable hive with directions

for management

Italian Queens .

Native Queens

Glass honey boxes fitting Controllable hive,

each

Recipe for the manufacture of food for bees —
Feeders, made to fit any hive, singly $2.00 ; per

dozen

Smokers

Bee veils,— a perfect protection from stings

.$25.00'

. .30.00

..15.00

..10.00

...5.00

....15

.. 10.00

. .20.00
... 1.00
... 1.00

Address,
January, 1873,

Lizzie. K. Cotton*

AVest Gorham, Maine.

DEAR NOVICE:— I like your little paper very
much, and one reason why I like it, is because you are
always ready to go for all swindlers and humbugs,
especially Mr. Mitchel, who swindled me out of ten
dollars for a pretended device to fertilize queens in
confinement, lie fairly promised me that if the thing
would not work as he said, he would refund the
money ; but after he had the money he refused to
answer eveiy letter that I wrote about it. So “go for
him” and alf other swindlers.

J. M. Mohlku,

Covington, Ohio.

DEPOSITORY OF

Or Letters From those who have liiude Bee
CJulturc a Failure.

EAR NOVICE :— Although I am taking Bee
MM Journals, I am destitute of bees now. During
1871 and 1872 I lost all I hod, viz: 15 colonies of
bees called Black. Not one left. “ Dysentery / dysen-
tery ! They were all I hail ; and were purchased by
getting a $1 here and a $1 there; and getting one colo-
ny here and another there, etc., etc. All is gone.
Also bought two counties of the Buckeye Bee-hive.
It proved worthless, and I lost my house and lot here
by it, thus throwing me flat. But I must have bees
next year— 1874. What can you do to start me in Ital-
ians^ Give advice, and aid me under these difficul-
ties if you can. I can handle bees quite easily.

Kindly, Youres

J. Drummond

Kygerville, Gallia Co., O., Nov. 20th, 1873.

Now if it should come to pass that there is
no remedy for the Bee-disease, there certainly
is one for losing money in patent rights.
Never invest in rights or receipts, but get one
or two colonies some way honestly and build
up again. Don’t expect, or even .accept of aid
unless it comes as a just equivalent of fair,
honest, days works; you can then feel that
your possessions however small are all your
own , and you are thus far as independent as
the best among us.

1874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CTJLTCTItE.

9

S i HAVE 200 llis. of comb honey, also 1GOO lbs. of
dark extracted, for which I ask '20c. per lb., all
I through. All my honey so far sold— at retail— has
brought me * not of 28 to :10c. per 11 k.

James iikdixkn,

Uowaglac, Mich.

I have 400 or 500 lbs. of extracted and 250 lbs. of
comb. I raised 1500 lbs of the latter and 800 of the
former. Price for comb in frames 20c. per lb., for
extracted from 10 to 12c. per lb., delivered hero.

J. L. Davis, Holt, Mich.

Since above was set up we learn Mr. D. lias
sold all his extracted honey ; and all the honey
in our neighborhood has been sold for 20c. per
lb., by the barrel.

REPORTS

APIAKUM REPORT.

of Stocks in the .spring 26, of which 3

Ilf* were queenless. No. of stocks at date, 40. No.

of lbs. of surplus honey stored this season—
mostly in 5 lb. boxes, 1541.

„ D. P. LANE.

lvoshkonong, Wis., Nov. 1st, 1873.

Had 3 hives last spring, increased to 8, and 60 lbs. of
honey, llespectftilly, Yours,

C. C. Millek, Chicago, Ills.

Bees have not usually done very well around here,
especially where comb honey was relied on, have
seen but one box of comb honey in this town this
year ; but by the use of the extractor and plenty of
empty comb, 1 got from 8 swarms— some of them quite
weak in the spring— three new swarms— natural— and
10*26 lbs. ex tractecl honey, and have more honey not
extracted, than they will need for winter. Have sold
all my honey for 15c. per lb., wholesale. Honey is
now scarce.

I think you are hardly fair in proposing to publish
“the names of your subscribers who have lost money
an bee-keeping during the last five years they are
aiot the class of bee-keepers that subscribe for GLEAN-
INGS. S, HOWELL,

Fairibaidt,JVIinn.

I made an extractor from a suggestion in your paper.

1 live in a dairy region, so I took one of my cans— we
send our milk to the cheese factory— put In a cross
piece far enough lVom the bottom to have the top of
the frame come to the top of the can, put in some
wooden pins on the under side of the cross-piece, to
rest on the bottom of the can, put in my gearing made
irom an old broken paring machine, and it worked
very nicely. I could take out about 75 lbs., when I
would have to empty, by pouring out of the top. I
took out 600 lbs., and «)n con lideut that I should not
have got 50 lbs. of box honey.

Subscriber.

All the stocks that we have now— over 40— are winter-
ing In our cellar on their own stores, and appear In a
jalr condition. Alter selling some in the spring we
had 30 left. 1 should say we commenced with 50 hives.

o have sold bees, honey and wax to the amount of
*4‘2t).]3 and we can spare Sioo worth more, mostly
comb honey ; tills Is nothing great, but will do, consid-
ering the amount of farm work 1 have done, all of
Which is respcctlhlly submitted, notwithstanding the
Blasted Hopes.” j. JL. Davis & Co,

ihe Co. means my daughter, who will act as “P. G.”

I have 81 swarms of bees, and have made over 5ooo
ms. ol honey the past season. I cannot well do with-
unt the Gleanings, so here is your 75 cents. 1 have
sold my honey for 15 and *25c. per lb., and doutfecl like
Riving it up.

George Parrott.

YVinamne, Ind.

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS.

*]jV7?OY'ICE, wliat do you mean by telling us to see our
Jtl<l bees often In the winter? You do not mean for
■ 1 us to ever hatui/c them when they are in winter
quarters, do you 2

D. A. Brockway,

Mautcuo, Ilk

Just this: That yon go in the house after
dark once or twice a week, and examine them
by raising a corner of the quilt, or if bottoms
are movable, raise the hive gently and see how
many dead bees have fallen down, etc. It will
be very convenient to have a lamp and matches
kept ready for use.

Whenever your visits seem to arouse or dis-
turb them, we shall say that you are careless,
and we should not open the doors much during
extremely warm, or cold weather.

Mr. Quinhy’s plan of warming up the room
by a stove, we fear, would make too much dis-
turbance, unless great care be used.

A neighbor of mine, and a Bee-Iveeper, was travel-
ing ill the south part of our State last spring, and
stopped at a farm-house to dine. He saw a large num-
ber of bee-hives in the yard, and a greater part of
them were the old-fasldoncd straw hives, lie en-
quired of the farmer how his bees wintered, and was
told that all the bees died In the Yankee hives, "but
all mine Dutch hives made mit straw, not von die
and every one of them was strong and vigorous.

Now, Friend Novice, this report brought home by
mv neighbor, set me to thinking whether something
might not lie invented in the proper shape to hold our
frames and liees, and answer the same purpose as the
straw hive for out-door wintering, for all bee-keepers
have not winter houses or cellars.

J. Butler,

Jackson, Mich.

Thauks for the item. We are well aware of
the advantages of straw hives for wintering,
sec Quiuby’s Bee Keeping, page 73, but we
really fear they would have little effect toward
preventing the real Bee Disease. Can Mr.
Quinby afford us any additional light on straw
hives since his book was published? We have
seen no mention of them-in his recent articles
on wintering. Mr B. mentions an experiment
he is making with doable walled hives made
of pine lath, with the space filled with dry
wheat chaff. Now our friends should bear in
mind that the beneficial results from straw
hives are as much dependent on the facility
with which straw dries out as its property of
absorbing moisture; and in order to dry out
quickly it must not exceed say an inch and a
half or two inches in thickness- Mr Muth of
Cincinnati has just sent us a straw mat that
is nicer, more tidy and compact than any thing
we supposed could lie made, and which will
we think lie excellent. It is stiff enough to
make a whole simplicity hive In fact, and" were
we not afraid exposure to summer weather
would induce decay too soon we should seri-
ously consider them for hives the year round.
They would have one very valuable quality, viz:
lightness, and when we ascertain the cost of
the article we will considerstraw hives. Evcu
for indoor wintering they would he quite desi-
rable under circumstances as follows :

Several quite cold days reduced the temper-
ature in our I, ■) i ■ to about 32 degrees, a

10

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

.TAN,

sudden change with rain raised the atmosphere
outside to 50 or more, and the stream of warm
damp air coming in the ventilator was con-
densed in dew all over the hives, wall, etc., and
even the quilts felt damp. Now under such
circumstances straw hives would be much the
most comfortable.

Dec 10th, the following has just come to
hand :

I am very glad my straw mats found your approba-
tion, and I supposed it would. I shall not have time
enough to make mats for sale this winter, hut Mr. M.
Nevins, of Cheviot, O., will always have plenty on
hand, and leave a lot at my store ready for shipment,
lit* will sell them at $4.50 a doz.

Any body wishing straw mats may address myself
or M. Nevins, Cheviot, Hamilton Co?, O.

I have imported from Germany, vetch and summer
rape seed. Vetch— in German, Wicke — affords excel-
lent food for bees, and is besides, good food for horses
and cattle. It is sown like rape, and about the same
time, and grows like peas, with flowers in all colors.
Rape we all know already. It takes 50 lbs. vetch
seed and 4 lbs. of rape seed to sow an acre, at least, so
I am informed by my German correspondent.

I can sell rape seed at. 85c. per lb., and vetch seed at
20c. per lb.; or if sent by mail at an advance on the
above rate of 5c. per lb.

C. F. Miith,

Cincinnati, O.

The mats at the price would be rather ex-
pensive for making the sides of hives, but will
well repay expense, to be used on top for out-
door wintering. As to whether they would be
beneficial where bees are housed, we are un-
prepared to say. As the expense is but a trifle
more than wire cloth, it would certainly be a
good idea to try them if they can be arranged
readily so as to confine the bees.

We certainly must have some vetches next sea-
son. The “flowers in all colors,” captivate our
fancy in anticipation already.

Dear Gleanings:— T he two pieces of comb that I
got, I positively think had no larvse, only eggs and a
Few bees just biting the caps open. I* had ID cells
reared, 14 I could cut out, 4 destroyed. Ten good
oucens for fifty cents. Mr. Crall built a bee-house and
I got my bees in it too; we have 92 colonies in it and
it is only a little more than half full, the house Is
12x10 feet, wall 10 inches thick. We put our bees in
Nov. 13th. They appear all right, nice and quiet.

S. II. Miller,

Ashland, O.

Is it not possible that those same hatching
bees kept the eggs warm, and thus contributed
to the unusual success of friend M ? See page
70, Vol. 1.

I am a beginner in Bee Culture; I have read
“Langstroth on the Honey Rce,” “Mysteries of Bee
Keening,” by Quinby, and one volume of the Ameri-
can liee Journal, lama subscriber for the A. B. J.
I commenced last spring with six stands, two Italian
and four Black ones, three of them were very weak ;
they swarmed out after they were set on their summer
stand. 1 have raised my own Queens and Italianized
all my bees. I have now twenty-two strong stands,
and they all have honey enough to winter. I am going
to follow Bee-Keeping, and have read all of “AW/ce's”
writing for a year and am interested.

Mrs. I). M. Hall, Linn Center,
Rock County, Wis.

We are particularly pleased with the above
report, principally because it comes from a
married woman ; not that we have less sympa-
thy for the Misses, but that Vis too often the
case, the former have too many cares to really
enjoy Bee Culture or anything else. We opine
many of the veterans would find it a task to
make a better summer's work with the same
start than has our friend, Mrs. II.; will she
please report again next season V

WINTERING.

’jCTjMJRIEND NOVICE Gleanings for August, is at
hand, aud if you could have seen the smile of
satisfaction with which its arrival was greeted,
you would have been repaid in part, at least, for the
disagree abre things some of the patent right men say
about vou for pitching into them.

On this subject 1 would only say ; “Keep on In well
doing,” and “give ’em tits.”

I cannot, however, subscribe to all the teachings
contained in Gleanings. For Instance: I do not be-
lieve it will pay a majority of our bee-keepers to ex-
tract the honey and try to winter their bees on syrup,
in order to escape dysentery, for 1 believe the severit y
of tlie winter had more to do with the loss of bees in
this section at least, than the quality of their honey
bad; and in proof of this 1 will give yon a few facts
that occurred in this neighborhood.

A neighbor living half a mile south of here had
eight swarms that he undertook to winter in a cold
shed, and lost six of them by dysentery. Another liv-
ing half a mile west wintered his on their summer
stands, and lost all be had by the same disease. A
friend living one-fourth of a mile east brought his
bees, consisting of four swarms, and put them in my
bee-house. One of them, a late swarm, died of star-
vation. The other three were in splendid condition
when he took them away, about the first of March:
but after that date he lost two of them, having no
warm place in which to put them during the severe
cold that occurred in March. Another friend living
5 or 6 miles west undertook to winter his bees, con-
sisting of 38 swarms, out doors. He had lost 7 up to
Jan. 1st.; and then came and told me that a number of
the remaining stocks were so reduced that lie thought
they could not live until spring, and asked me what to
do with them. I advised him to put them in his cel-
lar. lie did so, and now tells me he only lost one
stock after putting them in the cellar, and he now
thinks that perhaps the bees were nearly all dead in
that before they were carried In.

1 put 88 swarms in the house to winter. Three of
these consisted of bees taken out of my nucleus hives.
One of the three was nut. in as an experiment, being
queenless: and the other two had young queens that
had not laid any eggs when winter set in, and I do not
know that they ever did. I lost the above three, and
one of my regular swarms by some unknown cause,
probably old age, as the bees from the nucleus hives
were nearly all old ; and two swarms by starvation,
leaving from 15 to 30 lbs. of honey; the bees having
clustered at one side of the hive, their stores being at
the other.

My bees were put on their summer st ands Feb. 19th,
but when the weather turned cold all the weakest
stocks were put back in the house again, and remain-
ed there until wo had pleasant weather. As a conse-
quence, 1 did not lose a swarm by dysentery, the
combs of those that died being as clean as they’ were
in the fall.

You will please notice that in the above case, the
bees that were lost had been kept near to and almost
all around me, so that their honey could differ but lit-
tle in quality from what my bees had, and if It does
not indicate* that cold was the main cause of the losses
bee-keepers sustained ; I shall have to conclude that
straws do not always show which way the wind
blows.

James Bolin, West Lodi, O.
Thanks, friend B., you have given us an ex-
cellent proof of the advantage of a good frost-
proof repository, and as Mr. Quinby says : (see
notice of his article,) Cold must be one part of
the trouble, as bees do not die thus in summer.

Now we should be very sorry indeed to
have our friends think we were so firmly astride
of our “sugar” hobby that we were Incapable
of accepting proper proof that, wc were in error.
’Tis not the winters alone that have produced
the trouble, we believe all admit, and if it shall
be found necessary to combine the sugar diet
with careful housing, providing we can thus
get through the winter safely, we think few
will complain. We have not personally made
the experiment of out door wintering with
sugar stores, but a neighbor has, and the dif-
ference was too marked to admit a doubt of
which diet was healthiest.

1874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

11

OUR,

“Day before going to Press,”

0 © w a_e i &

Questions not too lengthy, may be answered through
tills department even It not received until within two
days, of the first of the month ; and In two days more,
nothing preventing, you may have your paper contain-
ing the reply. If our friends would use a separate
piece of paper for this, and in fact for each of the de-
partments, and write on one side onlv t’would be quite
a favor, but If It’s too much trouble, don’t do It, for we
want to hear iVom you any way

DECEMBER 29TH, 1873,

Mr Muth informs us Honey Jars will be
somewhat less for next season, as per his ad-
vertisement which see.

Our bees are to-day, Dec. 27th, as quiet and
healthy as we could desire, but the weather
has seldom been colder than freezing for the
last month.

Annals of Bee Culture has not yet made its
appearance, although it was advertised to lie
out about tile first of Dec.

If Mend Adair would succeed with his
Quarterly he should be more prompt than he
has been with the Annals heretofore.

The American Bee Journal of late docs not
reach us until near the middle of the month,
and Mrs. Tapper's not until about the 25th al-
though she proposes to be on hand by the 15th,
The Magazine has we believe, been generally
on hand a day or two before the first of the
month. Cannot we all strive in a friendly way
to see who will be most punctual ?

Probably none of our readers have seen an ur-
chin more pleased during the Hollidays, than is
Novice at present, who is rejoicing intheposes-
sion of a new Printing Office ordered expressly
to print our little Journal.

Of course the “Windmill” had to be “harness-
ed” and brought into subjection, which lias been
accomplished perfectly, only that ’twill go too
fast at times for his untrained hands, but with
the assistance of Miss Maud or Master Ernest,
to remove the papers from the Press and pile
them, he gets along very well. As lie must of
course try his hand too, at type setting — in
fact he is enjoying himself hugely at this very
minute in setting up this very item — we
trust everything hereafter, will appear in “ap-
ple pie” order. [He has already made “ pi "
among the types to his full satisfaction.]

“P. Cl" says, “beware of making too great cal-
culations on a faji’ specimen of typography,
for the Journal even under Novice’s supervision
may be a failure in that respect;" to which lie
adds, we may assure our friends if ’tis not well
done we at least (lid our very best to have it so.

Since the above we have printed all but the
cover and perhaps should make an apology for
using type for heads of Departments, that we
should not have used had We not been repeat-
edly disappointed in getting the proper kind
iu time. Also, should some of our friends by
chance receive a No. with the print slightly
askew, reccollect it was probably occasioned
hy a sudden ' ration of the speed of the

Wind-mill, too great for Novice’s inexperience
in feeding the press. If notified we will fur-
nish a good copy in place of all such.

Novice will you be kind enough to tell us how (o
clean quilits— ours are stuck up with propolls -somo
of them are about as stllVas a board,— you will do us a
favor by enlightening us on this point.”

•J. Ontman & Co., I binder, Ills.

We really don’t know of a cheaper way than
to put on a new cover of cotton cloth. Ben-
zine it is true will dissolve the gum, but we
have found it rather unsatisfactory to wash
them. Cannot some use lie made of propolis
(like bees-wax) that it may be made a market-
able commodity? The quilts are not apt to kill
bees even if quite stiff, and we use them two
or three seasons without much trouble.

1st.— Will It do to store honey In wine or brandy
casks, (we can buy such when It” would lie very diffi-
cult to get them made on purpose )?

‘2nd.— Do you think the young bees or queens would
not lie apt to make mistakes In an Apiary on your
plan, supposing the grape vines were omitted '!

3rd.— I expect to nave all niv bees— 31 stocks— In
“Simplicity hives” next spring. Would it do to pour
a halt pound of feed on the cluster of bees tit oncci*
Wouldn't it make a muss?

4th. — We are told to make our bees till the apartment
given them at all times. Suppose that on examining a
hive In spring, the bees are found to occupy about
three combs, all of which contain brood, but very lit-
tle honey, that being in the other combs at each side.
IIow are we to confine the bees to those three combs,
and avoid the evil of cutting off their supply of honey
aud pollen ? Respectfully, yours,

G. C. Milt-eh, Mount Hanley, Nova Scotia.

1st. — We have always used wine and brandy
casks for shipping small quantities of honey,
and found no trouble. They can be purchased
cheaply, of almost any size at the drug stores,
and seem to be just what is needed.

2nd. — We think the omission of the grape
vines would make no difference whatever; wo
have a number of hives in front of the lions- ,
entirely without the vines.

3rd. — A half pound, unless very thick, and
the colony very strong, would be sure to run
out and make a muss. Try less.

4th. — You will find no such trouble in prac-
tice we think. Allow them honey and pollen
sufficient at all events.

Our readers may have observed an adver-
tisement; of a plan for securing straight combs,
in some of our Bee Journals, during the past,
season, by our friend whose name appears be-
low. The plan seems to be somewhat a com-
bination of Dadant’s Comb Guide Press, and
directions given in the North American Bee
Journal some time ago. We believe Mr. W.
has sold a number of the Directions, but we
think we have convinced him of the impracti-
bility of his method, for one of our subscribers
who had purchased it, oifeied to send it to us
and in fact we know of no reason why infor-
mation should not be freely communicated if
valuable.

Mr. W. now sends it to us for publication,
and we hope all credit will be accorded him,
where it is found to be valuable.

We have seen a similar device used, but
found out thin pine strips to answer so well,
and so much less trouble to us , to make and
put in. that we have used nothing else. If
should be remembered that we have always
had our c >mb built between two others, and

12

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

under such circumstances we have never had
them leave the comb guide.

COMB GUIDE CONSTRUCTOR.

An Easy Way to Secure Struiglit Combs
within the Frame.

Every Bee-keeper who keeps bees on the im-
proved system of management, undoubtedly knows
tlie great advantage in having the combs built
Straight in the frame. Without this advantage no one
c:m make much improvement in bee culture. There
are different methods of securing straight combs, but
nearly all have some disadvantages. For neatness,
cheapness, and simplicity, I claim the following plan
lias no equal : _ „

DIRECTIONS.

First. Make a straight edge of wood }( inch thick
by K Inch wide, and Inch shorter than the in-
side of top bar of frame.

Second. Ingredlonts-Takc one part Resin, nine parts
Reeswax. Heat over a slow lire until thoroughly
melted.

Third. Have a wet rag or sponge in readiness, mois-
ten the edge, turn the frame upside down, then lay the
straight edge on the frame where the wax guide is to
lie formed. Then, with a teaspoon, pour a little ol the
melted wax on the upper end, (the frame being inclin-
ed at an angle of 15 degrees) and let it run down along
the straight edge. When the wax lias become hard, re-
move straight edge lengthwise to loosen it. Moisten
the straight-edge frequently, and a good and reliable
wax comb guide will he formed, equal to tlie best,
which must he kept a profound secret.

E. J. Worst, New Pittsburgh, 0.

P. S.— The melted wax must he kept warm, not hot.
If the wax has the right degree of heat, it will seldom
adhere to the straight-edge. If it chance to, scrape It
off with a knife and remolsten,&c.

We are happy to announce that a neighbor
of ours is making preparations to print all
kinds of gummed labels by the quantity.

Orders for Honey Labels may be sent to us
and the labels will he returned by mail post
paid. Prices are, for Labels in two colors,
with name and residence of Apiarist, and name
of source from which the honey was gathered.

1,000 * 2.75

500 1-90

250 1-45

No orders filled for less than the latter price.

son Is fairly opened. I have been selling queens lor
$1 each for three years. Choice queens I sell for si,
and tested for SS it requires the use of a swarm Tor
thirty days to test a queen, lienee it is cheaper to sell
for S( or S3. I agree, with you that orders should lie
filled by return mail. I have never failed to do so In
hut two cases, and they were ont of season. This is a
good thing in selling $1 queens.

W. HosMF.lt,

Janesville, Minn.

Glad of your assistance Mr. H. If you can
rear queens at the rate you do honey, we shall
not need to worry for fear orders can’t he filled.

Advertisements will he received at. the rate ol ten
cents per line, Nonpariel space, each insertion, cash
in advance; and we require that every Advertiser
satisfies us of his responsibility and intention to do
all that he agrees, ami that his goods arc really worth
the price asked for them.

J N this department we propose giving gra-
tuitously the names of those who will un-
dertake to rear queens for $ 1 each under the
conditions we have made. While we cannot
undertake to be responsible for all the names
given, we shall endeavor to insert none who
are not in the habit of fulfilling all agree-
ments.

MUTH’S ADVERTISEMENT.

HONEY JABS.

One pound Jars, per gross, *

Two “ “ “

rjorks 44

Tin Foil Caps, “ 1-20

One and Two Pound Labels, per gross,

Three “ “ “ tjffi

1 qt. Self-Sealing Dictator Fruit Jars, per gross,.. 17.00
“ Mason’s patent, “ „ “ TT ••

Langstroth’s Ree Hives, Bee Veils, Uncapping
Knives, &c., 1 offer at lowest possible prices.

straw Mats,— to fit the top of Langstroth’s hive— the
manufacture of M> Nevin’s, Cheviot, Hamilton t o.,
O., and well made, at $4.50 per doz.

For further particulars, Address^ y jjUTH

Cincinnati, O.

ltf

And If nothing Interferes, I shall sell warranted
nure Italian Queens for one dollar next season.

John L. Davis,

Holt, Mich.

We think if Mr. D. or any other Queen rearer
will warrant all *1.00 Queens to be strictly
the progeny of carefully tested mothers ’tis all
that w T e should expect of them. Purchasers
will then stand the same chance of getting fine
queens that those rearing them do, and the lat-
ter class will not seriously injure their Apia-
ries by selling the best continually and keep-
ing the poorest, for even should w r e receive
*10 or more each, ’twould he a losing business
to select the best we had for every customer
who was willing to pay for such

In Nov. No. page 85, you ask v. I ,-iot, eie. 1

will, and will send them by return mail alter tlie sea-

A MERICAN BEE JOIIRN AE.— Established
by the late Samuel Wagner, at Washington. D.
C. Now published at Chicago, W. F. Clarke, Editor
and Proprietor. Subscription price, S3 per year, in
advance. Sample numbers sent on application.

B ee-keepers, attention j-semi ‘iscts.

lor three months’ subscription to National Bhfc
Journal, now published and edited by

ELLEN S. TUPPER, Des Moines, Iowa.
Liberal terms to Agents. Specimen number free.

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now lor samples, and Liberal Terms to Ajfentw
free. II. A. KING & Co., 14 Murray St., N . \. lw-

TheBest Pape r ! Try It!!

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F and 7th Sts., Washington, I). C. 11

XIEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO BEES AND HONEY.

Vol. II. FEBRUARY 1, 1874. No. II

HOW TO CONDUCT AN AI*IAHV.

No. 2.

We are happy to add that up to this date,
Jan. 24th, no reports of disease have been re-
ceived, but as it made its appearance last win-
ter in many places only after this date, we can-
not be certain as yet in regard to the matter.
Our winter has been as yet quite a mild one in
this locality there having been but three or
four days when the temperature approached
zero. As our colonies are unusually weak this
winter our Bee house has not kept up the tem-
perature as well as formerly, in fact we found
it as low as 30° on one occasion and before we
could start a fire in our stove and warm the
room up, one of our weakest colonies had died.

An examination showed clean combs and no
trace of disease, but the cluster had dwindled
•down until not half ahandftil of bees were left
when the low temperature finished them; they
perished in the midst of clean scaled stores.

Messrs. Shaw & Son of Chatham, this Co., al-
so report having lost quite a number under the
same circumstances and now unite with us in
pronouncing all attempts to winter Nuclei, but
a “vexatious bother”.

We discovered that during very cold weather
the lower ventilator could be closed entirely
without bad results, and as this kept the
room much warmer we consider it best, during
very cold weather. Our friend Shane, a few
miles distant, gives the same experience and
his colonies are many of them quite strong; lie
also covered the ventilator with a piece of
cloth to make it perfectly tight.

With the loss of the “cider fed” colony men-
tioned on another page, our number now
counts only 55 instead of 57.

There seems to be a tendency to an opinion,
much favored by both Mrs. Tupper and Mr.
Quinby, that moving stocks during extreme
cold weather is very injurious, and is sufficient
to produce dysentery. Such may be the case
with bees fed on natural stores, but ’tis most
assuredly not the case with those sugar fed, for
curs the greater part of them were re-housed
the last of Feb., last winter when the tempera-
ture was 4<* below zero; see Gi.eanings for
March, page 20. No bad results followed and
no trace of dysentery other than that of some
weak nuclei that were diseased before in con-
sequence of being fed late and being too weak
to seal it up. The Quinby hive with all natu-
ral stores and, that had not been disturbed in
any way at all, were badly affected and soon
died although strong in numbers.

If Mr. Q. would give the address instead of

just the county and state, we might write to
Mr. El wood and ascertain whether those colo-
onies he mentions as having the disease so
badly, were fed with the syrup early enough
in the season to give them a chance to seal it
up. Even should his experiment have given
no result in favor of sugar stores it only proves
that sugar is not always a preventive; the large
amount of testimony given during the past
three seasons pointing clearly in favor of the
sugar, should also be respected.

We had supposed plain cases plenty, where
it bad appeared in its worst 'form when the bees
were housed in the warmest quarters, but we
shall be agreeably surprised if we find we havo
been mistaken. In regard to fastening the bets
in the hives by wire cloth in winter as we have
described, we are at present decidedly pleased
with the plan. During warm spells many go
out in the porticos that fail to get back, but
with the space below the frames as in the Sim-
plcity hives we have no such trouble.

I put my bees Into winter quarters about the 10th of
November. 1 think they are iu“8pleuditV* condition.
If the weather is suitable how soon would you advise
to set them out lor a How warm should the

weather be in order to cto it with safety '!

S. K. Newman, Norwalk, Ohio.

We would not advise putting them out at
all for a “fly” unless they seem uneasy and im-
patient of confinement, and not even then un-
less some very fine weather appears in Jan. or
Feb. The air should be warm enough for a
bee to take wing again, even should it alight
in the shade, or many may be lost in their anx-
iety to fly after being shut in so long, not be-
ing able to regain the hive. If stores arc
wholesome and ventilation proper they can
endure confinement lor four mouths or more
as has often, been proven. Warm weather in
winter is so apt to change suddenly for the re-
verse that we must consider taking them out
for a “fly” a risky operation at any time, al-
though should several quite warm days and
nights occur in succession ’twould without
doubt be a gain to give them a taste of t lie
open air and thus encourage brood-rearing a
little.

Taking them out by moonlight in the eve-
ning would be an excellent way, could we al-
ways be surf that the ensuing day would be a
pleasant one, thus giving tliem time to quiet
down before morning, and obviating the dan-
ger of their rushing out in a demoralized body,
without taking the usual points of their home.
Be sure to give each one their accustomed
stand for they will remember it under such
circumstances four months or more.

16

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

GUILTY Oil NOT GUILTY '*

M essrs, a. i. root & co-.-the last No. of

Geeaninos was duly received, and after review-
ing the Vol. I think It about the best investment
iii the wav of bees I have recently made, as it seems
like a complete casket of valuable information to

^In the'next a Vol. please do not alter the size of pages,
no that one Vol. will bind with another, nor cut the
leaves, but leave that for the binder to do. I like the
generous margin as It looks well and leaves a chance
for notes etc. . . , , . .

The material for six hives came dul> to hand.
Freight, $2.70. A9 you invite friendly criticism we
will try our hand if it is a little “onpleasant,” and as
Hhakspeare hath it “I will nothing exteiuuite or sot
down ought in malice.”— In your circular (oth cd. i you
remark “and if no better lumber is used than barn
boards (with no loose knots)” and on page 63 of
Gleanings “There is nothing like system and pre-
cision etc.” Now I must conclude that you did not
make the hives as they embrace none of these princi-
ples, so far from it in fact that it will be a tight squeeze
to get live out of the six, as two ot the sides have
each a very large knot, one quite loose, 2 A by
inches, the other larger and very rotten, and which
if dug out would require a piece of putty the size of
vour Tittle Anger to All it. One of the tops is cracked
so that I will not use it, and if the material is bad the
workmanship is quite in keeping. I have owned pow-
er saws (alas ! those days are gone,) and have done
some sawing— making clock cases etc. but if I ever
did such work as that, God forgive me as I would not
forgive myself. The rabbets are not deep enough for
the sides into over 1-16 inch, and are thinner at the bot-
tom than the top, and none of the top boards At like
“clock work” exccbt at the ends— at the side they
lack from % to 3-16 of touching the side of the cap, and
one of the end-pieces is too short, while another Is to
narrow. In fact altogether they are the poorest lot of
hives of anv pretensions I have ever seen. Ju9t say
nothing until you have seen some more of the same
man’s work, then judge for yourself how far I may be
correct here. . . _ t ,

NoW for the other side, I like the idea Arst rate, and
have put them together with screws. If I make others
I shall put them together on a miter so that no end
wood can be seen. I shall use those I have, but in-
stead of using them two stories, will take a side from
each of two hives and put the two hives together so
us to form one horizontally, fastening them together
with the same screws and a piece of hoard just wide
enough to HU the rabbets. Now move the combs Into
the center with a division board each side, and place
an empty frame or comb inside of outside comb, when
the frame is llllcd put It outside with an empty one
Inside, and so on till your hive Is filled, if your stock
Is an ambitious one and will do it as some have done.

If I should require some bees In spring or summer
could you send me one hive containing four small
stocks of Italians, say two frames each, queens first
rate and combs ditto 1 Hives of the simplicity persua-
sion. If so at what price ?

Hoping our relations through next year may be as
pleasant and profitable as the one just closing, and
wishing every success,

Dec. 23rd, 1873.

I am vours truly,

Wm. n. Kihk,

AVaterbury, Conn.

The double Simplicity Hives have reached me In
good order and quick time, and at an expense I be-
lieve of only 81.50, 1 have them setting in the Tost Ot-
fice and have explained their mysteries to hundreds
of people. All admire their Simplicity and evident
usefulness, I shall manufacture them In the spring-
will have buzz saw In operation shortly.

Respectfully,

AY. O. Gkiek, Lamar, Mo.

Deak Novice : [all but the Novice] I did not Intimate
that your hive was rough, expecting it to moot the
public eye; neither for much of a criticism, it was
good enough— but being a cabinet maker it is easy ior
me to make work rather smooth. Go on in exposing
rascality sharplv, but at the same time with a kind
heart. Yours for Milk and Honey,

Stephen Young, Mechanlcsvillc, Iowa.

Now ’twould he quite a “comfortable” way
of getting along to pretend there Avas “another
man” Who made those six hives, but on the

whole we think we will plead “guilty” and
frankly acknowledge we made them ourselves,
and arc alone responsible. We may add in ex-
tenuation and by way of apology that the hives
sent Mr. K. were the very last of a lot of about
200, and that as ’twas at a season of tlie year
when they were little called for, we had not
even lumber on hand for more, still we sup-
posed we sent him material for six serviceable
hives. In regard to the knots we Avould say
that we always expect every hive to be well
painted before being used, and this avUI fasten
loose knots as Ave have had proof in our own
apiary, the Averill Chemical paint Ave have
mentioned being peculiarly adapted for this
purpose. If our friend AVili pardon the sug-
gestion, avc will suggest that a knot-hole seems
to strike the fancy of the bees as being partic-
ularly nice for an entrance, the rough rotten
edges affording them a secure and natural foot-
hold. We have one such hive and ’tis amusing
to see them swing out and in “their knot-hole”
as if ’twas endeared to them by some such ties
as the “old oaken bucket” etc. is to us. We
have thought of mentioning the matter before,
but feared some one Avould be having them
all patented.

Novice once remarked in answer to P. G’s.
remonstances that we would always save the
knotty pieces for home use, but it must lie that
we by mistake included friend K. in our “home
circle” which honor he doubtless would res-
pectfully decline. In regard to tops we use
“checked” or slightly split ones for bottom
boards as they answer quite as well, and we
supposed the six hives would be used two story
so that at least three perfect tops could be found.
We cannot imagine how an end-piece could be
short unless an old one got mixed in from soma
hives made in our first experiments, for what-
ever other faults there may be, Ave certainly
can saw the length of all boards alike and cb
do it. Iu regard to the width ’tis more difficult,
for unless Ave can get wood perfectly seasoned.
and any wood-worker knows how difficult this
is, the boards will shrink unequally, but so far
as the body of the hive is concerned this makes
little difference, nor can we see that the cover
is materially injured should it shrink so much
as to lack % inch on each side ; we are using
many such and have never yet kuoAVn a drop
of water to get inside, AVhich is more than a ve
can say for any other kind of hive we ever used.
We have never claimed our Avork to be first
class (see Feb. No. page 13. Vol. 1st.) but we
can appreciate good Avork avc assure you, and
the Connecticut mechanics who make clock
cases would be just the chaps to make hives as
they should be, and now Mr. K. cannot you in-
duce some one near you to take the job? ’Tis
true that just as mucli honey might be secured
by using hives made as we furnish them, but
we should like hives ourselves made as nice as
a “work-box."

As an evidence of the differences of opinion
we give au extract from friend Grier’s letter in
regard to hives out of the same lot and sent
about the same time only avc put them to-
gether; perhaps avc haA r e a peculiar skill in
making good hives from poor materials. Be-
fore closing the subject AVe would say avc have
asked friend K. to send in his bill for allow-
ances, aud Ave hereby extend the same iuvita-

1874.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

1?

tlon to our whole circle of customers. If we
have been remiss don’t be backward in letting
us know.

The plan of making single hives double
width is ingenious, but how about the covers ?
We have often thought of it but could not get
over the top and bottom difficulty. As screws
would be much more expensive and the trouble
of taking a hive down after it has been once
properly set up is such we hardly think we
would use screws ; besides the cross nailing
holds them "forever” especially if the boards
are put the proper side outward as we have
directed. We feel sure you will not like hives
made on a mitre, we have tried such, they are
not as strong at the corners and are unwieldy
to nail.

So many have applied to us for bees that we
dare not promise any at any price. Pour
small colonies can be put in a Simplicity hive
without trouble; we have reared four queens
thus, and had them all laying nicely with an
entrance on each of the four sides. [Don’t you
see how handy the knotJioles come again ? ]

Mr. IC. we shall have to thank you many
times for your suggestions. In regard to cut-
ting the leaves of Gleanings we think by far
the greater number of our readers would pre-
fer them so ; and we regret that the margin is
not as great as we had intended to have it.
As our paper is all purchased for this year we
shall have to wait until another season.

[For Uleanings.]

KliSTIC BEE HOUSES.

v W OYICK Thanks for Gleanings.

IjlM I have constructed a lice-house on 1)ils plan,
J. J I lirst dug an excavation two feet deep and 10
by 20 feet square, built a lFame In It lathed It over and
covered it with straw two feet deep over the whole of
the building, I then covered It With a tight board roof.
The ground which I shoveled out of the cellar I pack-
ed against the side ol the bidding, starting with a
base of 5 l'cet, and tapering to 2 feet at the eaves, I
made a floor of dry saw-dust four incites thick and
pat in 40 colonies of bees at a little elevation above
the floor. I now have a house that will never get
damp lrom the perspiration of the bees, the straw
roof being a perfect ventilator.

Bees arc wintering well up to this time, shut In the
hives securely at the bottom, but not air tight, and
with wire cloth over the frames to keep them from
crawling out when the temperature gets too high.
In cold weather I leave the cloth quilts on the frames,
and in warm weather I remove lit cm. How is that
for high, Novice ?

E. J. WottsT, New Pittsburgh. O.

Tip top for high, especially if you do succeed
in wintering this time. We are the more oblig-
ed as you have assisted us in replying to the
following, which was in type, with our reply
when yours was received.

Bee-keeping in tills section lins about played out.
More than hall' of those who have been in the liablt of
keeping a few stocks have become discouraged, hav-
ing lost from one Ihird to all of their bees. I have
been considerably disappointed for the last two sea-
sons in not having any surplus honey, although f have
lost but a few blocks. I winter on their summer
stands and the bees get so weak by spring that the
honey season is over before the bees arc strong
enough to improve It. As I am not able to build a bee
house such as you describe, X would like your opinion
of a house made of wild hay, of which X have quite a
quantity.

8ay, set; stakes to form a room ten feet square, board
up the outside (not tight) with fence hoards, then set
another row of stakes about three feet outside of the
tlrst row. ami till in between with hay. Lay poles on
, P* then stack hay on them making a regular hay
slack with a ret m inside shelved off for holding hives,

of course make an entrance three ft. by six with double
doors. Would It need a floor? and would the spaces
between the fence boards on the sides, and the pofes on
top he ventilation enough '! or ought tlicre to be ven-
tilators put In top and bottom ?

I could build such a house with hut very little ex-
pense. An opinion from Novice would lie regard-
ed with great favor by

Samuel. C. Wake, Towanda, Ilk

Such a house will answer every purpose wo
feel sure aud we think no ventilators will h«
needed. Hay enough should be used to make
it perfectly frost proof aud we think ’twould be
longer in warming through, late in the spring
than houses of sawdust walls. Such plans
have been in use in our vicinity for several sea-
sons and seem to answer every purpose, aud wo
know of no objection unless it be a general un-
tidiness, however this might be remedied to a
great extent. We would advise throwing up
the earth in the centre and making a ditch all
around to keep off surface water and having
about six inches of saw dust on the ground fox'
a floor.

Perhaps a window or windows could be added
and the whole made so as to answer very well
for a honey house in summer also; ’twould be
nice and cool, the odor of the glass would be
quite agreeable,, and as almost every one can
get swaxnp grass for cutting, perhaps this rus-
tic Bee House in conjunction with friends But-
ler’s and Muth’s straw hives may be the thing
after all.

Who will build the nicest one, i. e. to be all
“home made” ?

P. S. — Mrs. N. says, “but the hay seed Will he
rattling down into your honey, aud then sup-
pose you should spill a barrel frill or so on your
saw dust floor what would that do, and would
not rats aud mice work in the straw etc. ‘i ”

And that reminds us of a little incident to
Wit: We think ’twas during, a hot Sabbath
in August that Novice looked into the Bee
House and found a brilliant mirror of clover
honey covering the paiuted floor.

Now P. G. did scold because he said it made
no dift’erence if the bungs of the barrels were
not lelt uppermost, and also that there Was no
need of driving them in so “awful” tight, hut
better still she insisted on having the floor ail
carefully washed up nice, the Saturday previ-
ous.

Well, as Wc said, there was the honey; the
hot weather had so expanded it that it had
pushed the bung out and nearly of a barrel
was on the floor, if the barrel had been rolled
over more, more would have got out. Novice
of course “sang out” for Mrs. N. and as all the
rest were at church or somewhere, “Blue Eyes”
had to go too ; with honey knives and spoons a
terrible dipping was kept up which “baby” en-
joyed hugely until the close hot l'oom (bees
would “help” if the doors were opened) began
to seem monotonous, but tunnels, spoons and
ladles and a series of chirrups from “papa”
leugthened out her baby patience until the last
bit was scraped up and then didn’t We straiten
up our tired bucks ; that is, Mrs. N. did, aflter
the floor was washed clean once more, Novice
amusing “Blue Eyes” With some honey and a
feather meanwhile.

Well, We got it all, except about a pound
which was scraped into our “coffee pot” that
we keep to hold “bad honey for feeding” and

18

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Febl

the same barrel was recently sold for 20c. per
lb. and was pronounced “tip top.”

Moral. : It will pay to have a tight floor to
your bee house and to keep it well painted ; al-
so drive the bungs in tightly and if convenient
leave them in very hot weather uppermost, and
lastly never disagree with the “women folks” if
they do get fidgety if the floor is not always
kept “just so clean”.

Gleanings in Bee Culture,

Published monthly,

_A__ I. ROOT <5c CO.,

EDITORS AND PROPRIETORS.

MEDINA, OHIO.

Terms : 7<5c. Ter Annum.

For Club Rales see Second Page.

3VLEIDX3Sr-A., FEB. 1, 1874.

Please excuse small type; ’tis our old complaint,
we have more matter, than room.

We find the Prairie Farmer one of the best, among
our Agricultural Exchanges, its appearance is bright
and attractive, and Its articles are from our real live
business men, aye and women too, and what pleases us
more is that their writers have a definite place of exis-
tence instead ot being dropped loose in a whole county
a 9 is so much the fashion of late.

We cannot say that subscribers “pour” in, as some of
the papers do, yet we are kept sufficiently busy to ren-
der it possible that a mistake may creep in now and
then. Whenever such be the -case drop us a postal
card and dont be bashful in stating just where we’ve
“put our foot in it.” We certainly “mean well” as the
boy said of his dog when he bit a piece out of the
man’s leg.

Our bees “scold” when the temperature of their
room gets below 35*, when warmed up to 40° or 45°
they are as still as if dead nearly, but when it is in-
creased to 50, or 55 they begin to emit quick sounds at
intervals, that seem to us to be interrogatories, as
much as to say, “ wont it do to let us have a fly ? ” Ii
the temperature is kept there, they soon get quite un-
easy. About 40* seems to us, the most desirable point.

Candy costs from 25 to 30c. per lb and sugar about
11 % only. By stirring it with a little water, and then
baking it in a slow oven until all the water is expelled,
we have hard cakes that answer every purpose of can-
dy so far as we know, at a cash outlay of only the price
of sugar. Now the above solution of Prob. 1. must be
worth at least S5.00 to every bee-keeper but we don’t
see how we can sell receipts, for they will tell their
neighbors.

The “Honey Bee” price 50c. By Aaron Benedict,
Bennington, O. is before us.

The paper is cheap, the print bad, and the contents
mainly extracts from old numbers of the A. B. J.
Although published in 1873, we can And no mention
at all of the Extractor nor of the recent troubles in
wintering. The concluding item is, “Hives should be
so constructed that the frames will lit tight In the
hive, preventing the space between the sides of the
hives and frames, etc.” Truly, we fear the Island
wheron our friend rears untested queens for $5.00 has
shut him out from the rest of mankind, as well as his
bees. A veritable Rip Van Winkle, in Bee-culture.

We would refer the numerous friends who have
written us for bees, to the advertisement of Adam
Grimm, for even after paying freight his prices are
less than we could sell for. The best honey-gatherers
we have ever had, were bees from Queens purchased
of him.

To such of our Southern readers ami others as have
their bees flying when this reaches tliem, we would
say, commence giving them dry sugar as soon as they
will use it ; place it in the sun but out of the wind amt
get them them to “building up” as fast as possible.

Their rye, oat or barley meal may be given them at
the same time and place, and the nearer we can get
them to approach their natural activity, the better;
the use of the sugar will prevent their straying to su-
gar-camps etc., but will not prevent their going for the
blossoms when they appear. Dampening the sugar
will hasten matters but is apt to incite robbing and to
call them out in unseasonable weather.

“BEES WINGS” AND SUNDRY OTHER
MATTERS.

BY 1>. L. ADAIR.

w .*\ ROOT. In your notice of the paper I read!
l|»yS at the last meeting of our National Society at
A',/— l»i Louisville, you make an unfair statement when
you limit it to “'‘that bees breathe through their wings,”
thus conveying the impression that I located, tbe
breathing apparatus and the lungs in the wings. Bees
breathe through Spiracles or pores un/ler the wings ,
and I so stated, I further stated that from these the
air is led through delicate tubes to every part of the
body, even to the tips of the wings, and no naturalist
will* deny the statement. No organ is specialized as
lungs, the bees have no lungs, except those .tubes
which follow the veins or circulating fluid throughout
the whole bee, and the air is brought in contact with
the blood through the thin walls of these tubes in
every part of the system, just as is the case in the
human lungs. Would it not ^e fairer to publish the
whole paper so that your readers could judge for
themselves, or at least make a fair statement ot what
vou call “Adairs folly.” [By way of parenthesis : Did
it ever strike you i hat calling a man a fool was not
courtesy ? Do you think you can advance Bee-culture-
by calling hard names? Or do you think your judg-
ment is so infallible that you are justiltcd in calling a
man a fool because you differ with him in opinion.''
If I am in error convince me of it by fair argument.
but please quit calling names.]

The only argument you use Is the statement that-
one of your best queens, the mother of the colony
that gave you 330 pounds of honey had no wings, and
she was good for at least two seasons. Now, as you
attribute Mrs. Tnppers statements about injuring,
brood to her “ inexperience,'''’ you will not certainly get-
mad and go to calling hard names if I apply the word
to you, ami question your facilities for judging ol
what a good queen is ; lor so long as you manage bees
as you do, in hives that will not allow a queen to-
show what she can do, you will certainly be “inexpe-
rienced.” Until you give the queen a compact brood
nest sufficiently large to accomodate her with ample
room, at all times, to deposit every egg she can be
stimulated to produce you will be “inexperienced.”
So long as you shift the brood about and mix it up in-
discriminately in top and bottom story, you will have
your bees continually disorganized, and even a queen
that Is badly diseased can furnish all the eggs that
are requlrcu, and you will be “Inexperienced; ” and
you will be “inexperienced” so long as you pass judg-
ment on every “New Idea,” that is suggested, before
you investigate it.

That Adam Grimm clips his queens wings and gets
a paving crop ol honey is no reason why Adam Grimm
might not do better if he did not so mutilate them and
had his bees in hives that would require perfect, vig-
orous queens, and allow of better management.

I have a letter from one of the best entomologists in
tbe U. S. in which he says “ Your argument that, the
wings of insects serve as lungs is unanswerable. It
must injure the bee thus to mutilate it awl reduce its
strength.'''' So says Dr. Packard, Editor of the Amer-
ican Naturalist, and author of A Guide to the Study

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

li)

1874

of Insects etc. and Professor In the Academy of Sci-
ences, Salem, Mass, and perhaps theVe is not a nat-
uralist who is acquainted with the anatomy of the bee
that will take any other position.

You emphasize the word “ Practically." Now. I quit
the barbarous practice of cropping the queens wings,
several years ago, because T discovered that they
were not'so prolific as those wdth wines. As a rule
they will, many of them, live .lust as ion?; in fact, one
of the oldest queens I ever had, had no wings. She
lived until the sixth year but never had a populous
colony, and many of her offspring ware without wings.
On the contrary a queen that lays, up to her full ca-
pacity, will not live long. After one full seasons lay-
ing she becomes almost worthless. When tile definite
number of egg germs in her ovaries are exhausted
she dies from exhaustion, as does the worker bee
when it has expended its vitality in labor, and I think
It likely that .when we get to Understand perfectly,
how to manage bees; and when queens are bred up
to their full vigor, that a queen will not live longer
than a worker. Yours truly,

I). L. Ad.uk,

IfawesvlUc, Ky. Jan. 7th, 1874.

We welcome the above as being strait for-
ward and manly with the exception of the re-
mark that we ever considered or thought of
calling friend Adair a fool, or in fact any one
else, or of using any similar term, in all out-
writing on Bee-culture ; nor can we for an in-
stant believe that any of our readers have so
understood it. We have considered many the-
ories like the above “sheer folly” and in ex-
treme cases think it best to so pronounce them
to prevent if possible the host of novices from
accepting and acting on assertions easily
shown to be grievous errors.

Mr. A. in Ills present remarks is mild in com-
parison with the paper referred to ; that he
started out with established facts, in part at
least, and that he is somewhat contradictory,
those may see who care to go over the matter.

We declined publishing the paper then, and
do now on the ground that very few people in-
deed are capable of deciding what is truth and
what is error in the Microscopic World. And
we would also question the propriety of the
Rural New Yorker and other papers submitting
to their readers such an article, when mankind
is so prone to take up and disseminate error,
most especially the “twaddle” that has passed
tis true science for years past concerning the
“wonderful revelations of the Microscope.”

Such of our readers as would know our
grounds for calling Adair’s paper “folly” we
would refer to “Carpenter on the Microscope,”
pages 570 and 574. We extract in substance
as follows, the italics of which are our own :

“The wing of tlie bee, is composed of an extension of
the external membranous layer of the body,— over a
framework formed by prolongations of the inner hor-
ny layer ; within which prolongation of the inner hor-
ny layer,— trachae are to lie found,— around which arc
found channels, through which blood circulates, du-
ring the growth of the wing and a short time after its
completion. Each of the nerves of the wing contains
a trachae, or air tube,— which branches off from the
tracheal system of the body; and it is In a space
around the trachea that the blood may be seen to
move,— when the hard framework of the nerve itself,
is not too opaque. This circulation may be seen read-
ily in tile wings of bees, while young .and growing,—
shut up motionless in their cases; lor this condition
of apparent torpor is one of great activity of the nu-
tritive system ; -those organs, especially, which are
peculiar to the perfect insect,— being then in a state
of rapid growth, and having a vigorous circulation of
blood through them ; but this movement soon ceases
ancl the wings dry up”

Arc we not right in concluding that by the
time the queen lias reached tlie age at which
she usually lays eggs, she has no further use
for her wings than for flight, for their circula-

tory system has then dried up as Carpenter
has it, and the clipping them then, affects her
about the same as does the cutting of our hair
or finger nails.

So much for the Microscope: Now should
practical Bee-keepers agree, after trying Queens
clipped and unclipped side by side for a num-
ber of years, that they could see no difference
in fertility, are we not excusable in terming
the paper as we did. So far as eminent Natu-
ralists and Entoinolgists are concerned we
have only to say it will be the worse for Ihvn
if they endorse the paper in question and its
winding up especially.

Agasssiz has given us one illustration of the
“stubborn folly” of some, who stand high be-
fore the world, that will not soon be forgotten
in Bee-culture. Again should one Apiarist of
limited experience in extracting, make a state-
ment directly at variance with one hundred or
more who had large experience, and who all
agreed in their statements, what term should
be applied to such a course?"

In both of the above cases much mischief
might be done to beginners were not the mat-
ter corrected at once.

Who has not seen one of their rousing
swarms of bees sailing away to the woods, and
stood helplessly thinking they would give their
best live dollar bill if just one “little tip” of
one of that queens wings was off?

And in latter days, how many novices have
wished they only knew for certain, whether
’twould hurt the brood to throw all that mass
of honey around and among it out, that the
queen might further extend her domain?

The truth is we are afraid of Adair ; for
years back he has made at times such tremen-
duous jumps at conclusions that we dare not
trust him, and in fact true to nature he makes
one in his article above before finishing viz:

Ilis queen without wings produced offspring
also wingless during the first generation. Dar-
win in his works protests that a million of
years would be far too short a time for such
and such results, but our friend would have
accidents to the mother producing wingless
workers in six short years or less? We have
all seen wingless workers of course, but an ex-
amination of tlie combs, not the queen, usually
solves the difficulty.

In regard to the two story hives and pro-
miscuous changing of the combs, we have no
doubt but that our friend is in the right and
we heartily thank him for his suggestions.
We have more than once noted the disorgani-
zation of a colony by spreading combs too fast,
and also the shock that was given them when
giving them the whole upper story at once, es-
pecially if cool weather intervened. Rest as-
sured friend Adair that however severely we
may criticise, we shall never forget the valua-
ble hints you have thrown out here and there,
and shall certainly never think of calling you
the harsh names you accuse us of having used.
In concluding we will say that we have a way
of measuring a Bee-keeper by the tons of
honey he has produced, and number of colo-
nies he can manage successfully. Nothing
else will do as a substitute, and we are as well
aware as any one else that our place is not
very high up on the ladder, but we hope “we’re
growiu’. ”

20

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Feb.

II ii .*« Tbu g l a ai i ®W i n cl I©®

Pertaining to Bee Culture.

[We respectfully solicit the aid of our friends in
conducting this department, and would consider it
a favor to have them send us all circulars that have
a deceptive appearance. The greatest care will be at
all times maintained to prevent injustice being done
any one.]

"Ji T seems at present that our old friend N. C.
illi, Mitchell, is most active in this field, and
although we have already devoted consider-
able space toward “helping his projects along,”
we think it best to “stand by him” still further.

His new field seems to be scattering circu-
lars and asking various P. M’s. to assist him
in getting “Agents.”

We give below, one selected from the bundle,
with notes in parentheses from our facetious
correspondent who forwarded this; said lot
found its way into his hands from the P. M. to
whom Mr. M. had written a “pathetic” postal
card. We copy the spelling, punctuation etc.
verbatim.

SPECIAL TEH MS TO AGENTS.

Having opened up a QVJSEN breeding apiaky in
the South, we are now prepared to furnish Early
Queens and Bees for the Northern Market, and hav-
ing made arrangments to raise ihe coming season,

5,000 Italian Queen Bees.

5.000 Nucle Colonies.

1.000 Full Colonies.

To sell all these, wc will have to have a host of
Agents, and to get them we have determined to put
ju ices down to agents so low that any one can take
hold of it and get one full colony of Italian Bees for
nothing. Wc will send every thing named for llfteen
in our large circular for live dollars and for two dol-
lars extra will send one inire Italian Queen Bees,
(“one bees”) or for live dollars extra. Ten dollars in
all will send one four full sized frame Nucle Colony
of Italian Bees with Bees enough to soon make a full
Colony* or for ten dollars extra, fifteen dollars in all,
we will send one full Colony of Italian Bees. Every-
thing named will be shipped at once (“that must be
the ‘Nucle’ ’’) except the Bees and Queens. They will
be sent the first of May from our Apaiarys at Indian-
apolis, Ind., or Cincinnati, Ohio. Remember this
offer is to Agents only and will remain open only to
the first of February, 1874, after which the prices will
be as before advertised. We will say that Agents
■who will devote their whole time, can make $100 or
$500 per month and local Agents can make from $100
to $500 anually and loose but little or no time taking
orders for us. Send at once and secure any Agency.

Address,

N. C. MITCHELL,

Indianapolis, Ind., or Cincinnati, Ohio.

Now if Mr. M. really is going to have 5000
Queens and 0000 ‘‘Nucles" (whatever the latter
may be) we will help him sell them with all
pleasure providing he will first pay up old
scores and send the queens already paid for and
so long promised.

We are sorry to say reports do not show
favorably of his business transactions ; a sub-
scriber just now writes:

“A Westmoreland Co., Pa. man told me that N. C.
Mii hell had sold Uve receipts for 060 In one day in his
vicinity.”

And again on sending the name of a new
subscriber :

“He lias made more out of bees than any man In
the county he lives in, he uses the old box hive but got.
25 Queens from me. He lately purchased a §10 receipt
of X. -C. Michell. I wrote him that I thought Clean-
ings would be worth as much as the receipt.

I am not sure but he ought to have a back No. of
Gleanings describing Mitchell.”

Another in sending us one of the numerous
letters which Mr. M. is sending to all parts of

the country claiming he could teach any per-
son to take from a good colony of bees from
one to three hundred dollars worth of honey an-
nually, closes as follows:

“I enclose a letter which Rjicaks for itself. It was
handed to me by a friend. Such nonsense should be
exposed, although I am sorry for Mitchell, as I learn
that he is in rather poor circumstances.”

We too are sorry for the man, and more
sorry that he does not scruple to take motley
from his fellow men without rendering any, or
any j-ust equivalent. We sincerely hope that
he, and every other man or woman may learn
that getting money by other means than fair,
honest days works of either hand or brain, is
sure to react sooner or later.

“Bee Charms,” “Patent Hives,” and the like
have almost ceased to cast an odium over our
innocent branch of industry, and all that is
needed more is the strong voice of the people
to declare we will have all valuable informa-
tion free, and we will put down at once all at-
tempts to beguile money from the honest, and
unsuspecting, by the smooth tongued skill of
designing hypocrites.

A subscriber asks if it were not proper to
consider advertisements of Queens fertilized
in confinement, as humbugs and swindles. As
the matter rests now, wc should without hes-
itation decide in the affirmative. If there ex-
ists a bee-keeper who can succeed in the op-
eration, we invite him to come forward and
give a public exhibition of it to the people, for
nothing short can be received as evidence ; we
will answer that enough can be raised to pay
all trouble and expense.

More than one of our number in counting
the time wasted in useless experiments to say
nothing of the money, may be considered ex-
cusable in feeling indignant, and our friends
in Germany we have learned by private ad-
vices, have had' their share of humilntiug dis-
appointment. The matter seems to have been
dropped by universal consent during the past
season and we cannot help wondering if the
very ones who gave the matter so positively a
short time ago, are not beginning to think now
they were mistaken. The fact that Mitchell
even now advertises instructions in the matter
is anything but flattering to-tlie enterprise.

[For Gleanings.]

CAN BEE-KEEPERS AGREE ON A STAND-
ARD FRAME 1

FROM E. GALLUP.

EAK NOVICE :— Please say through your
[I A Gleanings that If I were going to commence
— ^ anew I should prefer about, the size of the Adair
frame, [7io( the Adair SECTION by any means.] For a
rapid increase of stock, queen raising etc. the small
Hize cannot be beat but when we come to other con-
siderations we certainly should prefer a medium be-
tween the two extremes, and It certainly seems to me
that the cxtremelst’s ought to be willing to meet halt
wav and recommend all new beginners to adopt a
medium and uniform size of frame. 1 would like to
see this introduced as a resolution at our next Nation-
al Convention, and adopted. Of course such a resolu-
tion would not compel us old fogies to alter the size
or stvle of the hives we already have. Still 1 think
that 1 can see a great advantage that would result it
all Bee-keepers used a uniform size and style of frame.

Many thanks friend G. for giving us the aicl
of your judgment on a matter that needs R
sorely. Of course it is not necessary that wc

1874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

21

should all change our present frames but if the
veterans could agree on one frame as being ad-
visable as a standard, what a “glorious help”
all around ’twould be.

We feel sure a brisk trade is soon to spring
up in empty combs, if they can only be pur-
chased with the full assurance of fitting nicely
in our hives, and this can only be done by hav-
ing all uniform.

As we were unable to interest any one in the
matter, we got up the diagram on our price
list from what facts we could gather hoping it
might attract enough attention to enable us to
set the matter right, if we were in error.

Considerable discussion has been drawn out
on the amount of space that should be given
between the hive and frame and also on the
length of the projection for hanging the frame
on the rabbet. We would suggest % inch for
the latter and % inch on the former; as it is al-
most impossible to get the space so exact that
we shall not vary more than %, we would sug-
gest that the workmanship should never allow
the space to be less than uor greater than %
inch. We rather prefer the latter to be sure
that no bees are even squeezed ; and we have
no trouble with bits of comb built when the ex-
tractor is used as frequenty as it should be;
we would also have a full half inch between
the bottom bar and bottom board.

Another point must be considered but we dis-
like to do it, because it may be received by
some unkindly, but as we feel sure the mass of
honey raisers will agree with us, we will try,
’tis this : That any method of supporting frames
in the hive, as yet before the public, except sus-
pension, has been proved to be utterly out of
the question under consideration, as are also
fl'ames with closed tops, bottoms, or ends.

However, we shall be most happy to hear
from the advocates of any of the above, and
will promise to give any facts or evidence fur-
nished, a most careful consideration. The re-
plies we have received to Prob. 4th, Vol 1st.,
have given us a pretty fair view of the general
decision in regard to frames.

PHOTO’S OF APIARIES.

A I. ROOT & CO '.—Enclosed And 31.00 for the
Gi.kaninos and l’hoto. I am sending mine,

0 which was made before your articles “How

to start an Apiary” came out, or I should have follow-
ed your directions. By looking close you’ll see a few
Simplicities, among the hives. I mean to test them
the coming summer and report.

F. H. Harkins, Ilomc, Minn.

Could our readers all see the view spread
before us on the small card we feel sure all
would unite in saying “Our hearty thanks,
Mr. H.” As we can’t pass It around to all,
we’ll try and tell what we ean see with the
aid of a magnifier.

About 100 hives are scattered over a level
field with an octagonal Houey-house in their
midst, and a pleasant looking wood for a back-
ground. In the fore-ground stands our Mend,
as we suppose, in his shirt sleeves and his
three boys are assisting. We are sorry we
can’t discover any girls or women about, for
an apiary in our opinion is incomplete with-
out them ; has our friend no daughters as well,
and does’nt Mrs. H. take to bees ? There cer-
tainly is no danger, for one of the juveniles is
barefooted, and we are much pleased to see

that, although hives are open, the Extractor
going, and H. himself “uncapping,” nothing
in the shape of Bee-veils is used at all by any
one, and a little “cub” that we would like to
pinch stands beside an open hive as happy and
unconcerned as if he never heard that bees
could sting. The hives look precisely like
the Langstroth hives we use, and the Simplic-
ities too, but why does he tip up the latter ?
One beauty of them is that they can always be
kept perfectly level.

With all those hives full of bees it seems
that the Peabody machine would never keep
up, and again the youth filling jars with a
quart cup should let some of the girls do that,
and the whole machinery should be arranged
so that the honey will strain and run itself
into the jars without even stopping until ’tis
“dinner time” or something else “funny” hap-
pens. We would’nt turn those fine looking
boys out of the apiary by any meaus, for they
are needed to carry combs so that “Papa” can
as lie removes them, carefully study the con-
dition and needs of each stock, while“Katie”
or some feminine “P. G.” attends to the uncap-
ping and extracting machinery.

If the whole lot of hives should “take a no-
tion” to yield 5 or 10 lbs. each daily, quite a
number of little folks might be found vastly
useful.

By the way, we should be pleased to ex-
change Photo, of our Apiary for that of the
Apiary of any of our friends. We want to get
up a large “three banded” Album.

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS.

LEA.SE bear with me if I relate a lit
dpjjj fk tic of our bee experience which has-
been a good deal disheartening, many
has been the time this summer that
7 v both Husband and I have wished we

had let bees alone, but there was no back-
ing out now, without quite a loss which
we could ill afford. Two years ago this winter we
brought home one swarm of bees, the next summer
they swarmed twice and gave us about three dollars
surplus, one of the swarms tilled the hive of 2000 cubic
inches, box hives, clear to the bottom, 60 we thought
we would do as some of our neighbors did, pry off the
top and take out some of the honey, we inquired of
half a dozen or more of our neighbor bee keepers if it
would do any harm, they could not sce^that it would,
so one hot day in Aug. or Sept, we went to work,
but such a muss as we got into— bees honey and all
squashed down together, it set us thinking if there
was not a better way ; so last winter or fall we bor-
rowed some bee books, bought some, and sent for
some papers and during the last year we have learned
something. We had lo stocks in the spring and in-
creased to 27 but have had to feed and nurse them all
summer.

We had a line prospect for buckwheat harvest but
an early frost killed it, the bees had scarce any stores
in their hives, and we began to feed near the first of
July [just enough to keep them] from % to X teacup
dally, in the evening; as soon as the frost killed the
flowers we fed for winter stores, in all we fed about
three barrels, $90.00 worth of A sugar, made into a
syrup. For their fall feed, we put into thyee quarts of
the syrup one teaspoonful of cream of tartar and ’tis
nearly all sealed up nicely now ; We think they are in
pretty good condition, each hive having from 25 to 35
or 40 lbs.

Husband wishes me to ask how you manage to
get your bees to take down the syrup so fast? [wo
read your article in the A. B. J.) Our bees were ten
days or more taking down their winter stores, we

22

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUUE.

Feb.

need a quin t oyster cun, one of the tall ones with n I
corn col) and some little sticks In them anil on the out- |
side, it Is a real tedious job the way we had to feed
our bees. Mrs. S. J. W. AXTKLL,

Roseville, Warren Co., Ills. Nov. 22nd, 1873.

Our Friends certainly deserve success after
the discouragements they have met with, and
we have no doubt but they will be prepared to
give us an encouraging report next season.
With the sugar stores they have so bountifully
supplied them we should consider their chances
for safe wintering almost a certainty.

DEAR NOVJCF: On page r> of No. 1. Vol. TT. of
Gleanings 1 find a very proper expression, which
deserves mentioning. Sometime ago we were taught j
to measure hoes by tin* quart, bv brother Hosmcr.
This has done a great deal of mischief. All of my I
friends and myself included, understood a quart of
bees to be a very small swarm. One of my zealous
friends reduced his swarms to a quart, by shaking
the superfluous bees on the snow. The large number
of bees in the hives was what had ruined his bees In
winters before this. Now he had it ; hut alas ! that
winter, my friend lost, almost all he had. I had sup-
posed that and told my friend so when I learned what
he had done. Now, we understand a quart of bees to
l>e a good strong swarm, that Is. what wo call a good
strong 8 warm in winter. 1 don't blame brother ilos-
mer ; no doubt he knew what he meant, hut the ex-
pression “a quart of bees” was very unhappy indeed.
Now, answering Mr. Patterson's questions who asks
how many combs should he covered by a colony in
October to enable them to winter, you say J ‘‘If you
do not see bees clustered In at least three spaces du-
ring a cool day yon had better not undertake to win-
ter them. If they can be seen In four spaces call
them fair, live spaces good, six spaces line, seven
tip top,” etc.

This is perfectly plain and cannot he misunderstood
by anybody. I therefore move that all quart measures
he abolished when speaking about our bees hence-
forth.

Charles F. Mutu, Cincinnati, 0.

I am wintering 3 swarms of bees on box honey one
year old, the bees in like condition as near as possible
to last winter, to And out If I can whether It was
honey or season that caused destruction among my
bees one year ago.

Thomas Pierson, Ghent, Ohio.

Give us the result by nil means friend P. such
experiments are worth more than whole col-
umns of theory.

Mr. N. what am I to do, in looking over my bees In
the middle of Dec. I found they wore getting In a bad
condition, the combs were wet and mouldy. I went to
work as per Gi.kaninoh and made each hive a quilt,
1 put them on top of frames over the bees and put the
lioncv board over them, the honey boards have three
ventilator holes In them, have I ‘done right? I have
them in a room in the house, the temperature ranges
from 3-1° to . r ii " so far. I am keeping a diary of the tem-
perature in the room from the first of .Jim. ; the fourth
of Jan. was a warm day. 1 carried most of them out,
they had a good fly, carried them hack at night and
so they remain.

I have a small room I am keening a light stock of
bees in for experiment and feeding them all they will
lake of sugar syrup, the temperature ranges from 40°
to V 0 ° do you think they will Increase In strength be-
fore spring? They are very lively now, I have a cage
for them right against the window so they can exer-
cise themselves when they choose. I have no trouble
with them going hack in the hive.

Would 11. answer at the time when we use the ex-
tractor to move the hives and bees say 6<> feet from
their stand ?

M. Richardson, Port Colborne, Canada.

Don’t put a honey-board over the quilt by
any means. At a temperature of 50® we
should prefer removing: even the quilt if the
bees were kept in by wire-clot it. We are very
glad to bear you have succeeded in letting the
bees fly in doors, tell us how the colony turns
out by all means, as we have told friend Pier-
son just before you. Your plan for extracting
we think would not do; you would get the
young bees lost and possibly the Queen.

1 have extracted is gallons this month, warmed the
room to about 85" had no trouble extracting; have put
up a few jins. And them full of particles of wax. is there
any way to get rid of it ? give me what information
you can and much oblige. J. II. holies.

Jan. 23rd, 1874. Watertown,\Vls.

If you use a strainer of cheese cloth, such as
we described in Vol. 1, attached to your ex-
tractor, you will have no such trouble. Heat-
ing honey to the boiling point injures the sale
of it by darkening the color, but the honey
may be evaporated to any desired consistency,
even to candy, in a slow oven without injury.

I cannot agree with .J. Bolin as to cold killing bees;
in the winter ol 71 72 1 wintered asti ck In a. ‘1-8 pine
Rail keg, very open, which stood on the west side of a
shed some three feet, off the ground so as to get all the
hcnellt of all the Cold winter blasts; they came out all
right in the spring.

We have many such reports which it seems
to us Mr. Quinby too, would do well to con-
sider in rendering his decisions. Our friend
goes on to attribute the cause to dampness
from frost etc. but we have many severe cases
of it where they were kept in dry cellars that
did not freeze at all. He adds further :

I dug a hole and nut one In, put hoards over It
and piled on straw, fed it all winter on sugar-syrup,
and my experience was. and I examined them every
time it was warm, that If there came a thaw lasting
some days, hut not so bees could fly, thov would com-
mence to soil their frames; If they could Ay it would
cease. Ed. Wellington*, Klvertoii, Iowa.

Just as we should expect, for syrup fed in
.cold weather unless days occur that the bees
can fly, Invariably produces dysentery or some-
thing much like it; as we have said repeatedly,
it must be wiled vp in warm weather

Sealed honey, however often produces the
most aggravated cases. We, should have pre-
ferred to have the bees out of the hole, and in
the sun.

< oN< i;KrM\G i>uoiim:i?i ivo. id.

*1 fij RIEND NOVICE 1 have been lotting a few of
jirj my bees Ay according to the following plan.
ilLj Make a light frame about two feet square,
cover the four sides with wire-cloth and the top with
thin hoards except a square hole in the center, about
as large as the Inside of the hive; place a swarm of
bees on this cage in a warm room and let them Ay.

Do you think it will be an injury to the bees?

Jan. oth, 1874. Henry Palmer, Hart, Mich.

An appeal fee further particulars brought
the following :

The bees do get hack Into the cluster all right. In
all those examined since their flight, have found
brood: they had none before.

Jan. 10th, 1874. JI. P.

It seems the above must answer the purpose.
It might prove an injury to a strong colony to
start brood-fearing in Jan., but we think it.
would certainly prove advantageous to a weak
one, providing they could have warm quarters
in which to mature their brood.

Our own experimental colony after losing
quite a number of their force in the wire-cloth
house experiment, survived but a short time
after a second reduction of their numbers,
caused by carelessly shutting down the wire-
cloth cover to their hive. Of course they flew
to the windows and as it was just about the
first of the year, in our hurry they were not
noticed until ’twas too lute.

With the Simplicity hive we think flying
room could be given In extra stories placed
either above or below with wire-cloth, to ad-
mit. light and to prevent them from getting
out and lost.

1874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

23

OUR,

^‘Lii t (‘igf 1 11 1 «- 11 ] o <. u cp ’ 9

CORNER '

Questions not too lengthy, may bo answered through
tills department oven If not received until within two
days, Of the first of the month ; and In two days more,
nothing preventing, you may have your paper contain-
ing the reply. Ilom* frlenciB would ubo u Bemirnte
piece oi paper for this, ami in fact for each of the de-
partments. and write on one side only t’would he quite
a favor, hut If It's too much trouble, don't do It, for we
want to hear tVom you any way.

J -A.JSTTT-A.Tl'V’ J39TDH:, 1878.

It’s Just 11 o'clock & wo’ve a llue wind for the “Print”
Where’s Adair’s Annals for December?

Mrs. Tamm's Journal reached us Jan. 23rd, and
as usual, contains much of value.

J. L. Wolfomlen, Adams, Wls. writ™ : “Tell that
man he can take the propolis off Ills quilts by pound-
lug and nibbing them briskly In the open air on a
cold day, I can clonn one, so that It is just ubout as
good as new In ten minutes.”

King s Magazine for Feb. made Its appearance on
the 27th. Wonder If thoy dou’t get up lioforo day-
light? We are Informed they have engaged the ser-
vices of Mr. Qulnby for this year, who will doubt-
less add much to the value of tholr Journal.

“Why don’t ‘Novice’ attach a ‘Governor’ to his
‘windmill’ power for his ‘Print’ and make her run
kind of sober and steady ? It can ho done surely,”
writes a pleasant Mend from Pa. As to whether
“she” lias become any more “steady” in her habits
our Mend can Judge by the appcnrancc of the pres-
ent No.

Fee World for Jan. made Its appearance on the
27th, It numbers among Its contributors somo of our
best Apiarists, and as Mr. Moon promises to make It
the exponent of our Southern Bee-keepers, wo would
kindly suggest to him tlio propriety of being more
carotid of punctuation, spelling and “dictionary;”
they nmy feel Unit they are not thlrly represented
before, or In, the World. Monthly, 82 . 00 , Itomo, Ga.

Mr. Moon's attempts at Journalism have
heretofore been so short lived, Unit wo must for tho
present decline adding tho World to our list of Boo
Culture Periodicals.

A. li.j. for Jan. made Its appearance on tho 10th,
la a bcnutlflil new dress and with a clear blight ty-
pography that we novices in the “art preservative,”
could only resolve to try to equal.

Although most of tho matter Is as usual, valuable,
we cannot help remonstrating against the publication
of such articles as the foreign one entitled “Italian
Bees,— Tholr Worthlessness,”

Where one man stubbornly sots himself up In oppo-
sition to the testimony of hundreds, we might almost
«ny thousands, wo have found It generally the case,
that lie Joes so with a view of gaining popularity
thereby, or attracting attention by his eccentricity.
They only do mischief by lending astray beginners
«ml outsiders, for those of any practical experience
with the Italians regard such nn article, as thoy
would one recommending us to discard horses and
use ox teams Instead. Both sides to a question Is all
' erj well, hut ’twould ho folly now to go over ground
80 well established years ago.

We know of hut one man now on this side of tho
Atlantic Who would be likely to take that side of tho
su tjec.t, and he has too much good sense to persist In
It long if ho he let alone.

It there Is a probability of agreeing on a standard
frame, can we not have also a standard hive ?

Wo have just tilled an order for ono as follows;

From a board Mg Inches wide, cut pieces 45 Inch-
es long, two for each hlvo; straiten one edge of each
and then cut them square lu two so as to make a
side and end from oaoli respectively 15 3-8, and 30 in-
ches. Rabbet the ends of sldo pieces 3-8 by and
then cut off on a I level from both sides and ends,
strips 1J,' wide, those are to go around tho cover.
Also bevel tho lowor odgos of tho body plooes at tho
same time they are trimmed to nn equal width, and
then rabbet the upper edge of all sldo pieces 1 by 3-8
for a place to hold tho frames, and tho body Is ready
to nail. For a cover, cut from a board IB 3-8 Inches
wide, pieces just length of side-pieces viz: 30 Inches;
rabbet H by 3-8 clear around and nail In aforemen-
tioned strips. See “Hives, to make,” Vol. I. for more
explicit directions. Hinge tho cover as you like, and
make n bottom-hoard in tho same way or nail on a
permanent ono, for ns this hive holds 20 Adair frames
It will probably nover he used two-story. Tho prin-
cipal objection to It Is, being obliged to carry the
whole Into winter quarters; but If only Just as much
honey can be secured with It, wo don’t see but wo
had heat make broader shelves and got some one to
help “lug ’em lu,” for thoy will be so much handler
tor extracting, and our surplus comb cun always he
kept right at hand. What do our people say to try-
ing to see how near we can all agree on a standard
III vk and FRAME. As Gallup has given us his opin-
ion on a name, will he he so kind as to Buy as
much fora hlvo for It?

Directions for making Buzz-saws to bo run by
foot power, with diagram of top of tabic will be giv-
en next month.

!#! .001 Qu <>110,

W%,!D your queens hatched by artlflcal heat become
HI 111) fertilized ? If so aud ll-om mothers of undoubted
purity 1 should think thoy would he very desi-
rable, as of courso there was much less probability of
their meeting bluck drones than those hatched uutu-
rally. In one of your recont articles you speak of a
dfty lour cage queen nursery. Are they ot different
sizes ? the only ono I remember seeing advertised Is
Mr. Davis’s lor85.00. How early do you think queens
could he safely sent from your apiary ? Our heos here
commence swarming ho early that It would ho almost
Impossible to get them here by that time.

Anna Saunders,
Woodvllle, Miss. Doc. 12th, 1873.

All Queens (except sonic lost of course)
hutched by artificial heat became fertilized ex-
cept three or four that were hutched too late
to enable them to fly out. By keeping Italian
drones lu qucenless stocks, or by causing them
to lie reared late by excessive feeding, we can
most assuredly secure greater probabilities of
having them purely fertilized. We may re-
mark here that ’tis quite a difficult matter to
induce drone rearing out of season ; we have
only succeeded once in so doing and that was
in Oct. 1872, when we gave one colony a whole
barrel of syrup at ouce, arranged on the plan
of tlie “tea-kettle feeder,” giving the combs to
other colonies ns fast ns they were tilled and
sealed. A host of drones were reared and their
queen which was an old one, was superseded ;
the young oue becoming fertilized and proving
herself one of our best this season.

In regard to nurseries,: We used oue of Jewel
Davis’s patented ones, side by side with one of
our own make the past season, the latter pro-
ving much the lightest, and most economical

24

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

of the animal heat of the hive, although the
actual cost did not exceed two dollars. Either
of these had to be lifted out of the hive to make
an examination, and to insert or take out cells
or queens, some of the little doors had to be
opened ; mischievous young bees had to be got
out or in etc. ; but with the 54 cage nursery
we had no bees in the way at all, and a simple
rolling back of the cloth opened every cell or
queen to view at once. Now it would almost
seem that this latter arrangement should sat-
isfy every one, but in all these nurseries we are
at the mercy and caprice of the weather and
the outside cells would many times fail to
hatch. Artificial heat we found a perfect rem-
edy, and large yellow queens such as are ordi-
narily never seen only during our warmest
summer weather became the rule, and poorly
sized or colored ones the exception.

Are we not right in considering the latter
plan in connection with our discovery that
queens just hatched could be “let loose” any
where, far in advance of any of the nurseries?

Now Miss, or Mrs. Anna, instead of telling
you how soon we can rear queens in Ohio, we
would most earnestly urge that you should
lend a hand. With the great advantages
of your southern clime you should be able to
rear a thousand queens in a season , which we
should consider. a very fair income for a lady
to secure, especially as it may be done all at
her own home. We think we can send you
customers without charge lor all you can pro-
duce. Somebody in the southern states must
rear queens, we don’t see how we can get
along otherwise.

We presume it will not be safe to calculate
on queens in our locality much before June 1st,
although we are going to try hard to “steal a
march” on the weather. In answer to a great
number of inquiries as to how soon we can
furnish from one to a dozen, we shall have to
say we can only promise to let you know when
they are ready. We book orders with or with-
out the money but the former always have the
preference, and none will be shipped until
paid for.

I shall still continue to raise dollar queens, so you
may put me down in your list, 1 want to raise fiOO at
least and will more if I can. I E Daniels, Lodi, Ohio.

I will undertake to rear queens for Si. 00, under the
conditions you name. Dr. J. P. II. Brown.

Augusta. Ga.

Glad to add your names to our list. Several
have asked if we could sell 50 or 100 at one
time, any cheaper. We should say no, not even
1000. We will give a list of the “Volunteers”
in the “cause” when the season opens.

lx o Mm w c ox,, pmh;

yrf HAVE 1000 lbs. of extracted honey that I would
I like to sell at ‘20c.

=y R. Wilkin, Cadi/., O.

We clip the following from an article from
“E. A.” in the Cincinnati Commercial.

A little time ago my friends the Quintuses bought
some honey. The grocer had two kinds of honey—
strained ho’nev sealed up in a bottle, and honey In the
comb, in a little square wooden frame, just as the bees
made it. [The bees never saw the other.] With vis-
ions of the delicious strained honey of his grandmoth-
er's time before his eyes, Quintus bought a bottle of
the stuff (Milled strained honey, and carried it home
rejoicing. The grocer warranted it to be pure strain- |

ed honey. The Quintuses proceeded to unbottle ik
and pour it over the morning buckwheat cakes— so
delightful, you know, buckwheat cakes and honey,
nothing's like 'em. Alas for the lioneyed hopes of
humanity ! Quintus’ strained honey was sweetened
water. Quintus had paid forty ceiits per pound for
water. Maybe water’ll be worth that much before
the new Water-works are built, but it’s nothing like
so high as that now. Quintus tried It again. He
wouldn’t give it up. The second time he bought the
comb honey, in the little wooden frame. This sort of
honey, comb and all, was worth llftv cents per pound.
Quintus was surprised at that. The grocer had as-
sured him that the strained honey was the simon-pure
article. Now, if that was pure honey, how on earth
could the bee-keeper afford the labor of crushing the
comb, straining it out, buying the cork and bottle,
putting the honey into the bottle, ami sealing it up,
and then sell it ten cents per pound cheaper than he
sold it before he took it out of the comb. Quintus has-
been studying the problem ever since, and he can’t,
get it through his head yet. He hereby submits the
question to all grocers and bee-keepers for their con-
sideration. Quintus bought the little frame of honey,
though. The grocer weighed it to see how much
honey there was. He put a large piece of heavy
brown paper upon the scales Ill's t ; then he wrapped
the frame of honey up iu a quantity of other paper;
then he weighed the whole together— paper, nine
frame and honey. It weighed a pound and a half, it
I am not mistaken. The grocer said there was a
pound and a half of honey- Thus he sold brown pa-
per and nine wood at the rate of llftv cents per pound.
Quintus nas noticed since, and he finds that his gro-
cer sells all his brown paper in much the same way,
Quintus thinks of setting up in the grocery line arid
selling brown paper at fifty cents a pound.

Cannot some one set “ E. A.” on her feet
with her face turned in the right direction?
She evidently “means well.” If she will give
us her address we'll send her ajar of “ strained”
honey, equal to “ grandmother’s.”

B ee-keepers, attention i— semi 2oct$.

for three months’ subscription to National Bej?
Journal, now published and edited by

ELLEN S. TUPPKK, Des Moines, Iowa.
Liberal terms to Agents. Specimen number free.

T w \ THY IT 3 ItlontliN for 10 <V»Hs; ...

I J \_) with $1 Chromo for 50 cents ; or 6 months with
“The Flowers of Paradise,” a first-class Chromo,
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best Agricultural and Family papers published. Only
§1 per year, or $1.25 with best Bee-Book, or Vs 1.50
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DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO BEES -A^ISTD BTOLSTEYT.

Vol. IL MARCH 1. 1874. No. Ill

MOW TO CONDUCT AN APIARY.

No. 3.

IV S “ order is heavens first law” we trust we
jr_^ shall be excused for considering that the
llist^ work to be done in March is to put the
Apiary in complete order. Even before the
bees are removed from their winter quarters
we would insist that all rubbish of every des-
cription be cleaned up, if any has collected du-
ring the winter, and to avoid the unpleasant-
ness of walking about in the soft ground we
would the first thing, get a load or two of
clean sawdust and make paths of it, to where
each hive is to stand, and a good broad one to
your own door.

As soon as the bees are in their places we
shall expect you to see to every hive daily, and
we appeal to the lady of the house if it is not
too much to tolerate having muddy feet con-
stantly coming in, to say nothing of the injury
to your own health, from standing in the mud
or wet ground and grass, if you should happen
to make a prolonged stay at something un-
usual about some of the hives ; besides wher-
ever “Papa” or “sister” or “ Auntie” goes, of
course the little ones will want to go too, in
fact should go, and we want to make it a pleas-
ant place for all. When we first took possess-
ion of our present apiary so many of the bees
got drowned during their first flight in the
spring in puddles and standing water, that we
got exasperated and in spite of frost and snowy
weather we went at it bodily and cut under-
drains 30 inches deep across the whole piece
every two rods, and then as no tile were pro-
curable right oft', we sawed up pine dry goods
boxes and covered the drains with short boards
laid crosswise, then filled them up. That was
eight years ago this spring and there has never
been any standing water since, about our
apiary.

A pine half barrel let in the ground at a
place where several of the drains meet, affords
a view at all times of the working of them, and
they have never failed to take away all surplus
water.

We presume the success of our Concords de-
pends somewhat on these same underdrains,
and by the way these grape vines should be
pruned, by cutting all shoots down within two
buds of the horizontal arms, as soon as this
reaches our readers If It has not been done be-
fore. The proper time for pruning varies with
different localities, but it should be done soon
enough to prevent bleeding if possible, but
prune them any way, for of all untidiness, a

grape vine sprawling about the ground or ma-
king a brushheap of itself in an apiary is the
most lamentable. Your success pecuniarily
absolutely depends on keeping every thing
trimmed up neatly; and while we think of it
perhaps you had better make your sawdust
paths first, then you can work around the
vines and bees with pleasure.

We believe we never enjoyed ourselves better
than when we had a wheelbarrow full of saw-
dust, the article being just scarce enough here
to make it precious, and our “better half’s”
dust pan, (that was before the apiary could
afford one of its own) with which we sprinkled
just enough in the mud to make a clean foot-
ing, then rolled our barrow along and built a
little further until we had white streets along
beside and in front of the hives, that so capti-
vated tlie children, they were ready to scream
With delight, when told they were expected to
get the fire shovels and run over the paths and
pat the sawdust down until all was smooth
and hard ; stepping oil' into the mud subjects
them to tlie penalty of being chased by “Papa’s”
wheelbarrow.

Weak colonics and in fact all of them should
be well protected by Quilts, and if each colony
can have two or three ’twill not lie amiss in
tlie spring. See that there is no crack nor
crevice where the warm air from the cluster
can escape, and keep the entrance so small that
the bees can just pass out and in. As tlie frost
is leaving tlie ground the stands will have a
tendency to thaw on the south side first and
thus tip them out of true ; but until we can
decide upon some remedy, which seems not so
easy, we can watch them and prop up one side
a little until tlie frost is out.

We hope a number of our readers will try
the forcing plan given on another page, or will
even try bedding a hive in the south side of a
manure heap or one extemporized for tlie pur-
pose. We can at least thus at small expense
try the effect of a raised temperature, with ab-
solute protection from all frosts, on brood rear-
ing in the spring.

In regard to stimulative feeding in spring
we really know of no better way than the “dry
sugar” given last month ; when the weather is
such they cannot fly, turn up one corner of
their quilt gently in the evening, and pour a
few spoonfuls on tlie cluster.

’Tis true by cutting a hole through the quilt
and covering it with wire cloth, we might do
it a little handier, or we might use a variety
of feeders but we dislike having so many traps
around or having so many quilts with holes
cut through them.

GLEANINGS IN I5EE CULTURE.

March.

28

“ P. G." has a plan of her own'Tor feeding
that has been quite successful, as follows: She
makes an oblong bag of stout cotton and cov-
ers its mouth by sewing in a piece of coarse
wire cloth, perhaps 1U by 10 inches. This is
placed between two combs moved slightly
apart, near the cluster, and is filled by pouring
tlie syrup through the wire cloth when the
quilt is turned back slightly; the wire cloth
holds the mouth of the bag open and prevents
bees from getting into it. Whatever plan of
feeding you propose in spring, do not do any
thing that will allow the warm air to escape
upward from the cluster.

AIITI FILIAL I'ASTi ltAtii;.

/r] lie opening article in the A. H. J. for Feb.

ZL, by Mr. Gallup, it seems to us strikes about
at the root of the matter of raising plants or
trees for bees. Almost every season the bees
work on some plant that we had never noticed
their visiting before; and with the exception
of white clover we have had failures from all
sources. Locust trees gave us such a crop in
1870, that we meditated plantingau orchard of
them; but vve have had no honey of any account
from them since, although they have been full
of bloom ; basswood has also been almost a fail-
ure for throe years past in this locality : buck-
wheat is reported generally very uncertain, and
the autumn flowers, unless in the vicinity of a
large swamp sceem equally unreliable. It
would seem extremely doubtful whether it will
pay to undertake to raise any plant exclusively
for bees, and we would advise none to u liber-
take it unless they have ample means; and it
should also lie remembered that 'tis folly to ex-
pect much from any source unless there be at
least an acre of it. ’Twere well to consid-
er whether the same money instead of being ex-
pended in artificial pasturage had not better be
used for the- ^purchase of sugar . to feed, for in
that case you. are sure Of the> result, whether it
be for qu(.eu-i;caring, or for furpishing winter
supplies. ’ j,,. , . i

Raising Rape for :thp, seed, near an apiary
might be a very profitable plan. (put as yet, we
have so far as we know, had no direct practical
report of its value in this country. We tried
a small piece last season, and the grasshoppers
ale off every leaf as soon as it appeared, but we
propose trying it again this year. Alsike clover
seems to be our only hope of any tiling certain,
and even here we have more reports of failures
than positive success. If farmers could be in-
duced to raise Alsike as they do red clover,
there can be no question of its being a great
bem fit to beekeepers. It certainly must be prof-
itable to raise it for seed, and we are surprised
that the price is not only kept up but continues
f o rise. We were advised by our leading seeds-
men to offer it in our circular at the same prices
as last year, and the result has beeu that we
have sold seed for 30c. that cost us 33c. because
none of the new crop could lie found in the mar-
ket for a less price. If beekeepers can’t make
it pay to raise it for the honey', they certainly
can for the seed, and as there is little danger
of loss in the operation we should advise Alsike
before every thing else, and while you are
about it give it plenty nf manure, and good cul-
ture, for lots of honey requires lots of plant

food, and we “ Young Americas”when we un-
dertake a tiling, like to make it a success it tis
a possible thing in spite of obstacles that may
chance to arise. Those who have the brain,
muscle and energy that commands success in
whatever they undertake, are the ones we want
for beekeepers. See friend Nevin’s letter, page

l’ilmil.I JI 1 !) COMPLETELY SOLVE©
IN A NOVEL M ANNEAL

tffipHE following expeiiment seems to have
iLj hit the solution of Proli. 10 so direct, and
phases us so much that we mark our friend
paid for five years on Gleanings. We pre-
sume almost all of our readers are familiar
with the construction of hot beds, and we
think no possible harm can happen if this forc-
ing process be undertaken as soon as this
reaches you. Should you succeed in building
a colony up to the “ swarming pitch” by the
first of Apiil you will probably, if you keep
them properly under control get a result in
the way of honey, that will amply pay fora
dozen hot beds and the attendant care.

Our llecs are in splendid condition so far, I was all
through them on the Slat, (Jan.) and in some I found
three sheets witli brood in, and in none did I lind
more than a handful of dead bees. 1 feel as if we were
safe for this time, and begin to look forward to our
next honey season. My hives are all out of doors
with 8traw"mats on the combs, are dry and in line or-
der. 1 was somewhat surprised to hear you say that
We could not have had the bee cholera in'tlrts section ;
why, some bee-keepers lost GO and 7a hives, while oth-
ers ’did not lose quite so many, for the simple reason
they did not have them to lose, I am satisfied I would
have lost all of mine last winter if 1 had not given up-
ward ventilation, some I saved by that means when ti
mere remnant were leit to tell the tale, and by careful
nursing in what might be called a “hot bed” got a
good return from them in the wav of honey and arti-
ficial swarms. My hot bed consisted in surrounding
a hive with aboul’six inches of manure on the three
sides and bottom, covering the tops with a quilt and
mat and leaving the front open. It would have done
you good to have seen how the Queen "spread her-
self; ’ I was a little afraid it might be too hot for them
.blit I heard no complaints, and I saw eggs deposited
and hatched out of the cluster just as we do in sum-
mer; it came out my best hive and returned me the
most honey. I hope some others may try the same
and give its the results.

II. E. (lunar, 208 West 4 th, St. Cln. O.

Later : An appeal for further particulars
brought the following ;

In reply to your inquiries I am sorry to say I did
not keep a record of my experiments, i had no idea
of succeeding; as well as I did or I would have been
more particular, 1 think however, it was the latter
part of March, but last year was a strange year, one
it wont do to go by, if 1 remember we had very cold
weather in April, even the blue birds were deceived.
I thought of your lamp Queen Nursery and of Patent
Incubators; the heat in those are kept up by means
of a lamp and hot water, if the hot bed is as successful
as I think it is, it will do just as well and perhaps
better. I must close by thanking you for your kind
otter of a live years subscription, and can assure you
it is appreciated, at the same time I could not think
for a moment of abusing good nature in such a way,
but as long as Gi.kaningh is conducted in the manner
it is, I shall take pride in supporting it.

TH73 STAIVDASil) HIVE AND FRAME*

"fN ourjiasty description ol'n hive for the pro-
ZLj posed standard frame in our last, we made
an error in length of cover that was not noticed
until half the papers were worked off, and still
more humiliating was it to discover after all
were off, that we had given directions for cat-_
ting a side and end respectively, 30 and lo; ! »

1874.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

20

inches from n board forty five inches in length.
We really hope our carelessness has annoyed
no one, and would plead as an excuse that the
importance of the matter induced us to crowd
it in hastily at the last minute. The 45 inches
should read 46, and the cover 80 inches long.

That the matter is one of deep interest to
many may be gathered from the following com-
munications.

Friend Novice On page 21 last No. of Glean-
ings, in describing your standard hive you sav “but
if only Just as much honey can be secured with it etc.”
That was just what troubled me on • year ago, and so
I made three one story hives, three foot long, and
they gave the best satisfaction of any hives I ever
used: had the entrance at the end, and by placing the
brood in the centre, or back of the centre, I found the
bees would store the honey in the back end every
time before lllling empty comb in the front end. Al-
though it was a poor iionev season, one swarm gath-
ered (51 lbs. in three days ; up to Aug. 1st, 215 lbs, then I
divided ami made three good swarms that gathered
stores enough for winter.

I have concluded to make hives as follows : for sum-
m »r, one story hives not less than three feet long, for
winter, Simplicity hives 12 inches wide, to hold eight
frames, which 1 think will hold b ees and stores
enough for wintering inside. lilt SHY Palm Kit;

Hart, Mich. Feb. 2nd, 1874.

Our opinion is quite favorable to your plan.
Those eight frame hives which we think will
1)2 plenty large enough for wintering, will also
answer a very good purpose for starting colo-
nies before they get so large as to demand a
full hive. Will not a 80 inch hive instead of
three feet, answer for the majority)*

Fit t end Novice:— Gleanings for Feb. rec'd about
two hours ago, and among the many important sub-
jects noticed is the Standard Frame question. I use a
frame about the size of friend Gallup's and like it on
m any accounts better than larger frames, but if Bee-
keepers could be induced to agree on, and adopt a
Standard Frame, it would be of great benefit to all
Bee-keepers and Manul.icturers of hives also. My
ideal frame would be a shallow one for summer, ami
a deep one for winter, and the only way I have thought
of to combine the two desirable features, is to take
the Langstroth or Qulnby frame and use them hori-
zontally for summer and perpendicularly for winter.
I intend to experiment the coming season with Quin-
bysize, ns that just fits my hive one way. 1 propose
to set the hives on end soon as the basswood season
is over, so as to give the bees time to arrange their
brood and the late honey or sugar syrup , in the proner
position for winter. I' have always noticed that
swarms with plenty of sealed honey immediately
above the cluster, keep the most quiet and winter the
best in every respect. The swarm spoken of on page
22 that wintered in a nail keg so successfully, un-
doubtedly had plenty of sealed honey immediately
ab >vc the cluster owing to the shape of the keg ; now
the same swarm hived in the same keg, and kept, in a
horizontal position, with the same exposure, would
have stood a slim chance to winter.

fhis subject will bear a good deal of agitation, so
let s hear from all. Yours for a Standard.

Mexico, N. Y. Geo. T. Wukklku

I’. S.— If you want any hives manufactured to fill or-
ders from the Eastern States, I would like to make
*0010 arrangement with you that would be satisfactory
t‘> both. I can make them “with knot holes or
without.” G. T. W.

Reports of bite years seem to favor hives
with a depth of frame from 9 to 10 inches, for
wintering, rather than taller ones, and we are
not sure the keg would not have wintered
equally well on its side.

Mr.Quinby gave the plan several years ago,
in the Agriculturist , of standing frame hives
J>n end in winter, but we believe few practiced
Bees in winter seem disposed to cluster at
tlie top of the hive whatever may be its shape,
find a hive rather shallow with a close tight
quilt over the frames seems to afford them the
best facilities, for brood-rearing.

ON THE SIZE OF THE FRAME.

Dear Novice:— I have been very much surprised
in seeing in your circular, that if you were to choose
among the different frames used iii this country, von
would give tlie preference to Langstroth, then to
Adair, then to American, and after these three, to
Quinby.

This operation does not seem consistent with what
you have writ ,en, on the American hive, in the A. B . ,/.
for June 1872, page 274 where you say the bees raise
more brood in tlie shallow, than in the high frames.

Beside. If you like the L. frames because they have
1.7 & inches in length, how is It you do not like the Q.
frames? Is it because they are 7 „ longer? If you do
not like the Q. frames because they are 2 !„ higher than
the L. how is it that you prefer tlie Ada i which is of
the same size, and the American, which is even 1 ?.
inches higher?

Before pronouncing your judgment did you try all
these shapes of frames ? If so, von have obtained re-
sults very dilTerent from what 1 have experienced.

For ten years 1 have used both sizes, Qulnby and
American ; and after a trial carefully made. 1 conclu-
ded, three years ago, not to augment any more the
number of my hives with square frames, 12 by 12, mid
to make only Quinby hives, accordingly, I have since
peopled a second apiary, six miles from my residence,
wii.li Quinby hives exclusively. To day, in m\ home
apiary, you will find more than one hundred Quinby
hives, ready to receive my swarms, and not one
square frame hive newly constructed.

For six or seven years, I have tested the laying abil-
ity of my Italian Queens. For that purpose all my t
hives, destined to produce honey, have been made
with a capacity for eleven Quinby frames, or if Amer-
ican, sixteen. Last season i bail* here eighty stands,
which I intended for gathering honey ; about forty of
each kind, besides my hives destined to make
8 warms and raise queens. By tlie first of June three
of my Quinby hives had between seventy and seventy
five thousand cells containing brood ; while the best
of my Americans had about ten thousand cells of
brood less. Yet. both kinds had equally young and
prolific queens, the same pasture and tlie same care.

Besides, eight Quinby frames have a greater area
than ten Langstroth, or eleven Adair, and are usually
equal to twelve American. Do you not think that the
work is more quickly done with 8, than with 10 or
even 12 frames in the hive ?

The area of comb lilted with brood in the frame is
always in spring like a sphere flattened at the bottom
part. The bees, in spring, experience some hesitation
to lengthen the brood nest, at the bottom; because
the bottom of the comb is always colder than the
sides. Hence tlie queen finds always more cells,
warmed and ready to receive her eggs, at the sides,
than at the lower part of the comb.

Lastly, it takes more bees to surround and warm 12
frames than 8, for instance, the compass of a Quinbv
frame measures 5.))$ Indies, and for 8 frames 47(5
inches, while the 12 Amerie tii frames measure 57(5
inches, and it takes 15 per cent more of bees to pro-
tect the same quantity of brood, and in the Lang-
stroth hive 10 per cent, more than iii the Qulnby. To
conclude : 1 cannot admit, without protest, yi ur opin-
ion, as to the measure of the frames, for, in niy opinion,
you are mistaken in your classification.

For the benefit of your readers, I will tell you how
I have solved the problem of making nuclei/ to raise
queens, with my great Quinby frame, wiLlimn cutting
the comb.

I have contrived to make fedine lYatnes, divisible at
will in two equal parts, all fiiy "hives, destiued to raise
queens, receive some of these divisible frames. I
have also some small hives, or nuclei, lit to receive
these half frames, when I want to people one of these
small hives, I take a frame, containing brood and
honey ; divide it in two piirts/and insert ft in a «mall
nucleus with parti ion board." Thus the Quinby hive
gives only one frame, while thO" nucleus, gels two.

PADANT’S I>I VISltflJ/FR AM E : XO l'ATUNT.

When the two parts are united, the buckle A, of wire,
of the frame witn the tongue, enters in a bm ton hole
pierced at (’; a small nail, easily removable, entering
m the buckle at maintains the two parts together.

The same device can as well lit the L. frames. 1 have
used it at least eight years, with the best results.

Hamilton, Ills., Feb. 4th 1874. Ch. Dadant.

Reply on page 85.

30

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mabci*.

Gleanings in Bee Culture,

PublUhcri Monthly,

A. I. ROOT &c CO.,
EDITORS AND PROPRIETORS.

MEDINA, OH 10.

Terms: 75c. Per Annum.

For Club Rates see Second Pane.

3VI-A.Pl- 1, leT-^k.

Mil. Muth, sends us ft sample honey Label in blue
and gold with a Lnngstroth Bee Hive thereon that is
rather neater than any thing we have seen heretofore.

IVe can furnish GLEANINGS with the A. B. J. for
$2. *25 ; with Mrs. Tapper's Journal, for the same ; with
Bee Keeper's Mag. $1.50, or all four of the above for
$4.00. Terms, invariably cash in advance.

J ITST as we feared, and ’tis the Prairie Farmer that
' has copied from the A. B, J. the article on the Wortli-
lessness of the Italians.

They have our thanks however for the aid they
have given toward establishing a Standard Frame, by
giving our article on the subject.

In Mrs. Tapper's Journal for Dec. page “287 we read :
“Three thousand and six hundred workers will fill a
quart measure.” By careful count we find One thous-
and nine hundred ami eighty eight clean, dry dead
bees till a quart measure, and judging therefrom we
think one thousand live Italians would have to be
squeezed some to get into a quart measure ; at our es-
timate of $1.00 per quart, ten bees are worth just one
cent, so you can see just how expensive ’tis to use a
hive that smashes the little innocents.

E. Kretchmer A Co., Coburg Iowa, write ns they in-
tend rearing 1000 $1 Queens the coming season, all
from Imported Queen mothers; also that they sell a
hive thoroughly painted for $1.00, without frames, idl
of which would be pleusant news were it not that Mr.
K’s. Circular, like his book gives one a very unfavora-
ble opinion of the man. He seems now even more un-
scrupidous than of old, in copying the ideas of others
as his own, and goes so far as to even make extracts
in such a way as to entirely change and subvert t ic wri-
ters original meaning. In regard to his business hab-
its we know nothing further than that he does not
scruple to receive money for “rights” to devices,
knowing they are utterly worthless for the purpose
intended.

It were no more than just to our correspondents to
inform them, while thanking them for their favors,
that it is utterly impossible to publish one fourth part
of the good articles sent us for publication. For inst-
ance : we have now on hand at least a dozen on win-
tering, worthy of a place but matter of more impor-
tance at this season, demnnds we dismiss the subject
again until fall. In one of our former circulars we off-
ered to pay for new, valuable matter, and we do so
yet, but it should be borne in mind that unless the
writer has had the care of a considerable number of
colonies, the chances are much against his article be-
ing considered one we can afford to pay for. No apol-
ogy need ever be made for w riting */* on Bee-culturo;
‘tis our business to carefully read and weigh the con-
tents of each letter. Questions of a general nature we

prefer to answer through these pages, all others with
very few exceptions will receive prompt answers, to
the best of our ability, l>y return mail. Where a sub-
ject has been discussed at length in the back number*
we cannot do more, than refer to such numbers-

Mu. Kino, in speaking of the decease of Agassiz re-
marks; “lie repudiated the repulsive Darwinian doc-
trine of development, w ith all the force of his impul-
sive nature.” We hope w'e shall be excused for won-
dering if Mr. King too, has not read Darwin ; it is not
our province here to discuss his theory, but ’tis hi*
due to state that Darwin's experiments with bees, to
determine in what manner their combs are built (see
Origin of species, page *21U to 224,) were perhaps more
thorough, than any similar ones ever made by our
modern bee-keepers. No Apiarist can fail to see that
every line of what he writes on bees was the result on-
ly of careful and patient observation.

It may be well to state here that we first saw the
book after having written our criticism on Agassiz’
“Life in the Bee Hive” in our June No. of last year;
it was then handed ns by a friend, remarking that our
account of comb building strangely agreed with Dar-
wdu’s observations on the subject.

How much of Agassiz’ Life in the Bee Hive was real
observation, and how much guess work, Mr. K. knows
full well. “Truth is mighty etc.,” and should not be
smothered, even out of respect to the memory ot
those departed. ^

WE find to day, Feb. 9th, three more colonies dead.
Two of them obviously died as did the two former
ones, from lack of bee9 ; the other presents to us a
case not easy of solution. It had been one ot our
most active colonies of hybrids, and in fact the hive
was christened the “Bobber Chief” on account ot
their propensity to hustle out all hands at the faintest,
intimation of any such disturbance.

After their journey to the swamp, (they had been a
populous tw'o story hive) we found a large amount ol
dead bees on the bottom board, and a week or two la-
ter when they were fed, another heap of dead bee*
was brushed off; and on lifting them to go into win-
ter quarters still another heap remained on the bot-
tom board. An examination showed they had still
kept dying until the last of them perished among
clean combs of scaled sugar syrup, no trace of dysen-
tery, and the bees were dry and clean. We cun think
of nothing ami ss’unless the bees w'ere too old, but till*
seems very unsatisfactory, for some brood was reared
In the fall w’e feel sure, we cannot now recollect how
much, nor how late. It hardly seems proper to call
this a disease w hen the bees seem so perfectly healthy.

Mr. Wilkin and some others mention similar cases.
All the rest of our colonies with a few exception*
seem to be wintering finely.

1*. s. We measured three quarts of dead bees al-

though every dead bee w r as carefully removed from
the hive when housed Nov. *22nd.

Feb. 1(3 WE have just purchased two loads of

coarse, fermenting manure at the livery stables ; plac-
ed three hives on their summer stands with the en-
irmces turned southward, directly under the grape
vine trellisses; placed about (> inches of manure under
each, then protected the hives from being discolored
etc., by standing cheap shingles all around them and
on top, then covered tne whole hive except the en-
trance at the south. As the hives are but <> feet apart
we make a win row as it were of manure over each row
Whlvcs. The idea is to use manure enough to prevt n .
the hive being exposed to a freezing temperature ut
any time, on the plan of a mild hot bed. The simplic-
ity hives again. Know their great advantage over the
others with their projections ; but a very small amount
comparitively, being needed to cover the former, botn
of shingles and manure.

1874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

31

HOW TO MAKE A FOOT POWEIt HI 1 //.
SAW, FOR MAKING; HIVES.

jrapHE following diagrams are drawn on a
scale of inch to the foot ; the same let-
ters referring to the same parts in all.

A, A, A, etc. is the frame work made of hard
wood 3 by 3 scantling, put together with mor-
tises and tenons, and drawn up firmly with
holts. Fig. 1, is a front view ; Fig. 2, a view
from the end where the operator stands ; Fig.
0, top (Tame work where the table top is raised
up as in dotted lines in Fig. 1 ; Fig. 4, table top,
and Fig. 5, treadle, The balance wheel B, seen
in Figs. 1, and 2, should if possible be as much
as 3 feet in diameter and weigh about 150 lbs;
the shaft C, is made of a bar of square or round
iron at least lj-o inches in diameter for the
weight of balance given above. This shaft af-
ter the crank of 2' 4 inches stroke is forged in
at D, should measure about 1 J,< feet, and con-
ical holes should be drilled in the ends to re-
ceive a heavy, pointed tempered st.el screw,
screwed into the front legs atE, E, thus giving
a small amount of friction, with a ready means
of screwing up the bearings whenever they
become loose. Very much depends on a nice,
true, balance wheel, but many saws that do
very well are made with much lighter ones
than the above, and some of them are even
made of hard wood which however we cannot
recommend ; a better way is to buy some
kind of an iron wheel, even one selected from
heaps of old Iron will many times do after be-
>ug covered with wood and turned olf true.

1'he position of the saw and the manner of
supporting is clearly seen In Fig. (i; the. saw
should be about 8 inches in diameter and can
Usually be purchased best with the arbor, of
some saw maker. The driving pulley should
)(i ubout 2Kj inches in diameter, but two,

would be better if covered with rubber which
can be had nicely adapted to the purpose, of
J. W. Sutton, 05 Liberty St. N. Y. As we have
arranged the pulley so near the balance, which
seems almost unavoidable for, ease in working,
this rubber covering becomes very necessary
unless we fix a pulley to take up the slack of
the belt somewhere at F. The construction of
the top will be seen at a glance at Fig. 4, it
should be made of 1I 4 inch hard well seasoned
wood, screwed firmly to the l}.i by 2 inch
pieces so as to leave the slot G, 4 inches wide,
for the bar II, to slide in. You can exercise
your skill in seeing how strait you can dress
out II, and how nicely you can fit it to slide
in G, for the accuracy of all of your work will
depend much on this; also see if you can fit I,
in place so perfectly square that you can saw
out a piece of board so true on all sides that
when turned clear around every corner will be
square.

It should also be adjusted to make a perfect
mitre such as is used in making picture
frames etc. Spring stops are used in both of
the bars I, and J, made of a strip of brass
by 3 inches and about 1-10 thick, bent at right
angles at U inch from the end ; the long end
is fastened by two screws in the bottom of a
shallow mortise in such a way that the bent
portion projects as seen at I, but can be press-
ed out of the way by a slight pressure, conse-
quently when these stops are once set right
for the sides, ends or cover of a hive, by hold-
ing the corner of the board against the proper
one we always get exactly the mine measurement ;
the same is true o( frame stuff when held
against J. For rabbeting “tc ’tis very conve-
nient to be enabled to raise and lower the
whole top, this is done by the screw K, the
lower bar of the top, being entered at the ends
into holes made in blocks mortised in at Z,
permitting the top turning on it so as to allow'
being raised as seen by the dotted lines in Fig.
1, also guides are hinged at each corner as seen
in M, and N, to enter mortises in bar A, shown
in Fig. fi.

O, is a strip 1 inches square hinged with
three common hinges to back of table top in
such a way that it can be turned over on the
top, or turned completely below the surface on
the back side. The usual parallel stick P,
which should be about 2, 1 ., square hardly
needs description, it is attached to O, by the
strips hinged to turn firmly at R, S, T and U,
and fastened in its place by bar Q, with a set
screw where it slides through a mortise in
stick O.

Treadle, Fig. 5, is made of stuff about 2 by 3
and is pivoted on bars A, as seen at W, Fig. 1,
in a manner similar to the balance shaft. The
hook on the crank D, is pinned at its other
end in the treadle at X ; the step for the foot
is a piece 1 !» by 0 inches by 2 feet and is
made to project at Y, for convenience in work-
ing at the side of the table in rabbeting etc.

Top of table 3 by 4* a feet; top of table from
frame 3 inches. Top of table from floor 3 feet ;
distance between legs A, length 3 feet, width
2 feet outside. Length of treadle 3 feet ; width
as great as the space will admit. We would
use a belt if soft about 3 inches wide.

It will be observed, the balance runs a little
below the surface of the floor, and that we de-

32

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

SfAncir.

pend on having tliefVont feet bolted very (Irm-
ly to the floor as there is no room for crosspiece
as in the back end.

So many directions arc given for filing saws
that we prefer that each one should learn by
experience how to file his saw so as to have it
cut nicely.

We have been asked to make our description
very minute, which we must offer as an excuse
for having given such lengthy details.

It will be observed, we have so arranged
the table that it may be cleared in an instant
of every obstacle, and it should be located in a
room large enough to enable us to saw a six-
teen foot board in two in the middle if neces-
sary, as it often is, to enable us to use the best
economy in working our lumber. With a good
machine, and an expert active operator, the
speed at which good hives may be made is al-
most incredible.

A quick, bright eyed boy or girl of a dozen
years, when they have learned to handle the
pieces, will assist almost one half, and if not
kept at it too long at a time, will learn to en-
joy it more than play.

For further particulars in using the machine
see Yol. 1. To do nice work and to do it
easily, use seasoned pine lumber planed accu-
rately to exactly % °f an inch thickness.

P. 8. W. Bingham & Co. Cleveland, O.

furnish excellent saws both rip and cross cut,
size mentioned, for .§1.75. We think they can
be sent by mail for about 10c. each, if wrapped
in stout paper.

II u in b u *jf K si ii cl S w i ii cl 1 «' w

Pertaining to Bee Culture.

[We respectfully solicit the aid of our friends in
conducting this department, and would consider it
a favor to have them send us all circulars that have
a deceptive appearance. The greatest care will he at
all times maintained to prevent injustice being done
am- one.]

yjiPT seems too bad to allow our old friend to
J. monopolize this department but when we
get an advertisement, and a kind letter from
him direct, we certainly can’t refuse to insert
it; as we put it in the reading columns too,
he really might afford to pay us extra. We
are sorry to be obliged to advise our readers
to get their Queens some way, before sending
the money, for a number of letters seem to in-
dicate that sending money to Mr. M. is like
pouring water into a tunnel, you know per-
fectly well where you put it but that’s all.

Columbia. Tenn. Feb. 11th, 1H74.

Mu. A. I. Root, Dear Sik Please insert the en-
closed advertisement in the next Number of your
valuable paper, and let stand for six months, send
liill in May. Would be glad to furnish you witli any
curly Queens or Nucleus Colonies you may want; we
will' have Queens out in March. Send paper.

Yours truly, N. C. Mltcii K l.i..

EARLY ITALIAN QUEEN BEES.

We can furnish any Number of Pure Italian Queens
or Nuclei or full Colonies in April and May. Send for
price list. Address N. C. MITCHELL,

Columbia, Tenn.

After May 1st, address Indianapolis, 1 ml. or Cin. O.

We trust you for the advertisement Mr. M.,
but Gleanings is, cash in advance.

G. II. Boughton's advertisement still appears
in Mrs. Tapper's Journal yet complaints keep
coming in from those having sent him money.

DEPOSITORY OF

BL A 8 ® 8 1> II » »* E S ,

Or Letters From those wlio Imve made llee
C ulture u Failure.

thought we had completely Italianized 12 oi
%1%/f our colonies, but upon examination this week,
\Ji\JI they have the appearance oi' hybrids, can it.
bo the cold weather? We have about 30 swarms in
Lungslrotli hives, have been at an expense of $200 ami
more, and have never realized 10 per cent. At first we
thought it was from increasing, next we could do bet-
ter by Italianizing, this was worse for they swarmed
too often— now we think it from the scarcity of Bee
forage, though we have sown Mustard and Buckwheat
and planted Borage, we shall now try Horse mint, and
expect to try Linden, and think we will get 200 or 300
trees from you, next fall at the proper time, when do
vou think best? J* A. Nelson & Son,.

Macon, Ga. Feb. (5th, 1874.

We are so little acquainted with the South
we hardly know what to advise, but very
much doubt the policy of raising artificial
pasturage to help the matter. Have our friends*
used the extractor V Is there not some month
in the year that gives a yield of honey greater
than can be secured, and have our friends had
their colonies strong and thrifty in anticipation
of this? We are inclined to think with Mr.
Quinby, that after we have secured the honey
that is now wasted, there will be time enough
to then think of artificial pasturage. Has
none of the $200 gone for “ patent hives” ?

Have been very unfortunate for two years past, lost
more than half mv apiary, winter before last. Lost it
all last winter. Italian, hybrid, and blade. Stock on
hand about 50 hives of empty combs, Supers, boxes,
lumber, etc. etc.

Cause oi loss, Mclextractor; long cold winter; Cel-
lar too cool ; unwholesome autumn honey perhaps, etc.

Truly yours, J- W. MURRAY,

Excelsior, Minn. April 22ml, 1873.

We don’t remember to have heard how our
friend came out, but guess he is all right now,
for our Western Apiarists have a way of
“ pitching in” and getting their 50 or 100 col-
onies again, that is amazing. We can hardly
think the extractor should be blamed, although
its owner might, if he used it to starve his bees.

R ep o i* t s En o o u t* :i g i 11 a' .>

a . WILL give a l'ew facts about my bees. 10 rather
weak in the Bpring, gave, box honey, 400 lbs. cx-

i traded honey, 420 lbs. increase 12. My hook

shows I have sold the above, at an average price of22e.
Have had bad luck in getting purchased queens on
lime, think 1 shall try some of your advertised men
next season. H. W. MINER, Sarlnac, Midi.

I*. S.— Considerable lias been used in the family be-
sides some remaining on hand not In above report.

I have 72 stocks of bees all in cellar, all O. K. I cut
every Queen’s wings oil' close to her body as soon
as fertile, then I can attend to my business or go to
church without loosing bees by swarming, I lost 7»
stocks last winter: wintered out doors; commenced
spring wi h 13 stocks; and did not divide until aitei
June 15th. E. 1). GODFREY, Red Oak,-Io\vu.

That’s the sort ! Bee-keepers should “Never
say die.” Why clip so much of the Queens
wings ? We don’t like them to look like “bugs."

Last summer I felt the need of a saw to do my own
cutting, (as I could not get my stuff cut neatly, alter
reading your description of yours, 1 made one and
have cut out 70S, 3 lb. boxes, besides much other work,
just ns it ought to be don :. Last summer I bad 21 col-
onies, in September 1 Increased 4tl, which tit this
date, are nice and dry and in good condition.

W. stump, fin. 0.
I’. S.— In dividing I had Nucleus Queens ready for
the new swarms.

1874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

oo

II O > E Y <’ O 1. 1 M H .

//- . N K of my honey customers here, a wholesaler
(if d) tohl me the other day that lie bought 100 cases
Philadelphia (so called) white clover honey, but
that he could not recommend it any more since he
knew my honey, and that he would buy no more Phil-
adelphia honey when Ills present stock was gone.

On as. F. MtJ'ru, Cln. O.

Now is it not possible for the people to be-
come so well posted on honey, that ’twould be
ns easy to palm off a poor article of butter , as
honey. Butter makers well know that a poor
article when thrown into market, finds its lev-
el right speedily. Why is it not so with hon-
ey?

You are welcome to’ the jar of honey, we have 30
more. It will kill the bees in winter, anil hurt them
any time, so will any honey that has fermented, and
any honey will ferment in summer unless kept very
cool, 1 do not know from what source it was obtained.
We are putting up honey in glass tumblers with paper
covers, one side is covered with wax, and made fast
at the top with the same, it works first rate.

YVe had a curiosity to see some really poor
honey — we don’t get any here — and the above
was ree’d in reply to some of our queries in re-
gard to it after receiving it. It certainly is
poor and what surprised us was that our
“slow oven” process did’nt make it good. In
regard to fermentation, we think our friend is
wrong ; we believe neither honey nor syrup
can ferment unless it is too thin, i. e. contains
too much water. We feel quite certain our
Medina Co. clover honey as we now extract it,
can not be made to ferment in any weather un-
less water be added.

1 have been melting candied houev and was just
thinking how nice the double tin lilvo for Queen
hatching would be for Ibis purpose.

It. Wii.kix, Cadiz, O.

Thanks for the idea ; by having a molasses
gate attached to one corner, candied honey
could be “jarred,” quite expeditiously and the
even temperature, that cannot exceed boiling
water could not possibly Injure the color nor
flavor of the honey.

II e a cl s' o f <2 i» ,« i n ^

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS.

PR. A. ROOT: SIR: Since June last I

have been a constant reader of the A. JU J. and
am so well pleased with your way of talking on
uee-topies that 1 have long felt an inclination to write
to you on the subject, but when I read in the N ov. No.
«nat you had more friends than you desired I conohid-
V!‘ l( Mvait a while. A few days before Christmas the
L»e ( *. No. came and in a few minutes I had your explan-
Ji . 1 * ‘ Sow tlu,t t,lc holidays are over and 1 have en-
nreiy recovered from the effects of the gayetles there-
j ? 1 " 'He, and il l prove tedious please charge ittomy
nicer cot in and love lor Bee-keeping.

1 e nn it me to indulge in a little personal history lor
| love to tell what a great benefit this business has
•een to me. My habits were sedentary and in the
• pringot ’71 my life seemed only a question of time’
ami a yi-j-y short space of time ; but it was not so, tor I
<*ii ».ii i a, * v h‘e of a sensible Physician who prescrib-
• # l! medicine, generous diet, plenty of sleep, and
mi interesting light out-of-door occupation .” I engaged
1 ~. ei l *“ keeping with my Brother who did all the hard
cut hi tiie Winter of ’72 lie moved away since
nieli time I have had to “row my own boat” with
not even a sister to suggest and assist as “Nellie” does
liua.- ?” i> "*y Father Is an old farmer and will not
Bee-keeping through my spectacles. I never
, ' „ ‘ , nitln .y colonies ; lost four ninths during the win-
vgi-v , 8 l )r *h£ 01 ’73, the remaining live ninths were
weak, I learned a lesson there.

Although the past season seems to have been quite
unfavorable I have no idea of retiring from the Apiary
but hope for better seasons ami intend making an hon-
est effort to make this business r m n rative tl i > year ;
and think it necessary to have an extractor. Brother
and I used the Mellpult— of course I do not want it—
I have seen two cylinder machines but it seems to me
they were both unnecessarily heavy and inconvenient-
ly large. Tell me in what particular your $6 * $10 ma-
chines differ. I want a good durable machine but
the leanness of my portemonnaie forbids my buying or-
namental things, well as J like them. Do you consider
diluted honey object! onal as spring feed ?

An Interested Bee-keeper.

Hendersonville, Tenn.

Our friend is not the only one who feels she
is much indebted to bees for a longer lease of
life, and also for having given a new zest to the
pleasure of living. Our cheap Extractor is
the same as the other excepting the outside can
which is neither as convenient nor durable.
We know of no objection to feeding honey in
the spring except want of economy, when su-
gar is so much cheaper.

Yes, I want Gleaningk of course, would not be will-
ing to do without it. I have all the Numbers published
in a little book now with index, and I must sav, that,
among all the back Nos. of the four Bee Journals I
am taking and all the books I have on the subject,
there is not to be found so much useful matter in so
small a compass as in Gleanings.

1 have been keeping from 50 to 60 swarms of Bees
here for the past four years, and have lost over half
each winter on the average, but at this date everv
swarm is lively and seems perfectly healthy under the
straw mats on summer stands. I have never used the
mats before this winter.

I believe the merits of catnip as a honey producing
plant have not as yet been fully appreciated, particu-
larly if it is grown on good ground and cultivated. I
cultivated a small patch in my garden last summer
ami my bees were swarming on it from the 25th of
•June to the middle of Sept, almost three months, and
there was not a day during the whole time so stormv
that they were not on it some portion of the day. I
have raised plants the past season to cover nearly an
acre, which I shall transplant and cultivate carefully.

1 have sowed a large amount of the seed on waste
places about for t wo years, but the bees do not take to
it any thing like they do where it is on better ground
and cultivated. Will try to give you some results
next season. It is my opinion that the catnip will out
do Linden altogether coming as it does and lasting
through the whole season of scarcity. Guinhv savs:
“ If there is any one article I would cultivate' exclu-
sively for lioney it would be Catnip.”

M. Kevins, Cheviot, O.

Give us the results of the “Catnip planta-
tion” by all means. Even if a failure you
should have the hearty thanks of all Bee-keep-
ers. We are very much inclined to agree with
Gallup that a brisk growth brought about by
cultivation or other causes is almost essential
to the secretion of honey, and with the catnip
if we are correct our only hope of making the
project pay is the honey it produces.

1)kak Novice:— As I have been dabbling a little
with bees for many years, and reading the A. Ji. J. for
two years, to see who was the biggest fool, and could
get. up the most complicated intricate and difficult bee
hive and moth cage, and as they are still getting new
patents I fear I shall never see the end, so I have con-
cluded that one practical man (If he be a Novice) is
better to consult than a host of theorists ; so I have
concluded to try Novice.

B. T. Talbot, Viola, Iowa.

We have experimented considerably, aud ffml
Adair’s drone trap to In* worthless; his 'close littlng
section hive an intolerable nuisance, and ffnd that his
new idea hive will not do what is claimed for il. It
will not prevent the building of drone comb, and is
enough to wear the patience of Job, to handle the
frames frequently; besides it is too revolting to hu-
manity to be compelled to brutally murder our inno-
cent pets : and altogether too barbarous to be tolerated
at all in this cnilghvu •! a/v.

Dr. K. C. Laucii, Ashland, Mo.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

March

34

The above, although seemingly harsh is a
very fair illustration of the practicability of
many of the patented appliances for Bee Cul-
ture! It may be however that Adair has a
knack of handling them himself more success-
fully, but we cannot think he works a very
large Apiary with Section Hives.

Apropos of Problem 19th, has the following fact any
significance ? Mv queenless colony raised hundreds
of little drones during November, which month with
us was colder, more wintry than December. The cells
In which sain little drones were reared had not been
lengthened— were capped over like worker brood. It
1- reasonable to suppose, therefore, that genuine work-
er brood would, under the same circumstances have re-
ceived the same cure.

May it not be then, that by removing the queen,
utter securing a supply of eggs, (I suppose a plan
might be devised for keeping her safely a few weeks,)
the rearing of a limited quantity of brood (or an un-
limited quantity, if eggs can be obtained,) can be at
any time ensured ? I" A. W.

We have often noticed how carefully eggs
and larva; were nursed in a queenless colony,
but are not prepared to say from practical ex-
periment that more young bees would lie
raised. Those having queenless colonies this
spring (see Dec. No! page !)0) will be pretty
sure to test the matter and we hope will report.

I see That Dee men are not yet satlslied as to dysen-
tery or bee disease, and 1 never was till Ibis winter
and now I know the cause, found the cause acciden-
t ally ami not by smartness.

1 'put all but 7 In the cellar second day after tile
cold weather, and the 7 several days alter It turned
coltl so they had been exposed and were gorged with
honey, and being confined were not able to empty
themselves, and the result dysentery nr bee disease,
lb ‘7 are now all dead, while the remaining 85 are good
ami all rigid. 1 would wil Ingly wager on hives against
5u that 1 can produce the disease In any hive by expo-
sing to a severe cold snap say a week, mercury some
times down to zero or below, then If the weather turns
favorable for th ing, prevent by putting In cellar or
bee house and expose again, perhaps once will do.

D. D. Palmeii, Eliza, Ills.

We are sorry to dampen our friend’s enthu-
siasm but lie forgets like many others that the
same tiling lias been done hundreds of times
without injury, again, perhaps the worst cases
of loss were iti Feb. and March or even April,
where the bees were left out and not moved at
all. Precisely the treatment lie mentions does
not give our sugar fed colonies the disease.
He further adds some heavy questions ft>r a
Novice to answer but we’ll try.

A few questions for Gleanings.

1st.— When bees are gathering honey or pollen do
thev gather from one or more species of plant! ?

■i id. Have qu mi s ever been known to mate with a
d .me of a fertile worker or an unimpregnated queen?

3rd.— Why do bees build their combs corrugated
or wavy?

4th.— Will Queen cells do as well In a horizontal
position as perpendicular after being capped ?

5th.— Do the bees leave the cocoons in the cells?
6th.— Can bees hear?

1 st. — Usually one, but we find many excep-
tions.

2nd. — A number of direct experiments seem
to indicate the small drones good, but others
stoutly contend they are not.

3 rd. — We think generally because the colony
is weak. When the colony is strong and hive
“chock" full of bees, combs are generally strait
and regular.

4th.— We think so but may be wrong-
oth. — You may see by dissolving the comb
in hot water.

6th.— Mrs. N. says they can, for they always
come to the pump in dry weather when they
hear it going.

What Is the size of the perforated tin yon use on
your tea-kettle feeder, what is the number, how line,
answer In Gleanings.

• W. Chapman, Morrison, Ills.

About 17 holes to the inch each way, are
found in the perforated tin we use, but we
rather think larger holes would be less liable
to till up with sugar, however a tea-kettle of
hot water cleans them quickly. Some one
proposes to make these feeders of boards made
tight with wax ; these will do very well one
season but after that, make much trouble by
leakage, while tin although a little more ex-
pensive, lasts indefinitely.

Light Wanted :— I have been trying to make some
bee-quilts and can not make them to suit, they get
so puckered up that they will not lie down square, we
tried to quill them with a mabhine, please instruct ns
by letter. ALBERT POTTEK, Eureka, Wis.

Don't quilt them. Make them just like a
pillow case and have them rather large ; have
the sides of the hive come at least a half inch
above the top of the frames and then tuck them
in tight every time so not a bee can even make
faces at you before the hive is closed.

If It be not necessary for Polish bees to fly for purl-
fleution for a period of eight or nine months, why will
not our bees remain quiet and healthful when con-
lined for half the time ?

Would you not like frames 1+ inches long, (instead
of 17 5, ) provided you could till a hive with them of
sume capacity at eanio expense, better titan you do
your present style of frames ?

Is there not too much weight of comb and honey in
yourS by 17 5 inch frames, to bundle in the ex-
tractor sately ? Very truly,

G. E. (jAltl.lN, M. 1). St. Johns, Mich.

We know bees used to stand a low degree of
cold for months in northern climates and real-
ly cannot see why they should not stand our
winters for the last few years.

We feel quite certain we can raise more brood
in the shallow Langstroth frame than in any
deeper one and we And them also best adapted
to the extractor after having tried all those
given on our- circular except the Adair frame.

Much depends however on having a very
tight hiv< ; the movable side, in our American
hives always lets in so much cold air, as they
always must do, that, perhaps our experiments
with deep frames were defective in that res-
pect.

FttlENX) Novice:— W e fellow Novices would like to
know if the honey flics above the comb in using them
end downward hi the extractor, and does it Lake less
force to throw it out that way, than it would if hung
as it is in the hive? With the extractor I use, tin'
honey ihes up six Inches or more when thick and cool.

It. S. Decktell, New lSufl'ulo, Mich.

If the frames revolve one inch lower than
tlie top of the can we cannot imagine how the
honey can fly out. Witli the frame longest
way up and down, no part of the comb need
exceed (i inches from the central shaft, conse-
quently we have less centrifugal force, the
machine may be lighter, less power is required
to stop and start, and we work easier and
faster.

Can I keep bees successfully In the heart of a City ,
or will they interfere with Grocery and Confectionery
Shops, that are near? „ „

Stephen Williams, Nashua, N. li.

Yes. When there are no natural stores to
lie had, keep them busy on sugar as we do, and
if you think you cannot afford the sugar, make
them pay for it by rearing $1.00 Queens.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

35

1874

OUR,

* ‘ Ln («> *s t- In toll! ge>ae®^ ,!
tOR>RK

Questions not to© length y, may be answered through
this department even if not received until within two
davs, of the first of the month ; and in two days more,
nothing preventing, you may have your paper contain-
ing the reply, If our Menas would use a separate:
piece of paper for this, and in fact for each of the de-
partments, and write on oivc side only t'would he quite
-i favor.butif it’s too much trouble, don’t do it, for we
want to hear from you anyway.

Herb we -are -once more; this 27th day of Feb. 1874,
and Bee Culture stands about as follows : — No posi-
tive case of the dreaded malady has yet been reported ;
unusually favorable reports come from all quarters,
H)otli in regard to out, and In door wintering.

Bee Keepers Mag* for Feb., we noticed last month.

WE would suggest to Adair the propriety of return-
ing the money sent him for his Hoc. Annals. Three
oiwnths behind time can hardly be considered excu-
sable.

Although Mrs* T upper's Journal for Feb* did not
come to hand until the 26th, she presents us one of the
most valuable Nos. yet Issued.

^ The A* B. J. made its appearance on the 9th, with
an unusually flue selection of valuable articles. Both
In typography and arrangement, it is not only a cred-
it to our branch of industry, but to American Jour-
nalism as well.

The Bee World for Feb* made its appearance on the
25th. Its typography is somewhat improved, and
Mr. Moon seems to have a fine corps of contributors;
but for mercy's saJce , why does he not get some one
to read his proof. If the man can neither read, write,
nor spell, himself, he certainly should not leave his
readers to infer that no one in Home , Go*, can 4 do any
better. Among all the host bf transient Periodicals
with which our country is now flooded we have never
before seen any thing so laiiientabl^ delicient In the
principles which any common school education should
give, as Mr. M?s attempts at editorials. We say this
with no ill feeling toward Mr. M. but on the contrary
would be much pleased to add to our list of Bee Peri-
odicals, one published in the South.

On page 220 of -4. Jl*J* for 1870, J. L. Davis writes:
ik But I do say that I can raise Queens for $1.00 apiece
if taken as soon as fertile,” by which It appears we
were not the first to suggest the idea.

Several complain that their Italians look like hy-
brids in the winter; we think this only owing to the
faded colors of the old bees, and that when the young
bees get out, their markings will be equally as fair as
last season, unless the Queen has been superceded.
Instead of the long arguments, as to who is right,
and who is wrong on wintering, would it not be as
well to watch and see who is most uniformly success-
ful? Those who perfectly understand it should win-
ter, aye, and “spring too,” without loss. We hope
all Will be as faithful in reporting losses as successes.

N’. C, Mitchell, writes to ask our readers to defer
concluding him really untrustworthy until May or
June, When he will make good all promises. He also
insists, Moon is much th etoorse man of the two, yet
wu have let him go “scott free”; to which we reply
that Moon has done nothing, so far as we know,
whereby the good community requires he should be
shown up”; unless it be, forsooth, his murdering of
the English Language .

(Continued from page 26.)

Our reason for putting the Quinby frame
last, was mainly on account of its size, and as
there must be a stopping place some where, we
had concluded that about the capacity of the
L. frame was enough. Our objection to the
American frame in A. B. J. was written while
using the old style with cross bar in the mid-
dle, and of a depth of 15 inches or more ; when
made 12 by 12 they can be readily used in a
tight hive like the L. without a movable side.
Yours were probably the old movable side
American hives, and perhaps this was some-
what the reason for the lack of brood. It is
our impression you could have done nearly, if
not quite as well, witli the L. hive. We agree
with you perfectly in regard to the Queen’s
dislike to enlarging the brood nest downward.
Being enabled to use 8 combs instead of 10,
would be with us a heavy argument in favor
of the large frames, and were we to handle
them personally, without expecting any aid
from feminines and juveniles, we might give it a
preference. In our attempts to get the bees to
work in boxes, we have for two seasons had il-
lustrations of heavy Q. frames that were
enough to intimidate a good sized child.

In regard to the divisible frames; we made
similar ones two years ago, and formed a plan
of having the hive so narrow, that With rabbets
clear around, we could put in the small frames
cross wise, and the whole ones length wise,
thus securing the advantages of the Gallup
hive for Queen-rearing etc." and the Quinby
hive for honey. After getting over our first
enthusiasm on the idea, we concluded the ad-
vantages were not sufficient to compensate for
the complication rendered necessary for a div-
isible frame ; and so we turned back to our old
Langstroth frame again, as we have many
times before, satisfied It was nearest the desid-
eratum, all things considered.

The long, one story hives had better be made
with a permanent bottom board “let in” like the cover,
for it will be found quite difficult to make them tight
otherwise, in so long a hive ; besides as they are not to
be used two story, there is no especial nfeed of a loose
bottom. Further directions next month.

WE have 1$ colonies under flVnlany manure heaps,
(now covered deep with snow also) with the south
side of the hive exposed, in such a way that they can
fly, at any glimpse of snushlnc^ad Jibitum, and yet the
manure affords so much protection that we think wat-
er would not freeze, under the same conditions, du-
ring the most severe winter weather. Is it possible
that we have at last a plan of wintering our bees on
their summer stands without exposing them to a
freezing temperature? Tills would. chime with the
broad one story hives nicely.

Were we to judge of the value of Conventions
by the excellent addresses of Prof. Cook, and M. Quin-
by, given respectively In A. B. J. for Feb. and Utica
Morning Herald of Feb. 5th, we should have no doubt
of their great utility. The Convention at Utica, fur-
nishes a great number of practical facts, and much
credit is due them for their concluding summing up
of the report in a tubular form ; but why does it not
embody also, the yield of Capt. Iletheriiigton's large
apiary? Attend Conventions by all means, when
you can do so without making the expense of the
Aninry, on an average, overbalance the total receipts.

Will the kind Mend who sent us the above papers
accept our earnest thanks for the same.

36

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Get your bees to working on the meal now as speed-
ily as possible. Exercise your ingenuity in securing
a place lor it in the sun, but out of the wind, rain and
snow. A mixture of grains seems to please them best ;
we have just had ground up finely together, one bush-
el of rye, two of oats, and one of wheat screenings
composed largely of chess. For economy in using it
we would put it on a level platform large enough to af-
ford a foot square for each stock. But little attention
will be paid to the meal after they get natural pollen.

I have 40 stands of bees, (Italians) use the Gallup
frame— bees in good order— have several ‘‘ New idea
Hives,” did well last year — rather larfire— think I pre-
fer 21 frame hive to 82— my long hives did better last
vear than the standard or 12 frame hive— began last
spring with 20 stands, purchased them mostly o Gal-
lup— all Italians— season poor— basswood failed, sold
less than 300 lbs.— put the hives into cellar, all but ten
of the largest— and prepared them for winter accord-
ing to Gallup’s mode. I think that I will make some
of your form of hives this spring— if for nothing else
I like them on account of there being no waste ma-
terial. Name lost.

Names of responsible parties will be inserted in
cither of the following departments, at a uniform
price of 10c. each insertion, or 81.00 per year.

Si 1 s 0 © Q u m ®DS ®

Names inserted in this department the first time
without charge.

Those whose names appear below agree to lm-nish
Italian Queens the coming season for 81.00 each, un-
der the following conditions: No guarantee is to be
assumed of purity, safe delivery or any thing of the
kind, only that the Queen be reared from a choice,
pure mother. They also agree to return the money at
any time when customers become Impatient of such
delays as may be unavoidable.

Bear in mind that he who sends the best Queens,
put up neatest and most securely, will probably re-
ceive the most orders. Special rates for warranted
and tested Queens, furnished on application to any of
the parties.

J. Shaw & Son, Chatham Center, Medina Co., Ohio.

I. E. Daniels, Lodi,

U. \V. Dean, River Styx,

E. C. Blakeslcc, Medina,

Willis J. Phelps, " “ “ “

W. J. Hosmer, Janesvtllc, Minnesota.

John L. Davis, Holt, Mich.

James A. Buchanan, Wlntersville, Jeff. Co., O.

Dr. J. P. H. Brown, Augusta, Georgia.

Miss. Annie Saunders, tVoodvlllc, Miss.

tV. J. Stundcfer, Dry Grove, Hinds Co., Miss.

tV. D. tVrlght, Knowersvlllc, Albany Co., N. Y.

Mi-re Hanafaetu i»e »§ .

Who agree to make euch hives, and at the prices
named, as those described on our circular.

Geo. T. Wheeler, Mexico, N. Y.

G. W. Dean, River Styx, Medina Co., O.

i wala esa Jk: Puyiywo n al.

Apiarist Wanted ; S. W. Grclslnger, Carlisle. Pa.

And “Lyons,” care tV. W. Barnum, Southport. Ind.
wants a place; can make hives or handle bees. Also:

Situation wanted; but we have lost the applicants
name, as we have Also the names of several who had
empty combs for sale, etc., but If you’ll send your
names with the respective “ ten centses” we’ll submit
the whole matter to our readers. Advertisers should
remember that GbEAMXOS is so small every word Is
usually read.

We are pleased to note that Mr. Quinby offers emp-
ty comb for sale. At the price he has fixed— 50c. for
Quinby frames of worker comb— we think they should
go off rapidly. Those having empty comb in any of
the standard frames, we think would find a ready sale
for them by advertising. His new smoker it seems to-
ns would be cumbrous ; ’tis worked with a little bel-
lows.

There are n few things in Mr. Q's circular that we
cannot help protesting against. Por instance;

“In consequence of the advantage which this hive
enables us to take of the labors of the bees, by pre-
venting their swarming, &c., it is safe in a good season
to calculate on an average of one or two hundred
pounds of box honey, or two or three hundred when
the combs are emptied with a machine— which will
sell for more in one season than the price of colony.”

This has appeared in his circular we believe for
three years, yet if any Bee-keeper in the V . S. has
ever made an apiary of 50 or even 25 hfves give snch a.
result on an average we shonld be pleased to hear of it.
We wrote Mr. Q. when we first saw his circular con-
taining the statement, ashing him if it was wise to put
it so high ; even his own apiary since then, so far as
we can gather, has given an average of considerably
less than loo lbs. either box or ext’d honey. Should
the hive have a great advantage over those in com-
mon use for box honey, we can hardly think even Mr.
Q. himself intends to intimate, his hive has any espec-
ial advantage for extracted, yet it seems to read so
it consists when arranged for the latter, simply of lb
Quinby frames arranged horizontally with the en-
trance midway at the ends of the frames.

The new swarming arrangment can of course be ap-
plied as well to any hive that affords them robm to
work, but we believe it is now pretty generally con-
ceded that a faithful use of the extractor alone, rarely
fails to prevent an attempt at swarming, rendering
the queen yard useless for any but box honey.

Is it well to hold out to beginners a statement like
the abdve? ’tis almost sure to end in “blasted hopes.”
Would it not be better to estimate 50 lbs. on an aver-
age ? then If they did better than that there would be
no feeling that they had been humbugged by having
false hopes held ftut to them. Again :

"In giving this hive to the puolic, it Is not with the
Idea of making it pecuniarily profitable. It is design-
ed for our own special use and advantage in connection
with this system of management. But being willing
that any person who might wish to give it a trial,
without subjecting us to the trouble of giving a de-
tailed description of it, should have the privilege, we
have given It publicity, and we will furnish the hive
as a sample to work from, cheaper than to give a lull
description, with measurements, Ac., which we can-
not do.”

Has he ever considered that as the hive itself is only
a plain simple box, full directions could be published
in the circular, or even given in the Journals at the
trifling expense, to him, of making the measurements,
and descriptions once. As his price for the empty
hive with one box and Queen yard, is 8S.OO,and they
can easily be made for 84.00, it looks as if there must
be a “ pecuniary profit” somewhere. Such cumbrous
hives should certainly be made near home to save the
great expense of shipping; almost every neighbor-
hood of Bee-keepers now affords some one who can
make good hives, at a moderate price. The express
charges, ( Mr. Q. recommends sending them milg by
express) on such a hive is really “fearful,” as many
of our friends in the Western States can testify-
Aside from the glass In the honey boxes, there can lie
no trouble whatever In sending the hives safely as
freight, if a little extra time and expense be used in
crating them.

DHVO'i.'JiD EXCLTJSrVEL"y TO BEES -A T^TT-i HONE'S".

Vol. IL APRIL 1, 1874. N 0 . IV

JIOW XO CONDUCT AN APIARY.

No. 4.

IM FTER the many hints given last month
in regard to tidiness etc., and then to go
and cover our own hives up with stable ma-
nure may look a little inconsistent; it might
well he said of us as of some physicians, that
they resemble sign posts, inasmuch as “ they
point the way for others, but go not.” Weil,
the truth is kind friends, we did not dare ad-
vise ail to do as we have, until we had well
tried the plan, any more than we dared three
years ago to advise all to sell their honey at
20c. and winter their bees on syrup at a cost
of 08c., yet we should by all means advise the
the latter now. ’Tis now March lltli, and we
have had some very cold rough weather that
has made us many times thankful our bees
were even warmer than they would have been
in the house; besides, the manure when washed
by the rain and dried in the sun is not so very
untidy after all. It covers the ground so as to
make a clean soft carpet to walk on, while the
uncovered clay soil is a most unpleasant foot
hold through the combined effects of sun and
frost. We shall probably leave much of the
covering around the. hives until May, for
usually many sijdden cold changes occur with
us, between now and that time.

Strong colonies can probably have a comb
l>ut in the middle of the cluster advantageous-
ly during this month, but the plan of taking
brood Horn them to build up weak ones, we
regard as more of a damage to the strong one,
than benefit to the weak, although such a
course may be liest to save Queens of extra
value. When you take a comb out of the cen-
tre of the cluster, you often take the b<st half
ot the brood, and sometimes nearly all the
pollen, and the weak stock may be able to
prevent only' a small part of the brood from
perishing. Oct every colony us quickly as
possible into a condition of things whereby
they will be self sustaining, and to do tills we
know of nothing equal to the meal feed ; and
"’e know of no pleasanter or more enticing
work about the apiary than getting them
briskly at work on the meal. The heaviest
crop of honey we ever had was when we in-
deed them to take in most rye meal in March.
We are In some doubt if even natural pollen
gives brood-rearing the impetus the flour
does. Several patent feeders have been claim-
ed to have the property of inducing the bees
o take the meal in the hive, but as we have
entirely failed with such contrivances, as have

all we have conversed with on the subject, wv
think they may lie safely classed with hum-
bugs and swindles. We have uever been able
to induce them to take any substitute for pol-
len even when placed in a comb next the
brood ; the act of flying out and gathering it
on the wing, seems to be absolutely a necessity.

The plan advanced of keeping the bees
housed during this month or until flowers are
in bloom, it seems to us would be decidedly
an error. We think modern Bee Culture de-
mands that we proceed to get the hives full of
bees as speedily as possible.

If they can get up a large force to work on
apple blossoms they will be prepared to send
out an army of young bees when the clover
appears. That colonies may catch up and do
fairly' ev.n when so kept back in brood-rearing
is quite probable, but our largest yields have
invariably been from those that commeuced
brood-rearing quite early. In our opinion the
crop of clover honey Is very much dependant
upon the start the bees get during the month
ot April. Who can report a colony having
brood in every comb in the hive during this
month ?

See your bees often, and please excuse us if
we say it “ often. ’ Some day when you feel
like taking a little rest, take the hives one by
one aud observe whether each one carries in
pollen or meal at a fair rate; if it don’t, see
what the trouble is. If queeuless, give it eggs
twice a week from some stronger stock on the
plan given on page 90 Dec. No. of Vol. 1, un-
til they can rear a queen of their own. Any
good queen can during this month furnish
three or four times as many’ eggs probably, as
her bees can care for, therefore if we can re-
move eggs only, we are not injuring the colo-
ny, and are furnishing the weak ones all the
help they require.

Colonies with old or utiproliflc queens, can
be treated in the same way. Before you ob-
ject because this is too much trouble, consider
that ’twould be time very well invested indeed
if you could induce your weakest stock to do
as well as your best. Almost every one has
colonies that occasionally give a great result.
Now this is too much luck and chance ; we
should be sufficiently skillful to make our en-
tire Apiary give a great result, perhaps not
two or three hundred lbs. to the hive, but half
that for instance, from 50 colonies would make
a “ big stir” in almost any neighborhood.

The best we have ever done was an average
of 131 lbs. per hive, from 47 colonies, yet. we
have had a fair paying crop every year; even
the past one of 1873, with only a yield of lion-

38

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Arnii..

ey for barely 10 days, gave us average of about [
35 lbs. from 57 colonies, which paid for all
care, and a comfortable percentage on the
amount of capital invested besides.

THE STANDARD HIVE AND FRAME.

rj TRANGE it is, but scarcely a new thing
P comes up in bee culture, but that if we
examine carefully, we will find somewhere a
record of where our old friend Langstroth has
been over the same ground before us. Even
now we have just called to mind a pleasant
correspondence that passed between us just
before the time of our mutual friend Wagners
death when Mr. L. was in Washington. The
correspondence originated from sending Mr. L.
one of our new frames. We were then consid-
ering a 12x12 frame. We extract from differ-
ent letters as follows:

Washington, Apr. 4th, 1872.

DEAR FRIEND : — I hope you will try the 12 x 12
biu 1 have years ago tried such frames and do not like
uiein— too much cost to make, handle, etc. 1 think
the nive 14x i4 and 13 deep much better, and shall
probably auopt that shape, as Hie honey emptier and
tide boxes make it no longer so desirable io haven
shallow hive.

April 5 ill. You will see from my last that I propose
to change the dimensions oi my name, perhaps there
will not be much to ehoose between il»c hive 14 x 14 x 13
and 12 X 12 x 12, but 1 prefer the first, i much preler ten
l rames to 12.

Here comes a reply to some queries of ours
in regard to the Simplicity hive which then
*• tilled our head ; " also as to confining the bees
to a single story and using the Ext. ou friend
Dean’s plan, sec page 55, Vol. 1.

If you refer to Fig. (1) P.20, (my book) you will see
that 1 used an open oox. Try some on this new plan,
lull let me strongly caution you not to go into it large-
ly. You will never like the movable 11. It. you will
lint ii an intolerable nuisance, there is nut lime to go
into the reasons, hut you will lind i am rigid. Under
borne circumstances perhaps as much could he emp-
tied from a single, as from a double lilve, hut it rn/s
too etuxe. Too littie room room lor brood, we want the
bees to get the set ol'traiues pretty well tilled with the
scaled holier— not safe to go on any other plan, tlieir
own lirst, unless we take about all of the best and re-
place with sugar syrup, this may pay with present
prices.

It seems to us that we have scarcely a read-
er who can fail to see the rare gootl sense that
shines in every line of the above.

After reading it again, we have the same
feeling that we had two years ago; that we
were utterly incompetent to advise in regard
to a hive that will be best, all things consider-
ed, for the coming generation of Bee Keepers,
j Of one tiling we are sure however, and that is,
that the plainer and simpler it is, the better.
That the Simplicity hive will give equally as
good yields of honey as the more complicated
and costly hives has been abundantly proven,
and were we going to use a two story hive we
should most assuredly use a movable bottom
J board, and precisely the hive we advised last
1 season. In regard to the size of the frame, it
I seems our friend Langstroth had anticipated
| as usual, the fact that a different shape might
: lie better when we considered a hive suitable
! for the Ext. only, and the dimensions of a
frame for the hive he suggests would be very
nearly the one we are now talking of fora
Standard.

Now we have ample evidence that as much
honey can be secured with frames a little deep-
er, spread horizontally ; and the advantages of
such a hive for the extractor are too obvious
to need mention. We believe we have only
then to consider the subject of wintering; one
plan that will certainly answer is given by
I friend Palmer, page 29, and another is our
i present “hobby’’ of the stable manure.

That a few inches of chaff, straw, or old
clothing, around a hive is no positive protec-
tion, we think is generally admitted, and unless
we can give a colony a place that. will keep
fruit or potatoes from freezing, they had much
better he on their summer stands. We wish
some one who has had a positive experience in
tlie matter would tell us how much manure
would have to be heaped over a bushel of po-
tatoes, heaped up directly on the ground, to
keep them from freczifig. Such a place, ami
such a temperature, frbm what we can gather
from many experiments, reported from differ-
ent points, would seem to be most desirable

April 10th.— Bv carefully calculating the difference
between 12 xuix 12, and II x i.xle, i lind thui ten
iranics of the latter sized hire, » ill have neurit/ as
laneli comb surface as /a. rlcctl 01 Lila former, .row
lake into fair account the extra oust and time ul liaml-
iing. Hie fact that in poor seasons Ihe more flames,
tile more the honey Is scattered etc., and i feel sure
you will not adopt the smaller size, t hope that yoa
win make one hire ofmy new size.

April 2-ird.— i know that you and those with you,
i;,ii not on;y l/t ur plain criticism till tlesire il. Bet
me remind you how apt we are to let an idea run
away wilh us. M lien we gel a good thing we are
a. most sure to run some pans of it into tile, ground;
I c seems to me that you are in danger of doing this in
t wo tilings, the one 1 have just mentioned, and the
dispensing with die lixed bottom hoard. When you
have falriv worked it out, summered it and wintered,
it. I feel very coultdciit that you will come In Ihe ron-
. union I reached 20 years ago. Willie you try it in
your Apiary, let me advise you not to recommend it
"to the public, unlit you have pul iL to the test in your
own Apiary, i Inink our leading Apiarians should
lie very chary of recommending what they have not
texted; often, xw/t/extiuim from such parties, lead to
rash adoption of them, and serious injury to noil-ex-
ports. When 1 was must largely engaged in experi-
menting, 1 found il to lie a good plan to give my
notions to friends, that together we might work them
out. They having no paternal interest in the notions,
are more likelv perhaps than myself, to see in fllem
only conceit!!, i tut enough of this, i hope that you
will understand what i am aiming at.

lor bees to winter.

Having an entrance continually open on the
; south side would tend to make the bees colder
than tlie potatoes, but on the other hand we
have their own animal heat, to balance this
disadvantage. A covering of earth would do
of course, if thick enough to prevent frost pen-
etrating, but having no source of heat within
itself like the manure, and being so heavy to
handle we must consider it out of the question.
Prom what experience we have had wc would
feel safe to risk the bees under, half a wagon
load to each hive; we would feed them meal at
any time during the winter should opportunity
offer.

It lias been often objected, that they would
fly out and get lost during unseasonable weath-
er, to which we answer, they have as yet done
nothing of the kind. They sometimes come to
the entrance and look out, as much as to say
“nlnt we nice in here?” and again they tip
their heads on one side to observe the sun an 1
clouds seemingly, but don’t go out unless the
weather is such they can readily get back.
Remember no breath of wind touches them
whatever may lie its force or l 'inperaHire.

1874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

As we have had our “ say,” we will now try
and tell what hive we would advise, were a
beginner to tell us as many have done, “ Nov-
ice^ I am just commencing and wish to com-
mence right. What shall I nse for a Bee Hive ;
all things taken into consideration up to the
present time, what won - 1 you advise?”

Now it is with very much hesitation we an-
swer in favor of the Adair frame in place of
our time honored Langstroth standard, and
one great reason we have for so doing, is that
die hive for it can all be made of boards of a
single and moderate width, also considering
that the hive will never be used two story.

In practice ’tis found that we do not need
quite, ljo inches to the frame but that 20
frames work very conveniently in a hive 28> 4
inches long inside, or 30 inches outside meas-
ure, as described on pages 23, 28 and 35, pres-
ent Vol. With a permanent bottom board, we
believe we would prefer the Langstroth blocks
lor closing the entrance, to any thing we have
yet used ; and one principal reason is, that
they always guide the bees quickly and surely
home; whether they are laden with pollen or
honey and in eager haste to unload and get
more, whether they are tumbling in pell-mell
at the approach of a thunder shower, or wheth-
er ’tis only the juvenile Italians wanting to
get home after having tried and approved their
wings for the first time.

Really, how slowly we get along to-night ;
if we don’t come down to business we shall
not get our Standard hive done at all. Well,
we would prolong the bottom board in front
about 3 inches, and would have the outer end
beveled off on an inclined plain, that bees
might crawl up readily from the ground when
heavily laden. We make the front end-board
narrow enough to leave a space the width of
the hive, % inch wide for entrance. This en-
trance when open full width, will afford all the
ventilation ever needed, for in our opinion the
wire cloth arrangements for ventilation are
next in uselessness to patent moth traps. The
entrance blocks we would make triangular,
'2)4 x 7*4 x 8; they are pushed into the entrance.

Before' the hive is used we would have the
bottom board thoroughly painted, and then
would keep it from the ground only by % strips
clear around underneath ; bottom is “let in” the
sides to exclude wet. We do this because ’tis
warmer near the earth, and less manure will
be needed to cover them in winter.

Now in regard to hinging on the cover;
with a length of 30 inches, three hinges are
really needed, one in the middle and one near
each end, and as Simplicity hinges can only be
used at the ends we fear we had better drop
them entirely for the long hives, as there is no
occasion for removing the covers at all. To
those who would remonstrate at so many
changes in our teachings, we have only to say
that all real progress must be a series of tear-
ing down and building up again, and if we
give you on these pages, real life , it must come
combined with inperfections, and error. Those
who have L. frames or in fact any other, can
make a hive on this plan to try it, and use the
combs they have. Where the width of the
frame necessitates using a cover greater in
width than 1(1 inches, we would make it of two
boards, and to make the joint water tight,

39

sure , we simply saw in to the edge of both
boards to the deptli of about % of an inch,
thus leaving, when the boards are placed close
together, a groove in which we may slide a
tongue, made by folding a strip of tin one inch
wide, thus : r— ~ • — s if water gets in as far
as the tin, it can go no farther and if the crack
is filled with paint, it — well, it’s very good.
A similar tongue made of wood is apt to check
in time by shrinkage of the boards, which the
tin cannot do. We have just made an L. hive
to hold 30 frames with two joints in the cover
and bottom made in this way ; use the thinnest
tin unless your saw cuts a very wide groove.

So many questions are asked about the met-
al rabbet, -a place for it, bevel etc., that we
give the following rude cut, explanatory. The
rabbet A, is printed from a section of the tin
rabbet itself, and in fact the whole diagram is
printed from strips of tin bent up hastily. [We
respectfully tender the idea to the craft free of
charge.]

B, is the supporting arm of the frame lesting
on the edge of thin metal of A. For nailed
frames, this arm should be dressed out very
exact, for unless it is, the frame cannot hang
true. We would also have the end sawed off
to a sharp V shaped point where it strikes the
back part of A, that the bees may have as lit-
tle chance as possible to wax it fast. For this
latter idea wc are indebted to W. II. Shane, of
Chatham Center, this Co. Our reason in fact
for having a back part to the rabbet, is to get
a smooth surface for the frame to strike on,
and to avoid gumming; they are much less
liable to attach it to tin than to wood.

The space under the arm at A, we have en-
deavored to have just large enough for a bee
to “ promenade” easily through ; if they can't,
they fill it with propolis. The tin is cut in
strips 134 inches wide for the rabbets, the
places where bent, and angles, can be taken
from the drawing. C, represents a section of
the % board with the place cut for the rabbet,
% x ljg ; we prefer this extra depth to give
plenty of room to tuck down the quilt; the
wood remaining, being just J4 inch in thick-
ness. The bevel on which the cover shuts is
just about what we prefer ; for directions for
cutting it exact, see March No. of Vol. 1.

It will be seen that we cut rabbet in C,
square in, both ways, but the back of A, is
slanted ; this is to be sure to have the top edge
of A, come tight against the wood, that noth-
ing may get behind it, and to have the frames
glide smoothly into their places when handled
rapidly. We would give each frame about 1-lli
end shake, having space D, between hive and
frame, never less than ] 4 nor more than ].< inch.

40

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Arnir-.

A HOKE VI ATI OX'S IX BEE CORKESPOX-
I)EXCE.

WITHOUT questiou, it is of the utmost

J J: importance that every aid be given to
facilitate interchange of thought and exper-
iment, among the devotees of our present stage
of advanced Bee-culture, and as almost every
mail gives us evidence of some one having de-
veloped some particular feature, it is of great
importance that those working in the same
direction, exploring an unexplored region as
it were, be put in communication with each
other.

As an illustration, friend Wilkin of Cadiz. O.
sends us a sketcli of a plan for a floating Api-
ary to traverse our Western and Southern riv-
ers, and in a few days, we think it was friend
IClum, of Sherman, Texas, who desired our
opinion of a similar plan ; of course we en-
deavored to induce the two to open a corres-
pondence. Now is it not plain that by far the
greatest good will accrue to the greater num-
ber by giving the full P. O. address of each
correspondent ? Such is at least the view we
shall take of the matter notwithstanding the
fact that by thus giving our friends publicity
they may be annoyed by circulars of all sorts
of humbugs and even counterfeit money propo-
sitions etc. If we cannot keep them too well
informed to invest in such trasli we shall con-
sider our duties poorly discharged indeed.

Again, it lias been said that the value of the
advertising department is lessened by giving
names in full, to which we reply, “be it so.”
When people are so well informed that there
will be no need to pay for advertising, wc will
devote the space to some other purpose, for
our purpose is to inform the people, not to
keep them in the dark, and when we cannot
get a liberal support for the former we will
consider which is best, the latter, or the humi-
lating admission that we have mistaken our
calling.

Now for our plan, after so much of a preface,
and we really hope you will hear us through
before you object. Postal cards are a glorious
aid to Bee-keepers, and we had rather have a
postal card brief, plain, and to the point, than
the most elaborate letter, always supposing the
writer, if he can consistently will have his
name and address plainly printed on one cor-
ner. If our friends could know of the annoy-
ance caused ns by carelessly written addresses,
and having to guess at the probable State in
which a town is located, we are sure they
would be more careful. A postal card will
not contain a very long letter ’tis true but by
omitting all forms and pitching right into
your subject at once, they will generally do;
they had better be dated to avoid possible con-
fusion but this can be done very briefly, and
if your address is printed on it, even a signa-
ture may be omitted. In regard to privacy,
should every one who can, read all postal cards
pertaining to bee culture, we hope, he would
be the better and wiser and we none the worse
off.

Novice has quite a laborious correspondence
to get over and as his right hand is not as
good as the left, it must of a necessity be con-
siderably condensed. When our letters come
from the office they are first carefully examined,

and postal cards addressed by P. G. to all
those requiring answers; those containing or-
ders, or items for publication are distributed
to their respective departments. Now Novice
many times finds the card rather small as
some of our readers may have observed, and
such long words as “extracted honey,” “fertil-
ization of Queens,” etc., fill out a iine before
lie is aware of it, and the thought has many
times occurred that such frequent terms might
be abbreviated in such a way as to be perfectly
intelligible to Apiarists and yet take but little
room, whether they should be plain to outsi-
ders or not matters little, to us. In reading a
letter from Mr. Harrison who was one of Mr.
Wilkins employees last fall, we were struck
with a system of the kind of their own,
which we found perfectly intelligible, viz ;
using Q's, for Queens and h’s, for hives.

We would suggest the following table of
abbreviations to be used in correspondence or
in writing for this Journal, as our compositors
will of course understand it. We would ad-
vise all to punctuate, observe the proper use
of capitals, and in fact to omit nothing that
might lead to an erroneous reading of the item.

Queen,

Q-

Fertilization,

fzn.

Virgin Queen, v. Q.

Bee Keeper,

bkr.

Bee,

b.

Brood,

bd.

Drone,

d.

Comb,

cm.

Hive,

hv.

Brood comb,

bdem.

Honey,

i>y-

AVorker “

wcm.

Extractor,

xtr.

Drone “

dcm.

Ext’d Honey, xtdhy.

Feeder,

fill - .

Extracting,

xtng.

Frame,

fnn

Fertilize,

fz.

Pollen,

pin.

Fertilized

fzd.

Propolis,

pis.

Artificial,

artf.

Prolific,

pic.

Langstroth

applied to

Hives or frames, L.

Quinby,

“ “

it tt tt

Q.v.

Gallup,

it it

tt tt tt

G.

Standard,

(( it

tt tt it

Std.

American Bee Journal, A. B. J.

Bee Keepers Magazine, B. K. M.

National Bee Journal, N. B. J

OUR OWX APIARY.

Mfl|HE day being fine (March 1st,) our 13 col-
JI, onies sallied out from beneath their res-
pective manure heaps, and worked on the meal
in a way that was highly gratifying, as we
believe this is the earliest we have ever suc-
ceeded in getting them to take the meal. It
was sprinkled on the summit of these same
heaps to get them started. In the forenoon
they worked on the south west side ; at noon,
on the south ; and in the afternoon as the sun
turned, nearly around to the west. The dark
color of the manure causes the sun to warm it
up quickly, aside from its own internal heat.

March 2nd , — We are so much pleased with
the manure protection that we have put our
entire 50 hives (all there is now) on their sum-
mer stands, and are making manure heaps over
them as fast as possible. P. G. and Mrs. N. are
decidedly of the opinion that the plan is any
thing but neat and ornamental, whatever may
be the effect on brood-rearing; and even little
“Blue Eyes,” (not quite years old) says
“phfew,” at the aroma given oil' in handling
the steaming 18 loads, of the fermenting prod-

1874.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

41

net of the stables. Perhaps we might as well
admit that Novice has gone wild over the
project, and declares he never wants to put
bees in-doors again to winter. It will be re-
membered the lower bar of the trellis is one
foot from the ground, and by setting the hive
about six inches back from them we can build
the manure from the hive to this bar, in such
a way that the entrance of the hive is nearly a
foot back in the heap; the sun shines in here
but no rain nor wind can enter, and the bees
will come out and tiask in the sunshine, ap-
parently as happy as kittens, during days that
are too cool for them to fly.

Min'd. 'Sril — To day we finished covering our
whole 50 hives with the exception of the
•Quinby hive whose great size appals us; all
■strong ones except that, are working merrily
■on the meal.

Murd 4 th — We must have our Quinby hive
enjoy all the advantages of the rest, and so we
have taken away the hive entirely except the
bottom-board and frames ; have covered the
latter with shingles and were thus enabled to
get them in shape to be covered nicely. As
they occupy but a comparatively small com-
pass in this way, we should consider it an
excellent plan for wintering the Q. hive.

We have found but one case of real dysen-
tery, and that is the hive that hung on the
Spring Balance. At the time of feeding them
they had more scaled stores than any of the
rest, but owing to the position they occupied
they had been passed by when we did the
regular Ext'ng preparatory to feed ing, and as
our things were washed up we, “ kind of con-
cluded’’ that it must have been mostly gath-
ered horn tlie half barrel of dry sugar. Well,
we to day cleaned out the hive, covered the
frames with dry straw, put the cover over it
loosely a la JVIuth, and covered them up with
the rest.

Morck 14th — We have had just two weeks
of bad weather, some of it extremely cold and
wintry. As most of the bees are out again to
day, we concluded to be out too, making ex-
aminations. Spring Balance colony is dead ;
frames, combs, and bottom-board badly soiled
with the' disagreeable excrement nearly as
black as tar, although there was plenty of
bees, and abundant ventilation arranged
through the straw. As there is nothing like
it any where else in the whole apiary, tVe hope
we may be excused for thinking if we had left
them all with their natural stores we should
have had many similar cases.

’Tis true, many of the sugar fed colonies soil
the snow, and Mrs. N’s. clothes on washing
day, (she says they are sure to fly on Monday
forenoons) but the spots are light colored and
of a yellowish hue, and even when fed late, on
their syrup, they never exhibited the symp-
toms of the colony just mentioned.

'Tis our painful duty also, to chronicle the
loss of 4 other colonies; and a fifth that was
found with about a half dozen Italians guard-
ing the entrance from a series of such desper-
ate attacks made on them by robbers, that we
were led to look inside, and beheld the Queen
disconsolately trying to “keep house” alone.
This colony was the only one of the 13 put
under the manure heaps in Feb., but what are
in flue condition, and in their case they were

so well protected from the cold that their
numbers were thinned down, one by one, until
the last half dozen were actually doing duty as
lively as ever. We caged the Queen with her
few remaining subjects, proposing to send
them to “Cyula” (we hope you will all know
her bye and bye) but “more troubles” inter-
rupted this neighborly plan. The day had
been unusually tine and the bees poured out in
such glee, that we several times feared for our
Queens, and sure enough shortly after noon
we heard the very unwelcome note of swarming.
We could with a good relish, have “taken a
shingle” to every individual bee, that started
the mania, but there was no help. One Queen
with a clipped wing we caught in a short
time, but one young unclipped lass we found
just in time to get her out of a knot of bees at
the entrance to another hive ; this one we rec-
ognized from her shape and color, and put her
in her own home forthwith. The other one —
well, she died, for no other reason that we
know of, unless she did it “just a purpose.”
Although “ Cyula’s” Queenless colony received
no positive aid, they can take notice they are
remembered.

As to the cause of the swarming out, we
found the colony of the Queen that died, des-
titute of eggs and brood, although having
plenty of bees, and so think it likely she had
failed, as she was nearly 3 years old ; the
other was a remarkably prolific Queen, reared
last fall late, and had a fine family of bees,
with brood and plenty of everything. We can
only guess that the bees went out with such a
rush that she thought they wanted her to go
too, and she “go-ed” but we hope she will be
good now and won’t any more.

We have now lost 13 colonies out of 57 and
our only way of accounting for most of the
losses, is that there were too few bees in the
fall. This is not wholly satisfactory however,
for one of our most populous, are among the
missing, (see page 30 March flo.) and three,
that were among the very weakest are doing
finely, in fact one of them had many more bees
this spring than when put into the house.
When Mr. Wilkin was here last Nov., we
showed him a colony with the remark that it
seemed folly to expect, such a handful of bees
to winter, to which he replied they might
nevertheless, and to our astonishment they are
to day one of our fairest. Why didn’t they
dwindle down too?

If we were going to make any deductions
'twould be about like this : Weak colonies
may build up, but the chances are greatly in
favor of their going the other way ; and the
worst feature about it is that, judging from a
great number of reports, we seem to have but
little power to control the matter. Also,
strong colonics may dwindle down , but the
chances are rather in favor of their not doing
so, hence we must conclude after summing it
all up that,

Stiiong colonies a he always safest, and
perhaps we might add, for all operations in
Bee Culture.

March 18th — And the end is not yet. Two
more stocks failed on account of insufficient
numbers, in fact one colony hadn’t “ary num-
bers” at all when we found ’em, but the combs
indicated they had dwindled down to a very

42

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

small compass indeed before they left “ tee-
totally.”

All we can do now is too keep saying over
to ourself" we’ll show folks how we can build
up bees if we can’t winter them.”

March 101/t — No more mortality, but we find
a Qneenless colony on which to practice our
teachings. Have just made a feeding house or
shed. The north and east sides are closed and
south and west open, the roof slants to the
south, leaving the eaves which project over
the floor considerably, just high enough to
walk under.

The meal is distributed on the floor, which
slants slightly to the south, in such a way
that the sun’s rays strike it almost perpendic-
ularly, some portion of it during the entire
day.

The bees have been at work all day in it,
although much of the time they flitted there
and back during quite a drizzling rain; they
also worked there briskly, in the direct rays of
the declining sun long after they had ceased
flying elsewhere. Floor is G x 12 feet (longest
east and west) and roof is enough larger to
protect it from ordinary showers.

Tis in the north-east corner of our inclosure,
and the tight board fences 8 f’t high, keep off
cold winds quite satisfactorily.

March 20f/< — An amusing phenomena. The
day being too cool for bees to fly ordinarily,
they kept at the entrance of their hives until
the sun came out between the clouds, when
they went for the feeding house with a rush ;
to return almost as quickly if the sun chanced
to cease shining. At about 2 o’clock the effect
was novel and striking, when all had been
silent, after about 2 minutes sun-shine, we
would have a sweep, and rush, to be followed
by a small “roar” of happy industry. The
feeding house being warmed only by the sun,
was deserted as soon as it ceased lending it’s
rays. As an experiment we presented th r in
with little hea P* of wheat flour, corn meal,
ground chess, rye and oats, and lastly dry
sugar. All of the grains were dabbled at,
generally new comers, but all soon set-
tled down to a decided preference for the rye
mid oat meal. A few tasted the sugar but
seemingly concluded the meal was of much
the most importance.

Fiubni> Gallup says in A. B. J. “Our theory is,
that bees kept perfectly dry, discharge the excre-
mental portions of their food in small and perfectly
dry pellets” etc., now we protest against this on the
ground that it’s Quinby’s “theory,” and that he
should be left entirely in undisturbed possession of it.
After having given it publicity at length, in so many
periodicals it seems rather hard to have some other
writer claim it now ; the more so, as we think it can
easily be shown to be an error the whole of it.

Mr. Q. should remember that bees are constantly
cutting away the combs, or gnawing them down in
places, whether they have capped honey or not. The
old brood combs containing cocoons are cut and
dropped down along with the cappings, which are of
a different color, as are pieces of different combs;
this is all we llnd on the bottom-boards of our hives,
and we have examined a great many. Like the asser-
tion that the extractor killed the brood, this is a
question needing no argument, for every bee-keeper
••an easily see for himself. It you wish* to be sure,
get a magnifier of moderate power, and also throw
some in hot water as Mr. Q. advises, until the wax
separates from the cocoons and propolis.

Gleanings in Bee Culture,

Published Monthly,

A.. I. ROOT <3c CO.,

EDITORS AND PROPRIETORS.

MEDIN A , 0 H To .

Terms : 75o. Per Annum.

For Club Rates see Last Page.

1 , 1874 ^

B. K. M. came to hand March (5th, A. B. J. on the
7th, JY. B. J. *23d, and World, on the 2oth.

Lkst it might escape your notice, we would remark
that we are a little larger this month.

Mu. Cukuy writes: “The bees in the liot-bed must
have ample ventilation,” but we have found no trouble
as yet when covered with a quilt.

Among our subscribers we find a George Bee ,

And what is still more funny,

Another hailing from Cleveland, Ohio,

Rejoices as, Riley Honey.

We wonder if the following from Josh Billings,
won’t apply to bee-keeping: “Ycu‘d better not know
so much than to know so many things that a’n’t so.

Clubbing rates will be the same as given last month
with the exception oi the B. K. M. which has been ad-
vanced to 1.25, consequently price will be with Glean-
ings 1.75 instead of 1.50, and $4.25 for all four.

Mu. Quinby gives full directions for making his hive
in Country Gentleman of March 19th. The article cer-
tainly merits the thanks of the bee-keeping communi-
ty, for it is a w ell directed effort toward enabling those
who wish, to make their own hives.

In Rural N. Y. for March 21st, we find excellent re-
ply to Prof. Riley, on Bees and Fruit. The writer cov-
ers the whole ground we believe, unless it be that he
omitted to consider the woraf effect it might have on a
community, if the plan of poisoning, were adopted
whenever a neighbor’s stock became annoying.

In describing the Buzz-saw last month an error oc-
curs in the positions. When the operator stands at
the end of the table, the balance wheel should come
at his right hand ; the saw just before him ; the sliding
figure 4 shaped piece, at his left, with the square bar
nearest, and the diagonal, farthest from him. Also
the “parallel bar” seen hinged to the back of the table
in fig. 4, must be on the right, directly over the balance.

As ours is somewhat an experimental Apiary, and
our time necessarily much occupied with this “grow-
ing child.” (Gleanings) we fear wc shall not be able
to furnish either Queens or bees before July, more
than we have already orders for. Messrs Shaw & Son,
Daniels, and Dean, are making preparations to rear
them largely, and can probably furnish better stock
than ours also ; w r e would therefore advise that orders
for early Queens be sent them.

Ouk readers w ill notice that we are now using the
mailing machinery, and if the date after the name is
not found to indicate the time at which their sub-
scription should expire, w r e hope they will advise us
at once. A small 8, before the word Jan., indicates

1S74

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

43

they have had Vol. 1., also; and 11' 11 y. 7, 'precedes
the 3, It means they have both the Photo., and Vol. 1.,
in order that we may know in answering any Inqui-
ries a subscriber may make, what he has at hand to
enable ns to make our answers fully understood, with-
out going to too great length In writing him.

’Tis no very difficult matter to make any of the
hives you may have in use, over into the New Idea
plan. All that is necessary is to remove one side
from two of them and fasten them together side by
side. The covers and bottom-boards can be united
weather proof by the strips of tin mentioned on page
.'111. Make the joints air-tight, and then make them
look as well as you can with paint. Although, ’tis
true, new hives just as we want them arc rather
nicer, yet many feel as if they cannot afford to throw
away their old ones, and we must avoid paying cash
out, certainly. If we are going to make the ljfisincss
self sustai ning.

livKKV day brings reports from different localtles,
of successful wintering ; those wintering in doors and
out, on sugar syrup and natural stores, with old bees
<>r young, upward ventilation and lower, and even
■with stores entirely unsealed , both of honey and syrup,
in fact under almost all circumstances, seem alike
to have been successful. Can we not all joiu togeth-
er in a feeling of gratitude and thankfulness, without
sto pping to quarrel over who was right and who was
wrong. One friends who feel inclined to lie so very
sure they have fouud the bottom of the matter, should
remember that where all have succeeded, nothing is
proved. [Since the above was written a Jew losses
have been reported.]

“Wht, Mrs. Tapper 1 ” Is it possible your bees
also object to using combs transferred In a different
position from the one in which they were built?

We have for years used the combs cut from tail box
hives, turned down horizontally, and transferred at
one time the combs from 30 American hives to the L.
Ironies, turning a half of every comb. We have many
times also for experiment turned deep store combs
upside down, and they tilled them with honey right
speedily.

Again, our Revolvable and Reversible ft-iend Price,
lias a hive Unit admits of being revolved every few
days to make the bees labrn- more industriously.'

We haven’t heard from him at all since ids contro-
versy with Undent. Where are you ft-iend P. ?

It s a funny way, some people havo of abusing
another in print, and then apologizing by letter. It
Certainly makes it all square, and perfectly satisfac-
tory, besides being soothing to the feelings.

It often reminds us of the woman of Irish birth,
who after having sold a heavy silver watch case to a
•Jeweler, aud got the money carefully knotted in a
corner of her handkerchief, remarked excitingly.

And it was my Jemmy as stole the watch from
one of the ‘b’yee’ at school, he did.”

Stole it did you say? ” replied the alarmed Jewel-
er, extending the watch back toward her.

All, taitli and bejabers and didn’t I larrup him
wen for it ? It’s all right.” And off she marched
riumpliantly, leaving the Jeweler to moralize on her
" ay 01 easing ones conscience.

" k shall really be obliged to state for the benefit of
' ‘“'’Kbtless few, that our large supply of the differ-
< n ho s ot \ ol. 1, cost us considerable money, and we
cannot pfre them to those who did not subscribe for

them. We value complimentary letters where we
think them sincere, but when they wind up with a
request for something of which they have omitted the
necessary remuneration for the cOBt of getting up,
we have a kind of feeling that we would regard the
enclosure of the modest little sum of 75c. as the high
est compliment that can possibly be paid Gleanings.
We really shall have to make it something this way:
Sample numbers, our choice, ftee; your choice 10c.
each.

Of course we shall always think it a pleasure to
furnish our regular subscribers with missing No’s, or
to replace any they may have loaned or soiled in pro-
curing subscriptions, free of charge.

Mn. Moon takes nearly a page to show that we pro-
nounced the introduction of virgin Queens risky, but
afterward discovered it to be much easier than the in-
troduction of fertile Queens. Mr. M. also states that it
was well known before, which we are very happy to
hear, for he certainly has faith then In a matter we ex-
pect to have stubbornly contested. For instance: In
R. A . Af, for March, Mr. King replies to a correspond-
ent who asks if t’wlll do to introduce Queens as soon as
hatched, in the following prompt and ready manner :

“No. Bees arc more Inclined to kill unfertile Queens”

Now friend M. you will do us quite a favor If you
will show Mr. K. his error.

“Our Discovery.” Well ’twas substantially this :

A Queen newly hatched will treat the first bees she
meets as if they were of her own family, and they in
turn either pay no attention to her, or treat her kindly ;
but if she has been with the bees of any particular hive
long enough to get acquainted (even for one hour) she
will act as an intruder among any other bees, aud will
be liable to be stung. Had Mr. M. been over our ex-
periments detailed in Vol. 1, he might not have misun-
derstood our remarks. We would like to add that the
World is Improving, but wo find seventeen distinct er-
rors in spelling, punctuation etc., in the editorial re-
ferred to. Mr. M. may be an excellent practical Api-
arist, nevertheless.

soon itoiii ®

Every good housewife, Is supposed to know
how to serve up honey for food without any
instruction, and all are familiar with its fit-
ness for warm biscuit, or hot buckwheat cakes,
but we beg leave to suggest a dish, in our opin-
ion far superior to either, and certainly more
wholesome. Get some clean nice wheat, the
best you can find, have it ground so coarsely
that the grains are just broken, in fact we call
it “cracked wheat”; a common coffee mill set
very coarsely will grind a sample for you to
try, but in our family nothing short of that
“ everlasting windmill ” could begin to .supply
the demand. Boil it thoroughly with just
enough water to allow it to turn out of a dish
when cold, like jelly. To serve, cut it in slices
and warm it in the oven until it will melt but-
ter nicely, pour on plenty of clover honey and

we leave the matter with you, we are done.

Yet stay ! It only costs per lb, just one half
the price of wheat flour, aud if you wish to
“ hold out ’ till noon on a heavj’ day's work
that must be done before that time, try it.

I have 250 lbs comb honey, mostly basswood— want
25c. lor it, here. J. F. Temple, Ridgeway, Mich.

1 have about 1400 lbs ext’d honey, from golden rod*
buckwheat and boneset; I am offered 13c. but want 15 -
bob. 24 lli Ini. James Hkddon, Dowagiac, Mich.

44

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Abril.

DEPOSITORY OF

BLAHTKI) IlDPES,

Or Letters From iIionc wlio have made Bee
Culture a Failure.

y-rlOthe Editor of Gleanings:— W e have lost 15
;l ' colonies out of 57. and what is more, several otli-
— * 1 era are so weak in bees, we l'enr we shall lose
more. Can you give us any advice?

From your old mend, Novice. Medina, Mar. "24, 1874.
Yes. Stop trying to teach others how to
winter bees, until you can winter your own. with-
out Ions ; meanwhile listen to those who do doit.

I put lute winter quarters 4:1 colonies, took out 27
alive, probably will not get over 20 through till fruit
blossoms appear. Father put in 38 colonies and took
out 5 alive. In even ease without an exception those
that are alive, are those that were strong in the fall.
Probable cause of tlielr death was dividing and subdi-
viding to raise Queens last season. Now sir If 1 don’t
have strong swarms alter this. I am mistaken.

We have just got our high board fence done around
them, and think it will be a great help, lam not at
all discouraged yet, but, sometimes get a little blue
over it.

Father and I will have 40 to 50 swarms to commence
with; he has purchased 12 swarms to-day and will
get more. 1 never saw bees carry in rye meal as fast
as they have in the last few days, little anil big
swarms, and the Queens are doing their best; no de-
serting yet. If hemp will supply bees with pollen we
shall raise it. .Just got some seed to sow.

Chatham Center, O. March 10, 1874. F. It. Shaw,
That’s the time to wind up with, friend S.
If some of our “hopes” are “blasted,” we ain’t
“ licked” by considerable. It may be tveli to state
that botli S., and ourselves used stoves in our
bee houses when the weather was quite cold,
while the rest of our Medina bee-keeper’s used
none ; we are the only losers ; Dean, Blakc-
slee, Shane, Daniels, and Parsons, have all
done well, the two former losing none. If our
“tinkering” with stoves shall prove a warn-
ing to others, we don’t know but we “feel
happy” after all . - ■

l’UUBLEM 20.

'.if TS been a long while coming but here it is;
.''I. we wish our readers to get at it, just as we
did. We wish friend P. lived near us that we
might compare notes with him as we are
almost “in the same boat;” besides we really
have much sympathy and respect for all hon-
est preachers', but not for the class who
put liev. before their names simply for a lever
lo help them sell goods, ns one of their number
once expressed it ; but our friend has the floor ;
we're rather backward*— never "talk” much.

Mk.NoYHK. Dear Sir:— 1 wish to ask you a few
questions. Four wars ago 1 commenced bee-keeping.
First vear Increased from 12 lo 2ti swarms, lost all but
i ne tirst winter— dysentery. Made of that one left,
and one more bought in spring. 8. Sold the s in fall
because bad to move, (am an itinerant Preacher.) 1
now have onlv 2 .-Warms, w ish to build up an 'Apiary
of 50 to ICO. 1* would build up to that, this summer
and -ell % of them In tall if 1 could, as bees are nearly
all dead around here and would sell well, 1 think.

Now how shall 1 do? shall 1 use full swarms, or
Nuclei? or shall I use both? 1 suppose I should use
imiic lull s will ms bill vhat proportions f

Ami now t omes J he Pnom.KM part.

Will it pov to use syrup to make combs when there
is no pa-lufage? or will it be cheaper to buy combs?

1 am located 1)4 miles from a Basswood grove.
Would bee.- do well that distance? or would It not be
better to move a it w ol the strongest ewnnns lo I lie
edge of tlie grove during the Basswood yield ?

flow would it do as the Basswood harvest com-
mences, to strengthen some few of the strongest
swarms ill two story hives, or long Gallup hives, and
lake them In the grove during the halves! and ex-
tract as often os possible? Z. J>. Paddock,

Light House, Ills. March 13th, 1874.

Since -our losses we are getting afraid to
advise, but will hazard this much ; We would
use only full strong stocks, and do all out-
dividing by taking a full comb from each and
making a strong stock at once; then when
you are compelled to stop on account of win-
ter, you are all right.

From the experiments we made in artificial
comb built on foundations, we think nice
combs can be made by feeding sugar, cheaper
than they can be bought, see page 4. A very
little feeding will keep comb building going
on, in warm .weather.

In regard to the Basswood grove ; Italians
will work very well 1 >.< miles. We should
say, take all or none, and be constantly with
them wherever they are.

HOW TO MAKE A WAX EXTRACTOR,

|®]JAKE this paper to your tin-smith. Tell
J*tL, him to make a bottomless tin dish, (with
a close fitting cover,) about !)).f inches high by
12},', in diameter, as seen at A.

„ c

It will be observed that the bottom edge has
a rim attached, tapering inward, this is to be
made just right to fit inside of a common tin
pan, which we use to generate the steam.
B, B, is a plain basket or can, made of coarse
perforated tin ; it has strait sides and bottom,
and joints are simply lapped and soldered;
size is high, by 10% in diameter, this is to
hold the comb or cappings. Now, if this were
simply suspended inside of A, the wax when
melted would run down into our tin pan boil-
er. To prevent this we have a tin plate C,
11}^ inches in diameter, with a rim 1}X high
around the edge, held permanently by three
supports soldered from it to the outer case A,
(besides spout D,) so as to hold it sufficiently
on an incline to allow the wax to run out ot
the spout D. Now when we have three sup-
ports fixed in this pan in such a way as to
hold our comb basket B, B, in a level position,
and exactly in the middle of A, (the back edge
E, nearly touching the bottom of the pan (’,)
it is done. The spout D, only projects about
1 }a inches, but another one about (i inches
long is made to slip over this, to carry the wax
off from the stove into a proper receptacle.

The whole arrangement is to be kept in the
honey house set over a common tin pan as
mentioned, and the cappings, waste bits ol
comb etc., are thrown into it as they accumu-
late. The short tube D, must be kept tightly
corked to keep out bees, and to keep in the
honey. When the comb case gets full, lift it
off the pan containing the honey that has
drained out, and set it over a similar one con-
taining boiling water on the stove.

By having them made at home you save
freight,, but if your tinner can’t make them ft* 1
$3.00 tell him we will. P. G. says they should
have “ears” to lift them by.

1874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

45

A SHORT CHAPTER OIV POULTRY,
Willi u moral lluit may liitvo a bearing on
Hoc Culture.

O NCE upon a time a lad “got up to the
head” in his spelling class, and what is
more he did the same tiling, not only once but
several times, until he eventually secured a
silver quarter of a dollar, awarded as a medal
the last day of school, to the one who should
have earned the most head marks. On his
way home on that eventful day, he mused
somewhat in this way: “spelling I have con-
quered, or at least pretty nearly, (remember he
was of only about a dozen summers,) and now
what is to be “licked” next, and what is to be
done with the silver quarter?” If we follow
him a little, we may discover his project for
solving the two problems at once.

That same afternoon after having obtained
the maternal sanction of his plan he trudged
off 2J£ miles to “Grandfathers;” and “Grand-
mother” being absent the following colloquy
occurred :

“Well, what’s broke now?” queried Grand-
father who sat by the lire in the old “cellar
kitchen.”

“ Nothing's broke, but I want to buy two
hens.”

“Want to buy two hens ? what for, where is
your money 7”

A display of the quarter, and a relation of
how he came by it, seemed satisfactory, and
then came the query :

“But don’t you want a rooster too ? ”

“No, thei/ don’t lay eggs.”

“You are only intent on making money
then?”

“Yes; if they lay eggs enough to buy more
hens, I shall probably get a rooster too, but
just now I only want what the quarter will
pay for.”

“You would not take a rooster then as a
gift?”

“ I had rather not.”

A bargain was soon made, after the above
preliminaries, but we must digress a little here
to explain that beside the fire place in this old
cellar kitchen a brick oven had been built in
the wall, and Grandmother had so far domes-
ticated two large cream colored “ biddies,” that
they had for some time been in the habit of
laying great white eggs in this same oven ;
after which feat they modestly betook them-
selves out doors with the rest of the fowls ;
hut it always seemed that these two hens had
a kind of a way of looking up at a body as if
they knew something that other folks didn’t;
they only approached their novel nest when
Grandmothers back was turned, and rarely if
' ull ' u ded in the house at other times.

Now regardless of the “ great store” she “set”
by these two, Grandfather picked them up
probably because it was less trouble, and our
hero of the spelling book was traveling home
happy, with a hen under either arm. To con-
less the truth we fear his enthusiasm was
somewhat abated before he reached home, and
his musings as to whether these two hens were
hot unusually large, were once brought to a
dangerous crisis by his slipping down on a
seep rough gravelly bank when near home,
i wouldn’t d > to let the fowls go after all this

trouble, and so he “ held till ’em,” but to judge
by the twist of his mouth at this time, we
should think those gravel stones were prob-
ably quite harrassing.

The fowls were duly housed an 1 cared for,
and many a happy hour was spent in devising
improvements, by way of giving them a wider
range without any excessive cash on ‘lay ; fur-
nishing them a better variety of egg producing
food, studying all the agricultural papers had
to say on poultry keeping etc., etc. Bye and
bye, a Poland hen with a brood of 14, comical
top-knotted chicks was added; they were pur-
chased for a small sum, of a neighbor wiio had
become tired of their mischievous propensities.

Regular accounts were kept and the “hen
business,” as his sister termed his hobby,
really paid ; not much it is true, but when the
young Poland pullets began to lay in Feb. and
eggs were eighteen cents a dozen, our young
friend felt as happy as the proprieter of a
small Gold mine.

And now we come to the “ pint” as Major
General Jack Downing used to say, and in
fact we should not have written so much on
Poultry for a Bee Journal had it not been for
this same “ pint.”

This same poultry house and yard, built of
old rotten boards, refuse lath, and all sorts of
odds and ends, was on the south side of the
horse barn ; the family poultry house, a com-
paratively large and expensive affair being
directly east of it ; with the manure from the
stable bounding the west, which in fact before
spring, came very near covering the whole
structure entire, do you wonder those hens
laid eggs ? On the ground of economy the
roof was entirely open on the south side, so
the sun shone directly on their scratching
ground, and some tempting nests were formed
by bedding boxes back under the manure with
entrance partially obscured by straw. Of
course eggs’ never froze in them, and in fact
the back part of their domicil was quite a
warm retreat during the coldest days. Con-
siderable of this coarse stable manure was
scratched through the loose structure, and to
furnish them employment their grain was
buried in this, which kept them scratching the
material over and over until it was like saw-
dust, thereby keeping the ground under their
roosts always clean and wholesome, on the
plan given by Mr. Stoddard in the Egg Farm
papers in American Agriculturist.

In this case it seems a condition was secured
free from frost, wind, rain and snow ; yet ad-
mitting sunshine during the middle of the day
all winter long. Is any thing else needed for
the successful wintering of bees ?

After enlarging the “ hen business” and try-
ing it away from the barn and manure heaps,
it did not pay as well, yet the real cause, prob-
ably, of the difference in results was not
thought of at the time.

P ■ S. — " Grandmother” was very much in-
clined to be vexed at the loss of hei pet bid-
dies,” yet under the circumstances, and in
consideration of their being in the hands of
her favorite grandson Nocice she at last be-
came reconciled.

Also, we omitted to state in the proper place,
that Father’s larger number of fowls in their
large poultry house, with 24 elaborate nests,

41

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Ai'nrr,.

gave but verv few eggs compared with ours,
iiud they almost invariably froze, as did the
combs and feet of the fowls, besides.

II (i in bu^s si it cl S iv indices

Pertaining to Bee Culture.

[We respectfully solicit the aid of oiu- friends in
conducting this department, and would consider it
a favor to have them send us all circulars that have
a deceptive appearance. The greatest care will be at
all times maintained to prevent injustice being done
any one.]

flMHERE ! that’s just our luck. Lizzie Cot-
Jgji ton has been offering her $15.00 Controla-
bte hive for seven dollars , blit the magnificent
offer was only to remain open until Feb. 24tli,
and we didn’t get the circular until March.
After above date, price is positively be as
heretofore $15.00. This hive is not patented ;
oh no! but if $7.00 gives a profit we yankees
would like to know— There ! we wonder if the
$10.00 Honey receipt isn’t offered for less than
half of its value too, for a very few days.

Very few patent hive circulars have come in
of late, yet there are other swindles in tire bee
business that need ventilating. Foremost
among them comes our Queen-rearing friend
of Kellev’s Island, who writes letters using the
terms “ thee” and “ thou,” we’re sure we don’t
know for what reason, for he can’t be a Quaker.
They wouldn’t advertise as lie has done, at
extra prices, and then send those reared else-
where. A gentleman who will come forward
if need be, tells us there was not a single Queen
reared for sale on the Island last season, and
that our “thee" and “thou” friend did not
reside there. Worse than all, the real genuine
Foal Jirood, is raging there badly, and he was
informed, they had been unable to stop it,
even though they had tried burning, burying,
and all prescribed remedies. As there are but
few colonies there, could not our Ohio Bee
Keepers afford to bitty them, and have them
entirely destroyed until such a time as the
Island shall have become free from contagion.
Those who have had experience can tell that
the disease is no trifling matter.

Would it not be better in shipping Queens,
to use only sugar or candy, and to destroy all
combs received with them. It really seems no
more than just that every locality where the
disease has prevailed should be given publicity,
even should it occasionally result in pecuniary
loss to single individuals.

If any facts can be brought to show we are
in error in regard to the Island, we shall he
most happy to publish them.

Another class of evils cries out for a remedy ;
the following extract will Illustrate it. We
stand ready to furnish all names when neces-
sary.

DEAR NOVICE:— I am much obliged to yon for
vour service in the matter between me ana- r* 1
shall write for him to return the money and should he
tlo ho, you may withhold the complimentary notice l
gent you, as 1 should dislike to do any body an injus-
tice, and am willing to give him the benefit ol his
explanation* , though its hard for me to believe.

About the same time (1872) I sent the money to — — ,

I also sent ($10.) to for two Imported Italian

Queen Bees, I still hold their acknowledgement ol the

receipt of the money, but the Queens have not come*
to hand, nor have they returned the mone> ; they
wrote me once that they would send me some ot their
wares , or any thing else they had to sell, but 1 do not
want their wares, nor the bees now, as I have rec d
Queens from other parties. 1 have's© informed them.,
but the money is not forthcoming. Money is as scarce-
as “hens teeth” down here, the use of the would,
have been worth $5.00 to me lor Che time they have-

. ii. -I. 1*. L* A lllv Kit —

Alamo, Temu March 5th. 1874.

Tlic remedy we should suggest for such,
cases would "be to send directions with the
order to have the money returned unless the-
order could be filled inside of 10, 30, or 90 days*
as the case might require. Parties who can-
not comply with such a simple request are not
deserving of patronage, and should be held up
publicly to warn our friends and neighbors.

R «>• p Ol’tM K 11 <* O n i» si £*• i II ti : .

, j AST season was a splendid honey season here,
ill , One Italian stock gained 6 lbs. in a day, and
±MI built the comb. A new Italian swarm came out
June Uth, and tilled a frames of comb, each mime
to x 14 outside measurement, and 45 11 >s. surplus ; the
suvitlus was removed and the rest lelt lor winter, anti,
they are ail tight to-day; the 35 lbs. were all sold at
(to cts. a lit., giving me cash money S2U10, how is that

10 L?mti!!oi't. ? Pa. Thos-F.Wu.tmas,

FRIEND NOVICE My Bees (35 colonies) have all
wintered all o. K., 16 on pure loaf sugar. Kent m
house built on same principle as yours. 1 funk, the
sugared ones, the most dormant. All had a good lly
on March 2nd. Hard work to wake up the Italians,
particularly those we fed on “-sugar syrup.” All the
blacks 1 have (5 colonics) were quite uneasy anti hive*
slightly soiled, but colonies strong. I now think that
a warm house, (not below 40° F.) “Sugar syrup,” and
Italian Bees, combined, make wintering a certainty.
Raised over S8U0. worth of honey from 16 colonies,
last season, and expect to fill the cellar, the coming
year. Don’t much expect to revolve quite so much
can, the coming season as we did last.

1 think the cause of my success is, that I made api-
culture a specially. Do not think farmers should
keep bees, any more than run a carpenter’s shop, or
saw-mill. For a good job, one Iron in the lire at
a time. James Hkduon,

Dowaginc, Mich. March 13th, 1674.

Now friend H. you have certainly hit the
nail on the head in one thing, and by the way
it hits us pretty squarely on the head too.
There may be a difference of opinion in regard
to farmers keeping bees, but ’tis morally cer-
tain that one thing done well affords more
pleasure and profit too, than a dozen things
done in haste and of course poorly done. We
really believe our present loss in wintering
was on account of the “too many irons,” for
we really could not find time to do, what we
earnestly insisted on having our readers do,
viz : build up our colonies strong in the fall.
We have a desperate determination now o!
giving our whole time to Gi.eanings and the
bees, and if some of the pesky “ irons” don t
get scattered right and left regardless of the
loss entailed it will be— well, if the conse-
quence should be that we don’t earn more than
25c. a day, we’ll make onr expenses come under
24, and we’ll just enjoy ourselves, having fun
with the bees, and writing letters to such
pleasant friends as yourself Mr. II. and the

rest of our bee acquaintances. Wc have made
our Journal larger this month just on purpose
to have a “ big talk,” without feeling we were
crowding something, and to allow our corres-
pondents to compare ideas more freely also.

1874.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

74

FRIEND NOVICE:— I took my bees out of the
house March ‘2ml, ami found the entire one hundred
stocks I put in last fall all right. That’s pretty fair
for bees that were mostly wintered on natural stores,
is it not ? You had better look after that “ Sugar Diet”
■or I may be induced to get a wind-mill or two, and
start a rival to Gleanings, to advocate “Natural
Stores.” Jambs Bolin.

West Lodi, Ohio. March 17th, 1874.

Three cheers for friends H. and B. If we
can’t swing our hat over our own success, we
•certainly will at every such report, and we
only hope it may get swung all to pieces,
{’cause then we’ll have a new one,] during the
next month.

Hoads of i* * ;t in,

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS^

sy or I.I > hives of the “Simplicity Persuasion’’

*if do for frames like mine 12.V x 14, out-shlc
WW measurements? How would you keep the
frames of such size from swinging together, and
against the side of the hive, without tacks ? How do
you manage when your hives get so full of brood hv
extracting, there is no room for honey? Iliad the
•only remedy to be boxes. What per cent of your dol-
lar Queens may be reasonably expected to lie pure?
Wyoming, Wis. It, L. Joined,

The frames would have to l>e made with
■considerable care that they might hang plumb,
we have used them 13 inches deep and found
them to work nicely with nothing to keep them
in place, at all. We believe those who handle
many frames, very soon reject all nails, staples,
and every thing of the kind as too troublesome,
besides they are entirely unnecessary with
ordinary workmanship. In place of the boxes
we would use an upper story, or increase the
width of the hive on the New Idea plan. Our
<1.00 Queens should be at least half of them
“good for 3 banded bees.” In the neighborhood
of Shaw & Son, last fall, so far as we can learn
they proved nearly all pure.

HKAlt “NOVICE” I have received a specimen
copy el your “ Gleanings,” the reading is good, com-
position done well, the press work— allow a suggestion
inyegurd to that, a little more “impression” and then
“teed” up to your “guides” so as to get a “register”
on the " head rule.” When I chance to hoar of an
Apiarian interested in Printing or vice versa , 1 claim
a right (not patented) to be impudent ; the latter "is
one of whom I am which” hence the liberty of criti-
cising “Gleanings.” Enclosed (you have found
previous to the present reading of this sentence) a
card that 1 have lust completed for you, accept as a
token of appreciation of your efforts to promote
(“sugar syrup” and) apiculture. Of course they do
J'°t come under the head “ of its being sincerely wan-
ted, (quotation from " Gleanings”! but then you
can put ray name down on the subscription book, and
1 will pay when 1 render the “ EAT” IVom tile “ CRUST”
■ »1 our old “ l't” and sell for soap-grease.

“twice can honey be extraetod from the comb be-
*°re it is capped by the bees, and be considered pure,
or in oilier words during the Linden or Basswood
““fcest, can it lie thrown out us fast as the combs are
ulleil before the water lias thoroughly evaporated,
""'hi such coses Is it not liable to sour in the jars?
” ill It pay a person with 7 or 8 hives to purchase an
extractor?

Leavenworth, Kan. Alonzo Hauliers,

dive us the criticisms by all menus, we value
them more than we tlo commendations. We
hiiow the register isn’t good and we keep try-
ing to do it better. It takes “home-made”
printers a little time to grow into good ones.
1 hanks for the cards, we have put your name
down of course.

I on can of course extract the honey before
it has been gathered an hour if you like, and it
"'ill be pure honey, butit is thin like sweetened

water and has a raw taste and will most as-
suredly sour.

If left until the bees just begin, to cap it
over it will be all right, and in no danger of
souring, and we thus save much labor in un-
capping. We should use an extractor if we
were never going to have more than one hive
of Italians ; if we did not make the honey pay
for it the first season, we would the second.

In regard to the raw, unripened honey : we
think, lint are not positive, that evaporation
in a slow oven will give it all the good qual-
ities possessed by that ripened in the hive by
the bees. An ingeniously written article iii
tlie Rural N. Y. for Feb. 14, would imply to
the contrary, but we must think it more theo-
ry than actual practice. We will try and
make some careful experiments in the matter
at the proper season.

I don’t think it would be nil easy thing to brush the
bees off the combs of a hive running over with mv
cross hybrids. If I conclude to make nil Extr. I will
send to you for Inside work. Will a molasses barrel
sawed la two do ?

Gallupvllle, N. V. B. FINCH,

When they are busy gathering honey they
seem to care but little about being shaken and
brushed off; at any other time, you would be
likely to have troublp.

A molasses barrel will answer every pur-
pose, but it is hard to clean, and heavy to lift
around. Honey soaks into wood (unless it is
waxed) and we think you will find an Extr.,
all metal, rather preferable.

I)o you think small Queens as prolific as large ones,
and small workers as good honey gatherers as larger
worker bees ? Would not wire cloth do iuslcnd of
tin, for the bee-feeder? How many holes to the
square Inch is necessary for the perforated tin?
Please speak of this, unless you prefer not to give it
to tlie public.

Will It do to use vinegar or elder barrels for honey
if they are scalded with lye water and then painted
over inside with wax and rosin as vou describe ?

lioserllle, Ills. iM its. s. j. axtell.

We remember one small Queen that was
quite prolific. At some seasons all Queens
are small, yet we think those uniformly large,
generally most prolific. We have one or two
Queens that reared small bees, and although
well marked they did not seem so industrious
as others, and were never very profitable
stocks. About perforated tin — see page 34.

Wire cloth will answer but it is liable to
get. bent out of shape easily, and cause the
feeder to leak. All we know on Bee-keeping
or in fact any thing else is cheerfully at the
service of our subscribers; we only regret our
inability to give better advice on many points.

We should have no fear in using the barrels
if they were first made dry and then perfectly
coated with wax. They must be very stout,
and should be iron bound for honey is very
heavy.

I ree’d a letter from my wife in 111. that one of my
Imported Queens was dead, the comlis were as clean
as they were In the summer, no signs of any disease,
but a mouse bad eaten in at one of the mortises in the
top bars and bad eaten all of the bees on the bottom
board, but hail not eaten any of the combs, there were
no! li bees alive, now did that mouse kill that swarm
or did he eat the bees alter they were dead ?

Yours truly, 1). A. Bkoceway,

Ik s. — They had lots of sugar Syrup left.

Mice raise “hobb” with our surplus combs
when any honey is left in them, but we have
never known them to kill bees ; still such re-
ports are current. Wire-cloth is a preventive.

48

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Arnn..

DEAR NOVICE I am an amateur Bee-keeper and
and honey raiser, (it' amateur means for the love of
the thing,) with 20 swarms In movable frames. 1 was
humbugged Into buying a Patent hive some four years
ago. Although the hive Is a good one, the “ patent ”
part Is of no use to any one not a " bee master.'' 1 now
wish to sell mil colonies, hut the patent man lives
near, and warns all who wish to purchase, that they
must first buy a $5.00 right from him. and so my neigh-
bors with American and Langstroth hives, sell bees
and I sell none. This is a feature of the patent hive
business, 1 would like you to suggest, in GLEANINGS
a remedy for.

Pay no attention to the patent; when you
wish to sell bees tell your purchasers you will
stand between them and all trouble, and if any
trouble is made send us the date and name of
the patent hive. If we cannot find fraud and
humbug in the claim, somewhere, we really
believe it will be the first patent hive we have
overhauled that was not an empty pretense.

Is a honey quilt, of two thicknesses of ducking,
warm enough for spring months, and out-door winter-
ing, with no other covering except caps ?

We use batting between the two always.
We are at present inclined to give the straw
mat the preference for winter and spring;
with a loose cover over the mat to keep out
rain ; with straw first, and then coarse stable
manure to cover the whole hive, we have some-
thing that comes very near straw hives for
wintering. We have yet to learn of an unfa-
vorable report from bees wintered in the old
straw hives.

My experience confirms what von say in regard to
sealed brood being in no danger from careful extract-
ing, but eggs uml larva.* are "slung” for all they are
worth.

With a proper Ext., there isn’t a particle
of need of throwing out unsealed brood. We
never knew <gjs could lie thrown out. Had’nt
you better let your wife turn it V We fear you
have too much strength to be trusted with
such work.

My clipped Queens, for some reason, are soon su-
perceded. Others may be as short lived, as J have no
way of marking except by clipping. I never have
seen a dipped Queen over z years old, although 1 do
not doubt that others have.

We have given the matter for several years
careful attention, and find short lived Queens
and long lived Queens both among the clipped
and undipped in such equal proportions, that
we feel sure it has no other effect than to
somewhat mar their beauty.

Is Qulnby’s Queen yard practicable? I tin not find
it so, as the bees cluster and fill it, and the Queen es-
capes by crawling over the cluster.

Many things contribute to make it a failure,
yet some report quite favorably in regard to it,
when they depend on natural swarming. As
for ourselves we should find such an obstacle
always in front of our hives, an intolerable
nuisance, and to those who are in the habit of
walking among their bees as much as we do,
the danger of being constantly liable to put
“ones foot in it 1 ' might be provocative of a
tendency 1o profanity. Again, should some
of our lady visitors make an ungraceful stum-
ble and land in the “ Queen-yard’’ we might
find our profound explanations unpleasantly
interrupted.

How am 1 lo make a coal dark dry place In July and
August, to store comb, and honey 111 frames?

Don’t have a cool, dark, dry place at all, but
put your combs in a hive that will shut up
lightly, (we know the patent ones never do)
and you can keep them safely as long as you

like, only observing this caution : Combs re-
moved from the hive in warm weather are
liable to contain eggs of the moth ; therefore
they should only be removed in the fall when
it is cool, and if kept shut up they will be safe
until needed, or during all the next season if
you choose. They never mould unless wet or
damp. Freezing, always kills all eggs of the
moth as has been abundantly proved. We
keep our hives containing empty combs in the
barn. As for comb honey ; extract the honey
and put the combs back in the hive.

I want some Idea of a Queen Nursery, without buy-
ing another "patent." 1 once owned half a Peabody
Extractor, but contrived a rude one myself, that
works far better, and sold my half of old Pea. forSS.UU,
twice the cost of the one I now have. 1 use a tent to
extract in, and winter in a pit, I depend on the ex-
tractin’ for honey, and artificial swarming for increase.
Shall try the New Idea plan next season. I have
tried the two story plan, in connexion with Hosmer’s,
•• Feeding to stimulate breeding,” and failed, on ac-
count of tendency to swarm as soon as strong. 1
would give something to know how to certainly pre-
vent a strong colony from swarming. When you get
the Photo of my apiary (if you ever do,) you will see
my wife in Bloomers, helping me handle the frames
anil so on, as fearless us myself although two years
since she was as milch afraid of a bee as of a rattle
snake. Yours truly,

Wyoming, Wis. * R. L. JotKElt,

Nothing more than extracting is needed to
prevent swarming. ’Tis the rarest fun for us
to have a colony so strong they begin to think
of swarming; give them empty combs one at a
time, and room as fast as they can use it, and
your trouble will cease. Tell your wife we
are proud to learn there is at least a few who
dare be useful by their husband's side. Perhaps
there are more than we know, but too many are
afraid of stings, or rather they think they are.

I have (> colonies of bees all in movable comb hives,
and 4 different kinds of hives. Now I want to get a
hive that is right and stick to it, 1 am tired and sick of
so many kinds. I cannot divide my bees for the
frames are all different sizes.

Tecumseh, Mich. W. Comfout,

We wonder how many of our friends know
from past experience just how “ Comfort”-able
it is to have four different kinds of frames and
only six hives at that. We wonder if our
friend wont go for a universal Standard.

Messrs. Eds. Gleanings:— P lease give us the best
information you can In regard to uniting different
colonics of bees that stand at a distance from each
other. llunlap. 111. D. G. IIKHVEV,

There are several ways, but all troublesome
we believe. As a general rule we would try
and build up weak stocks before winter that
there may be no occasion for uniting. Not-
withstanding what has been written about two
colonies united, consuming less honey than
when separate, such has not been the case
with us, but quite the contrary, and besides
the double colonies were no better in the
spring than the rest. Moving the two stocks
gradually near to each other, is too laborious
and slow, when the distance is great, or there
are many. We think the readiest way is to
wait until the weather is tolerably cool, so the
bees do not fly ; smoke both and lift the combs
and bees from one into the other, rejecting
such combs as contain least stores and pollen ;
if no warm weather ensues for a week after,
they are all right, if suitable weather for flying
should occur soon, fasten them in for a week,
or what is better put them in the cellar for
that length of time.

E>EA7"OTE:d EXCLUSIVELY TO BEES -A.3STXD HONEY

Vol. II.

MAY 1, 1874.

No. V

HOW XO COIVDIOX A IV APIARY.

No. 5.

T?N these papers we shall only consider such
3, a course of management as will probably
give the largest crop of honey ; for rearing
Queens for the market will have to be consid-
ered rather as a separate department, and will
necessitate a somewhat different mode of man-
agement.

In our Northern localities, we believe there
is seldom enough honey gathered to render
extracting necessary in May, and the large
amount of brood under way, requires an
amount of food that is many times overlooked.

We would make it the most important busi-
ness of the month to see that every colony has
at all times an abundant supply of food. We
have sometimes on examination, found what
we supposed a great plenty, but in a week
more, have found brood in all, or nearly all the
combs, and not a cell of honey to be found any
where. Of course brood-rearing had to wait
until some could be gathered from the fruit
blossoms, and at evening we would And a tol-
erable supply scattered among the brood, but
the next morning we would find them once
more entirely destitute. Should bad weather
occur at such a time, a careless Apiarist
might never guess what it was that so sudden-
ly checked what had been one of his best
colonies; in fact we have known bees under
such circumstances, starved outright, in the
month of June.

Perhaps next in importance, is inserting a
clean empty worker-comb in the middle of the
brood nest, as often as the colony will bear it.
To determine this, requires some judgment,
and much mischief may accrue from going too
fast; a feeble colony that have just begun to
get up a tolerable cluster of brood, would find
their “house-keeping arrangements” upset to
such an extent by this proceeding, that it
might almost spoil their value for the season.

I ou had best make a few careful experiments;
if at the end of a week you And the new comb
nicely Ailed with larva;, and none of their
older brood left too much exposed, if the col-
ony is strong , they may have another eomb-
and so on. One great point to be secured, is
to have combs of brood all nearly of an age,
that the Queen, nurses, etc., may proceed with
their separate duties as we would hoc a Aeld
oi corn, instead of searching all over the combs,
10 what cells need attention.

1 his is the great month in the Northern
states for transferring, as all agree we believe
uit the most favorable time is during the

bloom of the. fruit trees. With all deference
to good authorities, we would advise to omit,
the drumming out process. It seems to us
that it only needlessly bothers the bees, and
yourself also. In our opinion, by far the eas-
iest, and safest plan, (see Vol. 1, for May,) is to
give the colony one, two, three, or more good
combs of brood from other hives, and then
distribute the . transferred combs in place of
these, that the work of patching up inaj’ he
distributed among several, and our transferred
friends will have nothing to do but to recon-
cile themselves to a new hive having a few
new combs perhaps, among their own.'

As we have often before said, before you
commence transferring Ax your new hive
nicely in the place the old one occupied, and
he sure you pack it all around with saw-dust
in such a way that the Queen and bees cannot
make a mistake and crawl, under the hive
instead of into it.. We feel xure that any of
our readers, can Work without any danger
whatever, without, veil or gloves, if they only
use plenty of smoke to start' with. After the
bees are subdued, get out a sheet of comb as
neatly as you can, and' shake, or brush oA'
every bee at the entrance of the new hive. If
they don’t go in at once, never mind, they will
as soon as there, js, enough of. them, and if a
comb of brood aWaits them, they will soon be
all right. If you have. no other movable comb
hives, you will JiaVe to get a piece of comb
containing brood, .transferred as soon as you
can. When j’ou have takeu all the combs out
of the old hive, you' will And many of the bee=
and perhaps the Queen, clustered ‘on it, or in a
corner-; shake them before the entrance ; clear
up every thing and you are done. If robbers
begin to trouble at any stage of the proceed-
ings, cover up every thing except the comb
you are cutting, with cloths; if you are much
of a novice perhaps you had better do this any
way. The greatest danger from stings will be
from robbers. •

We consider transferring, .well done, only
When the bees keep. right on with their work,
bringing pollen, etc. .

The whole operation should not occupy, to
exceed one hour. We presume many of our
.friends will have colonics this month that will
need more room than a single story will afford,
and the following is just at hand.

If an Extractor Is used Would It be better to usd
Hives single or double ?

Atwater, O. April 7th, 1871. Jas. M ai-Toon.

With the present heavy testimony in favor
of extending the combs horizontally, and tint
greater convenience in handling the combs for

50

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May.

ths Extractor, we would advise the double
Width hives. If you have two empty hives,
make them into one of double width as ad-
vised ou page 43; lift the combs of the colony
into this ; keep building them out by inserting
combs as before, and proceed in the same way
with the rest, as they demand more room. If
you have the Simplicity hives you can use the
upper story as well as the lower, for they are
precisely alike ; but with the ordinary two
story hives 'tis more difficult ; however, if you
have no money to spare for new hives, and
plenty of time, it may be managed, but we fear
they would present rather a sad appearance.

Iu regard to the manner of feeding, we do
know that it matters materially. To go
around to 50 hives daily is quite a task, and
one we cannot really recommend unless the
Apiarist has nothing else to do. We last sea-
son arranged cloth feeders iu every one of our
hives, in such a manner that they could be
tilled from a Coffee-pot, without opening the
hive; but even then 'twas a “ back breaking”
routine. If you have no sealed combs from
stocks that have died, (ice are very fortunate
in that respect) give them a tea-kettle feeder
full, during a warm spell and then close down
the quilt again. It will do no harm if you
keep them supplied with an empty comb, at
intervals.

Feeding in the open air, Is by far the least
trouble, and is, we believe superior to all other
methods of stimulative feeding, providing you
have no neighbor's who keep bees, except such
as will join in and feed too, or at least pay
their share of the necessary expense. See
“Open Air Feeding” on another page.

THE STANDARD HIVE.

575 a.llIE.VD NOVICE As you are agitating the hive
!ri J question somewhat, I will add my mite.

“1 1 have nsed several long hives the past season

and like them better than any other hives I ever used,
the most of mine are 30 Inches long inside. In which I
can place 20 frames 10xl4X inches, or I can Insert
fewer frames and place 6 small boxes on either side.

I think this size large enough for any swarm, I have
tried some with the entrance in the end as In the New
Idea, and others with the entrance in the side, and
prefer the latter. Last season a medium sized swarm
in one of these hives tilled 24 boxes after June 12.
Swarms wintered on their summer stands In these
hives, and on natural stores gathered early In the sea-
son, wintered splendidly; while those swarms on
which the Extractor was freely used, and artiUclal
6Warms made late in the season were very badly
affected with dysentery in any kind of hives.

Knowersville, N. Y. W. D. WiUGHT.

We really cannot see why, the entrance may
uot as well be in one part of the hive as anoth-
er, and in fact would suppose that by having
it at the sides and thus saving them the task
of going some little distance on foot, there
might be an economy of valuable strength.
However, as we have made no direct experi-
ments of the kind, we of course should not
decide hastily.

Our bees wintered well, but the spring Is hard. We
are doubling up considerably— killing the poorest
Queens. We have 135 colonics, use combs 11 inches
deep by 14 wide, hive 14E from fro*" 1 to rear. We use
division board— hives hold hem 9 to at frames.

Border Plains, Iowa. G. M. Dale.

Doubling up our own colonies might have
saved some, Vmt as some that we should have
doubled are doing finely, and some that we
should not, have done badly, and as there is
considerable risk of having Queens killed by

so doing iu the spring, we can hardly think it
advisable after all. Our Mend's frames are
just % inch longer than our Standard, and
less in depth. Such is, not life, but, American
Bee-keeper’s frames and hives; all good with-
out doubt, but no uniformity.

Think I have now decided to* retain my Am. frame,
after ripping off the projections of top bar with Buzz-
saw, and put them into a hive like your “Standard.”
Have made and sold the Am. hive for 3 years in this
vicinity, and that would be a strong reason for me to*
still -use that sized framer

Farina, Ills. T. P. Andrews,

Had we the Am.^framc, 12x12, we think we
should retain it.

DEAR NOVICE :--My frames 12 x 12 are not divide 1
by cross bars, as you suppose in your answer in
Gleanings for March. They are my old Debeauvoy s
frames mended a la Langstroth; therefore no wool
across the combs interfered with the laying of the
Queen, which was greatly superior to that of any
Quinby hives.

I see that you now think the size of the new Adair
sections bettor than that of the Langstroth frame.
I would prefer larger frames, especially if I intended
to dispense with two stories. For ease of manage-
ment it is more speedy to lift 8 frames than 11, let me
also tell you that a Quinby frame, when full, never
weighs more than 10 lbs., so that a child, or a young
lady, can very easily transport them. If I were t >
start an apiary, I would preter frames 1G Inches long
and 12 wide, inside measure , and 1 think that if we
had to establish a Standard that moasui r e would be
the best.

In the March number (1873) of the French Bee Joiu-
nul, V Apiculleur, a bee-keeper is said to have coun-
ted more than 5000 eggs deposited daily by a Queen,
The hive used had 14 frames sixteen inches both ways.
I have never been able to get more than 370.) egg.-*
daily, l think therefore that the large surface of the
combs had something to do with the increased laying.

Who will decide about the American Standard ? My
opinion is that we will have to get the advice of those
who have used several sizes on a large scale ; and not.
to imitate the Italian bee-keeper’s, who were so hasty
in that matter.

Hamilton, Ills. • Ciias. D adant.

We have no doubt but that a large comb
surface is an advantage to a heavy colony, but
if the combs are carefully watched anti an
empty one interposed at the proper intervals,
we think the difference would be but little. If
we use a comb much broader than .13% ( our
standard) ’twill be difficult making. the cover
and bottom of a single board ; also with the
long hives we shall, when operating them,
have to stand at the side, and to get hold of
both ends of the comb will, if the comb is very
broad and heavy, oblige us to stoop over in a-
way that is very tiresome. In calling this our
Standard, it is not with the expectation that
all will adopt it, only that some who can com-
mence as well as not on a “beaten track” will
do so. Orders are sent us for frames of a mul-
titude of different dimensions, but there seems
to be more of a disposition to centre about (as
it were) Il%xl3%, hence we adopt -that as a.
standard. If the mass of Bee-keeper’s .'deman J
a larger one for a Standard, of course we shall
agree to it.

The Langstroth and American seem to be
most in use, but they are so unlike, that the
use of both, in an apiary makes much confu
sion. As we have given several appeals in
favor of a larger frame, we will listen to one of
the advocates of the other extreme; and friend
Davis is a successful Apiarist, so far as honey
is concerned at least, as wc happen to know.

Hurrah 1 our bees are all right with two exceptions,
one lost it® Queen, and the other is rather light. This
is better thuu 1 ever wintered before. By the by *
have wintered one Queenless stock, In tip-top eoudi-

5

1874. GLEANINGS IN

(ion, they have raised a Queen this spring. My frames
are 11V x 10 inches, this will be my Standard size
hereafter as it gives me power over 'my bees that a
longer cannot give, it also gives me tnc New Idea
principle, which is old to me, let Adair say what he
pleases. 1 will use it with the entrance at the side of
the hive the whole length; which, with what we give
above, makes the best ventilator iu the world. Bees
live longer iu mv hive than in any I ever used before.

Delhi, Mich. April 10, 1874. J. L. Davis.

OUR STANDARD HIVE,
we make as follows:

E B

The diagram above, is drawn on a scale of
y, inch to the foot, and the lines are supposed
to represent a section of the ^dressed, Ijoards.

A, is the cover 10^x80; B, bottom-board
]5%x28| a . The one inch less in width, is to
allow the side boards to lap over and cover
tlie joint iu the same manner as does the back
end board as seen at D, for the lower edges of
both back ends and sides, are rabbeted out
%x%. Before nailing in the bottom-board the
front end is to be ireveled as seen in diagram,
and tlieu it is to be nailed very securely to
door-step E, which is 16%xf>, aud beveled on
its front edge, also. The front board C, is like
I), except that it lacks the rabbeted edge, be-
ing therefore less in width, that is, 15%x-
14 ' 8 ' in width; this allows the triangular
blocks, when placed on the door-step, to be
pushed back under the edge of C, until they
strike back against the sharp edge of bottom-
board B. E, is to stand directly on the ground,
or at least on a thickness of saw-dust sufficient
to keep down iveeds, and to keep the rest of
tlie hive up to the same level, we nail strips
lx%, clear around under the bottom-board,
and just flush with its edges. We hardly need
repeat what we have said, about rabbeting
clear around the under side of the cover, and
nailing in the square frame, made of the strips
tf, G, and similar ones sawed oil' the sides of
the hive; as this has been given in previous
number. The manner iu which the cover shuts
on a bevel to exclude rain, is seen between
G, C, and G, D. We prefer the entrance below
the top surface of the bottom-board, because it
thus excludes driving storms and wind. When
the blocks are iu place, ’tis true some rubbish
such as dead bees etc., may accumulate behind
them ; but if they are occasionally removed as
they should be, this will do no harm. Several
inquiries have been received like the following :

. tu nmklng I.ong Hives to hold 20 or more frames, li-
the bottoms are nailed fast will they not need an
yenm la tlie bottom covered with wire cloth for
ventilation ? or rather how much ventilation will
such hives need in hot weather, whether nailed fast
to bottom or not, and standing In the sun ?

Mannlapan, X. Y. Mar. 30, 1874. Ckas. H. Rue.

It the combs are kept under careful super-
vision as we have advised, we think no more
ventilation will be needed than is given at the
capacious entrance, when tlie blocks arc taken
•iway entirely. We should never think of al-
lowing a strong stock to remain entirely un-
shaded We think examination will show
that the ventilating holes covered with wire

BEE CULTURE.

cloth are invariably waxed up by the bees
very soon, and are therefore useless.

Any opening not covered with wire cloth is
used as an entrance, and when closed, makes
them trouble and confusion. It is our opinion,
that too much ventilation, has produced more
mischief on the average, than too little. We
would advise those who are in doubt, to try
both extremes aud see what the effect is on
b rood-rearing. Keep the hives shaded in the
hottest wcuther, by all means, but until about
the time your grape vines leave out, we think
it almost impossible to give them too much of
the sun's heat; and also almost impossible to
give them too little ventilation.

i**,* JS jfi

bees are all right so far, I have not lost a sin-
jltfdL colon y fr° m 80 which I am wintering, all
==== on Buck- wheat honey. I sold 1100 lbs. of hon-
ey last year at an average of about 20 cts. i/cr pound,
and increased from 49 swarms in box hives to 80 in
“Simplicity/’ Castalia. O. April 1st. N. E. Prentice.

My bees are wintered all in good condition, except
the one which had dyeentery, it being 'Queenlcss, and
another that is a drone layer. They have all wintered
on sugar-syrup not sealed, and fed all through the
winter; perhaps no man has ever disturbed his bees
so much ; they cleansed, the 15 of March, I shall feed
on sugar forever. Wequiock, Wis. J. Duffelkr.

Our 40 stocks are now reduced to 34. Fortunately
we have lost but one choice Italian as yet, and even
then (April 9,) we found the Queen alive on one of the
combs, and surrounded by a handful of her bees. We
removed the comb, bees, and Queen, and carefully
inserted the same in the center of a stock of blacK
bees that had been Queenless two or three days. Per-
haps tills was an act of audacity, but to-day her new
subiects resumed work on middlings, and an exami-
nation inside the hive revealed Her Royal Majesty at
her legitimate business— O. K.

Koshkonong, Wis. April 14, 1874. D. P. Lane.

DEAR NOVICE Can report the successful win-
tering of 197 colonies bees. I removed the caps on
upper story leaving top of hive open; with L. hive
set aside caps, ana left open two or three holes in
honey-board, closing all downward ventilation. Win-
tered in cave and cellar, and found nil in good condition
upon setting them ont quite recently. A neighbor put
away 66 swarms within few roils of me in same way,
only leaving doxvnrvard ventilation, also, all wiutcred
well and seem to be in good condition now.

Onawa, Iowa. April 8, 1874. Aug. Christie.

All of my 90 colonies of Bees earner through the win-
ter safe, and some of them stronger than common at
at this season. I had drones fly-in*' 1 on the 19th of this
month, three weeks earlier than I ever saw them
before. Comersvllle, Tenn. March, 1874. Eli Coble.

Bees have wintered finely on natural stores, lost
none— no dysentery— winter very mild. They gath-
ered pollen in Feb*, from alder.

Mitchclsvllle, Tenn. H. Peden. .

Bees in the beet condition. Allalive— no dysentery,
and working on the fruit trees as only tke industrious
bee can work. * Dk. W. P. Moore,

Richland Station, Tenn. April 6, 1874,

Took out my bees Tuesday. Lost two ; the balance,
46, consumed five and one-tnird lbs. honey on the av-
erage, per colony, for four months. J. Crall.

I did not get my bees out of the cellar until the 10th.
My 34 stands and 5 of my neighbor’s (put Into my cel-
lar) came out all right. .Six of my four frame Nuclei
were all right— two had run out of honey and starved.
Grandvlow, Iowa. Apr. 16, 1874. W. J. Ronald.

Editor Gleanings : We have taken away the ma-
nure, so that the sun may shine directly on the hives,
(as you have so often recommended) and our twenty
two colonies have noariy all been bringing iu pollen
for the past two davs. Some of the strongest, (!) have
actually got brood In three combs. April 21st. JVovice.

52

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May.

PROBLEM NO. 21.

Vjf WISH you would Include In my former order u
[•J box or hive, whatever you may be pleased to call
— ' it, for carrying frames of honey from the Apiarv
t" the Extractor and back. I think on the whole ft
will be best to have two small ones, rather than one
large one— to hold live frames each. 1 want the tops
so they can be fastened tight, with the idea of having
a handle in the centre of each cover, so as to carry
them like two palls of water. I think perhaps It had
better have a movable bottom-board to be fastened by
hooks, for convenience in cleaning It of the drippings
of honey. Von must have the idea now of what I
want and you may make to suit yourself. Make them,
of as thin lumber ‘as yon can aud have them strong
enough, so that thev’mav be as light as possible. For
the same reason they nad better be made of white
pine, or basswood.

Cedar Creek, X. J. E. Kimptok.

Our friend seems to have a clear idea of
what is wanted. At first we thought of ma-
king something such as we described- in Yol. 1,
page 52, but after studying on the matter,
finally had our tinner make two, square, tin
pails, with a ledge to hang the frames on, and
a hinged cover that would open under the
bails. Mrs. N. says nothing can be cleaned of
honey drippings so readily as tin, and as they
were soldered tight they can be used to hold
honey etc., in an emergency ; if properly cared
for they would last a life time. On the other
hand, although they were made of the lightest
tin, with cover and all they are rather heavy,
and still worse the expense of the two was
about §4.50. Have we no basket makers
among our readers who could make us a light
square basket for the purpose?

A shallow tin dish might be placed in the
bottom to catch drippings, and a cloth to be
thrown over the top, could be sewed to the
back edge. The handle should be very high
to allow of lifting out the combs readily, or
might be made to turn over ; we rather think
the former, as it would not necessitate so
much stooping. Perhaps something arranged
entirely of wood and cloth would be the thing.
Who can get up the lightest, strongest and
cheapest implement, and : one-, readily kept
clean, to hold five combs?

BOTH SIDES OF THE QUESTION.

i.\ . MESSRS, A. I. ROOT & Co. Wc did not intend

imi our communication for publication. We have
— discovered that some of cmr hive/S to which we
had givvn Italian Queens hist •fnumner, contain this
spring, crossed Queens. Our nat ive lilack Bees very
seldom east swarms in the fall, anti hardly ever cast-
ing more than three swarms, home of our hives had
sealed drone brood the 1, of March. The expenses of
our Apiary are as follows : •

bangstroth's book on bees, 82.00

4‘b'ox hives 12.00

.3« L. hives, (cannot be made here less than bit.) 150.00
Painting, Hinges, and Locks, {bocal necessity,) 12.00

3 Italian Queens ...11.50

Royalty, 12.50

8200.00

Realized only 450 lbs. of honey, we used the Honey
Extractor on 2*0 hives last June, the average yield, one
.gallon to the hive. We extracted all the combs— have
bought no patent hives, ho far as we have read Api-
arian writers, we selected the best hive— our error
Is in changing the Native lice fpr the Italian.

Macon, Ga. J. A. Nelson & son.

FRIEND NOVICE You are right in your state-
ment that Mr. Quinby asks two prices, for Ids bee
hives, but you certainly put the average very low
indeed. Mr. Quinby says, *• if is sale in. a (food season
to calculate on an average of one or two hundred lbs.
of box honey, or two or three hundred when the

combs are emptied with a machine.” An average of
200 lbs. box honev /should think too much* but If I
can’t average 150 lbs. comb honey in small frames
placed In the large frames nt the sides of the brood
combs (with black bees too) then It Is because it is a
poor season, the average of Extracted I will put at
800. Last year was about an average season here,
not a good season by any means ; clover. Poplar and
Bass-wood yielded very little honey. Buck-wheat and
Golden rod did not do very well. I commenced the
first of June, with ten weak stocks in box and Amer-
ican hives; transferred them to Simplicity hives,
frames about 10 deep by 14 inches long, inside meas-
ure. I averaged 200 lbs. ext’d honey, at least % of my
honey w as Buck-w heat and Golden .rod. Besides the
2000 lbs. of honey, I increased to 30 and saved 27, three
of them swarmed before I commenced using the Ext.
and flew away, so I lost at least 300 lbs. there, besides
the bet's; so much for box and Am. hives and poor
management, but I’ve got mv eyes open now, though
not so wide open but that l intend to see more and
learn more ot this interesting and profitable pursuit
each year, as long as health permits me to keep bees.
I suppose the seasons have been so very poor with
Novice of late, is one reason he is so “modest” about
giving the average yield of honey per stock at 50 lbs.
I know we should not expect too much and ought to
be satisfied if we only average 50 lbs., but Novice cer-
tainly can average "300 lbs. ext’d honey in a good
season -; if he can’t then the trouble Is in "4c. Queens, I
don’t know what else. I only had one Queen that I
could call poor, and I got one hundred lbs. of honev
from it, (the stock of bees) and a lot of drone comb
and drones In August. Theory says bees build less
drone comb with young Queens than older ones, but
I have hail the most drone comb with young Queens.

New Buffalo, Mich. Mar. 10, 1874. li. S. Becktkli..

©UR OWN APIARY.

J \\ LTHOUGH the weather has been quite
cold, and the season backward ; although
wc have not as yet, seen a bit of natural pol-
len, and we never remember a season before
when it was not gathered abundantly by April
1st; and although we have lost 27 colonies and
have only 26 remaining, this 13th day of April
1874, yet we cannot give lip that bad weather
should be any excuse for such losses. We have
nothing to reproach ourselves with in the way
of carelessness or negligence this spring; but
on the contrary, have done the very best we
knew how.

Many are the kind letters of sympathy we
have fec’d, (and we heartily thank you all for
it) and many are the reasons suggested for their
dying ; a few have said it was just as they
expected, when we started into winter with
so many weak colonies. But the weak colo-
nies, some of them, are doing well, and our
strong ones have perished, why is that ? Some
have suggested that the manure kept them too
warm ; such may be the case, for we ofte n find
only a dozen or two bees guarding the en-
trance, and the dead colonies are found almost
invariably to contain only a very small clus-
ter, scarcely larger than an egg, or an apple,
and strangely we have not found a particle of
brood in any of those deceased. They died in
the midst of clean white combs, and scaled
stores. No trace of dysentery.

It is true some of the strongest have worked
on the meal during weather that bees do not
usually fly, yet we have seen no bees dead on
the snow, and they have flown many days
when it covered the ground.

Wc do not believe artificial heat alone, will
help the matter, for to test it more carefully
we placed a Queen with what was left of her
subjects — j ust 82 bees in all — in our Lamp
Queen-nursery of last year, and they have now

1874.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

63

been there a week. We have kept the heat
constantly at a summer temperature, ancl the
bees and Queen crawl to all parts of the hive
at pleasure, but there are no eggs, and no
brood-rearing ; something besides warmth
must be wanting. To be sure many will say,
she can’t lay eggs, and brood can’t be reared
without more than eighty-Ueo bees ; but why ?
her whole hive is kept as warm as the centre
of a populous colony in June.

Again ; the combs of the hives from which
the bees had died, almost without exception
were destitute of pollen, see problem 13 and 13
last year. No one has yet applied for the $5.00
although several have suggested, corn-starch,
corn-bread soaked in honey etc., etc., and our
“Ambrosial” friend Flick gives to B, K. M. a
recipe for “bee food” composed principally of
corn-starch. As it is not so very much trouble
to try the experiment, we made a small heap
of corn-starch, in the rye and oat-meal in our
feed house, and they seem to dislike it more
than any of the various substances with which
we have experimented. We wonder if it ever
occurred to Mr Flick and some others, to try
whether their receipts are valuable.

How can we supply bees with pollen in the
spring, that brood-rearing may proceed when
the weather proves unfavorable? Have some
of our readers a Green-house or conservatory,
and does any one know of an experiment ever
having been made to see if bees will fly out
and regain their hive again, in such a place?

If so, they would certainly work on rye meal,
and thus enable us to be independent of bad
weather. The bees we have lost this spring
would pay for one large enough to make the
experiment, and if it cannot be demonstrated
otherwise, we have a strong fancy to see for
ourselves what can be done.

Some friend suggests that a field of hemp
would furnish pollen enough, and thus enable
them to keep a supply over winter. We strong-
ly suspect this lack, is one of the drawbacks
in our locality, and may possibly be in others
also. Friend Hosmer says in N. B. J. that he
thinks the great advantage of the Western
over the Eastern States for bee culture, is on
account of the greater abundance of pollen
yielded.

April 16 th — A part of the day being some-
what warm, a little natural pollen was gather-
ed. Two more colonies are dead and no favor-
able change in the weather yet. After the 82
bees in the Lamp nursery had dwindled down
to nine bees , we sent them Queen and all in an-
swer to an application for the “ cheapest queen
we could furnish, hybrid or otherwise.” ’Tis
our first sale of queens this season and bids
fair to be our last also.

April 20 Although yesterday was Sunday,
as it was the first really fine day since March
2nd, we, and “Blue Eyes” anxiously watched
the remnants of our Apiary’s laborers, as they
brought in the different colored loads of pollen.

The manure had been removed from a few
01 the hives, and we were curions to observe
nhich would commence work soonest. Sure
enough, the warm sun shining directly on the
tops of the uncovered hives, sent them to the
fields, an hour earlier than the rest; the ma-
nure having the same effect as double walled
hives, since fermentation has ceased.

Several more colonics were found so weak
that they had to be broken up, and worse than
all the rest, our Argo Queeii is among the miss-
ing; we would not have sold her for $25.00.

We noticed about church time, that the bees
were very feebly resisting the attacks of some
black robbers; and, although they had been
working briskly on meal but a few days before,
an examination showed very few bees, and no
queen*

Another colony about the same time, showed
symptoms(individual bees whirling around ex-
citedly, at the entrance)of swarming out (they
have, once before) although they had a fair
number of bees; these, were given a comb of
eggs and some pollen from another, and after
that, abandoned their project. All the stocks
that have failed were found nearly or quite
destitute of pollen, and none contained eggs
or brood. The manure answered perfectly in
keeping them at an even temperature, above
freezing, and vegetation was found to have-
started briskly, about and beneath the hives,
when the manure was removed. The few lines
below just received from Mr. Curry, will prob-
ably explain why the manure answered, in
place of warm weather, in Ms experiment, and
has not in ours.

Pollen seems rather scarce, on account of the severe
frosts 1 suppose. I am not sorry, as it gives them n
chance to clear out the old pollen from tho combs.

We cannot remember to have seen any old
pollen in the combs in the spring, for the past
three seasons; last season we looked over more
than a hundred combs before we could find just
enough for a simple experiment. What shall
we do for pollen when we have weather like
that of the past six weeks?

P. S. — We didn’t go to church last Sunday,
and it is to be feared we w-ere not in a very
“devotional” tame of mind either, -at least a
part of the day.

CHEAP PAINT *«H HIVES.

You advocate all economical articles and processes,
what do you think of the cheap paint recipe given In
Winder’s circular? I llnd the same recommended in
Robinsons “Pacts for Farmers.”

J. U. Martin, Hartford, N. Y.

We think of it as we do of many other re-
ceipts given by thoughtless people because they
had “heard ’twas good” but never once thought
of trying it themselves. As a white-wasli,it
may do very well, but if we really would pro-
tect lumber from the evil effects of moisture,
the wood must be thoroughly treated with
good oil paint. The cheap paint will not stick
unless it be used on rough, undressed boards,
and we do not think it possible to make hives
sufficiently accurate of such material.

We once made 50 such and used them sever-
al years ; the paint adhered very well, but the
boards warped and drew the nuils out, nearly
if not quite as bad as if unpainted. After they
had been in use three or four years, we in des-
peration nailed them over, and then wasted
more good oil paint on them in the attempt to
make the old weather beaten wood impervious
to water, than they were all worth. The Sim-
plicity style of hives, requires but little paint,
and their form offers every facility for giving
them an additional coat whenever they may
need it, as they remain on their summer stands.
One coal at first, on new hives will do very well.

64

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May

Gleanings in Bee Culture,

Published Monthly,

A. I- ROOT Sc CO.,

EDITORS AND PROPRIETORS

MEDINA, 0 H I CK

Terms: 75o. Per Annum.

For Chib Rates see Last Faye.

MEDI NA, MAY 1, 1B?4.~

A. B.J., for April came to hand March 31st;
B. K. M., April 5tli, and N. B. J., April 18th,
all in good time, and all excellent.

Up to this date, half past one o’clock April
•27th, the World has not yet shed its “mellow”
light (as B. K. M. has it) upon us.

We omitted to mention that the dimensions
of the side boards for the Standard hive, were
15x30, that is, the dimensions of the board be-
fore the strips are ripped off to go under the
cover.

We learn R. Wilkin, family and employees,
have removed from Cadiz, O., to Oskaloosa,
Iowa, where they expect to engage extensively
in the honey producing business. May suc-
cess attend them.

We would refer the many who write to us
for tested Queens, to Mr. Cary, whose adver-
tisement will be found in this No. He is not
only one of the pioneers in the business, but so
far as we know, has been prompt and trust-
worthy in all his dealings in years past.

We have just succeeded in making a Queen-
cage both for shipping and introducing. ’Tis
all of metal, is stronger- than the wooden ones
of last year, will hold securely an abundant
supply of food, requires no paper stoppers and
and can be closed and opened quickly; yet has
no loose cover, nor anything to get lost. Dia-
gram and directions will be given next month,
that will enable any tinner to make them.

Price 10c., or $1.00 per doz. By mail, 2c. ex-
tra. _

So invariably do we get both favorable and
unfavorable reports, from almost every local-
ity, we hope we are excusable for concluding
tliat there is no very great difference in locali-
ty after ail.

If any thing, our Southern friends seem a
little behind, but we are inclined to think the
main trouble is, that they have not yet given
their bees a chance. 'Tis not unfrequent to
hear of an enormous yield in the midst of a
neighborhood complaining bitterly of bad sea-
sons, and nothing for the bees.

Therefore be of good cheer, for “we shall (most
assuredly) reap if we faint not."

how to wivrrit too colonies

WITHOUT LOSING ANY,

ray HERE ! there ! don’t t>e hasty, we know
jj, very well we can’t do it, and therefore
take pleasure in introducing to our readers
Mr. James Bolin of West Lodi, O., who will or
cupy the “Editorial Chair” (not a word of re-
monstrance friend B.) while we ahem, sit by

Mo nice while he interrogates.

FRIEND B., we shall. recognize you as nurlteputed
authority, on the ground that “the proof ot' the pud-
ding etch and would like to he inquisitive somewhat.

In the first place were your colonies all strong in
the fall? how many combs would there he bees on
in Oct ?

No. Some of them were what I call weak,
others very strong. The bees occupied from
four to seven spaces between the combs in coin
mon colonies; and I had a few extra strong
stocks in which the bees covered all the combs.

These extra colonies had been transferred,
on the approach of winter, from doable width
hives containing 21 frames, to common ones
having 10 frames. There were more bees in
them than was desirable, but not liking to kill
any of them, I concluded they might lake their
chances. The result was, a great many more
bees died in them, and the consumption of hon-
ey was much greater than in the ordinary
swarms.

Did they store honey in the full, and how late ?

They stored honey from a piece of buckwheat
I had sowed, ttntil the latter part of Sept,., and
from golden rod and other fall flowers, from
the time the grass-hoppers disappeared, until
we had severe frost.

Are there any cider mills In range of your bees ?

There is a small mill at which some cider
was made, a trifle over half a mile from here.

The nearest large mill is about two liilfcs
away.

IIow thick are the walls, and what are the dimen-
sions inside ? how are the doors fixed ?

The walls are fourteen inches thick ; two
thicknesses of inch boards and twelve inches of
sawdust. Two floors with nine inches, be-
tween them, and there are ten inches of saw
dust on the ceiling overhead. Dimensions 13
x 21 feet, and 8>£ high inside. A window in
one end, with sash and glass, and a blind both
inside and out, thus having two dead air spa-
ces ; double door in the other end, with 12 inch
space between.

How arc the ventilators arranged ?

There is a ventilator ten inches square,
through the floor, near the center of the room.

It is closed by a slide that can be opened or
shut from the outside. In the house it is cov-
ered in the winter with a box, made by nailing
three boards together, that extends almost the
length of the room. This is placed loosely on
the floor, with the open side down over the
ventilator; and the sides of it are bored Cull of
holes to distribute the air equally. In the sum-
mer it is put in the attic out of the way. Ove i
head there are two ventilators, six inches
square, that extend from below the ceiling to
three feet above the peak of the roof, and cov
ered so as to exclude light and rail).

Did the temperature over get down to freezing 1“
your hives ?

No; thirty six degrees was the lowest point
reached, and the temperature varied from that
up to fifty degrees. 1 would keep it at, from
forty to forty two if 1 could do so.

1874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

55

How are tho hives prepared and what kind? I.ang-
stroth If we remember.

i In preparing for wintering, I aim to have
empty comb near the center, for the bees to
cluster in, with their stores at the sides and
back en'd of the hive. When handling the
combs in the fall, I generally cut holes in them,
about one third of the way down from the top,
for winter passages. I take the honey boards
off, put on bee quilts, and contract the entran-
ces to one half inch, or less, but leave them
otherwise unobstructed. The caps are left off,
and hives piled up four or five deep, as the legs
on the sides of them just fit where caps rest,
when on. I use Langstroth’s Live.

You of course have tried “ougar diet,” what differ-
ence do you Und in the appearance of such colonies
if any ?

I have some 15 or 18 colonies to which I fed
sugar syrup. One of them had I think, more
dead bees on the bottom board than any other
stock, except those extra strong ones transferr-
ed from the double width hives. In other res
pects I could see no difference between those
wintered on syrup, and those having natural
stores. Many of them did not have much, if
any more than a spoonful of dead bees in their
hives, when taken out of winter quarters.

They are breeding fast now, the weakest
having brood in all stages, from eggs to young
bees hatching out.

I neglected to state in the proper place, that
although those extra stocks arc still in good
condition, they are no better than many oth-
ers that contained not more than half as many
bees in the fall.

We are called to lament the loss of one col-
ony, since putting them on the summer stand.
During the cold weather that occurred last
week, a medium sized stock starved, although
they had two frames of sealed honey. They
had clustered at the south side of the hive,
which stood facing east, and the honey being
at tlie north side, the cold north wind pre-
vented their reaching it, and so they perished.
‘“Twas a sad case,” but one for which winter-
ing is not responsible.

Awl-how about the pollen t Your hecs certainly
hail pollen in the combs as they could not — Halloo !

The chair Is empty, 11 — — ’ — *" — 1

is gone; but we’ll t
we don't.

’make him tell next month, sec if

SlKiAH SYIIU1* VERSUS HONEY,
FOR WIISTEllI.’V 6,

FHOM P. H. ELWOOD, STABKV1LI.E, X. V.

]|N A. B. J. for Dec., Vol. IX, Mr. Quiuby
Hj writes :

“ Novice, and other writers, claim that syrup
of sugar is a preventive, and will save the bees
from dysentery. I wish there was nothing to
disprove it. Mr. Elwood, of Herkimer Co., in
this State, fed several stocks that were desti-
tute, one year ago, with that alone. They
were badly affected with that disease, just the
same as those having their own honey, and ex-
posed to the cold the same. I fed a colony
with loaf sugar, that, when exposed as others
were, was affected the same.”

Now, without in the least disputing the
great value of Mr. Q’s articles on wintering,
we would ask him to reconsider the matter
alter reading the following. Has he not been
too hasty in pronouncing sugar stores no better
lor wintering.

FRIEND NOVICE Your request for further par-
ticulars of the sugar fed bees, is at hand.

At the suggestion of Capt. Hethcrlngton, in the fall
of ’72. we extracted all the honey from our thirty-live
colonies and fed each thirty lbs. of sugar syrup, made
from twenty lbs. of A coffee sugar. A small quantity
of cream of tartar was added, but this is probably un-
necessary. As there was a delay in getting sugar
they were not fed until Oct., and consequently did
not get all of the syrup sealed. This feature we deem-
ed unfavorable, but hoping that it might cause no
trouble, we packed chaff on four sides and tons, and
left them on summer stands. Result as Mr. Quinby
stated— “badly affected with dysentery. *’ .Some dy-
ing, and nearly all weak. The unsealed syrup gath-
ered considerable moisture, so much iii the first,
swarms that died, as to bulge out beyond the surface
of the comb. To vaporize this etftrii quantity of wat-
er, a large amount of heat would be consumed, more
probably, than the bees could generate.

We can throw no light on the statement that our
sugar fed bees wintered no better than those with
natural stores, except to say that Mr. Quinby evident-
ly misunderstood us on this point. We had no bees
with natural food, and there are none such in our
field, packed as we have described. Compared with
natural stores in a well kept cellar, (Quinby & Root's
for example) honey comes out far ahead. Compared
with the ordinary cellar within range of our bees,
sugar was more than four hundred per cent ahead.
Compared with hives as much in the sun as possible
(a la Novice, when not in frost proof repository) or
made the Nuclei of snow banks (a la Prof. Cook, Gal-
lup, Doolittle and others) sugar came out more than
10,000 per cent ahead, and you may add as many ci-
phers as you please, for there was hot a single swarm
left within the range of our bees. And this in a sec-
tion where hundreds went into winter quarters.
Over two thirds of ours were saved, and that with a
good deal of bad management in the spring, for the
writer is a novice of but a year’s experience.

I think (partner out, here, although he may agree)
that sugar is as good tor wintering as the best honey,
perhaps better where bees are long confined, as it is a
more concentrated food. Ifthis beso, Gallup thinks
the Creator has made a mistake in providing for bees.
I think that honey is perfectly adapted to the re-
quirements of bees In latitudes where they are in-
digenous, but when carried to Siberian winters may
they not require a more concentrated diet? Does
Gallup leave his domestic animals to the food provi-
der by nature for the winter months, or does he sow
and gather, and thus Improve on the processes of
nature ?

I think it better to feed more slowly than you rec-
ommend; four pounds per day,' for fifteen days even
where no brood is raised, being better than thirty
pounds in one day.

We started the present winter with 194 swarms.
Put 100 into a modified Hibbard clamp, large enough
to go Inside and see how they get along, the remain-
der on summer stands.

We are wintering 50 swarms on sugar the present
winter, most of them fed in Sept. Apart out doors,
those are all alive. Can’t report those inside vet, hav-
en’t had an extended experience, but so far have
observed nothing but that harmonizes with the
Quinby theory, that cold usually kills the bees.

We are using Quinby’s hive, ’which 1 think is not
only the best frame hive for out-door wintering, but
best for in-door also, the best for extracted honey, the
best for box honey, the best for convenience in ma-
nipulating, killing as few bees as any, and finally can
be built, if you are satisfied with a cheap hive, cheap-
er than the cheapest Simplicity hive. All of which is
respectfully submitted, especially the last.

DEPOSITORY OF
B i. A ilin u a v : A ,

Or Fetters From those w lie have matte Bee
Cu lture a Failure.

MR. Gleanings : MY have on!' colon ios left .out
of our 57, ami almost every day Is cold, an ! to-dav 'tis
both cold aiul wet. shall we buy .-oil! u, - ? If not.
what shall wo do ? Despondently, Novice.

Don’t buy any bees, so loug a. you have a
dozen left. Summer will come, bye and bye,
and then you can show us ho'.v hist you can
buildup. That you cannot winte bees, is
very evident, and unless you can tdiowns that
you can summer them, wc shall have to con-
clude you are no bee-keeper at all.

56

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May)

MAXI KL ON Tin: lflt AIN.

EAR NOVICE You’re a goose ! Do you think
you can put a pile of manure wound a bee lilve
in the fall anil have it keep up heat by fermen-
tation till spring? When the lire burns out won’t the
hive get cold ?

l»ut for all that, Gleanings for April Is a splendid
number. Chicago, 111. C. C. Millkk.

Now friend M., that’s all theory, (your latter
observation, not the one about Novice) fpr did
you never observe that the ground rarely ifev-
i r freezes under a very slight covering of sta-
ble manure, say six inches? If you think we
haven’t any facts to “fall back on” just read
the following: Supposing it does get cold ; if
it keeps the ground from freezing would it not
keep the hive at a low, even temperature?

DEAR NOVICE Yol. 2, No. 8, is at hand, and as I
see you have manure on ilie brain, 1 am willing to
v I vo my experience in wintering bees in manure. I
commenced more than 30 years ago to winter bees
that way, though not on the principle that the German
lady i mis her < heese in the mamiie pile to cure, or as
\ our wagon load of manure would be to keep them
Lot. but to breeze them in. I have never failed when
1 put them up in good season and paid proper atten-
tion to them. 1 put up a late swarm that was so light
that 1 thought they were not worth destroying for the
honev, or wintering for the bees, but as an experiment
I « 1 Id* it; they came out all right and made a good
Mvarm. Ihus; place the hive on the ground in a suit-
able place where the water will not settle around
them, with the front south. Take long damp manure
that will ireeze solid, and cover three sides and top,
cot more than one foot thic k at the bottom, and .less
at top, then take a wide board that w ill cover the
front of the hive w hen set considerably slanting (so as
to give a good air chamber) then cover that up the
t lie same as the rest of the hive; disturb them no
more until the lirst pleasant day (with the mercury at
t in after the middle of March* then remove the front
covering and give them a good flight; you will see
them lairiv dame. Alter they have all gone In, set
the hoard up in front of the hive to prevent the sun
inducing them out in unlavorable weather, and re-
move the top covering and commence stimulating,
using plenty oi quilts. What bees want is a long
sleep, a strong sleep, and a quiet one. There are
more bees cooked to death than are frozen to death,
nowadays. B. I. Talijot,

Y ioia, Iowa. March 1st, 1874.

EARLY QL'EEXS from the south.

erpv EAR NOVICE:—! think you are mistaken in
j; js\ saying that Miss Anna Saunders can sell all her
Queens. Too many, learned in everything but
iiee lore, w ho are opposed to progress and reading,
even denying the Queen bee story, would be slow
to beiieve the large Yields of honey that can be had
here, even though tlley saw it. One Gent, could not
take Gleanings, but could pay 830.00 for 3 patent
moth trap hive.', who of course must fail lor w ant of
7f» cts. worth of other peonies experience. 1 am sorry
to goJo **B lasted Hopes. Do help us.

simplicity hives made last sitting of hard pine,
stood all summer and fall all right, but have warped
all lo pieces this i-nring. Bee quills almost rotten,
frames and under side of hive mouldy, combs nice;
am now using for quilts single thickness of new
Brown Domestic, is it good? Will paint straighten
in v hives or prevent their warping in luture? How
can 1 clean paint and varnish brushes, and keep them
ready for use? (’an you furnish Buzz Saws, Table
Gtiages etr. Jor making Simplicity hives, and the
price? Lost 3 colonies bees, very strong, all lu combs
tilled with lnood even in the cornels, March 20lh.
They brought in honey Marc h 30th, but Incessant rain
and cold w inds ever since. Nary drop of honey in the
hive. Other bees are now cleansing their combs of
oflensive brood.

Wintered on natural stores on summer stands, no
disease, only starved by sudden check of honey and
large family' to Iced . 1 had Queens fertilized every
mouth of the year except Jan. I leal* there is no mar-
ket South for homy, 1 took 40 Ibe. i remlum honey to
State Fair, got no oiler for it. Have advertised Queens
in State paper at 81. and 83., and nary • rder. I fear
’iwould not pay trouble and freight to ship honey to
Chidago and don't want the slcei ( ; in my how e

broken with tons of honey, for I’ll surely heat yov.r
last year’s crop any year , 1 think.

Wife says my bees will starve us yet, for I give all
my time, talk’ and provisions, to my bees and bee
friends. Am out over 8300.00 cash, and took in mny
cent. Italians very far abends of black In my hands.

Can rear Queens from Feb. to Dec., don’t see why
all will not be pure with no black bees within a mile
of me. l’lcasc tell me minutely how to ship them
safely and cheaply long distances, ns I w ish no Queens
lost by my Ignorance. W. F. Standkfkl,

Dry Grove, Miss. April 18th, 1874.

If Queens can be sent safely to the North,
and we haven’t a doubt of it, there is a market
for ten thousand instead of one. A postal card
from you dated April 13, was in our hands the
10, and Queens might go nearly ns quickly.
Our cages of last season, although roomy and
convenient, in several eases proved of insuflic
ieut strength, also in long distances, water in
a sponge, dries out, as we prepared them in
the fall, with a piece of candy. All things con
sidered, we believe we would adopt the “Alley"
cage for long distances via : a block of wood
about 1x2x3 inches ; bore two holes in one side
nearly through. These holes should be of diff-
erent sizes, say inch, and inch and a half, and
should cut into each other so as leatc an open-
ing between them of about % of an inch. A
piece of old, stout comb, containing sealed
honey or syrup is to be securely waxed into
the smaller one, and after the Queen with a
dozen bees, young ones arc preferable, is placc-d
in the other, wire cloth is tacked over both.

Miss Annie should be able to get a carpen-
ter to make them complete, for her, for 50 cts.
per dozen; if’twasn’t for the “awful” express
charges we would make them for her cheerful-
ly. Any boy or man can make his own, rainy
days and evenings. Sometimes a piece of
sponge, saturated witli honey is preferred, but
we tliink it more expensive and no better.

We fear you did not “ halve in” the corners
and cover to your Simplicity hives, and nail
them from both ways; when properly made,
they stand the weather better than any hive
we have ever seen, when used unpainted.
They should always be painted, at least one
coat, before being used. If your hives are not
too bad, lift the combs and bees into an extra
one, and take them one at a time and draw
them up with nails, as well as you can, serving
the next the same way and so on. They can
be painted very well after, the bees are in them.
We think turpentine will soften your brushes.
We always keep ours in the paint, and even if
a little stiffened, we paint away until it gets
limbered.

We fear our Southern friends, are too liberal.
We have many letters like the above from
those who are endeavoring to disseminate en-
lightened bee culture. Will those who have
written us so many letters for “dollar Queens,"
early in the season, please send their orders to
friends Standefer and Miss Annie. In that
way we can aid them, and help ourselves too.

In a few cases, we have displeased, by using
matter for publication not so intended. We
may say that we regard all ordinary commu-
nications sent us on bee culture, as matter
from which we are free to select, unless the
writer makes a request to the contrary M c
are also willing to keep back the names when
so directed, but to secure notice, the full name
and address must be suit us in all eases.

1874.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

57

II O it <1 Ml of Cifitlll,

PROM DIFFERENT FIELDS.

■>|\ i if R. BOOT, Dear Sir Of course you may put me
J «yi| down for llie dollar Queens, and accept my
se/esi gratitude for the suggestion and the kind offer
that accompanied it. I assure you I do not need the
least urging to induce me to lend hand, head anil
heart, to the advancement of apiculture, ns far as my
endeavors can promote it.

My bees seem to like nothing better than raising
Queens, and I have no doubt 1 could easily raise loot)
or more, but I did not think of It till you proposed it.
I thought my course would be to make as much honey
as possible, and so benefit myself, the cause of apicul-
ture, and the favorite bees at the same time.

There are only part of the Queens I now have, that
I would lie willing to sell daughters from. I intend
raising plenty of drones from one of my best Queens
tills spring, and think with care, I can keep them
through the summer and winter, and then be able to
lia vc Queens about whose progeny I will feel no hes-
itation.

Our winters here are almost nominal, In fact this
winter, 1 have only seen lee once, and then only the
least little bit. My bees are working beautifully— one
of my hives is scented with an agreeable perfume
now, coming from the pollen I suppose.

bust lull lor about a week, a very nauseating odor
hung around all my hives, I was quite alarmed at
first, but noticed that the strong hives were most
offensive, and every thing else appearing right, I con-
cluded it must be from the pollen.

W e must have a journal on Apiculture, in the South,
our wants are so different from yours; our troubles
are chiefly summering , over swarming, and insects,
of whose annoyance you can scarcely form a concep-
tion there. Miss. Anna Saunuebs.

\\ oodvlllc, Miss. Feb. 16th, 1874.

We regard swarming as only an indication
of prosperity and as we have before remarked,
like no better fun than the task of keeping the
disposition under proper control.

We presume all will admit that, as a general
rule, if the women undertake to rear Queens,
we should be sure of getting of them only good
honest ones, and as a proof of their ability to
hold out, in any matter where they have ar-
rived at a fixed determination to succeed, we
have only to cite the glorious victories they
have achieved over intemperance, in our own
state ot Ohio at least

frRlENI) NOVICE: — Do you think Blue Birds arc
enemies ol Bees, do they catch them. If not are they
any advantage by picking up the Moth Miller, would
you encourage them about die Apiary ?

Independence, Iowa. ' E. A. Sheldon,

We have never heard complaint of the ordi-
nary Blue Bird, but consider the Slue Jay
without doubt an enemy. At seasons when
our Apiary is most populous, they are seen to
hover about in considerable numbers as though
attracted there from the forest. To prove that
they really catch bees without doubt, they
nave been shot and dissected. Whether the
damage they do should consigu them to ex-
tinction or not, we are unable to decide. We
dislike to kill birds, and would first like to
inquire if they have not some redeeming traits,
van they not be frightened luvay from the
vicinity by some means?

Sol? i" ot the Nucleus lilves be sent bvmail? Ev-
th'o mmi 1 ? ec Packages of bocks etc., passing through
mo malls heavier than the hives would be.

p , uevieve, Mo. Mus. C. C. Rozinit,

Printed matter and seeds, are mailable to
>e exient of 4 lbs.; other, matter 12 oz. only
• » many complaints are made of the losses in
trocluciug Queens that we have been consid-

lng whether enough bees might be mailed with
the Queen to build up a colony with the as-
sistance of a comb or two of brood only.

By the way Xovlce, I wish the Bee Journals would
stop publishing letters about feeding sugar syrup to
bees In order to make more honey ; there is hardly a
month but we have an article on that subject now, in
the A. II. J. In tills month’s number I see some one
contends that sugar syrup Is not honey till after it
goes Into the bees stomach and becomes acidized . it is
just such articles, and such men, that hurt the houev
business. I don’t think that it makes honey out of
syrup, any more than putting a piece of brown paper
In my pocket-book makes a greenback of it. People
don’t want sugar syrup, even If it is acidized, and von
have no idea how suspicious people are. One thing
they think looks bad Is, it is so clean-, I tell them If a
little extract of pollen will Improve it I’ll bring them
some and they can add to taste, but here I am run-
ning wild ; yet I can't help it, I get so mad whenever
I hear sensible men, (otherwise! talk and write
ot Increasing their vield of honey by feeding.

Cincinnati, O. April 2nd, 1874." " H.E. CuitBY,

Langstroth says in his book, page 275 :

“That the honey undergoes no change du-
ring the short time it remains in their sacs
cannot positively’ be affirmed, but that it can
undergo only a very slight change is evident
front the fact that the different kinds of honey
or sugar-syrup fed to the bees can be almost
as readily distinguished, after they have sealed
them up, as before.”

Now as this has tieen shown over and over
again, and not one single practical experiment
(so far as we know) to the contrary, are we
not excusable in feeling somewhat as friend
Curry does in the matter.

DEAR M)\ ICE:— A year ago I brought through
three rather poor colonies, out of 19. Increased them
to 8, which I put in the cellar in good condition, Xov.
10, and then left them for the winter. Dec. 10, my
wile found the cellar damp and bees uneasy. She
aired and warmed the cellar, when they quieted down,
and the cellar and house were locked up, and not
opened again till I opened it myself March 30. Of
course I was quite anxious to know whether anv of
them were alive, and was surprised to find the whole
8 in perfect health, with not a quart of dead bees in
all. “Well, what of it?” you say. Whv, nothing;
only can’t you let a body tell vou of a little streak of
good luck alter losing 60 colonies in the two preceding
winters? Chicago, Ills. C. C. Miller,

I . S.— My wile insists that she deserves the credit of
saving the bees, by warming and drying them in Dec.

We agree with Mrs. M. and think the bees
in future should be considered her exclusive
property.

I have a shc<! 6 ft. high in front and 5 ft. In the rear,
boarded tight on three sides ; on the south side, I
have heavy muslin curtains that can be rolled up or
let down at will, according to the weather. Mv bees
are strong and work busily on rve flour every fine
day- I wish you would give a piece In Gleanings
about robbing.

Shlniersvllle, Pa. L. N. Kekn,

.We once heard of a Blacksmith's shop be-
longing to the Am. Watch Factory, that had
white window curtains, but we never before,
that we remember, heard of curtains before
bee-hives. As this gives them the full benefit
of the sun whenever it shines, and keeps off all
cold winds and storms, it may not be a bad
idea, if the Apiarist could afford to be on hand
to “ pull the strings” when advisable.

A PIECE ABOUT ROBBING;

Well here goes ; robbing is bad ; bad when
your bees rob each other, worse when they rob
your neighbor's bees, and still worse when
your neighbor’s bees rob your own hives.

58

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Mat.

For a remedy, keep none but honest bees, i, e,
those that have never learned what it is to get
sweets from any other source than the flowers.
We know of an Apiary (all Italians) where
robbing is almost unknown, for the reason
that our friend has always been careful to keep
every drop of honey out of their way, and his
bees hare never got into a way of thieving.
The very best preventive in the spring, is to
keep all hands busy on the meal, whenever
they can fly. We have known its agency
alone, to restore quiet when weak colonies
were sorely in danger of demoralization. The
most productive source of mischief, in our
Apiary, is combs containing a small quantity
of honey, or those from which honey has been
extracted. All goes well until the supply
gives out, ami then every hive in the vicinity
is attacked, and wo to the visitor who confi-
dingly approaches at such a time. In all that
Quinby and Clark have had to say about
stings, we believe they have omitted to men-
tion the danger of approaching an apiary when
a lot of thievish hybrids, have just been de-
prived of some remnants of comb and honey
that they have been quarrelling over. It
seems to us that stings come at such a time,
all the more aggravating, because they come
without warning, and without provocation of

of any kind. TJJiey just sting out of pure

well, meanness.

There is a queer phenomena that we cannot
quite understand, sometimes observed; and
that is where a good colony permits them-
selves to be robbed without the least resis-
tance; see page 44 Vol. 1. Many may be
inclined to deride such an idea, with Italians,
but they may some time see it to their sorrow.
We have always succeeded finally, in getting
them to show the desired “spunk” toward in-
truders, but whether it was the “different
perfumes” we gave them, or the rousing them
tin that helped the matter, we cannot say now.
With very weak stocks, of course contracting
the entrance is a great help, and whenever
they are really overpowered, the hive should
be shut up entirely, but we would never do
this when there seemed any prospect of their
getting the better of the robbers. Nothing
but real practice can enable one to determine
at once which are robbers and which are not.
After the hive is securely closed, we cannot see
any use of carrying them into the cellar. We
simply open it just late enough in the evening
to allow the thieves to go home, and then we
are sure to be the “first one up” next morning.
If they commence again, we close the hive
once more, and keep it closed about three days ;
robbers will usually in that .time decide to re-
main there, and will labor for the very hive
they have before been plundering, only that
they still retain their thievish propensities,
and are sure to be foremost whenever anything
of this kind turns up in future. We at one
time were in the habit of closing the hive with
wire cloth, but after finding the wily Italians
who were inside would pass the honey through
to their comrades on the outside, we discon-
tinued it. We at first were slow to believe
this, but our friend Shaw says he has had it
happen often, and in fact now closes his Nu-
cleus hiv. ' with a double wire cloth with a
half inch space between the two. If you are

with your bees during the working season,
there is almost no need of having any trouble
from robbing.

Now, after the above remarks, some may
think our dry sugar feeding, an inconsistency,
but it is not. A dozen boys might quarrel
over a half dozen apples, but they assuredly
would not over a wagon full ; and thus it is
with the bees. Several reports seem to show
that even combs of honey, can be fed in the
open air in the Apiary, providing you have an
unlimited supply, and spread them out so as
to give all a chance; but beware of letting
them get out before the flowers furnish a sup-
ply. Our next friend has had experience in
open air feeding for many years ; we will lis-
ten to him.

FEEDING IN THE OPEN AIR, ETC.

Commenced wintering with 31 stocks, lost 4 and one
died leaving plenty of honey. One was robbed, Queen
left in hive, and one lost their Queen, so I supplied it
with a Queen from robbed hive. One swarmed out
and bees went Into another hive. The 27 left are
strong in bees and generally light in honey.

Commenced feeding meal about the 1st of March,
also diluted honey and brown sugar at same time In
old feed troughs made in 18S4, and need more or less
every spring and fall since. They are made of inch
nine boards with thin floats perforated with small
holes. The troughs and boxes with syrup and meal
are set on south side of building In the sun, protected
from fowls, wind, anil rain. The troughs are kept
sweet with boiling water and salt. As a general
thing, out-door feeding gives best results with me.
It Won’t hurt the strong and certainly strengthens
the weak, keeping all smart, and active; and as
Langstroth says in his book, they will flock to the
feed if warm enough, like pigs to a trough.

Honev causes the greatest commotion, while sugar
leaving less scent In mouths of hives, gives less chance
for robbing. They have carried away up to this time,
the line part of wheat, oat, and rye meal, 2 bushels,
ami 20 gallons of syrup. I And no trouble in laziness,
as natural stores accumulate.

Those 3 swarms spoken of some time ago (see page
22) supplied with old honey wintered well. The one
robbed was one of the 3 ; I believe it was caused by
the candied honey rolling out at the front of the hive,
and attracting robbers; as I was away It became
overpowered hv its near neighbor, they appropriating
both honey ami bees— no great loss.

My son had 8, live old and three young, the latter
are "gone up.” Trying times yet for weak colonies,
hut close care, and long and judicious feeding will
bring them all safely through.

Ghent, O. March 31, 1874. T. Piersox-

It seems pretty certain now, that if bad hon-
ey causes dysentery one winter, the same honey
fed another winter does not always produce it.

Is It necessary to give bees water In Feb. and March
lor brooil-rearliig ;.lf not what Is the reason my bees
ceased brood-rearing lu March?

Orrville, Ohio. C. J. YODEli.

We have never been able to discover that
water was necessary while bees were indoors ;
after they were out, if cold, the condensation
affords a supply ; If warm they can go out and
get it. Was it not on account of lack of pollen?

Mr. ROOT, Dear Sir:— 1 have a Queen in one of
my colonies, Introduced last fall, that lays none but
drone eggs. Is it likely, or possible, that she will do
better, lu the future ? Mr. Alley assures me that she
was fertilized. She Is a very fine looking Queen, Is
quite large.

On looking lqfo the hive to-day, I found a great
many drones, (Imely marked Italians) several promi-
nent drone cells, and one Queen coll but no bees
clustering around It, In the second frame from the
outside ;I am very doubtful as to the contents of this
cell, not knowing where the egg should come from.

Wilt you please advise me what to do la the matter,
the colony is tolerably strong yet. and Is carrying u>
pollen, not much however. This Queen cell appears
perfect. Wm. SI. Cake,

West Independence, O. April 13, 1874.

We would treat the colony precisely as 11
1 Queenless one ; a yovny Queen sometimes pro-

1874.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

59

duces workers after having at first only laid
drone eggs, but a drone layer at this season,
rarely if ever produces any thing better. The
deserted queen cell is a common occurrence,
and only indicates they have discovered some-
thing to be wrong. If given worker larvae,
they Will probably rear a Queen just as if they
had none.

My bees have, on account of the very backward and
cold soring, no brood yet. Not until last Friday did
I finish taking out all my bees. I found so far 32 dead
and Queenless ones, out of 850, but fear 1 will lose
more. A good many of them arc weak, and 5 of them
froze only a week ago. A. Fuerbrlnger and my broth-
er C. have lost but very few stocks. On an average
bees have wintered very well so far in this part of the
country.

Jefferson, Wis. April 14. Adam Grimm.

As the above loss is less than 4 per cent, we
must call it very well, and that reminds us
that we have been thinking of making up a
list of those who have wintered with a loss not
exceeding one per cent, and calling it the “Roll
of Honor”but as we cannot call them wintered,
until about June 1st, we will postpone the mat-
ter until next mouth. Of course our next friend
will be included for she has had no losses.

We hope she may continue, to do as well.

FRIEND NOVICE: — I enclose 75 cts. for Glean-
ings In Bee Culture. Should have done so before,
but I have only one hive and 1 waited to see If It
would come out alive. Put them out-doors the 7th of
this month ; they seem strong, so I scud the money. 1
think Gleanings very suitable for small folks, 1 can-
not afford a $2.00 magazine for one hive. I hope to
Italianize them, although I think they have a prolific
Black Queen. Hannah W. Williams,

Springfield, Iowa, April 9, 1874.

DEAR NOVICE Do you know anything about tho
Buckeye as a honey producing tree ‘t I see it spoken
of on page 30, Vol. 5, A. B. J.

And do you kuow whether It Is true that the leaves
ol that tree are poisonous? I never knew of cattle
being poisoned by them, but Intended to cut some of
tile trees down on account of the popular belief.

Hudson, Ills., April 7, 1874. E. SAGER.

Bees do not work on the Buckeye here, at
least we can’t find them on it. Don’t kuow
about the other.

Mr A. I. ROOT, SIR:— I find mvself minus two
numbers of Gleanings which I am obliged to have,
can t get along without It; lam afraid without a re-
minder I shall get back Into the “patent” business
again, which I have discarded for life, cause why —
p’hLANlNGS. I flud my bees with more honey than I
, t them in October, leaving no space for brood ; I
nave therefore extracted four frames from each colo-
ny, which they seem to be disposed to re-fill with
honey. I am going to try to raise Queens this spring;
ml!* chapter in Gleanings on the subject, one
that will not fall. I received a colony of Italians from
air K. M Argo, of Kentucky, last April, which prov-
ed to be ull I bargained for.

Sparta, Ga. March 7, 1874. Judkins Hunt.

Ldt'e Blue eyes may like to know that there is a
}!•“* “oy here, who Is very fond of bees. He was just
iVin ^ eara °'d last November, and yet last spring lie
in', ,r Ut ,, an d told me where two swarms were issu-
" !*>• He lives a mile away now, aud the first thing he
“'hen he comes, Is, “Let us go see bees,” and
ln jp the hive almost he will go, not being at all
.TL . 8t *ngs, or even crying for them. We

! ln , of his being badly stung sometime, but he

t®* 8 "°W8 a disposition to trouble them and we try
hbn away, as much as possible, from them.
“ °y® 8 arc at a premium here. We would like to
tr.n inn ,.. UI which we have so often seen mention,
on little Blue Lyes from hor Aunt Anna,

oodvillu, Miss.

Is it not a fact that small children are sel-
dom stung? Years ago, a blue eyed chick who
s o| der now, used to terrify her mamma by
uuning away to the hives, ancLthrowing saw-

dust into the entrance until a shower of Ital-
ians hummed about her ears, while she crowed
in great glee, to think that “mamma” durst
not come and get her. Was site stung, think
you? Of course not, for she unconsciously
preserved just the demeanor that secures the
safety of an experienced bee-keeper, whilst
bystanders at a respectful distance are sure to
be attacked.

I had four swarms of bees last spring In box hives,
but transferred them to Simplicity hives, which I had
made at the cost of 90 cts. each. Had an Extractor
made for about $10.00. Extracted 180 lbs. Clover hou-
ry. and sold at 81 cts. per pound for 120 lbs., and gave
away and used the rest. Increased my swarms to 9.
One being weak, I took the bees and empty combs of
a neighbor’s box hive, and put with it, and fed sugar
syrup. Also took the bees and empty combs of anoth-
er swarm late In October, and transferred to Simplic-
ity hive, and fed sugar-syrup. The rest had natural
stores, and all are doing well in cellar, to date. The
last one fed has six spaces filled with bees, and plenty
to eat. What is the use of the quilts ' 1 have not
used them. Wm. II. Root.

Port Byron, N. Y. Feb. 23, 1874.

By the use of Quilts we are enabled to secure
the benefit of closed top frames witli none of
their disadvantages in opening and closing
the hive ; they can be pressed down on the
bees without hurting them, the hive can be
opened or closed without noise or jar, and we
can turn up one side to take out one or move
frames, without uncovering the whole hive,
when robbers are troublesome.

A. I. ROOT, Dear Sir:— I herewith enclose view of
my Apiary, It was taken two years ago when I had
upwards of 100 colonies, now I have but 22. 1 have
just made an examination of them and found them all
In good condition; wintered on summer stands. I am
not educated up to anything but box honey as yet ; in
fact I have only tho box hive but have had good luck
with it and hesitate to quit it; to tell the truth I have
$500.00 invested in 200 box hives, with cross bars, well
made anil painted, and am not satisfied that I could
gel any more box honey in any other way, so I contin-
ue on in the old way, It having paid me very much
better than any thing (in proportion to outlay) that I
have ever engaged In. 1 began bee-keeping 16 years
ago with 9 colonies, aud have now 22, having lost in
wintering in that time, perhaps 300 or 400; had at one
time 165, that was In the fall of 1871, this being the
best figures that I ever reached ; in the mean-time
however, I have sold box honey to the amount of
thousands of dollars. J. F. Temple.

Ridgeway, Mich. Feb 2t, 1874.

Weather very cold and windy -here; a good many
bees blown away and lost every day that they fly.
Work well on flour nice days, but they don’t conic
often this spring. A. J. Hoover.

We have few honey producing trees in our neigh-
borhood; we have plenty of white clover, but for
some years the bees tlo not gather much honey from
it, and buckwheat yields almost none at all with us.
Rape might help us If there was a market for the seed
but unfortunately there are no oil mills near, and
without having sale for thirsecd, I doubt whether it
would pay for the honey alone. Alsike clover I un-
derstand blooms at the same time as white clover and
when the one falls I think the other would too, and I
doubt the utility of raising; any other plant, that re-
quires tho yearly tilling ot the soil, for honey exclu-
sively. S. Leuthl, Gnadenhutten, O.

B. H. Stair & Co., Cleveland O., will purchase
rape seed. Our experience with honey plants
confirms friend L’s statement. Has any one
had honey from Alsike, at a season when white
was not yielding it also? Would it not be ad-
visable to expend the time and money toward
building up strong colonies in time for the
usual harvest, instead pf venturing very much,
as yet, on artificial pasturage? Of course,
careful experiments, by those who can afford
to risk losses, are always to be approved.

GO

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

1874

I don't like to take the honey all away from the
bees, and give them cheap sugar-syrup in place of the
honey for which they work so hard all summer.

Shlmersville, Pa. L. N. Kern.

Nor would we for the world, If we thought,
the dear little chaps were not just as well
pleased, and sometimes a deal healthier, with
syrup made of clear, white sugar.

Took my bees out of the pit March 17, all right and
to all appearance as strong and heavy ns when put
in. Bees build wavy combs when from any cause
they are building slowly, whether a stroug swarm or
a weak one ; the stronger the swarm, the worse the
comb. Tills Is gospel.

We might accept it as “gospel” .were it not
that so few points can be laid down in Bee
Culture as invariable. Whenever we think
we are sure of a thing and no mistake, some-
body else’s bees upset the whole theory by
doing directly the opposite way.

I don’t take any horse manure In mine yet awhile,
dirt is just as good and smells better. My bees always
have plenty of brood when I take them out of pit. 1
can't make Quilts work on my side opening hives,
frames % from tops, they don’t tuck down worth a
cent. My wife says if I make her as much trouble
with all the new no'tions I get from you, she'll quit the
bees-ness. 1 use a honey-board 3-8 thick and believe 1
like it better than Quilts", at least for hot weather. It
Beems to me your plans all assume straight combs in
frames to begin with. I supposed side opening hives
were now considered indispensable. I put on Quilts
2 weeks ago, some gnawed through already.

Wyoming, Wis. R. L. Joiner.

Several complain of having Quilts gnawed,
but if coarse, strong hard woven cotton be
used, we feel sure the bees will not trouble
much ; at least ours do not.

Guess we’ll have to try a “pit” next winter.
We are sure no one will use “side openers”
very long; they will have to be classed with
box honey, and revolving can Extractors.

DEAR NOVICE:— Two months ago I thought 1
could bring all my bees through, but have lost 3 out
of 12, the rest are in good condition; onr winter was a
very mild one, but the spring is very cold ; our Co Pa-
per says one-half the bees in the Co., are dead. I
like the manure idea, but wouldn’t it soil our nice
white hives and make them look bad? We are hav-
ing a snow storm to-night— bees gather no pollen yet,
—have seen them carry it in Peb.

Chariton, Iowa. April 4th, 1874. A. McMains.

If you cover the hives with shingles they are
not discolored. We can cover the Simplicity
hives with dry straw, and then the manure,
and if put on in the proper shape the straw is
not even wet through.

Will not bees waste dry sugar if fed for stimulative
brood rearing? Langstroth says feed sugar-syrup
very thin.

How can I get candied honoy from a barrel, with*
out tukiug the head out? So far I have worked on
Ilrst principles, namely a shingle worked through the
bung-hole— molasses gate useless.

Four swarms wintered on C sugar-syrup on summer
stands, all right.

Canandaigua, N. Y. R. H. Dixon.

Put some dry sugar in a tin pan where it
will be in the sun, but out of the rain, and see
if you can discover that any of it is wasted.
Our bees don’t undertake to carry sugar home
in lumps. Your neighbors bees may get some,
’tis true, but shall we call that wasted ?

Candied honey — a poser truly, but we think
it can be “ got out,” nevertheless. Make the
barrel Twt, either in the sun or by the stove and
we think the molasses gate Will work. Bor-
row your wife’s teakettle (when her back is
turned) and make diluted honey for feeding,
of all that obstinately persists in staying inside.

1st. I believe It is generally admitted, that bees are
inclined to raise brood toward entrance of hive rather
than otherwise. Would it be likely to Increase breed-
ing to have an entrance In each enil of hive and occa-
sionally turn the hive half-way around, always
keeping lmok entrance closed ?

2nd. Can transferring be done early in April with,
safety ?

3rd". Can combs be emptied clean with Extractor,
so that Queeus will lav In cells immediately?

4th. If enough combs be given to new swarms to
hall till the hives, Is It best to put them together, with
empty frames on sides, or to place an empty frame
between every two combs?

5th. Will coarse brown paper answer well In sum-
mer and winter, to retain die heat and allow the
moisture to pass off?

Sthu Quite a number of Queen breeders offer
Queens, In Gleanings, the coming season at Sum
each. I understand these Queens to be fertile Ital-
ian Queens but not warranted to leave mated with
Italian drones. Are any of these persons so situated
at a instance from Black bees, that these Queens will
bc^ almost certain to have united with Italian drones?

7th. I can purchase butter-llrkins here at 60e. each,
which will hold about twelve gallons. Will they an-
swer lor holding extracted honev. or will they be
likely to impart a bad flavor to the honev, after hav-
ing contained butter?

8th. Do you know anything about Alfalfa or Lu-
cerne, as a hay or honey plant ?

White Plain's, N. Y. Gijo. O. Tompkins.

1st. We have not found that they arc more
inclined to rear brood near the- entrance. In
order to save useless travel, they may do so in
the long hives ; we have tried changing them
end for end on the plan you mention, but dis-
covered no especial advantage in so doing.

2nd. The objection to transferring in April
would be danger of chilling brood, and inter-
ference from robbers, if they were not occupied
in gathering stores.

3rd. The Extractor never leaves the combs
dry, but the bees will lick out the ceils clean
enough for eggs in a very short time, say half
an hour; an examination will then show the
honey that adhered to the cells, carefully col-
lected in a few filled cells, near the top, or
outside of the comb; we frequently find eggs
in a comb within a couple of hours after ex-
tracting.

4th. Much is dependent on the size of the
swarm, and the weather. We would put the
combs all together at first, and put one empty
frame between them at night, when the comb
was well started, another, and so on, endeav-
oring to keep each comb strait, by having it.
built between two full ones.

5th. We do not think it sufficiently porous
to keep dampness from accumulating in win-
ter, but it does very well in spring.

Gtli Messrs Shaw and Daniels ; Dean, near-
ly as good, and every season shows more
Italians and fewer common bees.

We cannot speak for those Who reside at a
distance.

7th. They will certainly do if waxed, and
may answer if not; we cannot say.

8th. B. II. Stair & Co. Cleveland, O, write:

We regret to say we arc not well posteil on Lucerne.
There has not been siitllclent Interest manifested ia
Lucerne for us to test It; have sold it for many years.
In Europe it is also called everlasting clover, on ac-
count of Its remaining some 10 to 15 years without
re-seedlng. The price of Lucerne. Is 50 ets. per pound.

The Prairie Parmer contains several articles
on its cultivation and we gather from them that
it must be kept free from weeds for the first
three years by careful culture, and that it yields
no crop, or but a small one until the third year.

As the roots penetrate to a great depth, its
| power to withstand drouth is immense.

......... •,*: VfT^* ,... v

$1 •

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CE/Y.TQ BUES-AND

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l,-1874,; v ' v :

Mo.: vi-

— > — —

HOW

V TO Cdlvirt'CX ■ ,lis nttfto nwtilltls but to (brow out tb»*S.

i ’ • 'U . honey ns soon jw VKjtlvbMrrittp capping"; tblsto mo..

"**“ — " — ’ ‘ ’ . •- •••-pxertmtJAUihv- upC iiiifautislHctor.v instruction. r 1 ‘

• • •• '• N<ivo ..' _

M AN.Y' of tjro, tntynarH^ ■(ha4o'..lV^; , 0'<^(tl*^
'will f pply .1 o’ nnir# ^peblajl iy.-as"tffi?|

present season' is pearly ^Uejmiphtu Jater 'ijian ;
usual in ' all pertaining Jo.oe^r.'i Diffiiig'tbis
month .eyppeia 1 ly,l shb 6 lrt \vosee-,thltt tfie .Quern,
has at.hu tjnveB.actlaine o'r^i%hy .WOfKcj' comb
hi which. tp-.!depOBlt J '-ee§s i ae ; \vQ ha'W;;b^’fbr(j„
mentiOuSd, fofc it should' bb. borne in m-itid tbiif,
the eggs, ‘fai.il ■JSow’fWilL produce ytlic 1 Workers
t hat nve.'fo I^tyor. Uty'ijig tbO'teisywwld 'harvest.
He earcfpi'fHot'W go too fdst/amYalso bp-sure
you do not let Per got .ulieuct so Uvu^ that the ;
bees ini.ighib.'they yvill hjiye to rc'sort tonatu,-.!
ral swirnging/for 'vyt-jh'uiii tills' never happenb,
unless »f, HnVlOSs to the, Apiarist, that, . naif
easily be' avoided. JSfojhing but:- almost -daily
inspection of the' ulterior of-the hives, cmfl %«».'
able yon 46 .kn6w just what 'riepdis doing, that
you may 'd'^ jvi^t the proper thing afflin prop-,
or time. .’. -V '•

If you have a c^uv.etiicht i'dye— ,tiie Staiiiiao;(l.
we have- tlesoiubed' ftir'lip^an’cn^^iit it vd»v.
few minutes* ajre'. if^fcje^sijuy 'td, tajt'eta peep; 1 iff
the interior ;of tjic brood ' fiest, Sndjiwhf'h'thij
bees get .aceh»tpjned t;b ! Jf.ouv daily; visWi, .wo
think yoii will oleelde.. that smoke *i^ .seldom '
really needed ip •' • ' v;.' ;

Colonies tli,at i;ije.fteq»eiitJt i handled, jafeysn-
talnly more gentle, a»td gd fur- uAoUr experience
extends, have Mvaflalily given the ' liibst honey/
but they shbjtltHif course be handled, geptky.

The hives rn fVoii’t of bur'Be'a House. d'portVfe
invariably peaceable, Whether they contain hy-
brids, blacks' or Italians,; and'tli'bsp in' a remote
part of the Apiary 1 are often quite' different in
disposition. While the-, former are usually
passed and reparsed a dor.eii times a day, and
frequently by those who are in u hurry, the
latter are only visited’ when something is to be
done with them.. •

Barrels for honey, should be kept In' readi-
ness, and wli.en waxedtjud painted as per di-
lutions given ''a. jrcar ngo,- they can ,be‘ kept.,
over without injury, if no't 'needed. We find it
very convenient to have a few extra,' to supply
neighbors when a heavy yield comes on sud-
denly. .

With the modern style' of Extractors, and
<he double width,' instead of two story hive,
scarcely any instruction will he needed for ta-
king out the honey further- than that already
gone over. Friend Wilson of Lexington, Tex-
as, writes :

When lices are bringing In honey rapidly, they ap-
pear to have little or no time to cap over. * Many- toll

sdpii iv« p»e; ...

■U rapier raqjtalmlv ap'l misutlfil.Hctory instruction,
h o u 1 a fb C' 1 Wa st* <1 -t u ,-ieupn /tow tnur/t -o) ;i .htjet'Oi'-'
cOmb'slioulp-hv qaihie'l'f'vev liyJ'pre Lbe sheet' is emp-
tied?-, Tf , roue ;t.ou.vuu)ti, 'the honey -w-soUhth 'and, ....
liglu rthoftt will not keep well. Jf dr lay up 1 oo long.' '
consider:) tile lftss-wfll result fvr want oi rdpm to store; b '•

your ,
Shfed 1 -

jees .will yibw Iriipa'tleht natl goto swarinjng.'o. ''
feti' lomio'OuS. .rs>e n)i tlie subject in June ' -

, I'ljr.pe... - IJUWli Hlf’.LVtifi.lM Il'lHUl lll<J LJtJjpCll,, ijj
.#• opVmhgs : Sre itarfovVed tJownvia a sniall'
aifijlce, the size, of a pin’si-hea'd p.erhaps^'ndw. . ' .
wlH:u'.-ha|f dj a slieeti'of cbiirb j's thus partially: . .

, capptxE 'And .'.pigy heiiti dozen cells or st), bear ' l ;
tjie; top 'bar iire. egpped-. oyer', W; 0 .uld l)e'- just ,
about thd l ttnle ho extract, we ‘Should say'.: Tile';,,./.?
jniposslbit t6;audotim*oflte'uts of the hive all ".V,'
iSi-this 'eqJuditjdn.-.for some' ,of the cpmbs.'wiHV ...
,perli‘a'j'R>lie'pVqt'ty.wetl'«tpped over, white ofti-”
■ecs' 1 4re'hiii;dfy. peadyg this niaktis’ but little, dif- . ,
,J,qreiiice' However .'.as the average will be stffflcv. ,
ivntiy tliiek'/auil Ibwill thicken stitl more by'.' '.

.beif(g kept, eVtij if bpnged or corked up.;

i lfpuscrrke Bros, send ‘US a' description of a
vdry. jigh't'.i'^Se.j'ol'-canryiiig corahs made prill'' •
cj'p!j.ily 01 '% basswood. A Voilud hamlleis fas-
teued iiy a strip qf, iron - at each end, in such a ,
•waythattt will turnover and lay on the edge;'
of tltd. box.’- They.- oiler to tarnish a -pair to
holdifi coinbk each, with close fitting cover,' 'for
7/ici-. Wheii tht' cpwhs are iquite heavy, and
arO to He Carried . soiqc. distance, they advise a
“neck yoke,: such.- as farthers use in sugar
canipS etc. V ' . -. • "

•With ', the Tfexitgonal Apiary, .56 hives can
'have 'ample room, and the farthest be no
niore reinote than 24 feet .from the Bee House
doot\ 'For sucli a distance we sometimes think
a cage is ' hardly needed at : all'; besides the
Italians Cling so tightly that we can many
times walk to the. house With a comb, while
we are brushing them- off. We need hardly
add that 'tis poor policy to waste young bees
at any season, and they are pretty sure to be,
if the combs arc put iuto the Extractor before
they are till brushed otf. The distance of your
hives from the Extractor, and the amount of
tiilie you have to spare, has much to do with
the question of using comb baskets.

■ • Do' not give the cappings or anything else to
.the bees to lick off during a yield of honey. It
will hinder them from going out to work, and
they will not get as much stored, as if they
gathered it from the field ; consequently the
honey on our cappings is worse than wasted.

With the wax Extractor It. can all be saved,
and with very little trouble. For more partic-
ulars about extracting, see June No. of 1873.

JUNR.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

mNBJBD KITE AND FRAME.

I N 2F. B. J. for April, page 94, we read as
follows :

“We no more expect ever to see a “standard
frame,” or a standard hive, than we do to see a
“standard” religion or “standard” opinious on
anything.

People cannot see alike, and the hest way Is
lo exchange opinions freely, and then “agree
to disagree.” ”

Again on page 121, B. K M. w'e read:

“A Standard Frame. — Everybody — beg
pardon — every bee-keeper, would like to have
all other sizes and shapes of frames and hives,
thrown away, except one. Whose is It ? Why,
mine, of course. No other is iost right, it Is
like the efforts to unite all denominations of
Christians. They are all ready, willing, anx-
ious, but it must be done on “my creed.” ”

We are really sorry to find we have been so
little understood, and that too, by two Journals,
who certainly have it in their power to do
much toward lessening the growing evil of
having so many different dimensions oflilvus
and frames, and still more coming. We can-
not see how Mr. King could get the impression
that we advocated our own favorite hive, for
the one we have proposed as a Standard, be-
cause i t seems nearest the preference of the people,
Is one we have never used at all.

Mr. E. and Mrs. Tupper would do a great
amount of good, by advising their subscribers
to adopt the 12x12 frame if they are agreed in
preferring that, and also by advising them lo
be very exact in the outside dimensions, that
whenever American hives are found, from
Whatever source, any frame may fit, uny hive.
New beginners could certainly adopt this, just
as Well as to have them vary or ^ of an
Inch, or just enough to make an exchange Im-
possible. What bee-keeper has not seen troub-
le of this kind. Because the evil is so great,
shall we despair and make no attempt at all to
lessen it, or to prevent Us increase with the
next generation of Bee-keepers f
B. K. M and N. B. we beg of you both to
Consider well, what you are doing before you
advise Bee-keepers to make no attempt at uni-
formity in hives and tVaine.s. We should be
perfectly willing to adopt the American frame
as a Standard if. '.t was the wish of the majority,
and in choosing the Adair frame which comes
nearly halfway between it and the Langstroth
frame, we hoped to have one that would be
adopted when circumstances favored a change,
by the advocates of both, or either of them.

We hope no one will he so thoughtless, as to
allow personal or outside matters to influence
their judgment in such a matter. If we cannot
have one frame, cannot we limit the number to
four or five, or half a dozen at least? In the
manufacture of Extractors, great expense and
labor can be saved by coming down to a few
regular sizes.

What would be thought of our coach and
wagon-makers if they persisted in making vtv
hides that “tracked” all the way from two to
ten feet in width, with no two alike? Now if
Bee Culture is to become a permanent indus-
try, are not the evils of hives and frames all
unlike, a parallel ease?

Weather wet ami e.olil, bees breeding up very slow-
ly notwithstanding the piles of manure around them,

£“ r that has cooled off- — the rain we have had for
the lAst two weeks would cool oil almost anything.

, , iv0 f , "mdc several “Standard hives” alter the plan

In April No., I like the looks ot them. Yon speak of
Ekii bottoms before using, 1 suppose you mean
Inside hive, and they need it outside full worse don’t

Liioy ?

How would boiling coal-tar, with dry sand sprink-
led on, do for them next the ground ; preserve the
bottoms and keep the dampness out wouldn’t It?

Maualupan. N. J. c. H. Run.

"We should think the coal-tar and sand, a
tine thing for the under side, but would it not
be somewhat inconvenient, unless a lot of hives
were treated at once ? Wc always have paint
handy and can put it on at once. The coal-
tar would doubtless be cheaper.

a l took my 5 hives out of cellar

April loth. One was Queenlcs9, one swarmed out the
same day and went to another hive. Speaking of
standard hive, I have come very hear It, 1 nave made
J-VJ 1 holding 20 frames; the frames are

lljfixUsg out-side measure, with % inch square bai-
lor top, and lay my quilts on top. I also made a lot of
hives square 16x17 holding ten trames, and box on top
under which I put 4 honey boxes, took oft’ quilts and
nut boxes on top of frames. Hive made same as yours
a J> feting and nailing both ways on the corners.

Wolcott v file, Ind. April 4th. 1874. A. Plough.

We have also had several orders for hives to
hold only ten of the Staudard frames, but we
would not advise these to be used either for a
two story hive, or for box honey on account of
depth. If we were to use a two story hive,
’t would assuredly be the Langstroth frame,
and for box honey, either the L. or Q. frame.

As we have given several letters, defending
a larger frame than the Standard, we will give
one in favor of a still smaller frame. See
friend D’s letter of last month.

I prefer a shallow frame, because the bees regain
the cluster better on cola days, In fact I like to have
the cluster near the entrance ; the reason 1 like a
short frame is. It gives me the power to condense
the beos Into a small compass for wintering, and al
auy time when reduced.

For all that I can see, my Queens pass to the next
comb In lay fug, readily, and I can Interpose a comb
that Is empty when 1 please, and will not havo a cold
end In my hive at nil, especially in winter and spring.
I he bee bread will bo on about four combs mostly, to
be had at pleasure, this helps us with weak hives. 1
generally take an about 100 hives In the fall— keep
about 60 over. This gives rue a warrant of success,
and I increase more in new swarms. T have to han-
dle more frames, but what of that, I am willing to
work harder and make a sure thing of bee-keeping.
I can sav a great deal more that Is truly Important to
thehive if needed. Delhi, Mich. J.X. DAVIS.

Now as an evidence ot the soundness of Mr.
Davis’ teachings, we append the following,
that came some time ago from his neighbor-
hood. Wc don’t know what frame friend L.
uses, but hope he will inform us.

: ^ roft, d from one *u%rm, 4 others,
and 4.14 lbs. of honey. The old stock had at the cmi
of the season at least 40 lbs. of honey and 30 each for
the young swarms, two of the young swarms made a
part oi the 4:41 lbs. From 5 strong and 8 weak colonics,
I got about 1600 lbs. of honey which hero, was as good
as $240.00, and had in the fall 16 very heavy swarms.
1 have never seen so good a season for bees as this. In
this place. 1 have never taken a Journal until Mr.
Davis sent Gleanings to me. Mr. Davis has taken
much pains to show me how to manage my bees, when
* „ ve visaed him; he lives ten miles from here.

From one of my hives I got 2 f> lbs. in 8 day 8, from
another 37 % in 7 days.

West Windsor, Mich. J. L. Lewis.

Arc wc not right in thinking, all things taken
into consideration, that the evidence in favor of
a larger frame than the Standard is just about
equal to that in favor of a smaller, and no more;
and : 1 1 • i \ not the same be said of both length,
and depth.

1874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

68

PROBLEM HO. *9.

ABHWKK0 ONLY AHM18snu.iL J-TIOM OVK
LADY ltBADEUS.

(I TIALL Poultry be allowed to roam at wiU in
the Apiary f

‘•But. Mr. N., is the above properly a problem?
and iu fact are not your problems many of
them, christened with father a queer idea of
the definition of the word, r”

“No, no, don’t >ret the dictionary. Well
c.»ll tki * one a conuhdrutn.”

“But it, isn’t a conundrum either.”

“"Well what mould you call it then ?

“Perhaps a question for a debating society ;
or rather a question for debate, for a Bee-keep-
er’s convention, to be decided by the feminine
part of the assembly, as yon have stated It?”

“Very well. Of course The ‘Chair' should
present the subject ?”

“Undoubtedly : but the Chair should be sure
to do It Impartially, and if we mistake not It
Is already prejudiced pretty strongly on one
side of the question.”

“Well how Will this do : We will publish
the reports on both sides of the ques-
tion, from both sexes • afterward we will de-
cide the matter by a vote from the ladies.
Meanwhile every one is at liberty to constitute
his Apiary of one Bee Hive and do chickens, or
50 Bee Hives and one chicken, but it can’t be
considered an Apiary unless it eoutatns at
least one Bee TfiveP

P. 3.— “But is it best to say nothing about
the annoyance fowls have many times made us
by getting in and scratching the saw-dnst. all
around, digging holes under the hives, knock-
ing the entrance blocks away, and last but not
least, making the operation of going down on
ones knees beside a hive, as we often do when
at work, one of quite, doubtful expediency ? and
honey ! just think of it ; as neat and tidy as bees
are iu their habits, does it not, seem that poul-
try might be kept in a domain of their own or
ut, least excluded from that of the bee hives?”

“We would say nothing about it. When
poultry have the run of a large farm instead of
being cramped up in town as we are, it might-
make a great difference. Besides let ns hear
wha t has beeu the experience of other#.”

ANSWER TO PROBLEM 2K

»krtrli W j r hi 0 *“>> be found in the above

each rirnt o T<r "T } Uk ,° tli,9 > bolding four frames

T.iJ„ hauks friead O. Yoar frame has an advan-
P i“f ove T, our <)wu - inasmuch as it can be car-
rnhi €as Jly with one hand; but how about
nn th ’ y nIe88 yon have something to cover
Pthecombs, the above would lie an excellent.
’ rk fur thievish hybrids. In 1870 ’Ms true

we forgot there were robbers almost, but every
season since has obliged us to use “etcrn&li
vigilance.”

OtJB OWK APIARY.

F OR two days past we have had weather,.

that allowed the bees to fly a little in the
middle of the day, but nothing that can really,
be called warm weather.

The mauure has all been removed for a week"
or more, and to-day we have raked up the rutv
blsh aud banked sawdust around the hives, as
we usually do In March. Two colonies were
found Qneeuless and were united ; as both to-
gether had nearly enough bees to raise a Queen,
we gave them some eggs, for It is now lute
enough In the season to commence Queen-rear-
ing, ordinarily.

Of the rcmalnlug 30 colonies, perhaps hall
have brood on two or three combs, but not on*
has brood in fbur combs ; the other half, can
only fetch up with warm, favorabte weather-
We really do not know of anything that caw
be done unless we haw; warm weather. A col-
ony that had been bur a month ago, was found
after a frosty morning, with not enough bee#
to cover half of their sealed Ijrood, the bees
having been lost w« suppose, in attempting to -
work on the soft maples, which are jusl. now
In bloom, during the cold windy weather.

After supper — Another Queen is missing, and t
we have now this second das’- of May,’ only
nineteen Queens and uat bees enough with'
them altogether, to tifl three, one story Sim-
plicity hives. Were it not that we are receiv-
ing reports daily of similar losses— misery
loves company— we Bilgh* think we alone, were-
unfortunate.

At any rate, none of ows readers can now ac-
cuse us of not having had experience with the-
dark side of Bee Culture.

The following from friend Doolittle seems- to*
indicate that even hives full of bees, da not
rear brood unless they can have outdoor exer-
cise. We first give an extract fw>or a tetter
dated March 4th, as follows;

lly 54 colonies and 4 nuclei, are ta spfeixffct eoudt-
tlon at present date. Some of my fHU coiontesr have-
‘TOO square Inches of brood. I fesvt* never lost but tw«»
swarms of bees in winter, and those through starving
by carelessness, but when we come ta haVe-Tf itayw.
of weather that bees cannot. Ay, fet the Cast of Vpctf.
and first of May, (like spring of l.fih t must coefes* J1
am not quite equal to the case.

Borodino, Jf. Y. April SOth, 1874.
FKIEND NOVICE My natural disposition is to bd
cheerful, but l muBt confess I am feeling rather rlea-
pondent about these thnes. IVc have Jwet bm tw
a “ y .i th i 9 i n » ut, i on whlch bees could fly. ft. snowed
ou the Toth, to the depth of la inches, and has licon
snug winter weather ever since. Bees must general!?
become extinct if the springs in future prove as' unto,
vorable us i the past two; In fact scarcely any rema n
except with two or throe practical Apiai-laSs ta this
County. 1 have 56 swarms alive as ret, but a i.art of
them cannot stand It long, as the. old bees are dviug
if!??™™ 11 He and no young ones have been reared, of
any account, this spring, l have examined but eight
hives, as the only comfortable day was on Sunday, But
SnbwF a , t , te »' 1 to their wants eve.? ’on a

8.ibb»th. I have hives that occupy LO ranges of comb
with bees, with^brood on only two combs, and snum

rocD,

space at th;
I lose

’ comb

m

s at that. I have done all I could tor them and
3 them it cannot be helped, lias t|„, lust woVk'
, col< l with you ami have you realized your expec-
tations with your manure ? jq, iiooi.ittle

May W/t— To-day is our first really warm
lay, and our 10 Queens bid fair to make a
“live of it after all. tm. »

«4

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Junk.

Wo have “tidied" up our Apiary, got the
hives around facing the cast again, swept the
ground up clean, and things are back an the

old shape once more. .... -----

Wlie the i' our. ‘ hiuiHiire'Expei'i itjept”. was, .det-
ri mental oi- otherwise, yrb ailt iit l^ast,.at pres*

bees really got- thar bjllliant colorerL.poilen—
tbpp Sjifvand ‘ i papa”_'tjiid jvatehed i ‘

. and, admired

so much-, their “bread^ayd butter” 4'6r little
bees its it had been explained to her.

'.flfiijl llth — A ttibrb'ngK 'examination to-day. ,
■ slfowy d’ that a few colonies wore ' making' as* * ■

tonieliitify vmiaivsiu u- .

out not inclined .to recommend it to others, tohishing progress.;. -more’, •WOrtl just ''get ting
We have wWteJr located one of the. long St^pd- under wSk-ttlicf VWo,' were dwindled down ' mi--:,'
ard hives in front of •on_e r cff.^iw grape' vine “ * — « — r * —

til there were too few. bees to even hatch, an. r

the Extractor that-, Jeilletl'^biir hees^. anotfalr, iiistirt vli.-flight next the small’ r rii?ster,' being

that s ugar-syr n p'.» ijsn’t alrtural like honeyja r.o. ... .1 nb vi.~ ::„-sc.ir«ijL¥.'

third that the ‘ttaiuMiSia-nitstS'biaihe etc ' "

If we were 1 •’■Jiecteeriy, satisfteti.just wlvere- the

. .. , .ueArd-W-lrJCJlueeur ■. '.-

whole trouble "was, .tpajnigwt’ttw tOrtel) . As’it '.

is “(riipu« xvi * n r.» iiivUlartlh 1 J ‘ • » ?*'-

citriffftV nW to demorali^-.ghe, ncmiiirijhg* tjf^l
OKjjutiiartfbb-wliiSlh kcnt’tTie doze-ti or two beys, -
ueAr-PtolriQutMStty > , ; '• - 1 ; v , ; i

i.r : {Hither 'ifiAfi^-Txrfi'uv. <ywc- ttoi' tides Jiav.C eom-d-. >>

1S LasS^i^'enin^;J^iValis^dy,ered * ,U *"^ U ^' e ,!}W^

r.H/m 4- . . . . 1 . \ , a »* a. i a. a. < J. - »V,. . V I, a , I. » , f Via. if- .. , t rt ♦ ,

poorest colony ,‘So uiiioh aferfriSed that no at-*,
tempt seemed to be made ty use. the., eggs
which the Queeu.wasjnitientiy'di'po.siungpa-nd
the brood havTilg ..been' '1 kM'feiVnby tlie.recciit
freezes, we confc'iiid««l,,foMiiilte them'.. with our

• ajfliebttqiris paiil't'o it.

•v '■A!i^Ai^-^o^arQ'i{»>v'>'.(iiivri : ite for tW bro6t(, ' ”
-ahd 'aii tiVpcassiijii .of djtttVniy 3 fnfimt ..‘beea-juab, 1: 1 •
hatched', seems' to ijit’ost'i-l-rriirn -te^iVnep- nun-, .

ir 'thiji.wi. aimo!* iriCipi
decided this time . to rjsfc Vi spitediei'.. inetlrbtl/| 1
and therefore
all, from their

hatched', sc-epis f,6 jpf nshVDCrarage 1 'once “ more • ' r
■into tHei/’i^jyheal'tened hives. o’ -

.;We’lia.\;e flow Just; tfcitUA'aVthmi^h QtreensU'

1. 1 i tQuee.tlJiand reared 1 ,

Is nbt' .yet iaying"-
0*1? •; piJOljgg; htt-Vei "
bade thej,r!appear:ijtCii.w:i>u^ hive JinVi’liewbh-'w

I l-v 1 i n pet/Vt Italo -IIIVVU-VU) j j , t-t . - , ■ - \ ,r J ' ■ | -» ' J I 1 w- * . . •

e simply liftfdhht! beCs cbipbs and' f «•**''** it inprybebatfse -their' Qheen iSijn-old-sme.'-
sir own htyg-iAto Ute oth6r, • Al- 1 thit " as >n, eyidenco-.pf prosperity, fpr , their

u . t. i. : -r. /i'j .’ i... .i ... 'hrruWl fi’nr»si nnt. fimiinflafl-mnrh tnn n fitnr umnlw ’ •' H

though both coloidfs dhriiig t'he^ day,, brodd does, not (ioinp'ass.more than four combs.

active in repellibg* r»bbejfi<' r thti t y seemed t<t ! 13 tic '; 5\o'cioc/c in the morning . — The cher-’'

. take a very favorable wtew-/*' bti'r'ki'tid ijitoii- ’ |- rjP tfeis are.- literally odortferous hujuihing

t-ion, and crossed"aiiteiroa3^'vftli ? the tiew.ofctv- ■Sifoiy,.(lr,if >jof bloyrp, and Wi find .ourselves'
pants in a man ner>so.jimi ga u 1 '■ -i— ■" n — ■

jgable that we closed .'JcK' all .alone to -enjov jhe (prospect , : for
the hive thinking''pitr ■fwrinet’-'kftiJIi ^.ilu -heeir telse'-re.iitjrrpig.a^sibfy,-,

ring play’ed.ttts truant! ’ We ; ilp/,1, p,w' tire .ground in. 'the A

soyas at length, attCr^lm-ying

,tso long, returning. . ^.u- '.uxKhn'uatiOh Iialt'- au '|’.'gi'eatCi 1 ''j).utnla;i"Of begsi, crawling about or just

hour later, and audtlipr this' Utioi'hirifj,' 1 showed
-, the Que;n all right. '

May 101 A — Our nice Queerf-bcihg fdhnd dead
. in front of the hive, we fhiiAl httVe to* eoneludd
bur former skill has not returned rafter-. -all; ■
We wonder how many -<»d oiir readers kuort-
just the sensation experienced in ftmUng a limy
Queen has been killed .by- her begs ; we first
feel sorrow, then regceiaucLehagrin, especially
: if ’tis through any of our own carelessness.
The concluding sentiment with uS.fs a. Strong
tendency to “git mad" only restrained hy the’
thought that as nothing can be don't to teuifi

Apiary

movipg, fhan we thjnk oarf pbssibly be coasts-
■1‘ teUt, wltij a rnjitu ra f 'state of tiiipgs.

They itre- nett- old bees for their wings are
ipertiiet aipl un'lny of- them, are evidently ffom
•thoir (Ipiyuy .tipji&lrau’ce,-’ young' Italians. We
•fliid thepi , , 0 B xh6 walks Anti fences, and if
. Warin' l,veatiher Isfbat A,peihedy. for this state of
•affairs',” .nj.e']..liatveiJtr'uIy 'something' serious to
■ contiSti^ *yfl.ih.,> . H. • ‘ ., i ' .

Thje-,samg Hoticdcl last 'fall, and'

otjiers have 'spoken of it, but again, Apiaries
bijt a-.few inlles fiffsecm to know uoMiing of’it,

and their begs-liave. passed through

mate that little form, all we caildbTs to re^;] enjjsp.iiyig months' ^ihl as well ps usual

solve to be very careful in futurji,: aud ' theii
endeavor to stifle the pang by trying to forget
all about it in busying ourselves witlrthe rest
that are alive — perhaps, meanwhile '.Vjfhts.tl bug ■
a refrain on a similar key to the mourning Oote
of the now Queenless colony, as it comes to il's
faintly as we pass near them. i.

The weather is now beautifully warm ami-
pleasant ; this morning we found one blossom
on the early cherry tree for "Blue Eyes” who
opened them still wider, and almost exhausted
her infantile vocabulary in her delight at it.
Before sun down the tree was almost in full
bloom and the bees that had been robbing in
the forenoon, in the afternoon were gathering
honey at a very fair rate aud “Blue Eyes” was
still more delighted to be able to see where the

Mitl/'VHh — We really can't thilifc of anything
eWe to , express ohr feelings, ex-yppt swinging
-our halt again, justj'tecause oiiepyoung Queen
hills, cojnjnenctjd ' layipg ; and t\ow we have
eigitidgn again, instead of seventeen. If our for-
tunes have really passed the lowest ebb aud
eoiiimeiieecl asc.epdipg, we shall draw a long
breath of relief.- .-The 7 weather pyw is alhtldlt-
ean 'he desired, and' .we are intijrpbsung combs
as fast.as our JijiTf dozen strongest will bear it ;
and ’tis pleasjibt. to note tlyei f daily growth
aud prosperity. ' Our . beat.jooloiiy. Is really
getting its hive jlill of Iroire'y ff-bm the fruit-
blossoms, but we shall remove combs and give
them empty ones as fast aS-thCy Will bear'd,
using the removed ones for 'peopling' our emp-
ty hives.

1874.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

May 22 nd — We have had a week of cold, wet
weather, and our two weak “clusters,” are
Queenless. One of the Queens died three
times, and the last time she “stayed” dead in
spite of persistent efforts to coax her back to
this world of care.

Truly :

"This world’s a wilderness of woe.”

Why it’s really aggravating to hear from
others who haven’t lost any. We know how to
take care ofbees, every body knows, especially
when they are all strong stocks, and it’s warm
weather with no cold storms. We have kept
saying to ourselves all along when the weath-
er was bad, that friend Bolin would be svre to
lose some of his 09 colonies now, at any rate,
but imagine our disappointment, at learning he
has not. We believe we shall have to let him
stand “clear up to the head,” in the “Roll’of
Honor,” while we shall have to be put down to
the extreme foot, or perhaps placed a yard or
two below all the rest.

The advice given in the following, for spring
treatment, we heartily commend.

HOW TO “SPltmtJ” IOO COLONIES
WITHOUT LOSING ANV.

VpRIEND NOVICE:— I’ll tell all I know
Jtj about the pollen, provided you don’t talk
of putting me in the Editorial chair again.
The mere thought of occupying such an exal-
ted position makes me feel nervous; more so
than it would to have a lot of cross hybrids
■“go for” me, although they can sting a little , if
they try.

Some stocks had considerable pollen when
put into winter quarters, others very little, and
in several of them the supply was nearly or
quite exhausted, when they were put on the
summer stand ; yet the rye flour they carried
in, seems to have supplied all deficiencies in
that respect. As many of the best stocks I
now have, are some of those having the least
pollen, when taken out of winter quarters, I
think they should have some pollen when put
into winter quarters, as I do not think they
can raise brood without any.; still of the two
extremes, I should prefer their not having
quite enough, to a large surplus, as It is easier
furnishing what they need in the spring, after
they are put on the summer stand, in the shape
of rye flour, than it is to get the old dry pollen
out of the brood comb, where there is too
much. Rye flour is undoubtedly one of the
best stimulants we can give our bees in the
spring, as it gives a greater impetus to breed-
ing, early in the season, than anything else I
have tried, and at the same time it keeps them
out of mischief, by keeping them busy. It
also saves the lives of hundreds of industrious
workers, by giving them employment at home,
instead of ranging the fields and woods, in
quest of natural pollen,

My bees carried in the flour from about four
bushels of rye, this spring. They worked on
it, to some extent, the llrst. week in March,
then not again, owing to the cold, until the
third week; and after that whenever the
weather was warm enough, until about April
doth, when they left it altogether for natural
pollen. The llrst natural pollen was brought
in the llrst week in April, being a month Infer
than usual.

Of)

My losses this spring have only been the
swarm that starved, (lam almost inclined to
say for want of sense as they had plenty of
honey in the hive, the second week in March,)
and one Queen in April, the rest are doing well.
The Queen that died was not quite two years
old, yet she was one of those “natural, long
lived, prolific Queens,” of which we read so
much a few years ago ; whilst a forced artific-
ial Queen that was hatched May 6th, 1870, is
as full of life as ever, notwithstanding part of
her lungs are gone— one wing clipped. She
led out a swarm May 1st, 1872, and one May
20th, 1873, being the first natural swarms I had
each season. The summer of 1871, 1 took from
the’ old stock, and the two swarms that came
from it, 216 pounds of box honey ; iu ’72, 120
lbs. from her colony ; and in ’73, 150 lbs. from
old stock and Swarm. If clipping a Queen's
wings gives such results I think I shall be
guilty of more of it, even if it is “impertinent
interference.”

For several years I have practiced stimulat-
ing my bees, iu the spring, by giving them a
spoonful or two of syrup every evening. It is
considerable trouble, it is true, but it pays, and
that is what most of us work for. I have not
found, in my experience, that having plenty of
sealed honey, or even feeding a large amount of
syrup at one time, answers the same purpose,
so far as breeding is concerned, as regular, dai-
ly feeding.

The worst, and in fact about the only trouble
I have with my bees during the winter and
spring, is to keep them from leaving their hives
in quest of honey or pollen, when the weather
is too cold, after they are placed on the sum-
mer stand in the spring. The remedy is sha-
ding the entrance ; and in a few instances,
during the bright but cold weather of the last
two mouths, when they would perish iu com-
ing out, when I knew it was too cold, and the
ground was covered with snow, I shut them
in. Covering the hive with manure at such
times, only makes a bad matter worse, by in-
creasing the heat and making them still more
anxious to be out.

I have not lost a swarm for several years, by
the bees swarming out and joining other stocks.
Where such losses occur, they are generally
owing to either queeulessness, want ol suffic-
ieut bees to care for brood, want of honey, or
mouldy combs. The llrst two causes may be
remedied iu the fall, by giving to all stocks
that need them, young prolific Queens; the
third at the same time, by feeding until they
have sufficient stores, and the last by giving
upward ventilation, during the winter.

I am sorry to hear of your loss, but I have
one consolation ; Novice knows how to build
them up again, on the double quick, and will
doit. Tell “blue eyes” that we have a little
three year old blue eyes here, who would part
with anything else on the place sooner than
she would with a swarm ofbees. No amount
of reasoning will make her believe the bees
will sting her, intentionally, and she acts ac-
cordingly, and they seem to respect her faith
iu their good behavior. James boein.

West Lodi, O. May 20th, 1874.

P. S. — Losses have been heavy in this section,
during the winter and spring, where bees were
left to take care of themselves, amounting, in
some cases, to iVom }-.i, to the entire stock.

fifl

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

JUNE'

Gleanings in Bee Culture,

Published Mon fitly,

•A.. X- ROOT&CO.,
EDITORS AND PROPRIETORS

Iedina, ggIQ.

Terms s 75c?. Per Annum.

For Chib Rate u see Last Page.

MEDINA,' irCTISTB 1, 1874-

“Blasted Hopes'’ is so large we couldn’t put it in
at all. “Reports Encouraging.” tolerable, but “Hum-
bugs and Swindles” have dwindled down to nothing
worthy of publication, which is the best news of all.

Fruit blossoms are furnishing an unpiecedented
amount of honey, is the report from almost every side.
Oh that we had bees to gather it. ‘Easy” says “buy
’em,” but Prudence says, “No Sir 'ee. Learn how to
keep ’em first.”

We feel daily more strongly convinced that the two
story hive is about to be laid aside, and the double
width one9 used instead. We shall in future keep
only the latter made up on hand, and only make the
former to order .

Mu. Moth this month advertises an extra flne qual-
ity of flint glass Honey Jars. Just the thing where
you wish something extra nice ; say, for a present for
instance. Who would not be pleased with a nice flint
glass jar of honey ?

Again, we are obliged to omit many things we dls- |
liked to, and have even been obliged to put diagram
of Queen cage on the cover. We fear our friends
will think as we do sometimes, that we have Inserted
unimportant matters and omitted those of value.
“I. ike enough,” for after all “we’ve all poor cre’tur’s.”

Mu. Alley was one of the first, if not the first who
attempted to raise good Queens at a Jow price. Some
of our Medina Bee-keepers' think the best Queens
they have had. have been from among those rec'd of
Mr. A. See his advertisement in this number.

Those who have already subscribed for Gleanings,
can have Mm. Tapper's Journal or the A. B. J. by
sending us $1.50; R. K. M. $l.ou. This gives our read-
ers an opportunity of taking all the .Journals if they
wish, at a low rate. We will try and make equally
advantageous terms for the Bee World when they get
it out on time, and with a little more care. All the
rest come to us now, full up to time.

We too have an imported Queen just from Italy.
.She was brought by an old acquaintance, and we
feel as much confidence In her, as if we had brought
her personally. He started with 30 and brought
home safely 27 : is not that pretty well ‘t As she cost
us $15.00, we did not dare risk an introduction, and so
placed her and accompanying bees, on three combs
of hatching brood, carefully brushing off every bee as
they were taken from the hives. This was the 22nd,
and to-day— -25th, they are a fair little colony.

We have just learned of the sudden death of one of
our number. A letter from him appears in Heads of
Grain, written apparently without a thought that he
was so soon to leave all things earthly. We learn his
bees will a great part of them be sold soon. Address
as per advertisement in May No., M. Miller, Penin-

sula, O. May peace bo his lot, and that of nil other
good Bee-Keepers’, when they leave us, for that
Great Unknown other World.

In answer to many Inquiries, we would say that we
would have no hesitation In feeding the honey, and
using the combs of colonies that died In the win-
ter, providing it bo fed in warm weather. Get it
worked up into brood if possible.

We have never heard of any trouble during the hot
summer months. We would teed it In the combs by
all means, and it may thus be made to save an equal
amount of our finest honey if it is not first quality it-
self. The combs are very valuable for building up
stocks, and the honey stored or sealed up in them, we
think In the best shape to feed it can possibly be.

All about the Averill Chemical Paint, how to use
it, how much it costs, how much is needed for a
square yard of surface, etc., etc., can he gathered from
the price list and sample card, that will be furnished
on application to the Co., whose advertisement see in
this No. We have remarked more than once before,
that we would use nothing else for bee hives, ami we
now add that we should never think of hiring a paint-
er, even had we one hundred hives to paint yearly.
Our paint pot was last used, and put away with the
brush in It. Nov. 22nd, and remained uncovered and
untouched until May 9th, a period of nearly ft months,
when it was brought out and a couple of hives painted
in good shape In less than 20 minutes; yet the paint
is dry enough to handle without soiling, in a few
hours afterward. And best of all, it runs smooth it-
self, no matter how inexperienced is the hand that
puts it on.

We would he very glad indeed, to be shown that an
efficient Extractor could be made for 81.00, but from
an examination of one sent us by Mr. A. N. Draper, of
Upper Alton, 111., we fear it cannot be suid to be a
decided success as yet.

The machine is a tin case something like a dripping
pan, having a sheet of wire-cloth framed in tin, laid
over the top; the comb is laid on this, and the whole
apparatus is whirled about the head by means of four
cords attached to the corners.

The apparatus will certainly work, (but the wire-
cloth will need to be better supported than in the
sample sent us), and for a very few hives It might give
fair satisfaction.

As the case must be emptied for each full comb, tin-
work must necessarily go on very slowly, and all
things considered we fear few would be content with
the implement; especially after the number of their
colonies had Increased very much, as bees may ahvaj*
be expected to do. /

Although we have criticised the Bee World's ty-
pography etc., severely, it was not done with the
intent ion of injuring Mr. Moon, but on the contrary,
with the hope that it might Induce him to be a little
more careful in his proof reading. We believe 'tis
well known that the most powerful corrective of bad
spelling, punctuation etc., Is the ridicule that gener-
ally attends “short comings” in that direction ; what-
ever comes from the press un corrected, is sure to be
pointed out sooner or later by some one.

We are well aware that Gleanings contains errors
I ' n spite of the best we can do, and value criticism
; more than we do commendations; for how are we to
I improve unless errors that we overlook are pointed
j out to us, by those who notice them ? When the Bee
I World comes to us with no more errors than are to be

1X74.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

found In Bee Journals generally, we will give the
Southern Bee Journal a permanent advertisement
gratia, As Dr. Jewel Davis, seems to have misun-
derstood our motives In the matter we would respect-
fully defer the matter to him.

On Sunday, the 24th, we 'not Iced (n the morning,
that a populous colony of ants had located, and were
nourishing under the door step of one of our weak
colonies. We went for the “tea-kettle" hut not find-
ing It hot, concluded we would postpone until a t reek
day our Intention of treating them to a bath of boiling
water. We do not resort to such extreme measures
usually, but they had begun to extend their nest
clear into tlio hive and were evidently annoying the
bees. About 2 o’clock these bees swarmed out ; be-
fore we could find the Queen apother colony caught
the note and In less than fifteen minutes, live had left
their hives and all was confusion . We “got around
fast" for a while, If It wa.s Sunday, and soon had all
the Queens in cages on the top of their own frames,
and watched the bees whilst they dispersed to their
respective homes. The fever however did not leave
them for several hours, and every attempt to release
the Queens was met with such lterce attempts to
sling them that we led them caged. All five were
very weak, anil the Queens had laid several eggs In
almost every cell Inside the cluster. This occurred
just when a lot of young hoes were taking their first
flight.

IVk once before mentioned, ’twas out of our prov-
ince to defend the Durwinlun theory here, ami we say
again that those who have a curiosity in the matter
had hotter read Darwin. We will however say this
much, that Darwin never tells you if thing is, or is not
so; he has aimed rather to present facts that many of
Us have alroady observed, and then mildly asks the
reader if if does not scorn probable that. such, and such
results c.ame about In such a manner. Agassiz on the
other hand most posittevely declares they did, or dld
not, nrlgiuule in the manner he supposed .

H. K. M. says in April No., “ 1 natural selection'
can never change a honey bee into a wusp etc.” Now
although Darwin doos not so teach, as wo understand
h. we would like to know whal right the Editor of
(he above, has to be so positive. How does he know ?
As lo how the bee existed while his proboscis was
being acquired “gradually,” wo would suggest that
they then worked on llowers of a moderate depth.
Should a certain Queen’s progeny he enabled to get
hemey from rod clover, because by accident they had
* longer proboscis than their neighbors, would they
nut stand a better chance of wintering and thus per-
haps perpetuate such u race of 1)006? We never
saw so much to call forth admiration and respect for
oar Creator’s works, us since reading Darwin.

•HIKES KHAItlVb.

if * with some hesitation we undertake to
■ in this mutter, and we have delayed

these papers to see it'it. were possible that the
winner in which Queens were reared, had any
to '*0 with the great losses in the spring
this, and the past three seasons. While a
! " '“stances might seem lo indicate such the
i, o’ H ma J ori ty do not. for we have preclse-
li, • ifi ' sllllc s tate of affairs where common bees,
,1? ,, ‘; s ’ ,uul natural swarming were the rule,
t shall take great pains to recommend noth-

07

ing here, that has not been fully tried; and
while we cannot promise to enable you to
“make a sure thing of it every time,” we will
endeavor to come as near it as we can.

We need hardly say your colonies should be
all strong; our experience this spring with
small, clusters of bees has convinced us
more thoroughly than ever of the bad policy
of attempting to do any thing with colonies
whose Queens are crippled in their egg-produ-
cing powers, by want of bees to cover and
care for the eggs and brood.

Very small nucleus hives, seem to answer
very well in the hight of the season, but tak-
ing all things into consideration, we should
feel much safer In recommending such a hive
as the standard with a close-fitting division
hoard. Bore a hole through the back end for
an entrance, and adjust the division board to
accommodate two or three frames. For fear
the quilt might allow bees to pass over the
top of this board, we will tack the quilt to it
slightly.

Place in this apartment about two flames,
partly filled with brood, and a third with both
honey and pollen, with the adhering bees on
all. As soon as they have become organized,
which may be known by their gathering pollen
and repelling robbers, we are ready for Queen-
rearing. Instead of depending on a book, or
a slate and pencil me should very much prefer
the Queen Register cards, illustrated on the
cover of this No. From your choicest Queen,
imported if possible, give each nucleus a piece
of comb containing eggs, at least once iu every
three days. As the original brood will soon
be gone, all Queen cells constructed by what-
ever accident, will be from your choice brood,
and may be used without hesitation. ’Tis
quite a task to cut combs so as to have these
pieces fit nicely, and quite a number of devices
such as small sectional frames of wood, or thin
tin, have been used; but we find quite a diffi-
culty in getting the Queen to deposit eggs in
such divided frames, as she does in a whole
brood comb ; again, taking a whole frame for
each nucleus every three days would soon rob
our choice Queen, besides our nuclei could not
care for one tenth part of the eggs, if we did.

We last season, cut our comb of eggs into
small pieces, but in that case we were obliged
to cut holes in the nuclei combs to fit ; a diffi-
cult, besides being a tedious job, and it spoils
life beauty of a great number of fine combs, in
a short time. Of course, after all this, we
have a remedy to offer, and ’tis simply to get
a new biscuit cutter or your tinsmith, and file
the edge of the tin to a sharp knife edge. Cut
a larger hole in the back, that you may push
out the piece of comb readily, ami by turning
your cutter around as it goes through the
bases of the cells, you may cut pieces from
two combs and swap them, in a trice, and so
neatly that the bees will make all smooth in a
very short time. When you cut a cake of eggs
from a comb, push in the piece that came out
wtiere you made a place for it, and when you
have cut as many “cakes” out as you can, give
the whole frame with the remaining scattered
eggs, to one of the nuclei. Wheu you can
make all this work to suit you, as we feel cer-
tain yon all can, we’ll give you another paper.

A little oil will make the cutter work more
smoothly.

68

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

June.

P. G, objects that we have not given the rea-
sons for advising that the nuclei be given fresh
eggs every three days. They are fourfold:
First, that their population may be kept up ;
secondly, that all hands may lie kept employ-
ed; thirdly, to keep the bees at home when the
young Queen goes out, and lastly and most
important of all, that there be no possibility
of cells or Queens being reared from any other
than choice brood, even should some accident
happen to the Queen.

ARTIFICIAL SWARMING,

consists simply in giving these nuclei, as soon
as they have laying Queens, combs of brood,
from strong colonies, until they are good colo-
nics of themselves. See page 72, last para-
graph.

AL.L. ABOUT SMOKERS.

[ALL WE KNO W ABOUT' EM.]

ST fjjSR NOVICE & Co.— Please give us the easiest and
best method of smoking tees. This may appear
“/“j to some of yonr readers a very simple request—
that any one knows how to smoke bees— well 1 must
confess I for ono, do not. I have been using a short
iron lube with a plug of wood at each end, the plug at
the firing end removable. I get a full share through
this end Into my eyes and nose. 1 saw Mr. E. lvretch-
mer’s advertisement, A "Bee Pipe'' to direct the smoke
where needed, eyes and nose perfectly safe, price 40e.

I ordered one forthwith rec'd it, loaded up — the soft
solder melted down, my new 40c. tin smoker tumbled
down— burnt my lingers— eyes and nose received full
charge. Mr. Quinby’s blacksmith forgo arrangement
Is too big and unwieldy — 1 apply to you for relief—
please help, “VuMl’O.

Our first smoker w.qs tobacco, rolled up in a
rag, and we blew the vile stuff in their poor
little faces and eyes under all circumstances
and conditions, and at all times, whether they
were cross or not, and many times when they
stood in the door of their own domicile with-
out any feeling of ill will, or evil designs
toward any one on the face of the earth. But
smoking them was a part of the programme,
and smoked they must be, so we thought; and
we really pity them now, when we look back
and think of it. After a while we got out of
tobacco and tried the rags alone and they did
very well ; pretty soon Mrs. N. got out of rags
— we burned such an awful sight of ’em — and
,’twas such a bother to be fussing so much, roll-
ing them up etc., before we could do anything,
that we felt grateful to Dr. C. C. Miller, now of
Chicago, when lie paid us a visit and demon-
strated that rotten wood was not only as good,
but even better. After that, we had our chunk
of rotten wood, and went on our way rejoicing
until we burned up a hive of fine Italians, by
sparks blowing in the sawdust. Then we read
over the A. II. J. and made a tin smoker with
wire-cloth and a knob to blow through, this
worked beautifully to be sure, but who could
watch a smoker to see that it didn’t “go out”
when intent on the interior of a hive ?

Well, it had to be tinkered so much to be
kept “going” that we got out of all patience,
at being obliged to fuss so long just to open a
bee hive, and so we threw it away- -no, we put
it “in the loft” and by the way if that loft isn’t
getting to be an “old curiosity shop” we don’t
know.

Now 'twas Gallup we think, who said :: pan
of chips was just as good as any thing, !b: I!
could be set one side and would burn nearly
half a day ; and if you found you didn’t need it

at all, why, all the better, but ’twould always
be ready if you did want it. We never like
great clumsy implements so we got a nice lit-
tle tin basin, and it worked beautifully till
tlie pesky thing got hot and burnt our lingers,
when we picked it up excitedly. If we remem-
ber rightly we set it down again, and made
some remarks ; can’t say now what the re-
marks were but think they were not concerning
the weather.

Shortly after, we saw Mrs. N. using a very
pretty, small, enameled sauce pan, in her culi-
nary operations, and we innocently asked if
tlie handle never got hot?

“Certainly not. See how thin and light it is.”

As she persistently declined listening to any
proposal to trade it for our tin basin, we bought
a “bran new one” for' 40c., at the “tin shop,”
put in some coals of fire, some rotten wood,
and from Unit day to this, we have had no
trouble. Fire will keep in it an hour or two,
any thing will burn in it that is dry. For a
brisk smoke in a hurry, we sprinkle on a little
saw-dust because ’tis always handy, and if
placed at the windward side of an open hive,
tlie cloud of smoke tliat arises is all that is
many times needed, and it requires almost no
attention. We should add before concluding,
that we have a square tin box — bought at the
druggists for a few cents, (they get them with
Castor oil in, or something) large enough to
set our sauce pan in, out of the rain, and also
to contain the fuel, that we scatter around,
when we wish it to go out. The opening being
on the east end, our fuel is always dry, and
when scraped into the sauce pan with a few
live coals from the kitchen stove, it is all in
running order, and the faster we travel about
with it the more it smokes.

We can’t imagine how “cog wheels” or “bel-
lows” would add to its efficiency, and when we
take into consideration that 'tis very often
allowed to smoke away for hours without
being required at all, it seems to us that its
greatest merit is its simplicity. Occasionally
a stubborn colony will need considerable smoke,
but the practice of “smoking" them until Queen,
workers and all, tumble “pell-mell” on the
bottom-board, when they haven’t even “said a
word,” it seems to us is barbarous, and he who
does it should have the “machine” pointed at
his own eyes until he sees how it is. Now
don’t undertake to use utensils made with sol-
der, for they will just prove a bother.

At least two persons, whose eyes will meet
these pages, have tried old brittannia teapots,
and when the block tin melted and caved in,
they concluded they wouldn’t do “first rate.”

I s . S. — “P. G.” remarks we have only consid-
ered one side of the question. The other side
is, that occasionally our “pet smoker” gets go-
ing at a rate that sometimes makes one think
they had almost as lief be stung to death, as
smoked to death ; to which we reply, ’tis a
matter easily remedied; take out some of the
fuel and make it “go slower.”

A subscriber from Middlebury, Vt., writes;
rrawc
l the summe

Wormwood was first used by us in subduing bees in
er ol' 1872. We were almost overpowered

warm, and had tried a great variety ol' articles
h roil, n wood, rags, tobacco, catnip etc., When
son. a bad of tweivo years proposed to try worin-
oti : and u •• wc*i <• b.iopih -v\ ’prised at our success,
l now 1 would mu hhv ’ : » ' without it.

A. 0. I looker.

1874

.cleanings In bee cvltube,

J

B!)

si <vsrft * of ■

PROM DIFFJDREN'E FIELDS.. ,

[MESSRS A. I. ROOT.&^O. -tT.niiii ryl 1 1 g fpp “IJeeB
1 anr"’ — 1 -i. . - - -

and Hondy. ’> I Sa'Vje nearly <;mrii')icted,my high'
- — i fence ofplaufc', oh TOiir. pinn-Ibi! itn'- Ap'iaj-y.' 1

have nine coloiue9 In. good*i!pndUlon at..pi>escnti lo?t

ay iron loftt live Co Strengthen tiie “B»sjff»'
ren” and such beginners as yoirt- bumble servant, .

Parkersville,.Ey>cUcc. 22iuf, 187S7 ... JsYIvaukins.

We are right hy ypur side. (ViendJi.';. we‘hrc
certainly going to try and do better, but Whetlr- '
er we shall succeed, or root remains, t'Q he'beefi:
We trust your nine .colonies, --are-,' nine this
spring. , . . f/i,

FRIEND NOVICE : — l’have.23 out. of 25 1 colonies,
wish they were ail in about 15 hives with' the best
Qiiccns-think they would be more profitable than as
they are: they are gathering a little pollen ebuivno
honey. Those that were the best last tall are the best
now-used lire heat (o keep theriv wftrih in the housc-
sec no bad effect from It-emtca Wired td keep the tem-
periiture from 40“ to 45% .f ' 'IIbnkv Rai.m'rh.

Itjirt, Mich. May 2nd, IS74.

FRIEND NOVICE:— t have ' been iryiny so keep
bees in Texas four years, , This is etfrtainly.a Hue bee
country, as we hnveiuo expense or trouble -(n WiUter-
Ing Iteos, anti there is almost aii. 'endlest vaHetvof
flowers, front which bees gather honey.,, The. beet
that i have a knowledge of, is thfi horse' mint. 1 do
not think however after, nil, that-beus gather' More
honey here than with you, .as thafirontw'seasbn is fre-
quently cut short by dry weather, ;imd • perhaps on an'
average is not longer than in your State. The Advan-
tages here are, no expense *or trouble in wintering,
and facilities for early Queen-rearing; last fail I put
up ten Queens in my small hive? or -bqxcs; made to
Imld three frames, with a suffiCleitCmimber of Work,
ers as an experiment, and this sprilig. 1 Uml eight gbod'
tested Queens as the rositlt, stipll. try it on a Iprgrv
se.alc next winter. I oncned'oiie of' ini' Italian' colo-i
mes to-day, from winch I had removed the- Queen
"me days since, and fouird'31 Queen. ueils t nrfinv o#
them were so close together that I;i cuildbatcuc them
apart without injury. I never saw, .or henrd'of..!m

many Queen cells in a Idvt} hnfbre,' did you

Austin, Texas. Apr. lith, 18jd. ' , T, KiSM^t

Mr. ROOT, Dear Sir:— TWp colonies -of thfe tei in.,
the bank cellar are confined to their hlvOa (UltlTiaVe
no chance to liy, only when ket Slit; one offhe/two
colonies has as tine a looking IttlHau Queen as' t Oyer
saw; she was reared last Jnfie and hn» not raid njv
'jSK mat I can find up to writing. The other had. a
fiiack Queen which must have stolen Into the lave
late last fall and killed the Dalian Queen. I killed
her March 1st, site had eggs and capped brood' at the
time. March 12th, the cotofiy-'llRU It? niOb a capped
Queen as is often seen, destroyed her and rate them
brood and eggs from an Italian'sfock.'

AprilMh— Had a hatched Italian Qijeen, ■

, ‘jl , ™,l !| th -I.ook8 nice, but no eggs uiid-.iia dronbs
to fertilize her. . *

where thy Italians nave nearly all faijed., The
bltl'Ejpar^icular difference in .tinaiment jtBaV we
ku«\y; Of,, was ttiittt the I'tnli-.ihs were iiscdfor
Qne^vear.itrg uhfrl huitv la«V.amt tlfe Blacks
wei'e.ift.bitxi hiffes ;t nrlg.vyc .nn swarms and
lulfl.J.'HQjti'ejrftlu'ht:'’ . ’T tyij] .bp advisivhlei to'
“go-slow'’ fi*rining;c 9 lu;luKion.s' in tiie matter,
hi! t if tire Black's do really u ar more brood
cd/toin the spring ’tiyill he well to kiiowdt.

, This YQky ■ likely the* Italians in their cagey-
npKs, have flown out •during our bad spring
weathe;V'andvgat tost yvlieu tine Blacks did not..

‘Before being positive that the “tafilespoonfui
of rs'taroh” had '.any agency in the. matter,.
shoiild fte not decide by experiment whetkey
tile fesftltjwoul^ npt have been tiie same, had
tliat beeihdmitted, from the honey. fed 7'"'

Wiii JsoVi piefisb d'es<;ribe'the “Straw mat” in Ucbax-'

, I ROOT How arethCy made? how J.hlrk are they',
what arc tjiey sewed with? or are they -braided;-' i
know . how straw hives .ai'e .made. Anything I ikyi,
them?. Tltanks fpy wilx.y.x tractor. Have just nfildc
one— cost sacts— Works good. Vfbtm plan, or H.'I?ah
pier. page 23,’nnd my >j!in. pagdAtfl will work in'eori-
junction nteej^as?- jntdwiitana' it, and i meap ip fry.

. CORN STAltOH DII) IT. • ,

if r.® been trying corn starch for pollen:

Melted

mi.veiV

j.andleil honey without water and whil^i w\inn

it a tahlo-spoonful of dry starch, to a- haLtf'pint Of
noiiey, and oil the (5th day of April strewed it on’ top
, , i nme ? ot :i c °l°oy °n summer stand, that had no
pollen, brood or effgs. They ate it readily. They

Ski 110 l ,ollen 11 1 > to this dale, April 19th, at

wmch date I examined them. They now have eggs
tim capped and uncapped brood in two combs.

, ll: av V use< ^ corn starch difl'erentlv propared on
c R? r colonies, but the result not so decided,
cni , *1 cellar works right. No loss in bees or

tw i 8 A 1,oes 119 strong to-day as first of March,

tnSo 0 1099 of the old wintereif bees is impercep-
!“• . ' «'»'« truly. M. Miu.br.

I eninsula, 0. April 19th, 1874.

ii " r . e ,] lave tKis spring for the first time no-
_ L ccu Black colonies that had brood, while the
Allans had none. One Apiary of 27 colonies
blacks, wintered finely in a neighborhood

it'.. Bet'.if wrjif^tore ‘bimey...a*s hiv.froin entrama; as
•posstb.le .' '<* w '. M*- Wm. H; KlliK,:

>V aterburyj COnn . .. ■ - ■

Very well, just .Wait imtil wells i heading.
-Thetefl' ; .%

iSTRAW MAT%,HOW .TQ'MABvE T'hEMv

: From Ifeter Hendec,sqii!ff excellent work, en-
titled Gardening For Profit, we glean tiie fol-
lowing:. . i> • , ' . •

•‘Straw mats are, however, by tar the warmest cov-
ering, and in hot-bed culture are almost indispensable.
They are always made at home, during wet days or
stormy weather 1 la winter. Tiie manner of making
them is vpry Simple, anil will readily lie learned at
the. first attempt.' 'L'he “uprights', ” (ot warps), are
'formed of live strands of a tarred string, known as
“marline ; ” these are tiglftly ^trained 10 filches apart - ,
by being attached to lira strong' n, ails at bottom of a
wall, corresponding with the same, number, 7 feet
from the bottom. Agaihs these strings (beginning at
the bottom) are laid small handfuls of rye straw, the
•out' slab ouceas long and straight as cam be procured :
this Is. secured to the uprights by fi lighter kind of
da>rrcd..string, by taking a single turn ttround the uu-
ffght and tiie straw, Sum so eontinuedl until the mat is
finished. Some usfe a frame to which' the .strings,
forming the warp, (ire attached.

Tills allowS'the operator to have his work upright or
horizontal, as may be most convenient.' Two work-
men' vvTfl make about five mats in a day. VVhen fin-
i-ihe'K the .m'als should be 7 feet in, length and-4 ).. feet
• hi tviiUh, twb being sufilctent to cover three sashes.
The reason for havlng thenrmade ofie foot longer than
the sa.sh . is, that thery may be if Inches -tq ovortaji at
top and' bottom, which 'are .flit* mosVrtefiessary. points
to s^enre fyoili lj4ist. In making i be.se' ijiats they may
be fconstrueted.. of sedge from 'the marshes, or salt •
meadow, nay, when rje straw cannot bfc procured. It
is important. However, that they may be Made as
lighi as possible, one inch in thlokfie'SS being quite
sufficient, By cai'6 In handling them, these mats will
lasQfoj' six or elglit josh# ... ■ . .

, n^lie mats for Iljves, wpuUl.npb need tarred
string, .fis they are ut>t exposed to raitj and'suu,
>nid the dis.tahee‘at\d'immber' of the strings as
well as thd bizoof the .mat , sfum Id lie arranged
according to the size of the hive.

In a Second letter, friend 'lv. explains that
his 80e. wax Extractor was made by using a
lard pai!, an old wire-cloth dish covet,' and
sundry other utensils found at home, so that
80c. was only what he paid -the, tinner. • ‘

There seems to be a diversity of opinion, as
to whether bees prefer storing nearest, or far-
thest from the entrance. In our opinion, 'tis
governed more by other circumstances, than
the locality of the entrance.

V-

TO

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

KBIKND NOVICE l’l case
let mu know through Gi.ban-
nCos, how a frame like this
would bo. n. N. Kuhn.

Shtniorsvllle. Pa.

Well, we should think It would be tri-dn^M-
lar ; so far as practicability Is concerned, we
have known such hives to give very fair yields
of honey, as in fact we have, hives containing
frames of every size, shape, and dimensions,
almost. The principal objection Is, that it does
not enable the bees to keep In a compact clus-
ter, the sharp corners being very unfavorable
In that respect. The Idea has formed the basis
of several “patents,” but we believe it has been
Invariably abandoned utter a short trial, like
the great bulk of the patented devices iu gen-
eral.

What Umu of day do you consider best lor examin-
ing hives, or extracting ?

Any time of day when the bee* are at work;
and the more they are flying the better, always
providing no robbing is going on.

How do yon examine a hive in early spring and as-
certain condition, when It Is continually cold- as It
has been this spring • I waited week* to aoo what
condition mine were Ul after being moved tierce. They
told me I must wait for a warm day, so as not to chill
the brood. It was so cold most of the time that in
trying to examine them, lots of bees would fall down
chilled. I roud about persons examining in early
March, but can’t see how they do it unless they have
different weather. About how should the thermom-
eter stand to make it safe to expose brood ?

Manchester, Iowa. Mns. B. M. M cent. KK.

In this last matter, we fear we are really un-
able to give any advice that would help you,
unless it were "don’t.” Of course if bees are
starving they must be fed, but. otherwise we
should hot ope# the hives unless the weather i
is warm enough for them to fly. Such days
usually occur in March and April, but when
we have such unfortunate seasons as the pres-
ent, we really know of nothing that can be
done. We have no reports from those having
kept their bees iu the cellars until the “flowers
bloom," as Quinby advises, but feel sure ours
would all have died ere this time. If we could
manage to have brood-reariug go on while the
bees were yet confined to their hives, It might
do. We have utterly failed in such attempts,
but should be pleased to hear from others.

There were 40 stocks of bees of the Apiary 1 am now
managing, wintered in the cellar without loss (natural
stores). Were put in 28tb of Nov. '73, and nut out
March Istli, ’74. Cellar was quite damp ami many
combs moulded on that account. They are doing ilne-
ly now and taking in dampened sugar whenever they
can fly (honey also at times) without showing HignH of
robbing. We brought them to this condition grad-
ually by feeding dry suguv first, und robbing that was
being carried on extensively, bofore commencing to
feed, by some bees brought from Tenn., has now en-
tirely caused. I), I, vims llHOWN,

Indianapolis, I rid.

My bees of which I have IS stands (all Black) ate
doing well. I intend to get some Italian Queens this
summer, but think It will be Impossible to breed
pure Queens from them, as our woods uro full of Black
bees. J. s. Uogkrs,

Columbia, Texas, April 15th, 1OT4.

So i'ar as honey Is concerned, you need have
no fears but that you can get the full benefit
of the Italians, even under the circumstances
you mention. Rear all Queens from one tested
one; persist in this every season, and Italians
will soon be the rule and blacks the exception.

_____ JuNk.

t want tij Itallanlio as soon as possible, lluve
thought I would like to get the dollar Queen*. Some
have told me that they would be poor things anil
Would not pay. But 1 foci just as though 1 could
trust Novice, anil If you are going to have dollar
Queens. I think 1 will try a few. If I can get them in
season. Mbs. E. M. Miicki.eii:

Manchester, Iowa.

What we have advised as “dollar Queens,"
were to be precisely the same as other Queeiis,
only that they were sold ns soon as fertile, anti
before they were tested. He who would sell
Queens known to be poor, ns “Novice Queens"
as one advertiser expresses It, would be doing
a dishouest act, for our purpose was to have
them sold befotc the producer had an opportu-
nity of knowing whether they were of extra
value or not. Of course we should expect any
honorable man to tell us if a Queen were poor
or worthless, if he knew such to be the case.

We do not expect dollar Queens can be rear
ed early in the season. Those who want
Queens in May and .Tune, must expect to pav
such prices as those fortunate enough to have
them for sale, may choose to ask.

Oh yes ! About tuy bees ; as 1 told you, they were
killing their Queens. I lost (S out of ‘40, In a duv or
two, but the very day that 1 wrote you I lilted 'one
frame with syrup for each hive, and' have done the
same twice since, anil bail no more trouble in tbui-
way. The Queenless ones all pegged out but one,
which Is hatching eggs very satisfactorily at present.

1 think nuui that low stores and as you my “nothing
to do” was the trouble. Cold, cold, nothing Imt cold,
anil the bees uothing to do but to oat what you feed.
Valley Mills, Ind. Apr. 23rd, 1S74. J. ,7. WHITSON.

Friend W. wrote us In March, that ids bees-
were killing their Queens every day. We ad-
vised that they should be fed— kept busy at
something, whether they had plenty of food
or not.

DEAll NOVICE .—I feel as though I wanted to take
right bold of your hand, but I suppose I can't, so
please send me all the Oi.kaxinqs iu Bee Culture. 1
should have sent on last year but my health was so
poor that. 1 bad little ambition for anything. The
season was very short, last year, the hbnev harvest
only lasting about three weeks, but during that time
my hundred stocks (1 bad about 112, hut the surplus
eamo from about 100) were able to store enough for
winter and give me 4500 lbs. In boxes for market. I
have all my be.es In one place. In the fall I (lacked !«
colonics in saw-dust, or packed saw-ilnst ai the sides
and on top in place of honey boxes, and left them hit
their stands; I put 24 colonies in the cellar, and on
the 1st of Dec. I left for California where I spent tbe
winter, leaving directions to have each hive examined
once In two weeks, to see that the entrance did not
get clogged with dead bees.

It was hard to leave my little pets thus behind me
in the cold, and although I enjoyed the pleasant e, 11-
mate of that strange land, it was most .pleasant to
return home again, which I dlil on March 16th, after
an absence of three and n half months. On reaching
home on the evening of the Pith 1 went t<> one hive
out of doors and gave It a little thiunp, whereupon
the. bees inside set Up a joyous welcome, ns much as
to say “We are all right, don’t worry.” Next (lay I
examined every hive out-doors and In the cellar: all
responded, and later I carefully examined every hive
anil found all alive and in good condition, except a
few that were Qucenlcss and those bud plenty of bees.
The DO out of doors wintered much tbe best 1 believe.
Some of my stocks wintered in-dours showed some
signs of dysentery, those out of doors no signs ofit.
Those stocks wintered out of doors appear to lie much
tbe strongest 111 numbers this spring. April has been
very cold, liut little brood In hives vet, especially,
those wintered In cellar.

Hurrah ! for a bag of saw-dust over the hr I

chamber, anil saw-dust at tbe sides, as well as on the
ground In front. Yours in all brotherly love.
Bridgeport, Vt. Apr. 29th, 1874. ' J. K. Ckank.

We should have more faith in the “bags of
saw-dust," were it not that bees so often winter
well uiuh r almost all circumstances, ’tis hard

1874.

GLEANINGS IN BEB CULTURE.

It

to decide to what particular circumstance the
credit belongs. Strong colonies would doubt-
less get along well prepared In that way, but
we have so many times seen the evil results of
depriving weak stocks of the benedt of the di-
rect rays of the. sun, that we think consider-
able caution should bo used In deciding to
adopt such methods as applicable to our North-
ern winters generally.

1'KIEND NOVIOE I mo not an expert in Bee-
keeping. and T don’t know that I win write anythin,/
•hat Will be very Interesting. I have kept a tow
stocks ol been lor eight years in the old box hive, I
thought all that bees wanted, was a hire and a super
and they would do the balance of the work themselves,
for six years J didn’t get enough honey to pav for the
nulla I used to make their hives; I got hold "of a Bee
.Journal and read It. and soon found I was In the dark
In bee-keeping. 1 have hcou using the American hive
tor two years, the first year 1 got from three stocks
Blacks) 61 lbs. ol surplus and no, Increase, lu 1873 I
look 135 lbs. surplus, and made four new swarms.
Bought two stocks Italians Inst full and have now ti
stocks all toll . Am going to Italianize all my Blaoks
Mu* HprinK, they nrc all in good condition’. I have
none with lees than 4 c^ards of brood, one extra wtoek
lias 9 cards brood that will areragcfixlO Inches square.
Wintered on summer stands— got extractor catoula-
nngoii taking, well I’ll say non lbs. this seasoD If fa-
I orahle; for fear of being too tedious I will mitt for
this time. Long life aitd sucooss to Novice and

’Hopei 0 G V*1 34t h, 1874. W ’ KW “ H * W -

Km- the Simplicity hive (Lftngelroth) what sized
blocka would you use provided the entrance wan the
sunn- as In Lungstroth hire? I think of trying one
each wav, the bottom-board could project a little n*>
In the old lorm of Langstroth.

Would It not he better for me to adopt the old L.
lame as a beginner, and for Nucleus hives have
frames just One half the 64ze? 1 ask you bocausc it
seems the most natural to mv mind, easily transferred
etc. How deep Is a Simplicity hive (exact) when

v

’"tiiiltlCHlH :

Bolivar, N. Y. Apr. 25Hi,i874

Blocks for the L. hive should be miule so as
[ojust close It, when both are turned with
longest side toward the entrance. Dimensions
given in Mr. L.’s book are %x4x5%x7. In
using double width hives, With entrance at.
side of combs, entrance blocks must be used of
considerable length, especially with the L.
Vaine. Where division boards arc used, there
is a decided advantage In the latter, for a re-
adjustment. of this board, in no way interferes
with the entrance, as it does with the ordinary
L. hive. We cannot see that the L. frame is
more especially suited for beginners than some
others. Simplicity (Langstroth) is just 10 inch-
es deep when cover is raised.

look very discouraging for
i ' w „ or8c th an ever since I have kept hoes had rve
d Oil a ground March lllth, and there has hem, b ut
J", "1„°“ Which they have worked on it to any ex-
it font 111 ?’ w l " v r eo'd- every day, snow now over
, ! , !?op, snowed all day to-day, and blows like fun

u Examined two or three hives lust wbek, they
Have?nat P S e u hrooding, not even an egg to be seen.
«• , !,?, 1 f ht .°^ s Hut ol 37, saw a man the other day

nil bu rnt ! ’ st .V" 1 °, f 5*1 another, 6 out of 13; have
unt Heard from others lately.

sille.wf!! *Jv f,° sending Queen eggs, it seems to lie con-
i,l»ht l vni , ttl lur, \ V lU 1 think it can he done safely,

A h >™V* ag" I bought 30 Italian Queens, from Si.

es bjSfj ' . ' they were sent 111 at a time. In small box-
tile OunmL’ 1 IVame 4 orb inches square; alter taking
"i tin. , ” "l 1 11 nomber ol the bees collected lu one
iss me ,o e ? 1,1 " h , tch a Queen had laid eggs on the
passage, and reared a Queen.

ImisImhSoS 1 ** "°f l,<ixt, s he made of thin boards or
Wiirniv ' li- 1 !" 1 enough bees used to keep eggs
a- If It cost move than "Sets, for eggs tram
«2?„ Qooen customers could well afford it .

that lor earlys'warms? * h0VoU "* ° ,,C " ru “' 1 1 ‘ 8

2 7ul- -Cool, lot§ of enow yet.

‘•iCiWr® " •“

uwuipvtue, N. y. Bkn.iamin Finch.

Bnc-ti a plan might be made to answer, (in
tact we attempted it last season) bnt, so many
bees will be required that, with the brood to
sustain them on a long Journey, ’twould be
rather bulky by mail. As the Queen in such a
case must generally be a hybrid, would it not
be better to put in laying Queen after we have
everything ready, and charge a dollar?

vtw LSsTn 1 < i’i!'i" tl a W,M swarm, and another a
i.»n th V Ci f r .? n 241,1 of March, on a
JjT,* ijll’Jiailan Nuclei less than one year ago.

men. not verv Il i‘i Un “with Queens-most of
rioiJ stron K an ‘i 5 common stocks. Just

7 common stocks. I wrote you I lost my
t C „ e i-’| 8 CX0<! 1’ 1 "'but I used, and sold" only one *
_ r j™ 1 Asking great pains for purity ; l breed from
of lnbSr ‘Irtii 8 "' 1 C0 V M (five the best testimonials
8<>on have more Queens but who

lavimr "Hrid e ?nn 1 °r“ me ? ? f ',V <, " r8 g 1 mU8t have them
laying and sell for one dollar. Some of them are
dark, shall I reject them ?

,. th<1 , flrst beginner In Italians and vumatile
hut sir there Is a perfect furor of excite-

AhhoeiVl 5 ' t "r CC " B .7? C ' B - Hahskv, M. I).

Abbeville, \ ermlllon Parish, I.a. April 37th, 1874.

Dnlese the Queens are quite dark, we should
assuredly use them, if we were satisfied t.hev
"' e l rt '_f r,im a good mother. The most profit-
able Queens are often rather dark in color, but
we should be suspicions of a mother, that gave
many dark colored Queens.

Friend II. asks “who will buy them?” now
cannot we “kill two birds with one stone” by
giving the following:

n,o CO- " F ' ca9 c <m receipt of this send

me word whether you have any of those “One dollar
tin 1 w 8nl . on <-' Immediately for a Queenlesg
stock belonging to a friend. I got two of vou last
S r „e,2" thhi Mend of mine also

. th< i m ver y mllch , will you pie aft F

an* turned with I *1 wi r . „. *■*?** f®. 11 me ^he earlient time you am semi

Bosov.

I moved my Apian tills last winter about two miles
Iu,,?. n,| f ? r r nu; . r l* la i e ’ a 1 * 1 , 1 P«t >’■ up on the hexagon
plan eight feet apart, and have lost one third of my
colonies by my bees gradually quitting or losing their
lilves, mid entering others. 1 almost dully seeDaden
worker-bees, seeking to enter hives that are closed.

I would Uko to know what the matter Is, and
what to do. V ours truly, Jno. J. Jones.

( ulleoka, Tcnn.

If your liives are eight feet apart, we feel sure
tin: arrangement can have nothing to do with
your trouble. Bees are many times kept suc-
cessfully, in strait rows, as close as two or
three feet apart, although this is perhaps not
advisable. The haxagoual plan as we have
given it, gives six feet distance from center to
center, and we have never seen any trouble
from bees mistaking their liives, nor have we
ever before heard of a complaint, although
many such are now in use. As this shape
very materially lessens the labor of the Apia-
rist, our friend should be quite sure lie is not
mistaking the cause of the trouble, before he
draws a conclusion.

Our hives are all painted one color— white,
and we prefer this color because dark colors
are apt to become too hot if the sun should
chance to strike them in very hot weather.
We believe friend J. that experienced Bee-keep-
er’s can give you ample testimony that 0 feet
apart is perfectly safe. Most Bee-keepers are
aware, that stocks when first set out on a new
location, sometimes get badly mixed up, even

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

June.

when the distance is considerable ; as our Api-
ary was peopled gradually, we of course Juiye
seen no such trouble, and were it ppb* ftyr'tiie
danger of youn^r bees era WlfnjgjJ.xntfMilw* wrong
’ hive when extracting;* we* should ; l\flve been
-4empted *f;b locate tlieiH ‘.still i “

1 : V ,y- Z. 1 '* ** ^ ^

■ Tiro fjliftint trOlliSi eo'li&iih?d"in ; the' follow,
i.i’ng; arc ho witch better told in oar friendb o\yii
'laiiArige, that Wiliulk (ifeided to’glv'e'.iflju'st
as it comes to usR-> t Tw'..‘ , c4fta.iti rirnuTgraent"
lias certainly wovkeir w?ell, in his case, iit all
eVerits. . . -

' A. f.'UOOT & 1 wllJL-elvfr-jafn-'* fc(r, '.jrprrts

about .'my .l)eqs : wc have-ji 'lnte spr-hiv. Trail . not
many ilneilavs. Vet sotnMhno».we‘nnv.cJvnl£(! 'lay turn-
shine, then it (rets cloudy again. but. My Woes <IM woyk
on rvc flour every sinfil v dav ti'om .early .Kid: up to
this date. April 41*1. TI|ey,-romnicrteeil pViriflln-riJitit-
nril pollen ili o 18 th. of 'Atari' li, luiir they di;\ not stop'
worklhg oil the we flour, ns'.'-ITla.vp. (>ftcn read. that ay,
soon as Vheycoitld get natijral pollen, 'they, .would not
take -the flour ,nnv more. , buy I did And opt tied they
wonid take iidonper if thgy..r.oiild gt't if.,. I Tiavi: got
eight colonies, and they did carry JihouMen qflarts of
war flour in- tlielr hives. My .hers .nival} st-vphg. tiie''
Idves are crawled full. ves. strong enough* f,o sWarm.
Now I will tell you how I did winter ray bees. •. I have.,
golavshed six feet hip'll In front and live Tent high in
renr.lioarded 'light on three sides; inTrant I have got
heavy- muslin curtains to roll up: or kd ihnvu.at will.
Every Uric' dav I roll them tin, on okairte .iiiphiv fudy
davs I leave them down. I'.luive. the cditam*, down
every night, that keeps the-cofd air Tram hjowlnj^- in
at thcentrancc. Most one snejll colony, (t got slpiri
of hont'v 'and I tried to feed It with- syrup 111 one. of
E. Kretchmer’s Bee Feeders, of CoMu-g. fowiti l-futt'
the feeder on the top of the hive, anti they took the
svrup down in a liurrv. lad one of rpy hybrids, roflhedi
them orth'eir syrup Iri.tlic dav. what-they would carry
down through tiie night time, d had the entrance’
small so that only two tires could pass. I always
thought if we would he careful anjl,!have no sweetft
around (he Aplarv there would .not Tie tmuth ihiinagc,
shout robbing, but 1 Think tlieVcTs a.screw loretb some-
where. I know a man who lives. "flout two utiles from
inv house! lie does feed his bees on plates In the >'!' I'd .
every spring, and he never had any robbed.* I thought
1 did know more than h.e did, tJoTred ndno on The' top*
of the hive and' it got rolihedi ' ■ It. X.'K Ki: N.

Sltimcr^vllle, l’a. April '21s.l. t871.'.d. '■ -. J ■

My bees wintered well, : .1 lii'd" Ihri" in a dry cellar,
hut not a still one I assure y.om. fof'wflfe tjutro ftOt.tYfo.
voting hue-keeper*) rolling n p d ■ tn " 1 1 iltilg .oV eri their
heads, in-such a manner t luit- wh'eif'.ortfl Wfg down
there it seemed as If pandemonium Trie} 'broken loosed
If those bees were the worse for Jt, ,1 (have yet*, to
learn It. All cam? out, alive, hut '(in Ih'' first 'lay ; s
flight two of them ."go-cil’! out find.bfiifcd .with other
hives, leaving brood, eggs. ] ml leif,' anil honey : •

Please excuse' my .garrulity, but while 1 1 h ill K Of it,

1 would sav * . • -

V TUBIV Mono IN HEt;AItp.yo.f>(>!d,EN.

1 will tell you how X get-plenty of It tbr •nothing,
and it seems -as If you might do the same. From iIhi.
middle of July to middle of Aug., I drill. In- .both sweet
and common "Held eorn for late green fodder for our
cows, and the flees will work on it until the 'frost hap ■
killed it ; even alter light, frosts had killed (last fall/
the outside and tops of the highest; there was ' .some
left underneath that was not touched, a ad. some rirtt-
even the tops garlanded, which, the bees worked ori,
the middle of each pleasant day, until, the season
closed. I had buck-wheat near the .corn, arid' while
In bloom It was hard to tell on which the bees were
thickest. If you have a cow and a piece of laud, try
it. nail no doubt the testimony of honest old roan in
the milk bucket, nnd also that of the honest busy bee,
in the stores of pollen, will corroborate all I haVe
said in regard to It. J. M..IIII.L...

Greenville, 111. May 12th, 1874. .

Much obliged friend II. Our bees did get
considerable pollen from the corn last season,
until the grasshoppers contested the matter so
hotly that they were forced to give it up.
Let’s sec! We wonder if we can’t lay the blame
of our losses to the grasshoppers? It never
occurred t o us before, and it’s quite a relief to

be able to lay the blame somewhere ; rio-mit-
ter. whefth-so somg.of ,it ii» off our own sho d-
dei's. We really .belieye. “corn starehb .'won 0
be a. if tflje could take- it dire -t

-’ Vv '- — - *■*'*''" a„

itli

the toddf f- 'pay

from 'flip ,owi'it..)MosHP_ilis.;' sweet .corn top, is g:
exf)f;niiic^).t; jttfatcriWirTy i 'alii(tf..iis can try ( wit:
almt/stV certainty- ,frf‘ buying *'“■ ...»

all expenses*. f-

• How liiiigAvUl one tablo-'spoi
M* bonny or sVrup' furnish fo,

fuT (equal A drachrilsl
oi houpy in- sVrup furnish food for a Qiiecn and ;w
workers '! Ferir'wd’sbaTf get a poor harvest of honey
this Season. Nights and mornings too cool for secre-
tion to take place, in this Section at leasts Am. I right
Mr. Novice:* My bees sirri’ - ' doing 'their Very flevt t."
colUtctrhb BJOd there Is.a 1. ■ J. H. Wn.sox.

LfiXinfftoi^'TbXas.l .irl* •. T; . •

-Mothiiig but a ea refill .ccklievim'ent;. would fur-.
Irish 71; cpyrcCt • aps'vvpi'c* ^ .From . experiments
niade ^last. 'sqhSPli; we WPpId estimate it at 5
ditj's.* ■ fphiptv beck nrt* njqrb than are' generally
sentAvitlra.Queeu,f...,.

*»V ; •" » t, — ft* ~~9 r • *

Bkra&oMnforiii ine*.thft-p)*loe of 3*0111* t^a-kcttle Uee-

We ‘isppsed”' every b'btly.,ik.new,by tfjlfv time',
fiut' Kir'tbe beiicHL.Pf LUpse Who don’t, we Will
no o'vt*r itia'gtiLii. • . iX ' ' . •• . "

. .Al jcAlKlCTff’MA-KEWr^E FEEJ)+:.KS.

'l’clf ypui'itlH-sniitli to. liiftltc you a tea-kettle ,
of tlic.ciiclMiest tin, without cover, ..handle, or
s^joti t,- ' SnKle? *a tfal piece oP'rathcr coarse per- •
'forated tin over the .jilace w-hefe- th6 cover
, usual)y j flts ; i.put sissed jscrejv.'cap, sucl{

as is tytt'd for Pil' citrisj.at o'nq'slidc' of ; title perfc-
rated tin to tUI'ft'u,p"by.,. aiuf apsiyers ;

.as ope of three legs that support. It Just- ov;r
tiie. cluster, of bees',:: pi -an '• inverted, position.
'I’lie- other two- legs are- made of a strip of tin
i r *4x4 IiidlfeCs'foWhbi !i.lce a -.letter V; ttiesc are
'spidered distances from each othir

and From the'strew cap, just outside ofthe. per-
forated tin cover. . .’ . *

*>;.v 4 pltfce-tlfem djrcctly -on the' frapfes, hut
•Adaoi .Qrimm' uses them. over'one.of.the holes
in -tifie' hpnoy-bdSrd.; i,inthat- case’a run of tin
“high enqnigh to allow fhe bees to go under, is
perhaps Jjettoiv but tyhen^tiscd oli 'top 'of the
• frumesS tvi; prelfer the* 'legs,;. To usp it With the
| ■Sini’p/tOily’ hiv’es. a second, Story should sel
qvp’r it wiiije’ffced.ihg ; 'with the Standard hive,
1 '«iMy(? a few.' frames and put it 6iie siub of the
clilstef. If. they commence to', build combs
against it, as' they will at times With sii'ch an
abundant supply, of food,' put in a division
boafd, reaching 'within inch 'of the bottom
of the liivc. We- prefer these feeders to all
others,- because with little labor your bees can
be given Tin iiulimit.ee), supply, for any purpose.
Your tin-smith should make them for you for
$1.00 each, or iBo. if you order a dozen at u
time. . If lie won’t do it, tell him they will in
Medina. If any body says it infringes on any
patent, tell him lie is .a. humbug, and that if he.
wants proof of the invalidity of his claim, to

write us.. • ■

Two cortibs of brood, : mostly- sealed, with
the adhering bees, and a laying Queen, would
make a colony, if 'you could' give them empty,
combs gs fast as needed, and the operation is
performed not later than June 1st. We have
done this witli Italians several times, but have ^
failed with Blacks. If they have to rear a
Queen, say 4 combs ; if they have to build the
comb also, say 6 combs of blood.

DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO BEES -A.ISTX3 EIOISI

Vol. II. JULY

HOW TO CONDUCT AN APIARY'.

No. 7.

' \ Kf E f ear we shall be obliged this month,

'J'J to let the fortunate ones, who have
none but full colonies and are doubtless busy
with their surplus honey, run the machinery
their own way, while we consider the wants
and needs of the unfortunates like ourselves,
who are building up again from a few mere
remnants.

When all the spare combs can be put under
the supervision of the bees, by June 1st, but
little or no apprehension need be felt of the
depredations of the moth miller; but when
1000 combs or more must be kept sately through
the warm weather, or until needed, it may be
a serious matter us to how best to do it. A
little knowledge of the habits of the moth at
such a time may enable us to save much need-
less time and manipulation. We believe
it has been well demonstrated that freezing,
entirely destroys the moth, worms and eggs,
and accordingly hives that have been destitute
of bees ever since freezing weather, if kept per-
fectly closed, that the moth may deposit no
fresh eggs, may be considered safe. It should
be remembered however that they will in the
summer months, deposit eggs around the
cracks, etc., the larva when hatched from
these make their way inside, soon change into
the cocoon, thence into a moth, and when
once a laying moth is inside a hive of combs,
destruction follows very quickly. On page 27
Vol. l, we are informed by a subscriber that,
"corahs hung in the open air, that is, not in a
hive, at a distance of 1 or 1 inches apart, are
almost secure from their depredations”

This although seemingly strange has proved
to be the case in at least two instances, and
even when combs are left in the hive, if they
arc spread so as to be at least an inch apart,
they are seldom troubled by the moth.

Although little danger may be apprehended
from chilling brood during this month, by
spreading too much, yet where the unsealed
brood is thus pushed out-side (he cluster, the .
effect is bad and wasteful ; when you have a
hi va full of bees there seems to he little danger,
and if’tis a possible thing all hives should be
lull before commencing any kind of artificial
swarming or Queen rearing.

A single story hive for instance if full of
bees, could spare a frame of brood once a week
without feeling it. If we have a dozen hivts
or more, that will do the same, we may expect
'° ''e able to produce at hast two new colonics
every week. When these new ones are also

1, 1874. No. VII

able to spare a comb with the rest, we shall
have colonies accumulating at t lie rate of da
week, then 4, and when our number gets up to
25 or 30 one new one per day. This plan will
soon re stock an Apiary, and it lias the advan-
tage of not reducing any hive so long as all
are kept rearing brood. Later in the season
we would give the new colony 0 or 8 combs,
and then they will be sure to be all right no
matter when the season closes. We once in-
creased fTom 11 colonies to 48 In this manner,
and wintered the whole without loss.

Notwithstanding all we have said about
grass and weeds in front of the hive during
the working season, we rarely visit an Apiary
where such ueg.igence is not the prevailing
fault. We have seen a single spear of grass
not more than three inches in bight, knock
down half a dozen heavily laden bees in suc-
cession as they’ sweep laboriously toward the
entrance, which they would have gained had
it not beeu for this trifling obstacle; this oc-
curred in a period of not more than five min-
utes. Now how many bees did the same blade
interrupt in a whole day? Where a thicket
of grass and weeds obstruct the entrance, the
bees almost all of them tumble somewhere near
the hives, and panting from the exertion they
have made, crawl in as best they can, rejoicing
with a glad hum, poor abused patient little
fellows, when their home is safely reached at
last. Many will say, “Oh we raise the hive up,
above the grass etc.,” but that won’t do either,
for in one sense it makes matters worse; those
that fall to make the hive get down, and some-
times never get up. Any careful observer may
see bees from their suspended hives, when very
heavily laden, take wing again and again, be-
fore making the entrance. A broad board be-
fore the entrance ’tis true is a partial remedy,
lint such boards warp, and give a lodging
place for toads spiders and bugs, underneath ;
if you have only the bare ground, kept clean,
it is Arm, solid and simple.

We would set the hive directly on a frame,
made of two inch strips, a little smaller than
the hive ; this would raise It two inches from
the ground, but we would bank sawdust up
around it high enough to cover this frame, and
this wouid help to keep down weeds.

Around the entrance to the hive for at least
a yard each way, we would keep it clean with
a hoe and broom, picking out each spear of
grass ns soon as it can possibly trip up a bee.
That bees take pride in such a door yard is
evident, for they may frequently he seen carry-
ing away sticks and (load bees that lie around
hall' a foot from the hive, and the Italians will

74

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Jrr.v.

even try to pull up grass as it makes its ap-
pearance, so great is their love of order and
neatness. That it will pay in a “dollar and
rent” view can be seen from the following ex-
tract from A. B. J. Vol. 7, page 28. It is an
account of an experiment we then made with
our spring scales.

“To resume the scales: twelve ounces per
hour is one ounce in every five minutes, and
this was readily seen while we were standing
before the hive. About nine o’clock we noticed
a great many bees falling short of the alight-
ing board, which they could not crawl upon,
as the hive was suspended, but had to rest
until they could again take wing; but they
were so heavily laden that this had often to be
repeated. By tacking a piece of cloth to the
edge o ' the hive, so as to drop on the ground,
they hummed in as merrily as you please; and
the scales then showed fifteen ounces an hour,
or one in every four minutes. Now, what do
you think about suspended hives, or hives on
benches? We took the hint and made an ex-
amination, and found many of our hives, where
the bees tumbled on the ground and rolled
over in their attempts to crawl up the painted
edge of the entrance to the hive. A three cor-
nered piece of wood sawed rough, made a nice
bridge for them. Mr. Langstroth’s book sug-
gests the c oth entrance, and we are sure a
little aid in that direction will be amply repaid.
Give the little fellows every possible facility
for unloading easily an 1 speedily, and remem-
ber that their little atom of strength is of much
importance to them, and that all needless steps
or flights should be saved them, as you would
save vour ow n.”

WHAT I HAVJE DONE.

J EAR NOVICE:— I propose to weary you with a
jJ) little history of my experience with bees. In
v the spring of 1^72, I got a box hive of Black
bees; transferred into Buckeye hive ( Patent rights
waste of money > and about middle ol' 'June, took *25 lbs.
comb honey. No increase of bees or further yield of
honey that year. In winter of .72 and ’7tf procured one
other box hive, and two Buckeyes, all Black bees,
having four colonies in all, about 1st Jan., 1873. My
original stock in Buckeye, died out from cold- too
much upward ventilation. Spring (h'3) lound me with
two Buckeyes and one box nive, out the season was
so poor that they barely made enough to live on; in
fact late in the season, say about 1st of Aug. i discov-
ered the box hive, which was the strongest in the
early spring, to be entirely out of honey and having
before that time procured some of your Simplicity
frames and hives, 1 transferred from the box hive into
the simplicity, and commenced feeding, and tin* result
exceeded mv expectations ; for the Queen commenced
laying immediately (she had no eggs in the box hive)
and before the 1st Nov. 1873, the bees had increased
largelv, and had stored and capped over about 25 lbs.
A Codec sugar syrup. In the meantime, i had trans-
ferred the combs from the two remaining Buckeyes
into other Simplicities, and before cold weather, had
them all in good condition, save one, which gave ev-
idences of ociiig Queen less ; and it was for this hive
that I ordered a dollar Queen of you last fall, whi*h
Queen 1 had the misfortune to lose in introducing.
Winter coining on, I made a hive 48 inches long, ami
as wide as Simplicity is long; intending to remove the
frames from small hives Into this long one, and put
wire cloth frames between each colony ol bees, so as
to secure all the heat in a body. I did so and they
seemed to do well. The Queenless colony seemed the
strongest in the lot, and there was no quarreling or
robbing among them.

The entrances to each section, were about 1(> inches
apart, and 1 one day, alter cold weather set in well,
observed very few * bees about the entrance to the
Queenless stock, and on raising the quilt discovered
the bees all gone, aud on raising the quilt over the

adjoining colony, i judged from the quantity of bees
there, that those ol the Queen less stock had united
with their neighbors; so I removed the wire cloth
frame, and substituted a close titling partition. There
were now two colonies left, having a wire trame be-
tween. This wire cloth did not fit tightly at the bot-
tom. ami on examination one day, l failed to find u
Queen in the side that had been next the Queenless
colony, and there also seemed very few bees. 1 con-
ceived the idea that the Queen had died or had passed
under the wire frame into the other side, as tin* bees
were ventilating or buzzing very intently down in one
corner, w here 1 observed they were passing to and fro
very readily. So. supposing they might remain quiet
even if the'Queen was alive, and in the other aide, as
I had read of such things, 1 removed the wire cloth
frame entirely. The next morning I found a dead
Queen in front of the hive, but the bees were quiet
and friendly.

I did not know then, whether I was without a Queen
or not, but an examination discovered one all right.
But in about a week, they killed her, and so I was
then in a bad fix. I had plenty of good comb, and
sealed syrup, and one very strong Queenless colony.
1 failed to find a Queen anywhere here, and it was too
cold to get one by mail, so I had to wait until I could
get a weak swarm, which I finally did in Jan. last;
and in a few days united them with my large colony,
and they have been doing very well so far. They are
Hybrids, and I have them still in my large hive, single
story, and have 2*2 frames In, with brood on 15 of them ;
and on the 3rd inst. I extracted 51)6 lbs- of black Lo-
cust and Clover honey ; having extracted six lbs. ear-
lier in the season.

They are now storing again rapidly, and the Queen
is doing her duty, having been badly crowded, before
J extracted. I had my tinner make an extractor by
directions in Gleanings at a cost of 87.50, and it
works admirably. I extracted 18 frames, and did not
receive a sting. ‘ I w ear a veil, but never use a smoker
of any kind. My hive is low dow n and has saw -dust
in front, and a step or alighting board. 1 intend divi-
ding when I receive my Queen.

Huving now conducted you over the ground I have
traveled in Bee-Keeping for a little over two years, I
am prepared to believe you are weary aud will close
by wishing you better “luck” than you had last win-
i ter. What Novice has done, he can do again, lam
I well assured, and believe your disasters ot the past,
will only serve as guide boards in the future.

Yours truly, J. H. C KIDDLE.
| Nashville, June 5th, 1874.

We are not weary friend C., but on the con-
trary tender our thanks, and request full par-
ticulars of the future working of your mam-
moth hive. Our experience with wire cloth
for division boards has been quite similar, viz.,
that they sooner or later get together and you
have one colony instead of more.

WATCH FOIl BEES,

(|(^^|PHEY are robbing the Quinby hive,
now,” Mrs. N. had said to Novice who
was suffering from a “tormented headache,” to
use his own expression, one pleasant Sunday
afternoon in May. lie had often boasted he
didn’t have headaches, and seemed, so the
women folks say, to regard the matter as a
kind of feminine weakness that one should he
ashamed of, but now he was making more of a
row about it than a whole dozen of the weaker
sex, and more than all some neighboring Black
bees had just discovered that a quantity <>l
combs of nicely sealed sugar syrup were but
poorly guarded by a few miserably weak Italian
stocks. Under the circumstances Mrs. N. and
Master Ernest had been directed to close the
entrances of such hives as failed to make a
successful resistance, by banking the saw-dust
up in front. They soon reported that the rob-
bers were going out and in under the cover ot
the Quinby hive, it having warped enough to
allow this. In this dilemma Novice was again
j consulted, and was obliged to cease rolling am

1874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

75

tumbling on the bed where he lay, long enough
to direct that stove wood be piled on the cover
until the cracks were closed. This was done,
aucl Mrs. N. for additional security placed on
the centre of the top of the liive a large stone
jar, inverted.

When Novice awoke next morning at about
his usual hour — 5 o’clock — although a little sad-
der, and perhaps wiser than usual, his head
was free from pain, and he of course repaired
at once to the Apiary, the scene of yesterday’s
troubles and turmoils.

A refreshing shower, that had been much
needed had materially changed the aspect of
things, and as the locust blossoms had opened
during the night, all robbing had ceased and
every thing was lovely.

On turning his eyes toward the Quinby hive
which stood under the shade of a dwarf pear
tree, he beheld a perfect circle of bees for all
the world like beads strung on a string, greed-
ily sipping the rain water from the concave
bottom of that inverted stone jar. It was
raised up so they could find it readily, was
clean, and so shallow it could not drown them,
and altogether seemed just the thing. Later,
after Blue Eyes was up the numbers had in-
creased, and so intent were they on sipping
the pure water, that she could touch them with
her lingers without their scarcely noticing the
interruption. Of course the supply was soon
out, or would have been had we not replenish-
ed it; the concavity held about a tea-cup-ful,
and Miss Maudie was commissioned to see
that they did not "get out.” But they did for
all that,' for during hot days several tea-cup-
fuls were needed, partly on account of evapora-
tion, and it only remained for Novice to devise
a cheap and simple mechanical arrangement to
keep constantly full the shallow cavity in the
bottom of that stone jar. This he did very
quickly by tilling a quart glass fruit jar with
water ; a piece of paper was laid over the
mouth until it could be inverted on the Stone
jar, and then the paper was drawn out. Of
course when the water became exhausted so
as to allow a bubble of air to go up into the
jar, a little more water comes down and so on.
A quart of water lasts several days, and the
receptacle being glass we can always see when
it needs replenishing. We were amused this
morning to see the usual number of bees
around it, and more going and coming quick-
ly, even though it was raining quite briskly.
Many of the bees were quite young Italians,
that it seems had become so accustomed to
going to a certain spot for water, that they
couldn’t think of doing otherwise even though
water was raining down all about them. We
are well aware the principle of the above is not
new, as feeders on a similar plan are in use,
but the plan of supplying fresh water is new
to us at least. Wc have in former years tried
arrangements with shavings, water allowed to
drip on a board, and a cloth laid over a vessel
lull of water, but all of them were soon aban-
doned because they were too much trouble, or
Were untidy etc., and the bees were allowed to
go to distant muddy streams, to the pump etc.
Is it not a fact that during the working season
'lie workers mostly fail from worn our wings,
and if this is the case should we not save them
all we can by having supplies near at hand; at

least water if we can do nothing further i

Our 4000 Basswood trees were planted with
this end in view, that is, to give them as much
forage within one fourth mile of their hives,
as they usually get in an area of one and a
half or two miles around their hives.

The device we have mentioned can of course
be used for out door feeding, and it is perfectly
secure from waste; by inverting a tumbler of
syrup in a saucer, we can also use it for feed-
ing in the hives, when there is no occasion to
feed rapidly. This latter plan lias been given
several times in print already.

qVILTS.

JUDGING from the number of inquiries,
and from the erroneous impression the
writers evidently have in the matter we should
judge that we had not been sufficiently ex-
plicit in regard to the manner of making, and
the office of this very useful substitute for the
honey-board.

Tlie principal error seems to be the impres-
sion that they are only used during the winter
and spring, whereas, with hives made with a
light cover, hinged on, as we make the Sim-
plicity, Standard, and in fact all hives ordered,
a quilt is a positive necessity at all timex of the
year. If they are omitted, the bees not only
get crushed under the cover when it is shir,
down, but they proceed at once to gum it fast
with propolis, making it necessary to pry up
the cover with a knife when we wish to open
it, an operation that is at once fatal to the
morals of both bees and owner.

Tlie bees should never tie allowed to get above
the quilt under the cover at all, and to ensure
this tlie quilts must be nicely fitted. As they
are liable to shrink in time, they should be
made rather large, and before tlie cover is
closed they should be carefully tucked down
all around so that not a crevice is left open,
and not a particle of the quilt sticks out so as
to interfere with the close shutting of tlie cov-
er. Considerable complaint has been made of
the bees eating through the quilts, and we have
had a little trouble of that kind, but not when
proper (doth was used. We visited a neighbor
a few days ago who lias between 40 and 50 col-
onies, and could but admire the nice fitting
perfect quilts he used; when questioned he
remarked that he had used them for two years
and had never had one gnawed through in all
that time. An examination showed that they
were made of very coarse, hard twisted cotton
sheeting. They were sewed on a sewing ma-
chine, and when done were quilted across with
very long machine stitches as in the following
figure.

They were tilled with three thicknesses of
wadding. Should these quilts lie found superi-
or to those we have before described, give the
credit to Mr. E. O. Blakeslee of this place, the
mail of the “rail-way Apiary” plan for conveni-
ence in extracting; and by the way his uniform
success in the ‘ bee business” bids fair to place
him way ahead of "us Novices.”

7(5

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

J mv.

OUR PRIMARY DEPARTMENT,

Or First Principles in Bee-Keeping'.

(Designed especially for the veriest novices, and
those who know nothing of bees whatever. Dominat-
ed bv a fellow Novice of several years experience
replete with blunders, as well as with occasional
successes.]

'fj'J; VERY few days, some one calls on 11 s to
.11 know something about Bee-Keeping.
Although ’tis not always the first query, it
comes along very soon as to whether bees real-
ly pay in the long run. We inform them that
our Apiary has always paid 11 s a fair profit,
and a few seasons a very generous one, but
still like nearly all new industries, in some
respects it must be considered quite uncertain.
Oftentimes comes the query, “If one is going
to devote their time to the business had they
not better buy 40 or 50 colonies so as to have |
an income from them at once?” to which we
reply, we should consider such a proceeding !
not only very unwise, but almost sure to end
in failure.

"Well, tell us just wliat yon would advise
then Mr. N. to learn as speedily as we can
consistently with safety. Give us a short cut
that will relieve us of the necessity of wading
through long chapters of dry details, if such a
thing be possible. Tell us how to act, and let
ns be doing something.”

With all our heart, and as we very much de-
tire that your undertaking be a source of pleas-
ure as well as profit, please excuse us if we
insist that you commence on a firm basis — do
well what you do, do.

WHAT TO DO FIRST.

Get two posts 6 feet long and three inches
square, these must be of some durable wood,
white oak for instance. If you can afford the
trouble and expense we really would prefer
that you have them planed and painted, at any
rate do not expect your Apiary ever to be any
thing you may be proud of, if you push down
some old sticks temporarily, one longer than
tlie other perhaps, and both askew, for such
work soon becomes unattractive and is shun-
ned. Many visitors have admired our Apiary,
and thought it no wonder we enjoyed bee-keep-
ing in such a place, and these same persons :
have declared their intention of tipping their 1
poor neglected hives of bees up square, and
true, removing the weeds, starting grape vines
etc., but alas ! their attempts were too often
but a couple of sticks picked up hastily as we
have mentioned, and a few vigorous strokes in
tlie battle with old dame nature, and then they
desisted before the “coy old lady” had even had
time to yield and bless her devotees with such
smiles as only the successful cultivator of the
soil know's she can give.

Select the site of your workshop, for such
we shall expect it to be, near the house, and
where it can have plenty of sun ; and if conve-
nient slanting slightly to the south. Drive
these posts or stakes in the ground, so that
they stand east and west and just three feet i
from eacli other, measuring from outside to
outside. They are to he driven in the ground
so that just four feet of them is left above, and
they must stand plumb and square ; if yon
can’t make them otherwise, get a lever and
strong chain and twist them until they are so.

Now nail a strip of pine board 1x3 inches ami
3 feet long, on tlie south of both, and just level
with the top, frnn one to the other; just three,
feet below this nail a similar one. When the
whole is square, true, and plumb, stretch three
wires from one strip to the other ; these arc; to
be at equal distances from the posts, and from
each other, and we would then have something
like tlie following figure.

Let A, A, represent the posts. B, B, the 1x3
strips nailed on the south side of the posts, ami
C, D, E, the wives. These wires should be gal-
vanized iron wire, about No. 1(1 or 17, larger
would be more expensive and no better. Now
we are all ready to have a tine thrifty Concord
grape vine planted directly underneath the
central wire D. Of course some other grape
will do, but we have found none so hardy and
thrifty, and that gives us the strong rapid
growth that is so desirable for making a shade
for our hives as soon as extreme hot weather
comes on. Vines are usually planted only in
the spring and fall, but we should have very
much more confidence in your success if we
knew you were one of those clever individuals
who can plant a vine and make it grow, at any
season of the year. You can surely do it if you
have a mind to. Go to your nearest nursery
man (don’t ever buy of peddlers) tell him what
you want, and get him to help you take up the
vine, roots dirt and all, soaking the soil with
water to make it stick together if need be.
while you place the whole in a bushel basket
for transportation. Make a large hole beneath
your trellis, and lift your vine into it as care-
fully as you took it up, till in with good soil,
and after cutting off all the top but one shoot
with three or four leaves, treat it just as you
would a hill of corn that you wished to do ex-
tra well. If the operation is done in hot dry
weather, it will probably need watering, and
may be shading, until it gets started. We ex-
pect you in future to see that no weed or spear
of grass is allowed to make its appearance
within a yard at levst of this grape vine.
Since we have our vine planted, and ready to
grow, we are now prepared to look up a hive
of bees to be located on the north side ol our
vine, close to the trellis.

Next month we will consider the future
training of this vine, as well as what to do
with tlie Bee Hive.

If you purchase one meanwhile, select one
that has lots of bees at work.

If<74.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CELTERE.

17

oris own a?uuv.

vpij^E have only two losses to record since

jj out last, and this bright morning, June
Stu, everything seems to indicate we are near-
ly through our valley of huniilation Of the
two losses mentioned, one was the loss of the
Queen received from Lousiana, she was stung
by the bees after having been accepted at least
'24 hours, the other was the swarming out as
we suppose, of the Queen reared thisspring in
the Quinby hive; for bees and all were all gone,
leaving only a small patch of brood not ready
to hatch. We believe both cases point out a
moral : The former, the uncertainty of any of
the methods of introduction of Queens to old
bees, and the latter of the folly of having a hive
in the Apiary with combs of an odd size, for
had not such been the case we should have
strengthened them up with hatching brood as
we did the rest. In regard to introducing
Queens, of those sold last season, it seems that
nearly half of them were reported lost in get-
ting them into colonies. Now the plan we
adopted with our imported Queen viz., giving
her four combs selected from different colonies,
each one containing bees just gnawing out of
the cells, it seems to us is not very difficult nor
troublesome, and it makes a sure thing of it,
and, a good colony in very few days. In
lifting the combs from the hives we brushed
off every single bee, but in half an hour enough
had hatched to make <juite a little cluster
about the Queen, and to-day (17 days later)
they are working about as briskly as any col-
ony we have. Of course some unsealed brood
will be lost, but if the weather is warm, or the
hive he taken in doors for the first week during
cool nights, but little loss will ensue.

We have now 16 colonies and some of them
are hardly yet able to repel robbers, although
we have drawn on our stronger colonies for
brood until they have become seriously weak-
ened.

IIOW THE MOTHS NEARLY GOT THE
BETTER OF US.

June ntJi — On the first day of June, which
was a bright Monday morning, P. U., with
commendable ambition, repaired to our bee
house about 4 o'clock in the morning and pro-
ceeded to give it a thorough “setting to rights”
which il then was sadly in need of, and so
quietly did site proceed, that her task was well
nigh accomplished before Novice made an ap-
pearance. In order to reduce the compass of
‘he accumulation of combs and hives from
which the bees had died, she put twelve combs
in the hives that had contained ten, and thus
reduced the number of hives that lumbered up
the room. Novice when informed of these j
proceedings was inclined to remonstrate, but
being rushed with other duties, and thinking
all the combs had been frozen since the bees
'' ll 'd, and that our house was tight enough to
keep out the millers etc., we actually let the 1
matter rest” without looking at those 12 comb
hives until last evening. It is true we careful-
ly looked over a part of the hives that were]
left closed on their summer stands, removing
tlie combs that became infested, and after pick-
ing out the welis and wpnns as well as we
'■"tild, placing the comb in the centre of a col-
'myofbecs. ‘Tvvas really amusing to see the

Italians dig out any worms we had overlooked
and the promptitude with which two of them
if need be, would take a big worm amt carry
him to “furrin parts.” After spreading the
combs until each hive contained only seven or
eight, without quilts, we had but little trouble.
Well, after we had gone over those out doors
on the evening of the 16th, as it was nearly
dark, we proposed making an inspection of the
twelve comb hives. The first comb would hard-
ly come out, ’twas webbed fast to its neighbor ;
the next hive was about the same. After a
hurried consultation the job was, at his re-
quest, turned over to Novice and although
’twas nearly 6 o’clock and raining, he proceed-
ed as follows ; As no brimstone had been used
in our Apiary for some years, he first repaired
with umbrella to the drug store, next the hives
were lifted down and the shelves were turned
up edgewise so that they would hold a row of
combs the length of the building. The combs
were placed about one inch apart, no attention
being paid to webs or worms ; as the shelves
would not quite hold all, thus, a few were
spread in the'hives and left on the floor. Mrs.
N's largest kettle was borrowed, and half filled
with glowing coals, it was placed over another
to prevent its burning the bee house floor;
both were placed so near the door, that when
all was ready a whole pound of brimstone was
dropped in the kettle of coals and the door
closed hastily — the upper ventilator had been
stopped by a roll of quilts, and all was tight.
The work of death proceeded, and although
’twas half past ten, Novice stood with his uoge
flattened against the window in the door, until
plump eleven o, clock, then lie repaired to his
rest, but Instead of sleeping the sleep of the
just, he dreamed alternately that the Apiary
was burning up, and of great worms a
foot long or less that defied both fire and brim-
stone, and not only refused to die but “chawed”
voraciously at nice strait worker comb, and
when that was all gone actually commenced
chewing up the metal corners too.

Five o'clock in the morning — Anxiously Nov-
ice wends his steps bee-house-ward ; raises a
comb from a hive on the floor; as sure as you
are alive there the worms are, alive and well,
lie closes the door in despair, takes a turn in
the rain but finally goes back and looks at the
string of suspended combs. All ! They are
dead , dead as door nails — all dead except
ttiose in the hives on the floor. Of course the
rest were hung up high in a string, aud whilst
(lie room is undergoing a second fumigation,
Novice was promptly on hand at business as
usual, and is now “deep” in Gleanings.

June 25 th — We have now got the moth
worms under complete subjection, but very
few having been found after the second fumi-
gation of tlie beehouse, and these were where
they were completely covered up, in a mass of
webs; strange to us, this mass of webs seems
to enable them to withstand, in some eases,
the sulphur fumes for several hours.

Our first attempt at rearing queens from our
imported mother, gave us eight queen cells,
and we have, strangely enough, succeeded in
getting eight line queens from them, by the
plan given on another page. Although the
queen* nv not yet fertile, we are giving their
nuclei a comb f ggs, as fast as they can use
them ; “vie" an non '24 pretty fair little colonies.

78

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July.

Gleanings in Bee Culture,

Published monthly,

-A_ I. ROOT Sc CO.,

EDITORS AND PROPRIETORS

MEDINA To HI oT~

Terms: 75e. Per Annum.

For Club Rates see Last Page.

MEDINA, JULYl,1874r

Roll of Honor, is so large, ’twas crowded out en-
tirely.

Miss Anna Saundeks, and W. J. Standcfer, have
more orders for Queens than they can fill.

The yield of honey is reported good in some? places,
poor in others, and extra good in a few localities.

Mr. L. B. Hogue sends us a sample of a new honey
jar. It is of flint glass, very neat, and the price is
very low.

We are happy to state that Mr. E. Kretchmer whose
advertisement appears in this number, has abandoned
the “right” business. His prices for implements are
quite reasonable.

By a series of fortuitous events we find to-day, 2Gth,
three more of our hives well populated, one of these
densely, and we are now 27. Will tell how we hive
natural swarms next month.

E. C. Blakeslee who advertises in this number,
rears from au imported Queen that came with our
own, and is in every respect her equal. We cheerful-
ly recommend Mr. B. as being prompt and reliable.

Tiie Standard Hive works excellently, and we are
inclined to think comb building goes on with better
economy than where the entrance allows a passage of
air directly between all the combs. It Is possible the
same may be said of brood rearing also. ’Tls true the
L. frame may be worked in a long hive the same way,
but their length makes them much more Inconvenient
to handle.

m »n m>

We arc so unfortunate as to have no colonies that
have as yet required any subduing to speak of, but
yet we have given the wormwood spoken of in our
last number, a trial. It will without doubt, at once
quell a colony, that might threaten to disregard the
smoke of rotten wood alone, and It is very easily used,
for we have only to sprinkle the leaves of the dried
herb on the coals in our sauce pan smoker.

The Bee World , for June made its appearance
promptly a little after the first of the month, and we
are happy to add with an appearance indicative of
much care in its general “ get up ”. We hope it may
receive a liberal support so long as it is kept equal to
the number in question.

Terms, $2.00 per year. We can furnish it with
Gleanings, for $2.25 or to our present subscribers for
$1.50.

m m » - -

We will send eggs and larva* by mall, from our
queen just Imported from Italy, for 25c. Those situa-
ted so near by, that they can get them the same day
they are mailed, will probably rear queens from them .
When they arc to go a greater distance, we can al-
most guarantee them to be useless. A great number
of experiments were made last season, but they were
entire failures, except when they were only sent to
adjoining, or neighboring counties. We will send
the eggs promptly, but can be responsible no farther
for the success of the experiment.

m »•* »

We are pained to learn that Hr. Hamlin of Edge-
field Junction, Tenn., died on the 24th of May. The
Dr., has been one of our veterans in Bee Culture, has
been especially active in rearing and disseminating
the Italians, and has for many years controlled a
large Apiary. m \ m

We hold ourselves at all times, responsible for the
prompt appearance of Gleanings at the beginning of
each month, but not for any of the Journals with
which we club. We guarnatee that their respective
publishers receive themoi ey t and correct address, and
after that all responsibility on our part ceases.

In mentioning last month, the comb baskets offered
by Kruschke Bro’s, Berlin, Wis., we omitted to give
residence. A sample of the Rape seed, they advertise,
sent us, proves it to be quite unlike our own. Their
little book on Rape Culture etc., is now mailed on re-
ceipt of a stamp.

The Basswood Orchard has recovered from the ef-
fects of the “Grasshopper siege” of last summer, and
the trees are now waving their thousands of bright
green leaves, in a way that seems to say “we’re good
lor barrels of honey if you’ll only wait patiently a few
years.” ^

Oun June No. was badly printed, some Nos. very,
and we will with pleasure send a better one on being
notified. The Bee World discovered our vulnerable
point, and very properly remarked that bad print was
as bad, as bad grammar. That’s right, if Novices can’t
keep the “rolls” in order it’s their business to get
some one that can teach them how.

We omitted to mention that the glass jar for giv-
ing bees water, should be supported by three bits of
glass placed under its mouth, when inverted, or the
water will not present surface enough to give a large
number of bees a chance.

Also, under the head of quilts, we should have sta-
ted that the space above the frames in the Simplicity
two story hives, was necessarily made shallow, to
avoid having too great a space between the upper ami
lower combs, when the hive was used two story. With
the Standard hive, nothing prevents having all the
depth required for tucking down the quilt with facili-
ty. We therefore make the rabbet 1# by % which, af-
ter putting in the metal rabbet, leaves a space between
t he top of the frames and the upper edge of the hive
of about %, of an inch, which is about light to hold a

? ;ood thick warm quilt, or a straw mat if preferred,
or wintering^ ^ ^ ^

We find upon actual trial, that Quinby’s Now Smo-
ker has many qualities that we have not given it cred-
it for heretofore. It is very light and very neat, ami
perhaps the most ingenious part of it is, that if stood
on end, it will burn for an hour, or more if need be,
but will go out at once when laid on its side. It will also
drive bees any where we wish, with an ease ami
speed, and wit h an extremely small amount of smoke
that w as an agreeable surprise on first using it. We
should be very glad to stop here, and not mention
that it all came to pieces before we bad used it an
hour, In consequence of its having been put together
with soft solder, but such is the fact. We wrote to
Mr. Q. at once, and he will doubtless sec that they are
properly made hereafter. When ours got cold we
managed to fasten it without the solder, and It is non
certainly a most convenient implement In the A plan*
The bellows part of It is exceedingly well made a jm
very light and neat, and as the combination is entire-
ly Mr.Q’s invention we hereby protest against Its
ing copied by others without his consent. With t
smoker, the dilllculties of opening the Quinby h‘ u
would be very much lessened.

cm

CLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

79

DEPOSITORY OF
H LASTED II O P3E;M S :

KrleHcrs From those who have made Bee
(Culture a Failure.

,rs;j PE A KING ol bees etc.— I got my Extractor alter
nHj swarming time last year. Had suffered bv too
^ inach swarming, nevertheless pitched In with it,
and look about 4i.O lbs. honey, leaving however, eight
•out of twenty hives for cap honey, and readied noth-
ion from them. 1 was taken violently sick the last of
August, and was unable to do anything more, until
tobacco, corn, and seeding wheat were on hand de-
manding my whole attention, contenting myself In
looking at my bees working Industriously on buck-
wheat, taking for granted that they were 'doing well.
In Dec. 1 examined my hives and found but little
honey, no pollen, and bees greatly reduced In number.
*6(1 them IVeely with a mixture of rye Jlour sugar and.
■honey, (some weak hives had been fed before with
tea-kettle feeders Young hies were soon found in
•comb, hut alas! the lee spell in Jan. swept oil' a num-
ber of hives, and the next cold snap, some more.
Human like. Novice had to bear the blame, (extract-
ing) but when I examined the hives unextracled,
bmnd that in proportion (most of these my best) they
had lost more in number, so Novice and Extractor
bad to be cleared of the charge.

Conclusion— want of bee bread and inattention on
my part in time, reduced the numbers of the bees so
that they could not keep up a sufficient heat In ice
spell. Food, though scarce in the combs, was in
abundance on top of the frames, immediately over
(lie cluster and was used IVeely by the bees until the
ire spell closed (heir labors, Dees died iu solid clus-
ter ou the com Its just under the feed, lltves wintered
on summer stands. Several weak stands have united
tad wdh same feed are now safe.

THE DOLLARS VIEW.

Interest and labor on 12 stands $10. each, ext’il $15.00
400 lbs. honey at 12N cts. 50.00

Gain by Extractor $15.00

Interest anil labor lost oil 8 hives for box honey 10.00

(dear gain by Extractor $45.00

Or if all had been extracted, and yielding at the

same rnt<x then, 600 lbs. at 12% cts ...$82.50

Interest, labor etc..... 22.50

Gaia by using Extractor with 20 colonies bees, one

ltcd Hill, Va. j. n. TownlKV.

that? ’Twas no fault of your’s that your bees
didn’t die, it only “just happened so," and may-
be you’ll “ketch it” next time. We should feel
more inclined to console ourselves in this man-
ner however, were it not that others had lost
bees in friends B’s neighborhood, all around
about him, during both the past winters. Let
us see if lie can do it again next winter.
Friend M. is right too, tor we have seen many
instances of bees wintering nicely where no
care was taken at all. and circumstances seem
ed decidedly unfavorable.

iRIEND NOVICE: — I have just been perusing the
Gleanings, and there is something very remarkable
In all this; you and I have had exactly the same expe-
rience In spring management.

Our bees have dwindled down precisely in the same
manner. Some of our most populous hives, when set
out, are now nonest. We had two Italian Queens, one
got lost, the other. In a very strong stock In enrlv
spring, escaped destruction by the “skin of her teeth.'’
I will uot venture to put her hi a strong colon v, so she
lays about a dozen eggs in each cell. I lirst thought
something was wrong with her, but tlud that all she
desires is “elbow room.” Out of 08 colonies— same
number as yours— we have now twenty nine; three
are yet Quecnlcss, and one has a young Queen just
laying.

In regard to our neighbors, they were just like yours.
Ihose that call eggs "nits” and swarms ‘young liees”
seem to have lost none; nud open their eyes wide
when I tell them of my loss. I presume they go off
thinking, “well, them don’t know much about bees,
I II bet a chaw terbaccer.” 1 uruess the reason our
bees die, is, that they are civilized and rellned and
consequently can’t stand such treatment from the
Weather King. Yours in sympathy,

Uerlin, Wls- June 8th 187k ’ J. D.’Kruschkk.

P. S.— I think In a few days I can get some to work
in boxes it the weather keeps favorable.

We too, are satisfied now, that the fault was
no fault of our Queens; for all they seem to
need, is bets. Even now (June 19th) they per-
sist in going over their ground the second or
third time i. e. putting two or more eggs in a cell.

®,i(©)'p jO'irtvS’ 3E;n.c o u i n^.

^jfljRIEND NOVICE —In relation to bee matters
n “J am in the same IxxU with yourself. I set out 2
^ swarms in March. 22 of them were strong am
wealthy. I now have six swarms, and two ol thes
W and one has an old Queen not very prolific

1 had two Italian swarms, both dwindled down to
mere sliudow, and only one Queen was saved. .She i
■on duty now.

To say that I was blue would eonvey but a ftiint Idea
i was however soon cheered up by learning from
neighboring bee-keeper who had 10ft swarms in con
mon box hivos, that he had lost 25 and’they were sti

• ■■•.w-i, vim v nt iivui .inn mi;) were sui

V. i§r l * at accounts l\il 1 half of the 100 had “peg
out,” My own and this gentleman's loo, wer

ii ( it /> /,« 1 1 <kt-

ked Jta , a,

Wintered in the cellar.

1 have come to this conclusion ; that bco-keep
ng is one ol the most uncertain pursuits a person cal

1 .. .fUS® .. ,s nothing to winter a swarm of bees
uiii from March until llowers come, there’s the rub
i specially when we have snow until the 3rd ol Slav

an I not set out with the determination to succeed
.“wow «1> Hie pursuit In disgust. Hut 1 wll
"Jit a little longer and see if the good time won’
vomc sometime.

It Is tlie old established custom in tills uclghborhoot
1 nil, < 0U ,l V Kl l >1 ” h for shade. 1 have done a wonder
v ,4 roollsh thing to some minds- have planted tin
nJ™ 6 , Ilu 1 whole length of our farm, 118 rods, t<
^ e shall never give up until we see bee:
iiY.n’ * '"Ttar from our “Linden Avenue.”

wa ? Is Mr. Polio entitled to a great deal o.

11.. , ‘U'' wintering, or I should say, springing lii:
e*i> < ..?i° n * e8 ’ , know of bee-keepers with little or to

■ 1 ulence who have lost none tills past spring.

hi. n «® rc 80 ma,, y varying circumstances mav no

i. *>»<> his “W aterloo •*’ J. 11. M.u’.tin

H articl'd, N. Y. Juno 8th, 1874.

There, friend Bolin, what do you thin); ol

ffl.lt Queen I reoclved from you last fall is all
||i light so far, hut too early to say much about her
=? purity.

t lie 8th of June last, I bought three stocks of bees
‘"-box hives, transferred In about ten days ami re-
ceived from them during the season 870 llis. of nice
honey, and doubled mv colonies. They are alive and
strong at the present time. I think that is not so had
Considering the somewhat poor season of 1873.

Port Sanilac, April 27th, 1874. Win. SFKDDINO.

DEAR NOVICE:— My bees are getting me into
trouble, they are making too much honey; they are
tilling every comb in their hives so there is hardly anv
room for brood. I have been taking frames out, but
they (ill tlie now combs as fast as they build them.

Retreat, Ind. June 8th, 1874. John Baxter.

FRIEND NOVICE:— We are now in the bight of
honey harvest, the Holds are snowy white w 1th clover
and the bees are almost breaking their little necks
carrying In honey. I have a good time with my knife
you sent me, and my extractor. 1 have four ol my
Blacks Italianized, got two more to Italianize to-mor-
row. 1 extracted from two colonies of Italians yester-
day Sjf gallons of honey. Made three new swarms,
pure Italians. I mil using a 30 inch hive, frames ION x
10 deep ; don’t want anything better for the worktug
season, and they «re just right to winter two colonies
in by using a division board. I think 1 will reach six
hundred lbs. honey this season. I have sold some ex-
tracted honey at 30c. per lb., how will that do for fruit
blossom honey? N. W. Kershaw, Hope, Ohio,

P.S.— Will honey extracted before the bees com-
mence capping it over, sour if it is kept la a cool dry
place?

It is liable to, if extracted when very thin,
oud it. becomes very unpleasant even it’ kept
where it docs not sour. Be very careful not

fO

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

July.

to spoil your reputation by sending out raw
unripened honey.

I slnn-j; out ii barrel ol honey yesterday, and Intend-
ed to do the same to-dav lmt pot sick from working too
h ird. Weather was extremely hot and help is scarce.

Tiikoii. 51. Molt/, West Falrview, I’a.

Is not your Apiary so arranged that you
work at a disadvantage friend M? A barrel,
should li d I"' II fa tignhig day's work.

UIJJGEN itllAUINW.

No. 2.~~

S/'Lji'it vexatious to have a fine lot of Queen
-T . cells built, capped over and just ready
to hatch, and then have the greater part
torn down. We are glad to be able to state
that there is a way of making all such losses
out of the question, especially when you are
building up an apiary as we are now. We
gave this plan partially two years ago, in gl.
li. page 15, Vol. 8. it is as follows : Make
a Queenless colony by any method you choose,
then supply them with eggs only, or eggs and
brood both as you prefer, from your choicest
Queen; there should he bees enough, mostly
young, to cover ten combs. Just before the
Queen cells are ready to hatch, cut them out,
and put them hack so that you have one in
each comb ; or what is better, go to your oth-
er hives and select combs containing young
bees just hatching, or gnawing out of their
Cells— be sure you sec ou each comb, bees just
biting through — and insert a cell in each of
these. Of course you shook or brushed every
bee from these combs before inserting the cell ;
now place them all in the hive where the cells
were reared, and leave them long enough to
ii ive them well covered with bees, and the
cells properly fastened, if convenient. Should
you get 15 or 20 cells, a double width or Stand-
ard iiive will be found quite convenient. Of
course none of the Queens must be allowed to
hatch in this mammoth hive of combs of brood,
but each comb with cell and adhering bees is
to be taken up quietly and carried to a new
it ive on a new stand. This operation should
lie performed toward evening, when the bees
are all at home. These combs with cell etc.,
in the new hive, if they contain plenty of bees
and brood will generally care for the Queen
without trouble, hut to make a sure thing of it
we would give a second comb of hatching bees
to each one; this will make them strong nu-
clei, able to repel robbers, or to take care of
what eggs or unsealed larva; tlieir combs may
• contain." Put the two combs up to one side of
the hive with the Queen cell between them,
and if you have them, an empty comb or two
with them will be all the better. Tuck the
quilt around them carefully, for they are
‘ homeless orphans" until their Queen hatches,
and fasten them, in for one or two days. 'Ibis
last is not always necessary but if robbers arc
about, it prevents the necessity of close watch
lug, and will induce many bees to remain that
might otherwise go home. Build them up as
mentioned last month.

See that every colony is supplied with eggs
tit least once in three days, whenever any thing
may occur to prevent their having a laying
Queen. With a colony rearing Quten culls, it
will lie of great advantage, as it keeps the
young bees all constantly employed, and after

their Queen is hatched, and until she begins to
lay (a period of from 8 to 12 days with us),
it is of the greatest importance not only in
permitting the colony to go on briskly, but in
inducing the young Queen to make an early
flight. You can get eggs how, by putting an
empty comb in a strong colony over night, and
if you have nicely fitting hives and frames, you
can put them in where needed almost as quick-
ly as we can tell it. If you are going to be an
Apiarist there should he no excuse for neglect-
ing little matters like this.

JHCumb u s« it «I Sw * n «i * <»

Pertaining to Hoc Culture.

[We respectfully solicit the aid of pur friends in
conducting ilii-s department, and would consider it
a favor to have them send us all circulars that have
a deceptive appearance. The greatest care will be at
nil times maintained to prevent injustice being done
any one.] _

vyr 11. T. II. B. WOODY, Manchester, Mo.

vva8 complained of, some time ago, and
we wrote him, asking if he could give us any
explanation of the matter. He replied at
length, stating he had faithfully filled all or-
ders with the exception of one, the writer of
which had failed to give his address, and that
he would he pleased to learn where lie should
send the money or Queens. This might have
explained a part of the matter, and had he not
before closing, called on God to witness the
purity of all his motives and intentions, we
might, have thought him upright and honora-
ble. We then wrote our friend Khun, of Sher-
man, Texas, that Mr. Woody had lost his ad-
dress ; friend K. considered this too big a joke-
altogether, and forwarded us a mass of letters
of apology, excuses, and attempts to lay the
blame on other people, that it seems to us it
would have been worth full $12.00, the amount
in question, to write. He first blames G. II
Boughton, (see Dec. Swindles of last year) for
having cheated him out of a larger amount, as
if that excused /tm at all; and finally says la-
will return the money by post office order it 1
friend K. will lake the risk of having it sent
thus. Afterward wants to know if he won’t
“take pigs,” money is so hard to get ; it may be
hard to get in Texas too, for that matter. At
all events our subscriber had been writing
nearly two years in vain, in the attempt to get
back his $12.00 or the Queens, and yet Mr. T.
II. B., “cUdn’jt know his address.”

A large number of persons are now solicit-
ing orders for Queens, Bee-keeper’s supplies
etc. etc., and just as soon as it is known that
! one of them refuses to refund the money sent
him, or lo send the goods ordered, we hope our
friends will give us their names without hesi-
tation. Before making any transaction public,
we will give them ample time to clear them-
! selves if they can.

t Queens reared on Kelley’s Island are again
ad vi rtised in such glowing terms, as the “Italy
of America etc.,” and the prices asked for them
are enough to do all they propose honorably,
but the gentlemen should be Informed that ii
no Queens are reared at all on the Island, as ,
was l he ease last year, they may expect to haw
jour Bee-keepers fully informed in the matin-
Several letters are now ou hand regarding
their traffic.

1874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

81

JI i* si d K of €. i* si in,

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS.

s \ if i-:ssus A. I. ROOT & C°.— In March we had a
j»yjl tine flow of honey, but 1 being a beginner hatl
wV“ 9 weak stocks and did not reap full beneflt, but
i: was of great service In building up and we had much
nice honey. I raised Queens in March and was care-
ful to put no comb in except pure Italian, but to my
surprise I found three Black Queens, or nearly so, and
1 have not yet seen any workers from them witli yel-
low bands. All other Queens raised then and since,
are bright. 1 live on Vermillion Itiver out of reach of
over flow. Pryest ground is right on bank. How far
oil' would you put an Apiary? How far off will It lie
safe lo keep black drones ? will soon have none and no
neighbor within half mile. When and how can I
move bees 100 yards safely ? J. B. Ra.mseY M. D.

Abbeville, Vermillion, La.

We are inclined to think the Queens men-
tioned came from common brood by some
means.

We are too little acquainted with the South
to be able to advise intelligently as to locating
an Apiary, but would remark generally, that
we would choose the lowest ground we could
And, that was not too wet to be in danger of
drowning the bees; our reasons are that they
might be sheltered from high winds ; if sur-
rounded by hills, rocks or tall forests, all the
better; secondly, we would have the bees de-
scend, when going home laden. On going
home before a storm and perhaps wearied, they
would sail down into the quieter valley almost
by gravity alone, whereas were their home on
a “hill top,” the hardest part of the battle
would be to ascend in the face of the blast,
when laden with pollen and possibly honey
too, besides the fatigue usually resulting after
a day of labor. We should pay but little at-
tention to proximity of water, for this can be
easily secured artificially.

Bees are reported to go home, even after
having been removed as far as 2 miles ; careful
observation however is needed to be aware of
this ; but we think drones should be kept two
miles away, or more if possible.

We know of no way of moving a colony of
working bees during the working season, 100
yards, without loss. We have made careful
experiments in the matter, have smoked, and
drummed, and clustered them with their Queen
apart from their combs, yet go home they
would a great part of them, in spite of us.

Thoughtless people may claim there is no
loss, but if they put a similar hive on the
original spot, they can easily determine how
many are lost ; if no such hive is used, they
scatter about in a way that would likely be
unnoticed, but careful inspection of the shrub-
bery, gra$s, etc., at night or early in the
morning, will generally reveal the homeless
wanderers. Moving them one foot a day is the
safest plan we khow, but ’tis a great bother,
and after all a considerable damage to their
labors.

, ^ any one can direct us in a better way,
twin be a favor. Of course by confining the
bees to the hive, or after a spell of bad weath-
er of a week* or more, they can be moved with-
out much loss, but careful observation shows
that even then, the older bees are many of
them missing, and in some cases the loss is
considerable. We once purchased a colony of
a ucighbor in January ; they had no weather
enabling them to fly freely until March, but

even then so many bees went back that they
froze outright, the first cold night ; and exam-
ination showed a great part of them scattered
about on the ground at their old home. That
such is not always the case we are well aware,
but it should be borne in mind that such re-
sults may frequently be expected.

I put 50 colonies in cellar last lull. In Lnngstroth
hives— uneasy all winter— thermometer between 31"
and 50®. Two died with dysentery- more had it— ha\ e
united unfil 1 have 40 left. Bound to have all strong
if have to do so some more. Some had brood in ten
combs— will average about eight. Cold bad spring.

Adams, Wis. May 30th, 1874. J. L. Woeeknukn.

Have just examined the stock of black bees, trans-
ferred from "big hive” and find lhat the Queen lias
laid more eggs than any two Italian Queens in the
Apiary, since I transferred them. Think Adair is
quite light on the dwarfing hive system.

Downglac, Mich. May 16th, 1874.' James Heddon.

Mr H. sent us an account of transferring a
colony of blacks, from an extra large box hive,
so large in fact that it was never filled with
comb, but it contained an unusual number of
bees. The letter has “got away” somehow but
the above is a further report from it.

1 had enough Queen cells to start 4 nuclei, which I
formed in about 10 days, well they hatched out, but no
drones. I looked everywhere for Instruction as to
what would be the result. Langstroth page 3(1, says,
“retarded impregnation of Queens results in produ-
cing drone laying Queens.” Of course this would not
do, and I could find nothing contrary to lids in Bee
Journals or Gleanings; In fact they did not even
treat on the fact that such was the ease. 1 have often
seen the remark that it would not do to raise Queens
too early, hut 1 have never seen the reason why.
Please do not think I am scolding our Editors, but
you know it is best to tell our troubles sometimes.
Well. Thursday last 1 killed two of those Queens, and
one flew away. Did I do right? S. J. M.

Elyria, O.

Tell us your troubles by all means, and we'll
help as far as we know.

Our Queens usually commence to lay when
from ten days to two weeks old, and occasion-
ally not until three weeks of age. A Queen
now in our Apiary that has proved herself
quite prolific, did not commence to lay until
after she was a month old, but as a general
tiling we do not think it pays to keep them
over three weeks. When Queens are reared
in the spring before drones have made their
appearance, we should, most cwtainly keep
them if any sealed drone brood could be found
in the hives at the time they were hatched.
There would however, be some probability of
their proving only drone layers, and we should
be careful to see some of their brood sealed
over before deciding positively they were
fertile.

Value of little attentions to bees.

1 noticed to-day that one or two bees commenced
carrying water, hut it was so cold they sipped a little
and then stepped. I warmed the water to see tire
effect amt it was amusing as well as interesting to see
how soon tlie bees tounditout; in about 20 minutes
there were from 40 to 50 eagerly at work. No doubt
we can save bees much labor by attending to their
wants. Think for instance of hoes carrying off a
handful of debris as line as sawdust, a particle at a
time, wltea the Apiarian can sweep off tne whole in
a moment. IX C. Miu.ett.

Hvdinesburg. Pa. March 21st, 1874.

AVc carried the above in our pocket several
weeks, proposing to try it before it was pub-
lish 'd Notwithstanding we met with no de-
cided success in feeding the warm water we
fully approve of the general sentiment of the
letter.

82

GLEANINGS IN I5EE CULTURE.

Jvr.x.

MESSRS A. I. HOOT A Co.— Enclosed please find 23
ets. for strip of worker lice comb, with eggs sufcable
for raising good Queens. Send Monday morning, 15th
fast., if the weather is not too cool. E. Franks.

Inland, <>. June 18th, 1874.

I\ S. -Mv beet* removed all the eggs but three, from
the strip l’got of you last year; those they raised into
Queens, now mothers of good colonies.

The above comes from an adjoining County.
Could we send them to all our subscribers as
surely, ’twould l)e a grand thing indeed, but
candidly, we have no hope that it can be done.
Therefore, instead of sending to us, send to
some one near you, who has a choice, or im-
ported Queen.

MOKE ABOUT STRAW MATS ETC.

FKJENI) NOVICE:— I noticed in the last (il.EAR-
isos some instructions for making straw units ; you
have seen one of ours 1 believe, friend Math having
sent von one. 1 will try and see if I can describe our
machine, which simplifies the making very much; it
is simply two rows of ash rods, seven in a row, mor-
tised in a base so the rows are about an inch apart;
the rods most be thick enough to not spring, ours are
\ of an inch square. We commence by putting a
handful of straw in at the top and forcing it down be-
tween the strips to the base, and so on till tilled to the
required bight, being careful to reverse the ends at
each handful. With two blunt needles we now sew
between the strips saddler fashion, and when finished,
cut the surplus and loose ends off with a sharp knife,
leaving the outside rods to guide you. after which the
mat is slid out of the top. With a very little practice
a very neat tidy mat can be made. Any carpenter can
make the frame. If this is not plain enough I will be
glad to give any further information. Those of us in
this neighborhood who used the mots lust winter did
not lose a swarm.

I sec some are inquiring how close they can put
their hives. I use the Lungstroth, they arc ranged in
rows four or live feet apart at the most, and as close
in the rows as I can get them. It makes them very
unhandy being able to work only from back to frout,
but we nave to economize, space when we have to
keen on the roof, or in a small yard ; however we ex-
perience no inconvenience as far as the bees are con-
cerned, and 1 don’t think I lose more than the average
number of Queens. 1 am surprised myself at so few
losses in that way.

This is not a lirst rate year with 11 s. I have taken
out over iOOO Ills, so far and hope to get ns much more,
Imt that of course depends on the season. Several
showers have brightened things up and made it more
promising.

Will close bv hoping Novice s bees are making rapid
headway in regaining their old numbers and standing.

Ufa. O. June 17th, 1874. II. E. CUKllY.

] united mv bees down to 51 stocks, one of which
was found afterward to be Qneenless, so 1 call it 5u to
commence the season with ; 25 ot the best will average
I, rood ill Hi Uaibiti frames, or about SOU square inches
of in-ood. The twenty live poorest, 7 frames, or 500
Minare inches. Am surprised to see that yon do not
seem willing to acknowledge that Black Queens com-
mence to breed earlier and faster in Fell. March and
\pril which is certainly the case, but in May and .June
the Italians out-strip them by nearly one half. I have
had Italians that had not even an egg the 20th ol
April, that made the best of stocks.

Borodino, N. Y. June 10th, 1874. ti. M. DoouTriJS.

Tell me how I can get rid of the little red nuts in my
hires. Tell me what is the matter with the young
Ik-cb. when they become uncapped and die in their
veils before it Is time for them to hatch, ami what
shall 1 do when 1 And it so ? E. HrNTKit.

Pour Ijoiling water on tlie ants if you can, if
you can’t conveniently, sprinkle line sugar in
a sponge, ami when full of them (lip in boiling
water. If we can have our hives full of bees
as they should be, the ants or any thing else
are perfectly welcome to go in if they can
stand it.

We fear you have spread your combs too
fast and thus forced some of the brood outside
the cluster, which has become chilled. We
have been guilty of the same thing several

times this spring. Watch closely the result of
your wi d-k, and go slowly.

One venr ago Shaw ,fc Son sent use an Italian Queen
from wln'c l. f have raised quite a number; nil of Which
lire exactly like her. they having only one chance out
of fifty to meet pure drones, (1 had forty nine hall
blood stocks, and one pure), yet two llfths of the young
Queen's progeny are regularly marked three banded
Workers. 1 think that very good, wlwit do you think
of her ? ..

I have 110 faith ill raising October Queens. Went
into winter with plenty drones, yet some of my young
Queens came out barren or drone layers this, and last
spring. Good success in wintering, lost but one
stock, but any man (hat will keep liecs fa such 11 pat-
ent hive as that was, should lose them all- Flense as-
cent my sympathy for your toss. A- Ba lu-

HollersvIUe, O,

DEAR NOVICE:— Supposing I should commence
lice culture this spring with about 50 stocks of bees,
and should extract all their honey, year alter year,
not allowing them t.<> swarm at all. would not their
Queens alter four or live years become, nnlertlle and
my stock become depopulated; or would they rear
voting Queens in place of the old ones ? Another
thing, 1 would like to know, supposing some of your
liees Should swarm naturally, would you give them a
whole New Idea Standard hive at once, or would you
only give them a part at lirst ? It. A SIicilKNKit.

Low Banks, Canada. June 14th, 1874.

Our bees always rear a new one before the
old Queen fails, and we have now two hives
containing both an old and young Queen. The
old Queen sometimes keeps 011 laying eggs for
several weeks or even months after tlie young
one lias liecoine fertile.

We would give a new swarm only as much
room as they could comfortably till, dividing
oil’ this space by a division board, or with a
half of the quilt. The quilt we use on the
Standard hive is long enough to cover half the-
frames and also to drop down and perfectly
divide them from tlie other half. We would
hive the bees in the front half near tlie entrance,
and after their combs are well started, locate
them in any part of tlie hive that may be
deemed I test. We should, as a general tiling,
keep the bees at the end nearest the entrance,
extending them backward as the colony in-
creased in size.

Bees seemed almost as if they had deserted thi-ir
hives here in April and lirst of May, by the strong
winds blowing them away.

Two li II mired and sixty colonies of last tall (Oh . 1
had Intended to sav nothing about tills), have dwin-
dled down to fifty two Queens and about enough bees
to make live good colonies.

Don't von think 1 will do exploits In the great Bass-
wood forests of this region?

1 have twenty four hundred Lungstroth and Gallup
frame combs unoccupied, which I am putting through
the purifying element of purgatory. By the way 1 mil
soaking h large number of combs in a tank of water
for forty eight hours, then throw tin- water out with
I lie extractor and hang them fa a frame work under
the shade ofmv grove, as worms seem less likely 10
breed there, 1 find that 12 or 15 hours soaking will 1101
kill all the moth. I!. W11.KIN. Oscai.oosa, Iowa

I believe rrispberiles ought to be eul ivated more
for bees, as thev come ni between apple blossoms and
white c over. Mrs. a. J. W, AX'i'KI.i-

Hoievi.le. 111.

We heartily agree with our friend Mix. A.
Those who are desirous of raising honey plants,
could start an acre of raspberries with very
little danger of their not being able to get their
money back, even if it did not pay tbr the hon-
ey alone. Reports of the qiiii'ity of raspberry
honey all agree in pronouncing it extra tine-
For directions for cultivation, see Fullers
Small Fruit Culturits which we can mail l° r
$1.50.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

1874

88

I cannot understand what you mean by “doorstep,"
♦•common sense entrance." It is not’ described in
OLKANiNiirt satisfactorily. You presume we have all
.read the A . H- a number of us wish we had. I see
you or some writer in (.leanings refers to your de-
scription of it as given there. Name lost.

We presume the explanation in our circu-
lar for was sufficiently explicit, if not, we
w ill try again.

Let A, represent the front, and B, the hack
«(' a one story Simplicity hive, ami C I), the
bottom hoard made just like the cover, as we
have so often explained, and let the dotted line
represent the ground. By letting the hive pro-
ject as represented, we have the entrance just
hclow A, hut without the slanting I ward E,
for a door-step, the bees would have to climb
the perpendicular front of the Itottom board,
which is very dillicult when loaded. Now
with one edge of E, on the ground, and the
other, whieh is beveled sharp, resting against
the bottom board, nearly letlel with its upper
surface, they have every facility for access.
Now E, would soon slip down out of place, so
we fasten it by driving a staple of galvanized
wire, F, one leg into the end of E, and the oth-
er Into C I), with another similar one at the
opposite end of E.

We have given this illustration for the ben-
efit of those having the Simplicity hives al-
ready in use, for the Standard hive having a
1 ermanent bottom board, has also a permanent
iloor-step. We are perfectly satisfied now that
the Standard lias every advantage of the two
story hives and as it is much less labor to ex-
tract the honey from it, we would earnestly
advise all who can, to adopt it in preference,
whenever an opportunity will permit, without
too great an expense.

The following is taken from a letter just rec’d
from Mr. Nunn, the friend we mentioned who
brought our imported Queen from Italy.

Do not represent thint ns bripht. for they are dark,
and l do not wish any one disappointed. Their work-
' rs are not as bright as many we lia\ e oi home reared
Queens, but their disposition seems remarkably kind,
.-t me of theQtieens hove almost idled their hive with
their own progeny.

The Queens mine from Milan (SartoiTs apiary) and
he said were pirkvd nit in several diileretlt parts with-
in ubout tilty mites ot tin re. None of them from tin*
south, where Dadntit got most ot bis. 1 prelcr bees
front tlie North tor my own use. even if they are dark.
I enuldut see tmieh diflereneo between the bees of
Milan and those on the Jatl.es. North, ibey claim at
Milan their bees to lie larger, brighter, amt inure pro-
fitie than those of the higher ci untry North.

Tlte inclosed ratal is of a celebrity of Milan, who
knows yon well through tin* .-1. B. J. and has transla-
ted some of your writings, lie suit! perhaps 1 would
have an oppbrtiinltv to hand it to you. E. T. Ness.

Oherlln.fi. JuneTiith. 1S74.

We would refer such of our friends ns cure to
investso much, to Mr. N's advertisement. We
can assure them that whatever he states can
he implicitly relied on. ami we have been very
agreeably surprised at ilmiing our own Queen,
fully equal in every resjiect to any Queen we
ever owned, notwithstanding we have been so
frequently told. Imported Queens were inferior
• o home bred ones. Tis true she is dark, but
her workers are all we could desire, and so
diligent is she in her duties that site is al-
most invariably found depositing eggs, and

unlike our other Queens she alwnyx continues
to do so, even when the cotab containing her
is held up for the inspection of visitors. On
one occasion when we had omitted to give her
the requisite “elbow room,’’ she went over her
ground the second time putting two eggs
regularly in a ceil.

MESSRS NOVICE & Co.:— I desire to consult tlte
■‘Wind-mill” upon a lew points, wlth-h 1 should be
thankful to have removed outside of the mist which
surrounds them.

1. lu hybrid stocks, we have workers some with
three, some wilh two, some with title yellow baud, amt
others again with long slim black bodies without any
yellow band, would there lie any difference in the
value of Queens retired from these eggs, which if
suffered to produce workers would hutch out the /our
differently marked bees as above.*

In a word, would not a Queen roared from an egg
which would have produced a three banded worker,
be nearer pure, ami every wav better than a Queen
reared from an egg that wouid nave produced a single
banded, ora full dark colored worker 1*

2. In the new style of hive, I have the broadside of
one sheet of comb exposed to view through the glass
In rear. 1 notice some of the bees rapidly running
over the comb, frequently turning around and shaking
their bodies most violently and a few bees following
them around in their wild movements. The books
toll us that these are young bees, (wax producers) and
that they thus give notice to others, that they have a
crop of wax scales ready for use. This may be so;
but I notice that there are others just in Horn the
ilelds, legs loaded wilh pollen that go through tin*,
same wild Quaker actions. Ilooks further inform us
that the wax producers cat largely of honey and
remalu in a quiescent state whilc’sccrctioa ’is go-
ing on. Let this suffice for the present, will consult
the Wind-mill on other points some other time.

Respcctlully yours, J. II. W l lsi t.N, Sj:n,

Lexington, Texas. May 30th, 1874.

We hardly see how one can answer the first,
because we cannot tell whether an egg that we
use to rear a Queen lie one that would produce
a Black or an Italian worker; we do know
however that Queens reared from a hybrid
mother, vary greatly in color, and we have had
an impression that yellow Queens gave us
workers with the most yellow bands. Import-
ed Queeus however, may be quite dark and yet
produce beautiful workers ; perhaps not so
light colored, but we do think selecting Queens
that produce very light colored iiee-s has in-
jured the value of I he Italians as honey produ-
cers, and possibly may have (we can only con-
jecture) something to do with our spring
losses; these bright yellow workers being
shorter lived, and failing before brood is reared
to replace them in the spring.

In regard to the second matter, ’tis our opin-
ion that the movements you saw were only
their expressions of rejoicing at something that
pleased, such as a sudden yield of honey, an
accession to their stores by robbing, feeding
them, fine weather after a storm, a lot of young
bees just hutched etc., etc. We have seen a
whole colony set wildly rejoicing just by giv-
ing them a few clean white empty combs when
they had the rest all full. We have no faith
that tlte wax producers have any thing to do
with it although we have seen such statements.
When a young bee makes his first foraging
trip and returns with a load of pollen, he seems
anxious that, all shall notice his great achieve-
ment, goes in tlte hive and out several times,
shakes his body, runs against his fellows as if
they were “no account" and often seems to in-
duce his fellow juveniles to go forth in hot
haste to see if they cannot do as well. In truth
bees are as jolly, playful and happy as kittens
when you ouce know ’em.

84

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Jt'T.V.

My bees wintered very well, 1 had them 111 an out
cellar which la quite dry and cool, and lost but one In
fifteen ; that one being Queenless. I llnd in handling
them that the Quin by lVame as compared with the
Xovice frame is rather too long, and the lull combs
too heavy to handle nicely. C. IS. Gay loud.

Irving,* Kansas.

The above shows that wintering in-doors is
practicable as far south as Kansas, even with
winters as mild as the past. Since our friend
wrote the above in regard to the large frames,
lie lias countermanded an order for smaller

ones, saying : , _ . ..

If it would make von no trouble, I should pretcr the
Quinby hiye for the reason that the most ot mine arc
of that sized frame. Another season, 1 shall contorm
to whatever size of frame shall seem to become stand-

ard among Bee-keepers.

Just the idea exactly, and hundreds of other
Bee-keepers are feeling the same way.

Mtt A. I. ROOT— You mnv condense the following
fads for Mr. Sager [see page 59] of Hudson, 111. and
others, ltees do work on Buckeye some seasons. !
am inclined to think it is sometimes very rich; have
not the positive proof. In cold rainy weather, back-
ward springs, it puts out large buds before grass comes,
and cattle will eat them, and it makes them drunk. I
have known dozens of them to die from being “Ruck-
eyed, ” The old woman’s remedy is a pint of lard. If
they get down once they are sure to try it again. No
danger after warm weather and plenty of grass.^
Sherman, Texas. May -2tilh, 1S74. M. S. Klum.

We have had no rain since the *24tli of April. Yes-
terday evening we had some hopes, hut only a light
shower hardly worth having, ana to-day hotter and
dryer than before. The bees cannot gather allying
from any source, and we shall have to feed for, \vc
know not how long.

"How doth the little busy bee
Improve the sweltering hours.

Loafing around the ‘gro-ci-ree’

Stealing botli sugar and flour.”

And although the police does not interfere with
their operations, they do not get enough to be of any
benefit to their owners.

We truly commenced Bee-Keeping in a bad season,
but don’t mean to give up while we have any old
clothes left (we have no new ones), to trade for sugar.
New Orleans, June 1st, is 7-1. J. It. Y.

I think you Editors, I mean Mrs. Tapper, Clarke,
King, and von, have one fault in your Bee Journals;
you ought to give lessons in natural swarming, hiving,
etc., because there tire ten bee-keepers that use the
box hive with a 20 or JO lit. box on toil, where there is
one who has frame, and practices artificial swarming.
I think we have too many contrary people, they won’t
give up titc old way. I know more than a dozen who
would read papers, if they could get some (bat would
talk a little In their favor; I think yon could give a
piece sometimes that would encourage those box hive
men.

I have seen in June No. about placing hives and
about (lie color, I sue you go in for pure white ; 1 don’t
like white on account of the moth, I think tbey will
Cuter a white hive before they they M ill go for a dark
one, though perhaps Unit don’t make any diil’erence in
your Apiary because you look through your hives
prettv often, but that is not the case with all bee-keep-
ers. 1 Mould say to those M ho do not look often after
their bees, get dark colored hives. I have iny hives
Under the shed with tin; curtain arrangement to it,
and every hive of a different color. Hives not more
Ilian six inches apart and never had any trouble from
their getting mixed. I have had bees over two years
and have not lost a Queen, eithir < d u young.
I had over a dozen young Queens fertilized and they
all came back to the right hive. M ( v hives get Ihe
morning sun; the sun shines on the hives till about
10 o’clock, then they get shade from the roof of the
shed; at about 4 o’clock the son shine-- on the hives
again from the west side, and that keeps them work-
ing till dark.

I have got twenty one hives and ten different kinds,
whieh I think are nine too man) . I ibink I M ill have
one kind of hive next year, and that r ill be your hive.
My advice to all beginners in Apiculture i to get one
kind of movable frame hives. lb N. Klkn.

Shimcrsvllle, 1'a.

SHALE WE HAVE A DEPARTMENT FOR BOX IIIVE
BEE-KEEPERS ?

There may be much truth in what you say
friend K. but what can we say for the beneilt
of the “box hive” people ? As an illustration:
An acquaintance bad a colony in a box hive
that gave him 40 lbs. of honey last season, and
as they cast no swarm, were full of bees ai d
seemed to winter nicely. In April they began
to dwindle down as ours did, and we sugges-
ted that they might be Queenless, he mean-
while thinking that the moth was the trouble,
although wo attempted to tell him that the
moth never troubled a hive with plenty of bees;
but lie could not quite accept that theory, anil
so we finally decided to transfer them to settle
the matter. This was done the last of May,
and a nice Queen was fouud with a fair colony
of bees, and considerable sealed brood ; but to
our astonishment this sealed brood was all
eaten up by the moth. Eggs were found in
great plenty all over the hive, but as soon as
larvae appeared they were devoured by these
great disgusting over fed worms, until a good
colony was just about discouraged. After try-
ing in vain to pick out the worms after the
colony was transferred, our friend removed
their comb entirely, and gave them one comb
from an empty hive, placing an empty frame
between this and the side of the hive. We are
happy to relate they are now building new
comb, which the Queen is filling with eggs and
brood, with all the energy of a new swarm.
Tlie recent troubles in winter and spring, make
it more important than ever before that out-
combs be “get-at-able,” if we may be allowed
the expression. In the same neighborhood a
subscriber who had between 30 and 40 colonies
in box hives has lost all but two this spring.
Now what shall lie do with the comb in those
hives? Judging from the w.ay the moths are
going for our own this summer, perhaps the
best advice we could give would be to burn
them all up. A new swarm put into a hive of
combs where the moth had made a lodgment,
would be just about thrown away, if they did
not take themselves away.

It seems to us movable combs are a necessity,
and as a proof of this we would invite atten-
tion to the fact that not one person in a dozen
now keeps bees who did formerly. Those who
have formerly had their box hives by the for-
ties and fifties have now only three or four, or
none at all, and every winter of late, sweeps
them off at such a rate that ’tis now an easy
matter to find localities for rearing Italians,
with no common bees within two or three
miles. Like many other industrial pursuits at
the present time, success can be attained, only,
by an incessant battle against disease, weath-
er, and tlie depredations of the various enemies
among the insect tribe. In this war for victory
we are almost powerless with box hives, so
much so that we cannot think it worth while
to devote very much time to the matter.

When our friend gets rid of his nine different
kinds of hives, he of course will have them all
alike, that Is if every frame goes nicely in any
hive, and we think he will find dark colors
quite objectionable in very hot weather. It he
has as yet had no trouble with hives six inches
j apart, he assuredly will have when he gets to
I extracting, as every good bee-keeper must
sootier or later.

DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO BEES ENISLE HONEY

Vol. II. . AUGUST 1, 1874. No. VIII

HOW TO CONDUCT AN APIARY.

No. 8.

n OULD we know just what the yield of
honey would be during this month, with
each of our readers, we might advise much
more to the point, but whatever the circum-
stances may be, please do not let your Apiary
ran down, and get grown up wi h weeds. We
have had much to say on this matter ’tis true,
but it seems so natural to find every thing al-
lowed to run down after the honey yield lias
ceased, that we fear'very'much more will need
be said before Apiaries are kept like a “tidy
workshop” especially in the fall of the year.

There are very many points still so unset-
tled, that we cannot as yet decide on what is
best; they are now under the consideration of
our best thinkers and “doers” too for tiiat
matter. For instance: How large had we
best make our hives? We certainly arc not
prepared to decide at present. A visit to some
very successful neighboring Apiarians gives
no positive grounds for a decision on the sub-
ject. Two of their owners, are quite confident
that a quart of Italian bees will gather about
the same quantity of honey whether they are a
nucleus by themselves, or whether they form
a part of a two story hive, or whether they
belong to a four foot New Idea hive; and in
the former case the Apiarist can secure nearly
as much of an income from them, from the sale
of Queens, as from the honey they gather.

Our friend Dean, of River Styx, as we have
before mentioned has before this season only
used a single story hive, containing when full,
12 Gallup frames. He always uses a division
board, and moves it up so as to have the bees
fill their space, at all times, in fact quite a
swarm issued while we were there, and we
were informed they came all from a one comb
nucleus. This seemed incredible, blit after he
h 1 1 taken away their Queen to induce them to
go back, we looked inside and found the whole
space on both sides of the comb, fall of been.
No wonder lie is successful, these bees filled
their one comb with honey as soon as the full
stocks filled their twelve combs, and so on
through his 40 or 50 colonies. The certainty
and ease with which he built up colonies and
raised Queens, made his bees build all worker
comb of beautiful evenness and regularity, etc.

' tc., was enough to make any one think the
pursuit the most fascinating in .the world.
Although lie inis three of the four foot hives
under way, lie did not seem disposed to agree
on their universal adoption, and he could not
dunk of abandoning his division boards any

sooner than abandoning hives, to use his own
expression. Mr. Blakeslee uses the Langstroth
hive and he thinks his bees that are rearing
Queens, give him nearly if not quite as much
honey as if they were in a large hive. Our
own bees are at present in single story Sim-
plicity I,, frame hives, and the lightness and
ease with which we handle them (when there
is no upper story on) tempts ns very much to
be satisfied with our Langstroth frames, and
never to think of any other. As we had inten-
ded to increase without any thought of surplus
this season, we have been very agreeably sur-
prised to find that a one story hive crammed
full of been will give a very large amount of
honey, if it be extracted promptly when the
hive is full. It is true that our Standard hive
can be allowed to go 8 days, when our Sim-
plicities would need emptying in 4, but the
latter only take about half the time and the L.
frames standing square before you in their
shallow hives, are much the easiest to manipu-
late. Please remember that we are only con-
sidering both sides of the matter without ma-
king a positive decision either way, but we
would advise those who like ourselves have a
thousand or two of nice L. combs, to be in no
haste about transferring them into something
else. When bee-keepers decide whether they
wish a hive to contain 10, 20, 80 or 40 combs,
we can tell better what shape we wish our
combs to have. Again : What about winter-
ing? We really cannot gather that the very
long hives have practically shown themselves
much, if any superior to the ten frame hives,
when the latter contained plenty of bees; the
former having dwindled down in some locali-
ties, just about the same as the others.

Now it will be very well to begin this month,
to consider the matter of wintering, and those
who decide on wintering on natural stores
should cease using the extractor in time to al-
low them to fill up nicely. As no report lias
ever been given showing that sugar-syrup was
inferior to natural stores we shall still advise
taking away the good honey and feediug'thc
cheaper food. We cannot gather that the syr-
up stores have any influence either way on the
recent troubles in getting them through the
months of March and April.

In regard to cider mills ; as soon as the bees
commence visiting them or the groceries, we
would, advise keeping them elsewhere employ-
ed on dry sugar, and our experiments last fail,
though made late, and not conclusive, seem to
indicate that the remedy may be effectual. We
would keep them away from the cider mills on
account of the great number that are there

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

At'otrsT.

SC

drowned and killed, if for no other reason.
Those who are ailxious to increase the number
of theircolonies in the fall, or to rear Queens,
should keep them busy on the dry sugar, if
possible just as soon as the yield of honey fails,
for they are quite apt to make bad work when
first disappointed in getting their customary
daily stores, unless carefully watched. ’Tis
true we must expect to feed our neighbors’ bees
as well, but is not this preferable to having
our bees annoy other neighbors?

We do not think any method of feeding in
the hive can answer the same purpose, for
whatever is in the hive is theirs already, and
'tis “bee like” to feel that “the more they have,
the more they want.”

“Now see here Mr. N., you have written as
though ’tWere possible to make a one story L.
hive hold a whole colony the season through.
What is to done with the surplus bees and
brood ?"

“Why make new colonies when the hive gets
too full, of course.”

“But suppose the Apiarist has as many as
he wishes already?"

“Sell ’em.”

“So you would have the production of new
colonies always go hand in hand with surplus
honey?”

“Or rather we would simply make the sug-
gestion.”

“ ’Twere much better as a suggestion than
given as a partof 'IIow to Conduct an Apiary.’ ” j

In one case we are dependant on a single ,
Queen for the peopling of perhaps ‘10 combs, in
l lie other only 10; now if a 80 comb hive gives j
000 lbs. surplus, will not the other give safely !
100? in the former case the whole is depen- :
dant on tiie caprice of a mingle Queen, and [
Queens ure capricious in regard to the number
of eggs they lay, at least we find them so.

Our Queens sometimes lay 2000 eggs per day
for a short time ; but so far as keeping them at
work at this rate is concerned, we have not
been able to come any where near it.

In conclusion we would say that we consid-
er the Standard hive by all means preferable,
when one is commencing anew and can choose i
that as well as any other ; also, for a hive that 1
can be used to allow all of the Queen’s proge- l
ny to labor without increasing the number of
stocks, we should give it the preference unhes-
itatingly, over a two story hive.

Friend Mut.li of Cincinnati, who has had
much experience, advises that honey be run
into large cans, milk cans for instance, and
allowed to stand several days to settle, and al-
low of what scum may rise to the surface being
skimmed oft’ before barreling it. This will
make some additional trouble, but may be
quite an important item ; we have not as yet
been able to give the matter a careful test, but
will say this much, that our honey has always |
had a bad habit of expanding when it candies,
so much so that it generally oozes out around
the mouth of the jars, in a very untidy and in-
convenient way. If, as friend M. thinks, this
can be remedied by allowing it to stand, and
removing the scum etc., we should certainly
do it. Will our friends please report.

Again, wc last season recommended using
half rosin with the wax for waxing barrels, and
wc thought we had given it a thorough test,

for the honey had no rosin taste even after be-
ing several months in the barrel; but this
spring having occasion to use a barrel that
had some honey candied on its sides, wc found
on pouring it out after it had been standing in
the sun until melted, that it had a considerable
taste of resin. In view of this we think bees-
wax alone had better be used. If it is made
very hot and not less than gallon used,
’twill take lmt little to make alftight.

OUK OWN APIABY.

•

WAD we not grown sober and steady of

li i, late, we presume we should now be sail-
ing our hat on account of the sudden, very
welcome intelligence given us by the bees, that
the basswood trees were loaded with honey.

We had abandoned all hope of doing more
this season than to build up our shattered coi-
onies, but to-day, July 6th, we have taken more
than half a barrel of nice thick honey, and
during the whole time we were extracting, not
a robber interfered with our work. It really
seems like old times. Not even smoke was
required until we came to our natural swarms
of common bees. And by "the way, that re-
minds us that we haven’t told about this same
good fortune of ours. It was June 26th, and
we were all intent on our July No. you see,
when a neighbor persisted in wanting to see
Novice. His first remark was, “Well Mr. N.,
if you were sick you would send for the Doc-
tor would you not?”

Novice replied that he probably should, men-
tally feeling that he hadn’t time to be sick “no
how” just then; but his face became genial in
an instant when the Doctor — for he It was —
suggested that ‘no one was sick, but that a
huge swarm of bees were clustered on a bush
in his garden and he thought the only proper
thing to lie done was to send for—”

“Are they hanging in the sun?” interrupted
Novice, for the day was an intensely hot one
and it was near noon. When informed they
were, he waited only to get two perforated tin
cases out of the wax extractors and started
for the “big swarm of bees.” Alas for human
hopes ; when he arrived at the bush, the bees
had decamped and nothing remained but to
go home again, mentally avowing that he
would next time collect his scattered wits live
miuut-s quicker when told a swarm of bees
were to be had for the hiving.

Worst? of all, he had planned just which emp-
ty hive, in the shade of an especial grape vine,
they were to occupy, and he couldn’t quite give
it up ; so when informed after dinner that
some workmen had hived a swarm in a box,
and wanted to sell them to him, he made such
rapid strides for them that, in less than half
an hour he had them all fixed in their shady
home, and rejoicing over their treasures of
partly tilled combs, among which had been put
one of unsealed brood, to lie sure they did not
desert. The men who hived them were also
rejoicing over $2.50 which they received just
for putting them in an old box. Before dis-
missing them, we may add that they have al-
ready yielded in ten days enough honey to pay
first cost, and so we may consider it a pretty
fair investment. We at first considered this to
be the truant swarm of the forenoon, but on

1874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

87

learning they had been hived about nine
o’clock, contented ourselves in thinking that
if we had not the, we had got a swarm, and
about sun set Novice had a sudden revival of
the swarming fever caused by a report that a
"big swarm of bees” were hanging on a plum
tree, and bad been all the P. M., during a heavy
thunderstorm, and that no one would hive
them, there were so many, etc. No wonder he
got bis metal baskets again and traveled for
the point mentioned. Sure enough, there they
were, looking wet and rather sorry ; a few
twigs of the plum tree foliage were tied in the
bottom of one of the baskets and he essayed to
make them cluster inside, when inverted, but
they were so chilled that when a bunch of
them as large as a large apple fell into the
bushes and grass underneath, he decided to
hold the other basket under them. As they
were clustered on the body and limbs of the
tree, it was rather slow work, but he Anally
got them all “bagged" except the bunch that
fell down. They were taken home and hastily
emptied before the hives, the swarm being so
large 'twas thought best to divide it. A card
containing eggs only, from the imported Queen
was provided for the Queenless part, and they
were coaxed into the hives ; but both divisions
would persist in running out again “pell-mell"
until a frame containing unsealed lames was
given them, besides the comb containing the
eggs. Shortly after daylight next morning
Novice once more repaired to the plum tree
and found about a pint of bees clustered on its
trunk and the Queen among them “to be sure.”
She was given to the largest half, and they
have now given us one nice new comb, and a
hive full of honey, and the Queenless part, af-
ter having the comb of larva; taken away from
them next day — ’twas only loaned — have built
nine Queen cells, and given us half a hive full
of honey; and we have to-day given them six
combs of hatching brood into which we shall
insert the cells, one in each, that none may be
torn down. By the way the eight Queens we
reared in our first lot are now all laying. Isn't
that pretty well to get a laying Queen from ev-
ery cell started ?

By the way, another swarm of bees was hived
in a box July 3rd, and we were consulted as to
what was best to be done with them. As for-

all dead and dying will intrude themselves at
times.

On yesterday morning we followed the line
the greater part of them were taking to the
basswoods, and we found the trees bending
beneath their load of blossoms. These when
held so the sun shone down into them showed
a tiny glistening drop of pure honey in the lit-
tle cup formed by the {totals of the flowers ;
this drop is sufficient to be tasted readily and
is so convenient of access that ’tis no wonder
at till that bees get crazy for it, and that they
gather astonishing quantities, for a load could
be obtained from a very few blossoms and in a
comparatively short time. After seeing how
the honey is secreted, the great yields from the
Linden forests of the West seem easier to un-
derstand, but the yield is very uncertain here,
or at least has been for the past few years.

“Yes, just 45 colonies, and over 850 lbs. of hon-
ey,” Novice was saying.

“But,” says his interlocutor, “You have not
made them all from the 10 very weak colonies
which you said comprised your whole Apiary
June 8th,? It is now .July' 32nd, and from 10
to 45 in a little more than six weeks sounds
like a pretty large result even had the 10 been
strong. Have you purchased none at all ?”

“IV ell, let us see: P. G. did purchase a colo-
ny of Blacks about June 1st, to test one of her
projects. As she couldn’t wait a minute to
have it Italianized, she commenced operations
at once by killing the Black Queen without
considering the length of time ’twould take to
replace.her; so the bees and biood were even-
tually incorporated with the common stock.
Then we purchased a natural swarm (Blacks)
June 35th, for $2,511, a second one July 3rd, for
$1.75, and a third — second swarm with unfer-
tile Queen— July 7th, for $1.25. This is all
except a fourth natural swarm found without
an owner as we have mentioned, June 25th.”

"But what became of your resolution to
make your Apiary self sustaining and not to
purchase?”

"Well, in the first place P. G's orphaned col-
ony were losing so much time for want of a
Queen of which we had a superfluity, and the
natural swarm waiting to be cared for in a
cold unfeeling world — ”

merly, “a swarm in July were not worth a fly,”
we only offered $1.50 for them, but the women
folks where they alighted considered them a
lucky omen, and thought the amount but very
poor compensation for “selling ones luck."
'Ve explained to them that they were almost
useless property to any one who had no empty
\j 1,1 j! >s to give them, as we had, but finally paid
81 o) and carried them half a mile in a large
’ >x without any bottom. These have in three
pays, given us half a hive full of honey, which
is a strong argument in favor of keeping a sup-
ply of empty combs and an extractor on hand;
m how much could these bees have done had
they been compelled to build the combs?

Once more we have an Apiary with a poptl-
• sufficient to make the air resound with
gladness, and equal to the task of getting up a
cspectable roar at tin close of the day, when
, lc yield of honey has been encouraging. Al-
lough we try not to borrow trouble for the
1 ture, dim visions of “cider mills” and bees

“Hold on Mr. N. ; isn’t, that pretty cool phi-
lanthropy? How many lbs. of honey did this
‘unprotected swarm,' put in the empty combs
you gave it?” Full 75 lbs. worth 20c‘. per lb.
did they not?” Novice assented.

“Ami you divided the swarm at that, and
set the other half rearing Queen cells if we are
not mistaken? Acs, well P. G. says you made
them construct, two lots in succession, amount-
ing to 15 or 20 in all. Now these cells from
imported stock were worth just then something
like $10.00 and as they gave you honey too all
the time, it seems that your ‘cold unfeeling
world let about $30.00 slide through their lin-
gers which you in your philanthropy didn't.
But go on.”

Strange to say, Novice for once in the world
declines being voluble even on bees, and so we
shall have to end our chapter until next month.

P. S. — Our first eight Queen cells, gave us 8
Queens and they are all laying. Our second,
third, and fourth lots might have done as
well, had we followed our own teachings.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

A cor xt,

88

OUR PRIMARY DEPARTMENT,

Or First Principles in Bee-Keeping.

[Designed especially for the veriest novices, and
those who know nothing ol' bees whatever. Conduct-
ed by a fellow Novice of several years experience
replete with blunders, as well as with occasional

successes.]

^ " 1 • • ■ — — ' ■ — ■ ■

■ c f/ IIAT kind of a colony of bees to pur-

V'J chase ? Wc would advise that you take
whatever comes handiest, if there are only lota
of been in the hive. You will have to transfer
ft any way, and so it will not make any great
difference what contains them. Bees in a box
hive are valued at from 2'., to 110.00 according
to season, locality and strength of colony. If
you could beg, borrow or steal a few empty
combs, the simplest way in the world would
be to buy a natural swarm, if one could be ob-
tained within a day or two after having come
out. Of course the word “steal" is not really
intended, for we expect all bee-keepers if they
wish really to enjoy their possessions to render
a full fair equivalent for every thing, that they
may feel ’tis all honestly earned by the sweat
of their brow.

Whatever the hive may be, locate it on the
north side of the trellis as described last month,
make it level unless ’tis intended to slant a lit-
tle from the entrance to shed rain, and have
the entrance on the east side. Bank it around
with saw-dust far enough so that you can go
down on your knees safely at any side of it.
It's good for one to go down on their knees
sometimes, and if you would be an Apiarist the
sooner you bow as a submissive pupil to kind
old dame nature, the better.

Now we are not going to trouble ourselves
to tell you which are the workers, and which
are the drones etc., for 'tis your business to
learn that yourself. The colony is to be trans-
ferred into a Standard hive bye and bye, hut
before you undertake such an operation you
are to get thoroughly acquainted with your lit-
tle friends. You should be so familiar with
them in fact that you can He down in front of
the entrance and examine the movements of
their antennae with a magnifier as they greet
new comers who return with a load of pollen
or honey. You should also be able to distin-
guish at a glance a bee filled with honey from
one that is not, that you may be able to detect
robbing at its commencement. Nothing but
close careful observation will enable you to do
ibis. They will very soon get so accustomed
to your presence that they will not be disturb-
ed at all, and will alight on your face when
heavily laden as confidingly as if it were their
own threshold. You should be able to distin-
guish at once by their hum or note whether
they are in a quarrelsome mood or only busy
in the faithful discharge of their duties. We
remember well our troubles during our first
season with bees ; they had been robbing some,
and in the afternoon we found a quantity of
bees hovering about the entrance, crowding in
and out, and making a sad hubbub, as wc
thought; we so closed the entrance, and then
felt sure ’twas robbing for they piled over it
and made frantic efforts to get in. Soon anoth-
i r colony was “attacked" and we closed them
up and, oh dear, such a worry as we had. As
they didn’t go home at dusk we let them in

and it finally dawned on our understanding
that ’twas only the young bees at play, as they
almost always do from 12 till i! or 4 o'clock p.
M. We had not then learned the peculiar “rob-
bing note” nor did we know that swarming
was always indicated by a sound that a bee
never emits at. any oilier occurrence in life, and
worst of all we could not distinguish a loaded
beo from one that was not. If you learn all
these things before transferring ’twill be all
the better. A folding, or camp chair as they
arc sometimes called is very convenient and
then ’tis pleasant to take a hook or paper
and sit by your hive and grape vine. The
hum of their industry, to us, is the finest ac-
companiment for enjoyable reading.

Now both this hive, and the vine arc expect-
ed to increase and multiply in time, and this
vine is to have its one shoot tied to the central
wire D, as fast as it grows, pinching off all
side shoots after they have made one leaf.
When it gets to the top of the trellis, pinch
it off also, ami it will soon throw out side
shoots. Pinch all off again except one on each
side near t lie bottom bar B. Train these by
tying, strait out horizontally until they reach
the posts, then train them up the posts and
pinch them off like the middle one. Now get
two more shoots to train tip the wires C, and
E, and we are done. The future treatment ot
j the vines consists only in cutting the upright
shoots all back to the horizontal arms tied to
the lower bar B, every winter, and training
two new shoots up each wire and post every
summer, and pinching them off whenever they
get to tlie top.

Next month we’ll tell how to “swarm grape
vines" artificially as well as more about the
bees.

A SCENE IN THE APIARY.

/■•r].IME, July 10th, about dusk. Blue Eyes
gli in charge of Mrs. N. is perched up on one
side of the extractor bench with one fat arm
stretched over to the crank, and while she is
enjoying herself hugely in making it spin, Mrs.
N. is telling Novice that she will take one of
thq best SjilO.OO extractors and must hare it im-
mediately as she wishes it to keep the baby qui-
et. Novice however is dolefully contemplating
his ankles just now, and seems evidently troub-
led about some matter more weighty than the
simple fact that they are only “useful” and not
“ornamental.” The real trouble is this: the
hives have just been discovered to be a little
too full for the best economy, and P. G. in her
ambition to have as many hives as possible
emptied before dark, persuaded him lie could
do “just one more.” This last one had made
such progress in gathering honey, and the
Queen had filled such nice combs with brood
(they had been unable to repel robbers a wr/i
few weeks ago) that lie took so much time t”
contemplate the snowy wreathed combs, con-
taining the basswood honey — he called it “dew
of heaven” a few days before when an attempt
was made to take out some before it was sidin'-
icntly ripened, lint P. G. suggested that oil*
honey customers might have a decided preler-
ence for real lumey, after they had paid then
money, in place of the aforesaid "dew” and s"
extracting was adjourned until the evening > u

1874.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

89

■question— well, ns we said before, he forgot
twas nearly dark and almost neglected to res-
pond to Blue Eyes’ crows of delight which are
invariably addressed to her Papa when he is’nt
too busy— now before going further ’twill real-
ly be necessary to state that Novice wears
linen trousers when extracting, for Mrs. N.
says if lie must go down on his knees so much,
something must be worn that will wash; and
as the young bees have quite a trick of crawl-
ing in inconvenient directions, he always tucks
these linen pants into his stockings when at
work.

After the last comb was taken out he con-
cluded the Quinby smoker (none had been used
before) had better be lighted before replacing
them, and by the time this was done it was
just about dark enough for the bees to get into
that kind of a careless way of stinging promis-
cuously, when disturbed, any thing that they
can set" regardless of smoke or almost any
thing else. Now these white stockings — for a
wonder they were tolerably white — seemed to
the bees just the thing to “go for,” and they
did so and discovered a “break in the armor”
between his low shoes and the linen pants,
protected by only one thickness ofthin cotton,
and that is why he is looking dolefullg at his tin-
kles.

Meanwhile P. G. has put the cappings in the
wax extractor, tied the cloth cover over the
honey extractor, wiped up the floor if any
honey had been dropped — by the way Novice
says that she too got enthusiastic and kept on
extracting long after the barrel was full, until
in fact a half gallon or more had run over on
the floor; but this was probably a little exag-
gerated oil account of his “ankles” — and the
Apiary is now quiet. The bees are uniting in
a contented hum whose volume once more in-
dicates life in the recently desolated Apiary;
Blue Eyes is sleeping the peaceful sleep of
childhood, and we, before dropping our pen
devoutly hope that all our readers have as
abundant cause for thankfulness during the
higbt of the basswood season as have we.

ANSWER TO PRUBLEJI ETC.

H AS Problem No. 13 been solved yet ? Our bees
are bringing in pollen very last now. In fact
i the supply seems to be far in excess of the de-
mand ; and 1 could take from each of my hives one
frame completely tilled w ith it. But cun it be kept in
good state until next spring, and how t

S. \V. STEVENS, Ridgefield, Conn.

Pollen taken out late In the fall will keep
safely and will be used at once by bees iu the
spring in tills locality, but we should fear it
would get sour or mould if removed in warm
weather. Your hives may seem to have an ex-
cess to-day yet if examined a week later, when
brood is being reared largely, we sometimes
Hud it nearly all gone. We have recently seen
a frame emptied of pollen in so short a time
that it seemed strange where it could have
gone. •

ANSWER TO PROBLEM NO. 23.

Queens raised from eggs are longer lived but no
more prolille, lor the time they live, than an S or 1(1
day Queen. A in day Queen will rarely live one year,
while an 8 day Queen is good for only about -1 months,
fly the way. Mr. Editor why is it that Queens sent out
“v breeders are so Invariably short lived? 1 have
had Queens from nearly every breeder in the United
States, and with but one exception none of them ever
lived to see la mouths. But to return, in 1S70 I raised
a sot of cells from a strong colony and just before the

first was hatched. I took them all away and gave them
a frame of brood in all stages. '1 hey reared about UO
cells, about ouc third of w hich hutched in 8 days, the
majority on ihe lull, and 2 or three on the lath.' They
were all small, hut little larger than a worker. 1 suc-
ceeded in gelling 5 out ot Ihe lot fertilized, one on the
lath day alter they were halehed, two the 17th, ami
two the lfllh. They wire as prolific as any Queens I
had as far as I eoufd see, but one died of old age in 3
months, 2 lived nearly t> months, and the other 2 die d
during the w inter. Queens usually are laying lrcm 7
to 9 days after they are hatched, with us, and il a
Queen is not hiving whilin' 12 days we always kill her.
deeming her worthless. We have repeated the ex-
periment alluded to above once or tw ice since with
llie same results. Bees gelling but little honey as yet.
It rains nearly all Ihe while— ground soaked— Bass-
wood will not* he open in a week yet.

G. M. In oi.i i '1 le, Borodijno, N. Y. July 9th. 1874.

DEAR NOVICE In answer to your problem No.
23 on ihe cover of Gleanings, lor Jnlv, 1 see no
dillerence between queens raised ir<m the eggs, or
queens raised irom grubs already three days old. Be-
sides I have very olten remarked that out of a lot of
queen cells, those that halehed last were geneially
poorest. Every time 1 have had queens hatched late r
than sixteen days, they were oi little value, whi.e
those hatched iu ten days proved to be the best, it
seems that as soon as the colony fimls It ts queenless,
It gives a superabundance of care to Ihe grubs e hose n
to be raised as queens. After a few days the care gh -
en the second chosen grubs is lessened, anet ihe
queues produced ale poorer. I can sec no ee-ason
why a greih three tlays old would be of less value thi n
an egg, to be transformed into a queen, since if we
give t tie bees grubs of that age and eggs, they will
prefer the grubs. I think bees know the ir business
better than we do. Besides It is to-day a well ascee-
t ained laet, that the jelly given the grubs, for the lie's,
three days alter hatching, is the same as that given
the young queen; and that the grubs can eat ol it i.s
much as they want since they lay in a thick layer of
that jelly. Chas. Dadant, Hamilton, Ills.

We are much inclined to think eggs prefera-
ble, ami we feel satisfied that the young larva)
should literally swim iu the royal jelly just
as soon as hatched. That this is not usually
the case with the small worker larva), observa-
tion will readily show. If we wish to grow a
strong specimen of any plant or animal, plenty
of food is the great desideratum. Even cram-
ming is sometimes necessary to get the desired
result, as in fattening fowls for instance, and
if we wish Queens to .’ive four years and to lay
eggs up to the llgure fixed by Young America
of modern times, she should have all the jelly
she can possibly use and a spoonful (or less)
should be found lu the cell alter she is hatched.
How is it brother bee-keepers, after your Queens
are hatched out do you find any food remain-
ing in the cell? Look carefully and report.
Again our recent troubles have really been
that our worker bees have been too short lived.
Now is it not possible that where so many
bees are kept in one locality they fail to And a
sufficiency of some one of the essentials needed
to give them perfection of vigor and constitu-
tion. Novice here suggests that the whole
trouble may be the want of salt ; some writers
on poultry now claim that saltiug the liens
regularly will surely prevent the Chicken
Cholera.

FRIEND NOVICE: Double a woolen cloth and put
under your water bottle ; and to one qt. add % tablc-
spoonfnl of common salt then your bees will have
salt water. My bees took about a gallon a day, when
breeding fast last summer. The cloth will soak with
water and gives bees a nice chance to suck it out.
l’ut sheared side of cloth up. Wlicu gettlug salt wat-
er they got fresh water at the same time so perhaps
you held better "rig” two bottles, for each.

J. D. Kuuschke, Berlin, Wis.

We have got a salt water jar “rigged” but
they don’t take to it as yet. We have at times
noticed bees when they, seemed eager for salt.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

August .

Gleanings in Bee Culture,

Published Monthly,

I. ROOT Sc CO.,

EDITORS AND PROPRIETORS

MED INA^ OHIO.

Terms : 75e. Per Annum.

For Club llates see Last Page.

Is^EETDXTsT -A-, A.ITG-- 1, 1874.

A. B. J . and JB. A'. 3/. , were on our table promptly,
and the World a few days afterward. All good. N. B.
J. y at present writing has not put in an appearance.

Warranted Queens for 1.50, we think fall as cheap
as the dollar Queens without warrant, and our old
friend Alley has agreed to the former rate for the sea-
son. See Advertise ment.

“Blasted Hopes” and doleful visages, have for the
past few Meeks been giving way to “Reports Encour-
aging” and bright anticipations of long “Rolls of Hon-
or;” but we’re too small to chronicle all of the latter.

A beautiful EXPERIMENT— Give a natural swarm
a hive full of empty combs, and extract the honey as
often as the combs are filled. The nice part of it is,
that they frequently give you $10.01) worth of honey in
a M eek after hiving.

We with pleasure notice that C. O. Perrine has
commenced settliug up his old debts in a manner quite
satisfactory. As lie has perhaps bought more honey
than any other dealer in America, we shall be quite
happy to hear he has regained confidence by an hon-
orable settlement of all old accounts.

Cannot some of our subscribers advertise bees for
sale ? We have many inquiries, but cannot direct
them M'lierc to send. Adam Grimm’s notice would do
very well for those in that vicinity, but ’tis expensive
and risky sending so far. Who Will furnish Italian
colonics at a moderate price in the Southern and
Middle states ? ^ ^ ^

OuK Agricultural exchanges although lull of valuable
matter, contain little on bees beside extracts from the
Bee Journals. The Rural New Yorker contains an
excellent plea, from a dealer In Groceries and
Provisions, for pure honey, and prices within the
reach of tne masses. Had they given his address in
full M e might have shown him that laborers were al-
ready in the field.

- — ^ » > » ^ —

Kind Cncle Samuel now carries merchandise of all
kinds, as well as seeds and plants, for eight cents per
lb., and 4 lbs. may be sent in one package, instead of
12 oz. as formerly. In fact we could send a Simplicity
hive by mail now, if any one should desire; the post-
age M ould be just about as much as the hive, viz, 90c
each, and they would have to be sent in about six
pieces. But half the amount mentioned on our price
list for postage on the articles we advertised, need be
sent for postage hereafter, with the exception of seeds,
which remain as hereto fore.^ ^

Ouk enterprising friend Muth, of Cincinnati, sends
us a sample of his 50c honey knives which we really
think will prove “as good as any” for uncapping at
least. It certainly cannot boast of much pretentions
to beauty in its “get up,” but it has a fine steel blade

very thin, and sharp, ready for use, and it is fixed very
firmly in its plain wooden handle. For the business
of uncapping only, we do not see how it can be im-
proved ; but for other work, such as transferring etc.,
the long slender blade and peculiar handle of those
we furnish, M’ill be, we think in some respects, prefer-
able. We wish Mr. M. a large trade in them, as u r c do
every one, u r ho aims to cheapen Apiarian supplies.

The Qulnby Smoker, lias become almost indispens-
able to us. ’Tis true It bothered by going out at first
but since we gathered a supply of “punk” we have
gone our way rejoicing. This can be gathered in any
forest containing maple stumps or logs; ’tis a species
of fungus that grows out of them somewhat like mush-
rooms. Carry along a heavy hammer, for they arc
hard to break off ; u*hen they are first gathered they
are to be chopped in pieces small enough to go into
the smoker readily, and dried thoroughly, in an oven
or other M'lse. This substance burns longer than any
thing else with which wo are acquainted and never
goes out Mdiere it can have even a very small supply
of air. Who Mill put some In the market, nicely
prepared ?

^ » — —

After a Queen liatehes, she usually leaves the cap
hinged to the cell like a door, and it often springs shut
after she has passed out. Now' the bees sometimes
wait this cover down again, and the Apiarist looks at
his cell in disappointment, for several days perhaps,
M’aiting for his Queen to hatch, while she is crawling
about the hive as unconcerned as can be. We men-
tion this because several blunders have been caused
thereby, one of which M’c were a party to, in tact u’e
assisted in persecuting a princess, as an interloper,
all because her cell seemed to be unhatched. Alter
she had flown away lroin such rude treatment ami
was hopelessly lost, ’twas found that the innocent-
looking cell M’as only a hollow fraud udth the afore-
said door shut.

— — 0»**«s*> —

Any colonies not having a “hive full” of bees should
be fed at once, if honey has ceased coming in, to keep
brood rearing under full headway that M’e may have
plenty of bees fpr wintering. Never lose sight of the
fact that whenever brood-rearing is stopped, if it be
for ten days only, it will produce its effect, it may be
months hence, perhaps while we are getting them
through a snow-storm in April, but the gap will come
M’hcrc bees too old, and brood too young, blocks pro-
gress for the time being. Give them all they can use
without filling the combs so as to crowd the Queen;
this can only be determined by examination, say, once
in three days. Use sugar syrup, and should you thus
give them their winter supply It M'lll be in the best
shape possible, and just as they naturally have it.

Sending Queens by mail, Mrs. Tapper thinks to
be wrong, as there have been rulings by the assistant
P. M. G. to that effect. If such of our readers as are
interested in the matter, will read Vick’s Floral
Guide No. 8, they can see that this is not the only
case in which the aesurdity of some of these “rulings”
has caused them to be ignored by every one, unless it
be occasionally some 1*. M. who imagines it a duty to
show his authority by hindering the progress of a
luirmlcss and innocent branch of agricultural Indus-
try. We can send queen- safely to Texas now, for
one cent providing no u' riling Is put In the package;
if sent by express the charge would be a dollar or two.
Are M’e to understand a dozen bees put up in a stout
metal cage arc to be an exception to 1 1 other kinds
of produce and merchandise i-’ lV.luij the new law
that took effect J illy lst,mcink I ienhi ;e may in-
clude queens. We hope ..o.

IK74.

91

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

comb in ii.ihnu; now to get ale

W'OIClCKit COMBS ETC^ ETC.

,jV»OVIOK Can you tell me why my bees build but

['"I! very little comb, and why that little Is x drone
•A i como. I have put them Into double Simplicity
ldves and given them what empty combs 1 had anil
they have increased in numbers beyond my expecta-
tions, but when i put In empty frames they leave them
several days before commencing work on them, and
then start very reluctantly anti nearly every time be-
am with drone comb. As 1 am anxious to get worker
comb, i bare tried cutting out the drone comb but to
no purpose, they immediately commence drone comb
again.

We have never failed in getting bees to build
comb rapidly, when we could secure warmth,
plenty of food, and plenty of bees. It does not
seem to be sufficient, that they have an abun-
dance of stores in the hive, but they must be
adding to their stores daily; in fact we have
thought they only built comb when there seem-
ed a probability that it would be needed to
hold their provisions.

One other fact must lie remembered, and that
is, bees almost cease comb building when they
get the swarming fever ; in the case mentioned
above, we infer that our friend neglected to use
his extractor, until the bees had decided to
swarm and then they would not give it up.
When honey is coming in briskly, we would
empty every comb, and commence soon enough
too, to discourage all attempts at swarming!

About tlie worker comb : We too have had I
nearly all the combs built this season mostly I
drone comb, and after hearing that friend Dean
of River Styx, knew how to induce his bees to
build such comb as lie desired, we paid him a
visit with this particular idea uppermost.
Sure enough his bees were building the whitest
■straitest, and most beautiful comb we ever saw
iu all our experience. We were told to exam-
ine any of liis hives we chose — there were 40 or
hO— and . we found entire worker comb in al-
most all.' One colony it seems had disobeyed
orders and had made a beautiful oval disc of
drone comb; when lie took it up quickly we
were surprised to see him turn it over horizon-
tally (in a way that we might expect a novice
to handle new combs, but not an old bee-keep-
er), and coolly break it oil' for them to com-
mence over again.

"But friend D. they will only build more
just like it.”

“No they will not; I will take away some
more of their combs.”

Two or throe swarms also persist in making Queen
cells and wanting to swarm, and 1 keep cutting them
out. In two instances where I overlooked Queen cell.-
they sealed them up and cast very heavy swarms; hut
1 leturned them again, cutting out the Queen cells,
hoping to lorce them to make comb. The combe arc
now literally crowded with bees. The honey product
has been very light but all the swarms have had some
capped honey all the time. Would it have been better
to let them swarm ? Have not extracted any houui
yet.

The trouble is again that you didn’t use your
extractor; take their honey all away , and thev
can’t swarm. Yes, ’twould have been better to
have let them swarm after they had got the
fever so badly ; you could have given them
their old hives combs and all, in it new loca-
tion, and they would have proved immensely'
industrious after they had gone through with
tlie “programme.”

Why is it that all at once most of my bees are so cross -
■tin's tar during tlie season I have been able to handle
them whenever I chose without any protection fur
lace or hands. Hut for the lust three days a little
smoke seems to irritate them instead of quieting them.
I have been just as careful in handling as ever, but
all to no purpose. They come at me in a perfect
swarm and will not leave till 1 go into a dark room.

Perhaps half our readers are in the same
predicament; after the Basswood failed sud-
denly, they suddenly became as cross as if they
had been stopped in some wholesale robbing
raid, as in fact they have, and all we have to
do is to keep cool and not tempt them by un-
guarded bits of comb and drops of honey, until
they get over it. Drive them back with a good
lot of smoke and make them till themselves
With honey if you can. Stings will be more
liable from bees from other hives that, are try-
ing to rob them. We have to-day— 25th— only
been able to see to our Queens etc., early in the
morning, and were then obliged to desist after
working about an hour on account of other
bees rushing into a hive as soon as opened.
We shall resume our work again about sunset
or a little before.

What Quill I do with drone comb when a part of a
frame is Ailed with it ? Iff cut it out the bees persist
in rebuilding witli drone comb or leave tlie space
empty.

Cut it out and insert a piece of worker comb,
or have it filled out in a weak colony on tlie
plan given.

YVe cannot answer tlie following question
positively but think the Queen’s fertility would
not be impaired. At any rate we give it as
problem 24.

"But they have only three besides tlie empty
frame now.”

“Then they shall have only two.”

“And if that don’t do.”

"Then they shall have but one; but ’tis sel-
dom necessary to cut them down so close as
that.”

“But friencl 1)., you would lose much hone
11 you deprived your heavy colonies of all bt
•me or two combs?”

That is just the point; I make my nucli
•mi weak colonies do all the comb buildinj
•j.ud “ley will make quite a number each, di
"f'lf t *' U ^, easoll > Besides storing a goodly cro

. ** U1 ' readers should remember that divisio
ourds were used — Gallup hive — and each <
ie comb building nuclei was crammed fill
,’ ec ‘ s ’ But a happier and more peaceful Apia
. t'vas never before our lot to see.

W ill it render a Queen less prolific to keep her for a
length of time in a small nucleus hive where she can
lay but a few eggs each day than she would have been
jl she had been given to a large swarm as soon as she
began to lay?

How do you fasten a division board in a hive to keen
it in place ?

Hang it (the board) as you do the frames.

Can I winter bees in double width Simplicity hives ?

“Answer next May. Don’t know nothin’
’bout winterin’.”

The above was Novice’s reply before we had
time. We think the double hives will winter
equally well. Should there be a great quanti-
ty of bees we would leave them on their sum-
mer stands, ami house them only when they
seemed to need it, if they did at all. Perhaps
Novice is right after all*

'Will It do to take nearly all the honev from a hive
when it is coming in fast?

Every drop we should say. Our bees always
get more in fifteen minutes or less.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

August.

93

Now w ho hasn’t had just about the same
trials as 8.? It reminds us of our own work
over agal n. The last we hear of him is as fol-
lows ; we hope he bears it with resignation
and will “hunt up” where the honey comes
from.

Juh/ 23rd— I have commenced extracting— the first
tills vear -took 44 lbs. from 4 hives. Not % of it was
c ipjieii but it is quite thick. Several other swarms
are lining up fast. It is very dry here, 1 don’t know
where thev get their honey.

Joseph Sinton, Ithaca, N. July lftth, 1S<4.

n o> k v com m > .

|^p] :lE A. B. J. gives the following in regard
A to honey buyers.

CHICAGO.— Choice white comb honey. 28@30c ;
lair to good, 24@28c. Extracted, choice white, 14©
it; ; fair to good, 10@12c ; strained, 8@10c.

CINCINNATI.— Quotations IVom Clias. F. Muth, 976
Central Avenue. , ..

Comb honey, 15@35, according to the condition ot
the honey and the size of the box or frame, Extract-
cd choice white clover honey, 16c. ft 16.

-r. LOUIS.— Quotations from W. G. Smith, 419 North

Phobic white comb, 25(®29c; fair to good. 16@22.
Extracted choice white clover, 16@18c. Choice bass-
wood honey. IKfflu; lair to good, extracted, B®i2c ;
strained, 6@10c.

NEW YORK.— Quotations from E. A. Walker, 135
Oakland st., Greeuporl, L. I.

White Iioney in small glass boxes, 2oc ; dark 15@20c.
strained honey, a© 12c. Cuban honey. Sl.oo tf. gal.
St. Domingo, lind Mexican, 9C(a95 ft gal.

The Chicago Honey House, SCO Wabash Av-
enue, Chicago, ills., ‘lias always been prompt
and reliable we believe.

B. K. M. mentions that E. C. Hazard & Co.
103 and 11)4 Chambers St. N. Y. advertise for
10.000 lbs of honey, but as tills amount would
not cover the present crop of Medina Co., we
tliiuk perhaps ’twill be us well to advise, as
heretofore, that our friends develop their home
market. Alter your honey is stored in barrels,
place them in a cellar or away from the frost,
Ihat the honey may not candy too soon, and
then draw it out by a suitable molasses gate
into quart fruit jars, or jars made expressly
for honey, and after it. is neatly labeled leave
it for sale at your neighboring stores and gro-
ceries, for ten miles around if need be.

If they are kept supplied the year round, an
astonishing quantity will be sold. We sell
such jars for 75c., and allow 10 per cent com-
mission to the dealer when it is left for sale.
This is considerably better than is usually paid
for it by the barrel. We would respectfully
refer dealers to the following list ot subscri-
bers who have reported.

Could vou tell me who would nay cash for honey on
receipt of same, or at Depot here. 1 wrote to the
C hicago Honey Co., hut get no answer. I will have
over luOO lbs. Basswood honey, 1 would sell al 14c.

K. s. ISis K'l lXI.. New Buflalo, Mich.

We have I should think a ton, perhaps more, at the
present time of very nice honey. , ,

M. D. Miller, Peninsula. < >.

II colonies this Spring, increased to dale, to 24, and
extracted 985 lbs. honey. Joseph M. BitooKS,

Columbus, Ind. July 201h. 1 874.

FRIEND NOVICE My colonics 119) all came thro’
winter in moderate conuiliuu. I have aldate extract-
ed laoo lbs. honev (nearly all clover), for which 1 wl.l
take 18 cts. per lb. It Is In wax coaled barrels.

Wm. Hauhison, Hopcdnle, (>•

A. 1. Root a Co., Silts:- Wc bare net been In the
habit of giving our reports to the public, hut if they
w ill be oi aii) sen ice, we ate pleased to do so.

We have this year four Apiaries which have pro-
duced as follows: lbs.

East of Oberlin IK miles, 55 stocks 175a

West “ “ 3 “ 36 “ 2100

Greenfield, Huron Co. 0. 28 “ 1400

Freedom, ' “ “ “ 74 “ 42on

Total 9450

We expect to extract about another barrel from our
Apiary east of Oberlin. Most of our honey is from
Basswood. We hold It at 20c per lb.

We are preparing to shin a car load from here to
Henry Co. on the 28th of this month, whore wo expect
them to gather as much during the fall as they have
done during the summer.

Nunn Illto's & Co. Oberlin. O.

OUR MEDINA CO. llONEV CHOP.

Have Increased from 32 to 80. and taken 2000 lbs. of
honey. E. C. Beakeslee, Medina, O.

Have increased from 14 to 29, and hove 500 lbs. of
honey. Wii.lis A. Phelps, Medina, O.

Have increased from 35 to about 50, and have 4 bar-
rels of honey ; about 1500 lbs. of honey nett.

G. W. Dean, River Styx, Medina, Co. O.

I have about 5no lbs. clover and basswood, mostly the
latter, for which 1 want 18c.

John Williams, Marr, Medina Co., O.

I have taken 53 gallons (about580 IDs.) out of 20 hives,
keeping some for box honey.

John W. White, Chatham Centre, Medina Co., O.

I have taken 4000 lbs. from (SI stocks, and have in-
creased my swarms to 90 in number. All my hives
are well Idled with honev. move than I shall want lor
wintering. W. H. shake, Chatham, Medina Co., O.

I have made good use of the extractor I bo't of you.
I have extracted 180 gallons (nearly 2000 lbs.) ; 80 Irom
rnv own, and the balance from my neighbors. Price
18c in bulk, or 20c retail. 1 have also 16U lbs. box or
cap honey. 1 could have taken a good deal move ex-
tracted hud I not waited lor box honey. My better
half thinks we have found the hind of Canaan, which
was to llow with milk and honey.

Wm. Payne, Spencer, Medina Co., O.

We have about 500 lbs. of white clover and basswood
honey which we will sell lor 2()c per ll>. The bees <lo
not seem to work much on hemp yet, if they ever do
we will write you ; we have our bees and hives and
also a spring wagon all rigged to take our bees to the
swamp when the time comes; our wagon holds 14
hives without piling any on ton of others.

Jb‘. It. hHAW, Cmitham, Medina Co., O.

I commenced extracting about the middle of June
after Alsike clover blossomed. In three weeks 1 ex-
tracted not less than 1600 lbs. ol clover and Linden
honey of excellent quality. Trice for honey is 16c per
lb. 1 had last fall 35 stocks, lost noi e, they were all
healthy when spring came. They arc' all Italians, i
have increased them to 55 by dividing.

A. A. Kick, Seville, Medina Co., O.

Thu above foots up a little over 1*3,000 lbs.
and. yet does not include several who use the
Extractor, who have not reported as yet. It
every county would do as well, and we know
of no reason why they should not, honey
would be as common an article of food as buL
ter, perhaps. "We must confess to a feeling ot
satisfaction in receiving these reports. Most
of the gentlemen named are busy farmers, and
yet their bees were wintered almost without
ioss, although at least four of them used the
Extractor last season as closely as they have
this. Do you ask if there have been none who
got no honey '( Yes. but they have box hives
and box honey, or rather don’t have any hon-
ey at all, this year, while every one who h& s
movable frames and an Extractor has had a
good yield per hive. .

About- 2U- per lb is wanted, unless it
friend Rice, who w ill dou btk.- > dispose ot his
quickly at 10c.

1S7-4

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

03

5 J t- ;i (Is of Cii’aln,

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS.

m I, ROOT, Dear Sir:— -It’ Bee-keepers are as

//Jiv busy as we are this warm weather you will
not hear much from them. We are writing
from our extracting room where we keep one eye on
the bees through the wire screens and use the other
mim* to guide the pen.

We pride ourselves on a comfortably arranged ex-
tracting room. Our table is about 7 11. long by 2 wide
set right in front of the reversible wire screen window
inline and has a boxed off apartment at one end big
enough to hold the extractor and just high enough to
let a 15 gal. bbl. under. We did try to have it arranged
sn that a little wooden boy (or similar device) would
kick up his heels and notify us when the barrel was
nearly full, and he didn't* work worth a cent, so for
want of time to get him llxed just right, we had to
discharge him and rely on a gimlet hole bored so
the honey runs out (just enough to notify us when the
barrel is nearly full) and is caught in a pan.

We have used a Gray & Winder and other extract-
ors but never had one to suit us so well as our old
borne made one, li ved over with your improved gear-
ing and frame.

our cappings drop through a hole cut In the middle
of the table and are caught in a vessel set for the pur-
pose.

We can attest to the usefulness of It. II. Dickson's
lrninc racks, as we have lour similar ones in use, on
which we carry 14 or 1(» frames as easily as u or 8 for-
merly. In regard to extracted honey-* we will sell
most of ours by commission put lip in neat jars hold-
ing from .'4 pt. to 2 qls. some four or live sizes. We
bought our glass ware at Pittsburgh from some of
our old friends. Tlios. J. Walton, Salem, O. got. us
up some labels of our own designing partly, at $3.75
per thousand, fry placing the label at a distance, you
will notice the advantage of the large letters in bronze.

Our apiary is laid out after your hexagonal plan,
and we like it very much, being much the handiest
arrangement we ever had. Our 115 Concord vines are
growing beautifully.

We use a J.angstroth frame from necessity, will
probably continue to do so, alt hough we would other-
wise willingly conform to a standard, for we think
ilm idea of Apiarians arriving at some degree of uni-
loimiiy, an excellent one.

Our hives range from 10- 12-11 to 20 frames, the lat-
ter of which we had adopted belore the “Standard
hive” articles appeared, as best suited to our use. We
thought then that the .‘10 Inch idea was large but it
has been growing in our head and has not diminished
since, tor we now find it hard work to keep our 20
triune stocks from casting swarms.

Now I must tell you all I know of smokers. One of
our visitors wanted to know on hearing that we burnt
"Buffalo chips” if we “sent West tor it ?” That’s just
" here we get it. Alter a dry spell we take our basket
<»n our arm and “go west” to the barn-yard or pasture
lot and till it. with chips, llibsc a couple of inches
thick, sawed into st rips, leaving each piece a couple
of inches square, when dry are splendidly adapted to
to the wants ol the Apiarian, fry pouring lrom the
benzine jug a few drops il can be lit in a minute's time,
"111 burn nearly al 1 day, giving the best kind of smoke,
and .‘■carcely ever blazing unless caught bv a high
Mind. VYe keep ours constantly burning while going
‘he rounds, and it is then reauy lor use when we run
across one of our hj brid stocks that want to go for
the eyes. 1\ hen one giv es out we lay the coal remain-
on the end of another and Unis keep the smoke
Suing.

ton honey season still continues good and the hon-
ey is now nearly as clear as water, and of good consis-
'* ncy. We have taken over 2U0 gallons (and ready to
<u ii again) from 48 colonies.

” e will have all our bees pure before long and hope
t" enti r the Held w iili good pure stock next spring.

' )id not a black bee within several miles ol us.

rossibh \ve may enter tile $1,00 list next season for
' v 'V»i * l 11 * le 11111 bl rearing Queens.

Please send me a few Queen Registers and find en-
closed 25c. tor same. lours respectlully,

Indianapolis, 1ml. June 2bth. D. Lyons Browne.

1 also have one item on early free Pasture which I
consider of value, if you are of the same mind, you
r;m publish it for the henetit of the frrolherhood. You
are aw are that in tile West and Last perhaps, growing
< i forest timber is becoming part of the farmer’s occu-
) almn, anil Maple is one ol the kinds most used ; now

11 bee-keepers will go into the plantations of young

Maples and trim off small limbs, or wound in any oth-
er manner the trees early in the season, the sap will
j How dow'n the trunk of the trees forming a syrup
which Is excellent for tile bees, comes when we most
need it, no danger of drowning the bees and it will
not Injure the trees In the least.

James Scott, Epworth, Iowa.

A very good idea without doubt, and the
blossoms of these young Maples are also an
important source of honey, when the weather
is such that the bees can gather. Would not
letting the sap run down the trunk be a waste-
ful way of doing it and would it not induce
the bees to go out in unsuitable weather? yon
see friend 8. we feel like a "burnt child” in re-
gard to the latter idea. We would hazard the
suggestion that it might injure the trees after-
ward, if we hadn’t raised so many objections
already, but we heartily advise planting forest
trees by all means. Our 4000 Basswoods arc
looking beautiful now in spite of the abuse the
grasshoppers gave them last season. We have
just had them trimmed up and the ground spa-
ded around each one and they are making a
line growth.

DEAR NOVICE Gleanings for May (the missing
number) is at hand. A postal card is not half big
enough to express my sympathy on ; “1 know how it is
myself.” Four years ago I lost almost all my bees—
cause— -late transferring. I am sutisUed that you arc
right, that lack of pollen did the business. ‘We are
not ready for you to abdicate the editorial chair vet.
If we can timrthe reason your bees stored no pollen,
your loss may be more useful to us than Bolin's sue*
cess. You say that for the last three years you have
found but little old pollen in your combs in the spring.
Is that not about the time that you have run the ex-
tractor exclusively, and fed up In the fall? Is it not
barely possible that bees, when kept robbed with the
extractor, in their eagerness to store honey for winter
neglect to store pollen, except for immediate use? 1
robbed one stock last season of all their honey as fast
as gathered: they gave me double as much honey as
any other stock, and kept up the supply of brood, but
as soon as flowers failed anil the brood ’was all hatch-
ed I gave the bees to an adjoining stock. An examin-
ation of their combs to-day, shows them to be perfect-
ly empty— no pollen— a fact 1 never noticed before.
If we could feed pollen bad weather, all would go
well. But if your system of extracting all the honev,
and feeding for winter on syrup, makes us entirely
dependant on an early spring for success, I think wc
had better “go slow” in tills climate, where early
springs are an exception. The fact that Bolin’s bee's
were wintered on natural stores Is proof to me that
they also stored pollen.

I do not use the extractor as a general thing during
the last half of July, and the first half of August, (the
time Indian corn is in bloom) and when I begin again
I llnd the combs half tilled with pollen.

1 think more of my bees than of any thing else I
have, (wife and children excepted) and* I tremble lest
1 lose them again. Bingham of Mich., I see has come
to the conclusion that it is all luck, and I was always
an unlucky chap, so you had better reserve a place
for me in “Blasted Hopes” corner.

Heavy losses occurred In this vicinity tills spring,
chiefly from attempting to winter weak swarms. I
lost three such, all the weak ones 1 had. My strong-
est swarms wintered best, though their combs moul-
ded some, but they soon cleaned them. It is very
unfavorable weather now for bees, cold rainy w in-
dy, and has been for two weeks. 1 had my bees in
prime order for honey gathering- made some swarms
the 20th of May was raising some Queens— had
thousands of Italian drones, and no black ones to
speak of— had begun to “go” for some of the strong-
est a In Novice to prevent swaiming, when this bad
weather came on, cold as March, i have done all I
could to keep my bees up. but they are killing drones,
destroying Queen cells, throwing* out brood, and cut-
ting up Jack generally. If the weather don't change
1 w ill be put back to the 1st of May. “Nh/i” is bee-
keeping. Yours truly, R. L. JOIN Lit.

Wyoming, Wis. June 14th, 1874.

This is a new view of the matter we must
confess, but it will hardly apply in our locali-
ty, for we seldom if ever use the extractor after

94

GLEANINGS IN BEE CVLTC RE.

AtiGcsr.

tlie middle of July. Besides, box hives have We believe, nothing but honey. If we are
gone the same way in many cases. wrong will some one please set us right.

But there is nothing like ones own experience tor a
school ; and I hacl one the other (lay. 1 had a swarm
nut into a hive containing 12 frames (Standard) and
had it brought to me the next morning -they had
swarmed out twice before and returned to old hive.
There was a h inch hole in each end of the hive for
ventilation and 1 thought I would leave it closed until
night for safety : and to give them something to keep
them quiet, I laid a piece of comb honey on quilt ami
turned tin* corner up to give them passage. There
was plenty of comb fastened in the frames. At night
i opened it and they were like so many drowned rals,
only a few bees in crawling condition and they were
not so, very long. Well, that experience only cost me
Shoo cash, and a good deal more chilli rin. [hit I will
try to save a more valuable swarm some time. [Don't
tell anybody what a novice I am.) !h Hi Nl'KK.

Manchester, Mich.

But tve fear we shall have to tel! it often, for
some one is sure to “cut the same caper” every
little while, during the warm weather. A new
swarm is always so loaded witli honey for
their new home that they can bear very little
confinement, and they have about as little need
(for the first day) of honey in the comb, as of a
work on mathematics to direct them in build-
ing their cells properly.

Are the curved end honey knives of Winde r’s, pat-
ented?

On July (ith, had 1 u'o swarms of bees come off from
one old stock, one at about 10 A. M. and the other about
;; P. M. I did not Intend they should swarm, but they
beat me in time. F. W. Chapman, Morrison, ills.

We should suppose not for if it is, the patent
certainly cannot “hold. ” Quinby, first used
and recommended knives with a carved point
and they were described and advertised some
time before the one you mention. Two swarms
from one hive is not very strange if they were |
second and third swarms, hut it the first of the
season ’twould be rather unusual in one day.

My bees nearly all died two winters ago leaving
plenty of honey, hut are making up for it this summer.

1 have had f» swarms from one, all good, and 20 lbs. box
and 21 lbs. extracted honey thus far. Can't say what
1 may have yet. .May the wind-mill continue to ran.

•A. V. Con kmx, Waldo, Ohio. {

What could I get for the yellow wax made into j
small cakes as stated in A. Ji. J. Vol. 7, page 121. It
would be some work to cake it. hut slid il it would sell
for what he thought it would, it would pay well. Can
you give unv information on the subject ?*

WfcSLKY Bkown, Homer, N. V. July 10th, 1S74. I

Some time ago we made some pretty little !
cakes of wax with a loop of narrow scarlet i
ribbon fastened to eaeli by pressing the ends !
into tlie wax before it was cold. The cakes
were made by pouring it into small fancy dish- *
es, they can be had very cheaply of the tin- |
smiths, they are called “patties.” Now these I
cakes to be suitable for a lady’s work box
should not exceed or oz. each, and they j
retail for 10c. As the French wax sold for t His j
purpose is much adulterated, a pure home- j
made article would doubtless find a ready sale. [
The best way, as with honey, is to supply your
home market first. Take a dozen or two made
of nice wax, (that from the “cappings” is beau-
tiful) to your merchant or grocer and give him
a commission for selling, and if you are not
careful lie will soon be out, as we are at this
minute; we haven’t a single cake left with the
“scarlet ribbons.”

I)o the Rocky Mountain bee plants Cr Ionic intcyri - j
folia and Leophanthus anUatuz yield fodder for cuttle, I
or honey onl> 'i JI. a. .S.

We have no Vetches but can get, you some if you.
wish, they do not amount to- anything in this climate,
it is too hot. 1$. IL&taiu & (:«>-

Cleveland, O.

The above was ree’ef in answer to an inqui-
ry from us, sent them in April.

In using the “Standard Hive” for box honey would,
you advise putting boxes in the ends of hive oV on ton
of frames ? O. L. Baki.akI), Malone, N. V,

We think the most comb honey would be
secured by taking out frames as fast as tilled
and sealed in either the back or front of the
hive; taking care that they had clean new
comb lor the purpose that had not been used
for brood rearing.

Please tell me through Gleanings the best way to
remove the bees from the comb before extracting. If
von ever told 11 s 1 don't remember of seeing it. The
Italians stick awful tight don’t they ?

A lyVUKD McMaink, Charlton, Iowa.

Provide a bunch of Asparagus tops com-
posed of three or four stalks as thick as a lead
pencil, and with, broad bushy tops. Some fine
annealed iron wire cut in pieces six inches long,
is handier than strings for tying them together,
and they are to lx? tied in the middle of the top
as well as where held in the hand. After sha-
king off as many bees as you can, take the
brush in the right hand and roll it so as to roll
the young bees off before the entrance, and
they will crawl in safely. If your brush gets
smeared with honey, rinse it off in a pail of
water. It may be used until so dry it breaks up.

We now rejoice— or rather we feel doubtful over Ti
stocks of bees. Sweet clover, us well as their watering
place covered with the busy little fellows. We have
just been giving one contrary swarm Instructions not
to build their combs across the frames as they well-
doing. D. 1*. Lank, Koshkonong, Wis.

*1 think move than one half the bees in this country
died in April for want of supplies. It rained all the
time so that they couldn't get out. Blooms were
abundant through the month. 1 found out in time
that mine were dying and saved them with syrup.

W. fc\ Lewis, Baldwin, .Miss.

If voe could save our bees by simply feeding
them we should lx* quite happy indeed.

We cannot imagine such a case as the lack of pollen,
we generally think, we have too much ; 1 have cut out
whole sheets of it blit I won’t do so any more. Bees
are doing splendidly here, I have taken out 840 lbs. so
far, some of it. perhaps .‘loo lbs., was from the fruit
bloom. It is not pleasant to the tasto and very dark,
clover is line and we had a line shower Sunday that
brightened things up very much ; some of my’ hives
filled the upper story in lour days, you seldom see il
better than that. II. M. Ovuuv, Oin. O. June -ink

Bees in this locality have been doing but very Uttle
good. I lost 1 colonies out of 6 in the last season, ami
\ out of 8 in ’7.5. Had half changed to Italian and have
lost them all. They cannot stand the cold weather
that we have in this part of the world, and all that
have perished tor me, were very rich in natural stores,
hoping to have better success* in future, 1 am, yours-
truly, II. .smith. McKeesport, Bn-

We think friend 8. you are a little hasty in
deciding that Italians arc less hardy than
blacks; such sometimes seems to be the case
in a few instances, but taking the general av-
erage where conditions are equal and we be-
lieve the reverse will be found the rule.
Where Italians are not given sufficient room
they often prevent brood -rearing by filling the
hive completely with honey, and under such
conditions they are insufficient in numbers

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

im

w hen winter comes to keep up proper temper-
ature, and of course must perish. Was not
such the case with your own ? The extractor
is almost the only remedy for such troubles.

FRIEND NOVICE : -Those eggs came to hand after
»;u hours from the time you mailed them, but the comb,
box ami all was pretty much smashed line; still 1 have
from one end of it, where there was a cell or two
which was not smashed down to the base, two larva}
hatched, but no Queen, cells found over them as yet.
Now I want you to put me up some more as I direct:
on the morning of the 24th of July put a nearly new
worker comb in the centre of the brood next where
your imported Queen Is. Look at it on the morning
oft he 25th and if there arc eggs in it send them to me
by the first mail on Monday the 27th of July. Now
how to nut them up: Make a box of wood M inch
thick. Make it three inches square by two inches
deep. Have the top or cover go on with screws so as
not to jar the comb. Now go to the hive and get the
oldest eggs in the comb above mentioned, exit out a
piece two inches square and wrap it up in soft paper
>o you cannot see a bit of comb. Put inch of cotton
wadding in the bot tom of box, put in comb and tuck
in wadding on each of the four sides, then put in wad-
ding until box is full. Screw on top, and send. Please
excuse us for becoming teacher to an older member of
the bee-keeping fraternity, for we have faith that if
the eggs are put up so they will not jar we can hatch
them, for since we sent you for the eggs just received,
we have placed a frame of worker eggs in a hive and
nnd had them hatch all right, alter they had been left
in our shop away 'llom bees, eight days. You ask on
your card if we are certain that eggs will hatch after
being kept a month. We will give you the facts. In
using our small hive described in A. Ji. J. we some-
times get drope brood lh boxes. On finding such we
s, 'l them out, thinking to spoil it and left them out in
one instance nearly a month, and then put them in
the hive again and to our surprise the next day but
• me found plenty of larva- in the boxes. We now take
precaution to see that the eggs are hatched, and then
we can set them out a day or two until the brood sut-
lers when all will be right unless the Queen lays in
them again.

I he poorest season so far, wc have ever known.
<hir hives will not averaged lbs. of honey in each at
'■ate. ( ause, cold and wet. Basswood just opening
and we are hoping for better times.

(i. M. Doolittle, Borodino, N. Y. July 18th, 1874.
1*. S.-In the comb of worker eggs referred to above
J lie bees only hatched those that would hatch in 24
hours. The rest were all cleaned out.

No excuse is
su min.

ever needed friend I). for pre-
to teach us ; our capacity for taking in
instruction is boundless, and we will faithful-
ly perform our part of the experiment so long
ns there is any hope of success. When we are
desired to send the comb in such wooden boxes,
as are described wc shall have to request that
*tbout 10c. additional be sent.

1 lie following is just at hand. Our opinion
‘ s that the whole secret is warm weather,
uvli as we invariably have in ,J uly for instance,
n uiTiih ! Off with old hats and new. We have two
!• i V < i el, 1 s *. lear, y ready to seal, out of our two
• . hatched lrom the comb of eggs we received

jut down to
iid taken all

.. v .,om the bees

"m wo expected our imported larva* had fared

’ have two line Queen colls

G. M. i>.

for hi ’? m <)() * ' ? i;<) — There now, you have told on me
rlmr i n V v l u '° hwM-tred and fifty hu es of Ires last
J; V U nii, id that so much since you did

U,.. the i act that 1 lost near /our hundred colonies

I'rili r i J !! Us , S 1 ,, .* ,IL ' an, l near two hundred colonies the

batched from the comb of eggs wi
. • vo . 11 J,| l smashed up. Our heart wen

. ! ; H, , ols when we found that the bees hat:
Nu ‘ nut of the comb we had awav iVon

f,!;;; hut wi* ream

l| om them.

•'priii

took
J1,,< 1 now

boloiv that, not leaving me Jive per cent of niv
- 1 ll *ne. I started with 17 hives this spring
''n good colonics from them besides

and

!:!. kln £ hfteen hundred pounds extracted honey.

now 1 will

f°r the beo malady
M

n - two dollars each to

iv 3 i„,i i m * v ,S 0 <>d colonies to live over until next
Hlvk'onll / l,s V‘! r ° winter so safely that I would not
neiviii "ire lor insurance. Two thirds of the
liali «,f \ L, K»°n have swarmed and perhaps one

oni have made some box honey. Clover was

entirely gone July 1st. Basswood we may say com-
menced yielding that day and lasted until the 8th.

K. W ilk in, Oskaloosn, Iowa, July Kith, 1874 .

From seventeen to eighty , and 1500 lbs. of
honey is certainly ahead of us friend W., but
we think you mentioned having purchased
Queens for them, in a former letter. If Bass-
wood only lasted nine days with you, we are
certainly ahead here, if we are not a Basswood
country; wc have had almost three weeks
and considerable is gathered yet from occa-
sional trees that blossom late.

. NOVICE :-Our 100 colonies have incrcas-

«.» I ni,, hily bv natural swarming, and that not-
withstanding all the opposition I could bring to bear,
short ol extracting the honey from the breeding
apartment, which I did not wish to do, as I wanted
an the box honey 1 could get. Bees obtained more
honey than usual lrom fruit blossoms, but the yield
lrom white clover is comparatively light in this’sec-
tlon, owing to the clover being badly winter killed,
and also Injured by drouth. In many places bees
obtained just honey enough to keep them breeding
and swarming, and where they were permitted to
" , the yield of surplus honey must la*
light. A friend told me he knew six swarms to issue
lrom one of his stocks, and he did not know how nianv
more came out and went to the woods.

I only permitted my colonies to swarm once, with
the execution of one which swarmed twice, conse-
quently they were lull of bees when Basswood bloom-
ed, and worked on it accordingly. All of m\ old
stocks, with one exception, and many of the swarms
are at work in surplus boxes. I have lrom i; to 22. 4 or
•Jib. boxes on each. I have taken off a few hundred
pounds and there are more ready to come off' as soon
as I can lmd time to attend to it. But most of the
boxes are not quite ready to come off yet, as the honev
is not all sealed up. Bees are beginning to work oh
the second crop of red clover where it was cut early ;
and it drouth or the grasshoppers do not use it up as
they did last year, 1 hope for a fair yield of honev,
notwithstanding the unfavorable spring. The one old
stock that has not worked In surplus boxes was the
weakest I had in the spring. It has become quite
strong, bid 1 have kept it as a kind of reserve upon
which to draw whenever 1 want a frame of broou or
honey lor any purpose.

Honey seems to be thicker and heavier this year
than common, as boxes that seldom contained more
than four lbs. hold almost live. The dry weather evi-
dently had something to do with it.

All of my old colonies have too much honey in the
breeding apartment; many of them twice what they
should have, and it will have to be extracted after
that in the boxes is sealed up. 1 do not wish to do so
now. as 1 have found by experience that extracting
much out of the breeding apartment during the work-
ing season always detracts from the box honey.

James Bolin, West Lodi, O. July 2oth, 1874.
We must say friend B., that we are disap-
pointed in your report. We had fixed our
opinion on having you report at this date
about 10.000 lbs of extracted honey, or 100 lbs.
to the colony on an average, and here you have
been allowing your 100 stocks to “fool away
their time” (begging your pardon) on box hon-
ey. Of course, you may know best. Our bee-
keepers here, who brought their stocks through
in any kind of shape are making a good yield
with the extractor, but taking an Apiary
through, they would not get one fourth the
amount in boxes, so far as we can learn; and
yet the prices are constantly quoted in our
Cleveland papers at nearly the same. Thick,
well ripened, transparent honey, is rapidly
making for itself a market at a price but very
little below box honey, and if you do not re-
port at least (5000 lbs. of box honey we shall
think you have erred in summer management,
whatever may be your skill in wintering.
There! we’ll stop now lest some one may
think our O' • barrels of honey and 45 colonies,
are making us “sass\ r ” again.

!J(T

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

August.

Out of fifteen colonies all of which came through
the winter in good condition, 1 lost eleven in the
month of April. 1 had set them out on the summer
stands about the 15th of March, and during the long
cold weather that ensued, the hives not being shaded
from the sun shine, the bees would fly out and become
chilled and tie unable to return. Before I was aware
of the fact I lost eleven. Others in this vicinity have
been equally unfortunate: one man lost forty colonies,
about till that lie had. Win. C.vi.mvm.n, Elmore, O.

My hees are doing splendidly so far this year, I
started the season with 17 and now the)' have increas-
ed to 35. all natural hut 1. and still swarming every
day. Mine are all Italians but S, and they have not
made a move in that direction yet. Black bees about
here arc doing nothing of any account, and several
have complained that the worms are destroying them
all. Mine are the only Italians within about 15 miles
of here . E. A. Shei.uon, Independence, Iowa.

Whatever the Blacks may do in early spring,
Italians are certainly far ahead in the honey j
season..

You say on first page of July No. of Gleanings
"H ives that have been destitute of bees ever since
freezing weather * * * * may be considered safe.” 32'
V is freezing, and to mv certain knowledge a temper-
ature of II" will not kill the moth germs in a certain
stage, huts" or to will do it sure. This is not guess
work but a fact known to me by actual and extremely
careful experiment. Hives were kept nil* tight after
an exposure of U" and were nearly destroyed.

Yours respectfully, James IIkiiuos.

Dowagiao, Mich. July 1st, 1871.

We thank you for the correction, and ac-
knowledge our error. We only knew that
combs kept in tight hives over winter in our
barn were never troubled, but if placed there
when taken from the hives in warm weather,
there was sure to be trouble.

My opinion is, the large hives will he no remedy for
the common malady in bees; with tne large colonies
fare full as badly as small ones. Scarcity of bee-bread
may have something to do with it. yet I think lint lit-
tle.' My bees had badly failed long before breeding
had ceased; almost all my hives had bee-bread left.

It. Wii.kin, Oscnloosa, Iowa.

1 put six stocks of Italians in cellar last fall, after
extracting all natural stores and feeding sugar-syrup.
They all wintered well, but found one Queenless this i
spring; united it, with another stock and they have j
done well. Made five new swarms three weeks since,
raised fourteen Queens and have extracted !I5 lbs. of ;
honey at present writing; shall expect to get more
■ soon.* SVlifte Clover is abundant here now and Bass-
wood promises well. You will see that I have no rea-
son to be discouraged witli bee-keeping.

K. W. Poole, West Richfield, O. June 2»tli, 1871. j

1 . Ought surplus receptacles to be put on or over a |

new swarm before the main frames are pretty well i
filled ? |

2. How do you manage to make the bees build then-
combs straight? You somewhere say we must watch ;
and compel them to make their combs straight.

Stephen Young; Mechnnicsville, Iowa.

1. If our friend will excuse the liberty we I
would advise him to put his surplus recepta-
cles where neither he nor his bees will oversee ;
them more. So far as we know they rarely use ;
them until the hive is crammed full of honey,
and then they often lose another day or two
of the best part of the honey harvest, waiting
to think about it, and then about half the time i
conclude not to work In boxes at till. A coup- [
le of our neighbors who have used the extract-
or successfully for some years, thought they ;
would try a few hives for box honey this sea- ;
son, but the sight of hives filled and ready to j
be extracted, with boxes untouched was more
than they could stand, and in a trice they were j
emptied, giving both the bees and 1 lie Queen j
room; and now they labor industriously like
the rest.

2. Have every comb built between two others,
or between one and the side of the hive, and
they cannot well be other than straight.

DEAlt NOVICE:— I have not for two years need
am smoke at mv home apiary where l open some ol
the hives daily in the season, and where all my chil-
dren play as carelessly as if there were no such things
as bees.’ Honev is so scarce during the last hall of
May. whole of June and July that 1 have to divide up-
my apiarv into three or four ; take them It an ordi-
nary tliree-sprlng wagon and trot off on our smooth
roads, ns fast and as safelv as if pleasure riding.

! never could use a feather, nor a wisp broom in
brushing bees from their combs.*

Plenty of good weeds usually abound, but 1 find an
asparagus stem with plenty o'f small limb*, just the
thing; these ref jctable brushes do not make the bees
mad a bit In fact they soon get used to being bvuslu d
and will, as soon as they see the right kind of a brush
coming roll off like pens. 1 have succeeded in repla-
cing my last tail's number of stocks— 51— by division,
have art in tip-top order, ready for any tiling that
comes in the way of honey.

I put my bees hi my cellar, in the fall, under the
main living room of my house, vent ilating very little,,
and have good success. 1 lost tir o between Nov. 15th,
and March 1st. the day set out— starved— leaving two
full frames of honey on the side of the hive opposite
the bees. March was so cold, and April too, lor that
matter, that, alter a couple of day’s flight, they could
not be examined for three weeks at a lime. The con-
sequence was two starved, and four or five came out
and found other hives. All my hybrids played that
trick on me. Thev invariably left clean combs, with
brood and sealed honey -showing their cutMcHntM—'d
4ti pure Queens, not one would desert her hive.

1 have to-day 7 frames full of brood, in each of up-
wards of 1(1 stands -and when we get so many in tin:
Quinby frame, we may expect some hees one of these
davs. Imt there will he little honey for them until Aug.

.tunc 22nd -Contrary to expectations, we are now in
tlie bight of a wonderful flow of honey from Sumac
which of late years inis not yielded much. Every
thing in the hives is tilled full and 1 am kept busy hi-
ving swarms, as it has become too much of a job to
keep them lrom it by removing frames of brood.

G. K. MEltuiAM, Topeka, Ifnnsas.

We would be glad indeed to learn that the
spring swarming out, belonged only to hybrids,
but we believe the full bloods are sometimes
quite guilty of the same trick. As a general
tiling weak colonies seem to be the ones most
addicted to it, but there are •many exceptions
to this rule that arc hard to get over.

Sudden yields of honey often come quite un-
expectedly and from a variety of sources, there-
fore, ’tis always well to be toady to take ad-
vantage of them. Give tlie Queen room at
such times at all hazards, and this can only be
done with the extractor. When our present
basswood yield first opened we tried giving
tlie Queens empty combs of which we have
plenty, but even when we gave a colony two,
in the evening, they would be tilled with honey
before site could more than till a circle three
inches in diameter.

Oh Novice! Can you believe me when f tell you
that I am going to have at least three Queens from those
eggs such is likely to be the ease I assure you. tor
there are three nice cells started and lean seethe
voting brood in the jelly at the bottom. The eggs did
not reach me lill Thursday. I think they came as tar
as eight hundred miles. A. Me MAINS.

Charlton, Iowa. July 10th, 1874.

Very glad indeed to hear it, and perhaps u
we could always be sure of having such beau-
tiful warm weather as we have had during this
month, we might send them 10(10 miles or
more. The above piece of comb if we remem-
ber correctly, contained eggs just laid hi a
piece of comb containing bees just gnawing
out. If we cannot manage some wayorotu-
er, to give all our readers the benefit ot tin'

Italian bees without such enormous expe isl-
and failures as have been t he rule, wejshall think
ice are a failure in one respect at least.

I IO« TO CONDUCT AN APIARY.

No. 9.

® NE year ago we said, “in time of peace
prepare for war” and we say so again
now, but really, with less confidence in our
ability to direct lohnt preparation is to be
made, than we had then.

So far as dysentery is concerned, we have
no fear at all but that it is perfectly under
control, but the dwindling away, and rapid
depopulation of the colonies in the spring, is a
matter which we fear is almost, beyond our
skill. From great numbers of reports, from
widely scattered localities we find that some
Apiaries winter .just as well as they used to
years ago, colonies dying only from starvation,
while within a short distance at a neighboring
Apiary they may all die. These results come
when the circumstances are so widely differ-
ent, and where almost every kind of treatment
lias been given, all the way from box hives out
doors without care, to movable combs, Italians
and honey extracted until frost comes, that we
Hunk we are excusable for thinking it an epi-
demic among bees that appears in some Apia-
ries and not in others ; and for which we have
as yet no positive remedy, for the box hives
have tailed in one case and those which were
extracted came out all right, and the next
report, would be right the reverse.

Mr. 1. E. Daniels of Lodi, this Co., purcha-
sed several colonies and moved them late in
the fall after all pasturage was over. A part
ot them with the rest of his colonies were left
°“t> and a part put into his cellar, yet all died
about alike, while his neighbor a few miles
away, from whom these were purchased, lost,
"-one. Is it not rather probable that some dis-
ease used up friend Id's Apiary / Mis colonies
vere remarkably strong in Sept., when we ex-
amined them, and he has hitherto been a most
1 successful Apiarist. Again, the
mney that apparently killed the bees in 73
™ them successfully in 74, see pages 22
and o8, current volume.

hr. imJ ' l is , C01-| ainly poor encouragement to
? ur . bee * "my all die in the spring wh„t-
erf i d °' fllL ' ts ate stubborn things. Nev-
^ t ie ess we are by no means to fold our hands
tro ,l,7 e strong colonies through this
m le. as with all others, have almost uni-

th ron idi th" t ! leOUCS ’ that came safely

■des tnV S1CK< ' ; we a™ to bend our ener-
' p l? tae work of making all good.

hui'o r : sa .vs she could take one colony and
1 'iffht arrange the stores -just

s , and fix it, up so she known ’twould winter

either in doors or out ; how many of our read-
ers feel the same way? If they can do one,
why not fifty ? Is it time, only that is needed ?
If such be the case 'twill probably be a better
investment of this precious time, to go to work
now, this month, and ifconscious that we have
too little nerve or energy to put our whole
Apiary in “apple pie” order at once, perhaps
we had better take one at a time, and make
believe for the time being, 'tis our sole posses-
sion.

Now the question comes up as to what is to
ie done, that is, what do we know from past
experience etc., can be done safely ; not in an
experimental way, (manure etc.) but establish-
eel, that all or nearly all will agree on.

Suppose our readers stood about us, and
we pointed to a colony, and addressed them
something after this fashion :

Fellow laborers can you ail agree on what
shall be done to put this colony in good shape
for wintering ? How many bees shall we have v
Is there one of you now, that would be satisfied
with a pint, a quart, or even two quarts ? The
hive contains ten Langstroth combs, if we
bring brood if necessary from other hives
(thereby reducing the number of colonies) un-
til at least seven of the ten combs contain
brood, and bees enough to cover them nicely
will it be too strong this first day of Septem-
ber ? 1

We think the majority of you will agree
that it will not; and also that 'twill be just as
well to leave the brood in its natural position.

II honey should come in during the fall we can
put empty combs at one side or above them
to be used in the extractor.

In regard to the amount of stores needed
you will all probably agree that if the brood
com. is are all bulged out above the brood with
sealed stores, and the other three full and
heavy with pollen and sealed stores also, that
they have an ample supply.

Uncapped watery looking honey, you will
all admit is not to be considered desirable. We
shall use sugar syrup in place of honey, and
it will have been fed to them priucipailv du-
i mg the mouth of August; during this month
we shall also feed enough to keep up brood-
rearing briskly, and shall move the combs
about but little; leaving each colony all the
pollen they have gathered and just in the po-
sition they have placed it.

II after we have fixed everything the best we
know how, they should die, we can console our-
sel' es with the thought of having done our du-
ty !lt least, and that bee culture is not the only
pursuit having its drawbacks, by any means.

9H

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sett.

OCR OWN APIARY.

WHJO-day, July 30th, after getting our Aug-
ust number all safely in tlic Post Office —
we always feel as if we had got the washing
done and ironing too for that matter (as the
women say) when they are all printed, ad-
dressed, wrapped, arid tied in their respective
bundles — well, after this was all done, as we
were saying, we repaired to the Apiary which
had been for about three days pretty nearly
running itself. Now before telling you of the
wonderful sight that met our “optics," we
shall have to remark that our friend Dean had
just one week ago to-day, brought, us a box of
bees, to be exchanged for brood from our im-
ported Queen. Well, we took out three combs,
and cut the eggs out of the centre of each — D.
only uses eggs for all his Queen-rearing— and
then just for fun we put these three combs into
an empty hive, and after filling it out with
seven more containing stores only, we poured
the bees he had brought, in front of the hive,
and straitway had a fine colony, for he in his
generosity had brought about a peak. These
bees he had obtained from different hives and
as he had hastily shaken them from the combs,
of course they comprised all ages. Now the
big wonder we have been so long trying to tell
was, that we counted on these three combs,
Queen cells to the number of— to be exact,
Novice found fifty eight, but P. G. only made it
forty nine, but ’twas nearly night, and she says
she skipped some that weren’t good ones, “as
if she could tell by the looks of the outside,”
Novice says. Well as part of them are very
close together we shall get out our “conserva-
tory hatching machine” and then we’ll tell all
about how many good ones there were.

Aug. 3rd — Yesterday was Sunday. That is
one fact ; another is that it was the tenth day
since our mammoth lot of Queen cells were
started. In anticipation that something might
happen to make Sunday work necessary to
save them, about a dozen hives were located
and furnished with combs late Saturday even’g.
About half past five on Sunday morning. Nov-
ice arose put on a dean pair of linen pants etc.,
washed his face and proceeded to wipe it and
comb his hair as usual while he sauntered
about among the hives and grape vines. After
finding all on duty apparently as they should
be, he proceeded to enjoy the tranquility of the
early Sabbath morning by reading his favorite
papers seated in the camp chair beneath one
of the Lombard plum trees. It may not have
been purely accidental, his having chosen a
seat nearly in front of the hive containing the
Queen cells ; these lie proposed examining a
little later in the day, but intended to keep
them until Monday if practicable. As lie sat
reading, his eyes wandered occasionally toward
the entrance and finally to get a fair view of
every thing brought out by the bees, lie got the
broom and commenced sweeping away the im-
mature plums and leaves that had dropped
about the hive. Suddenly he stops and ejacu-
lates, “As sure as you’re alive that is a dead
Queen, and here’s another.” Away went the I
papers ; one of the Queens that seemed alive
was placed in the sun in a cage, and then the
hive was examined. A fine Queen was para-
ding the combs and perhaps a dozen cells were

torn open, or had the lids hanging. Four
Queens were found “loose,” two of which wen
fighting; like friend Grimm of old, he tumbled
these a yard apart in the grass, and the other
two w T ere put on separate combs, which wen-
carried to new hives, bees, brood and all. Our
bee house stove was wlieclcd out, tlic tiu Sim-
plicity hive with hollow walls, mentioned a
year ago, was placed upon it and the lamp
lighted. In this the two combs containing the
cells were placed, after shaking off the bees,
and four more nice Queens were found scat-
tered about, after all was done. In fact Nov
ice soon began to examine every bee found
crawling on the ground, thinking it might be
a Queen. Five more Queens were hatched
during the day, and as fast as they hatched
they were given to nuclei hastily extemporized
by placing three combs of hatching brood, bees
and all, in one of the new hives, or given to
Queenlcss colonies. Toward evening to dis-
pose of the last one a black Queen was killed
from one of our natural swarms, and the
young Queen placed almost the same instant
on the same comb she had occupied. To-day
we find her all right and no Queen cells star-
ted. Is not that a simple way of introducing?
The whole operation scarcely taking three
minutes. With the 'Simplicity hives we fre-
quently open the hive and find the Queen in
one. minute.

To- day about a half dozen more have hatch-
ed, and we have increased our number of stocks
to 54.

Aug 4th — Sixteen more fine strong active
Queens have hatched, and we have 61 colonies,
and more Queens that we know not what to
do with. We could very easily turn them into
dollars if they were fertile, but the problem is
to get bees to care for them until this be ac-
complished ; we have already gone further than
we intended increasing, and begin to fear w<
may not be equal to the task of making all
strong for winter. We And ourselves often
wondering if it be really possible that Queens
just hatched can really be put safely in any
colony of bees, without any bother of caging.

Our experience has been for the last three
days, the same as last year, that Queens
hatched without been, can be placed in any
Queenless hive, under any circumstances with
impunity. As they have seen no oilier bees,
they at once hasten to those presented them
with perfect- confidence, and this confidence is
seldom a mistaken one for the bees receive
them with a manner that seems to imply.
“Well, she must have been hatched in our hive,
for how else could she get here in that shape ?

Aug. 1th — As our colonies now number sixty
eight, we think it is about time to stop, and
direct what skill we are possessed of to kcepvm
what we have. For the past two days om
plan of making colonies has been something ns
follows ; As soon as a Queen is hatched in our
nursery we proceed to any full colony, and
lift out the comb containing the Queen; then
with thumb and three fingers of each hand, we
lift out at once three combs, brood, bees and
all, and carry them gently to a new hive. Al-
ter dropping the newly hatched Queen on top
of these frames among the bees the swarm is
made, and we have only to put empty combs
| in both hives until they are full again.

1874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Tliis process we had repeated so many times,
we began to think failure impossible, but when
we began to draw on our black stocks for bees
and brood we were disappointed in finding two
Queens in front of the hive, dead. This was
passed over as a small matter, until to save
the Queens that kept hatching, we killed our
three remaining black Queens and gave them
the young ones as usual. The whole three
were found in front of the hive dead ; three
more were given them and one of them was
soon walked out with a bee on each side of her,
holding each a wing. Wo returned her caged,
the first caging we have done for weeks. If
this is another unfavorable trait of the blacks,
we shall assuredly endeavor in future to “run
our Apiary” without their assistance. Again,
the black colony that we requeened so expedi-
tiously on Sunday to save a fine Queen, was
found all right Tuesday and no cells started ;
she consequently had been allowed full liberty
of the hive for 48 hours or more, yet to-day,
she too, was found dead in front of the hive
aiid a host of cells started. Is it possible they
did not discover the “swap” we had made until
after two days or more? We think we shall
have to try (hem with a Queen cell to-morrow,
yet we decidedly prefer the “Lamp Nursery,”
as there is no cutting of combs at all, and no
loss on cells, be they built ever so closely.

The following just at hand shows we are not
alone in the field.

i have succeeded in introducing 27 out of 30 virgin
bueens ; three of them by caging. Over 20 were intro-
duced by letting them run into the hive ut the entrance,
in.-t as soon as practicable after hatching. Such as
hatched at night were introduced in the morning.

Two years ago, I introduced a fertile Queen by let-
ting her crawl into the entrance after night, the next
morning she was laying eggs; this is the only fertile
Queen 1 ever introduced in flint way. You know bees
from different hives can be united much more readily
after night than in day time.

T. G. McGaw, Monmouth, 111.

Aug. 10th — Our 68 all have Queens, defend
themselves fully from robbers, and everything
goes finely. The four black stocks have ac-
cepted their unfertile Queens with one excep-
tion, and we gave them a Queen cell. Yester-
day being Sunday we had leisure to watch our
young Queens as they took their flight (we
never open hives on the Sabbath unless in a
case of positive necessity), and we were re-
joiced by seeing several take wing with a vigor
and ease that dispels any fears we may have
had about so many cells in a hive giving all
strong and vigorous Queens.

As the yield of honey has about ceased we
have been feeding all colonies having laying
Queens, from one half to a teacupful of syrup
every evening about dusk. The way in which
we do it is described on another page. We
have decided not to commence out-door feeding
so long as no bees molest the groceries etc., as
we have so many other bees now in the neigh-
borhood.

Am/. \Ath — Is it not really provoking. Our
big lot of young Queens are all safe iit hives,
and the greater part of them laying, yet we
u'U so sure that some of them would be lost,
We started another comb for cells, to replace
missing ones, and now we have once more
urge fine Queens, hatching and no place for
'V, Our friends who have sent us their
dollars'’ for Imported daughters, doubtless
uuuk we might readily fill their orders, which I

99

we would with alacrity, were these laying
Queens. If some one will tell us how we can
get them fertilized with the ease and certainty,
that we hatch them in that same “lamp nur-
sery" we shall feel as if they had divulged to
us the whereabouts of a small gold mine on
our own premises. Three frames of brood and
bees will it is true, couvert them into laying
Queens in 8 or 10 days, but really we dare not
draw on our other colonies more this season.
We might also sell those just commencing to
lay and thus make a place for them, but we
dare not even do that, lbr fear of marring our
prospects of successful wintering. This morn-
ing we debated seriously what to do with three
remarkably large and yellow ones just hatched,
and finally made three more colonies for them,
into which they crawled as if they owncd.it
ail, aud “nary a bee” dissented by word or look.

Now we are going to give the result of our
experiments in regard to

BROOD OR EGGS FOR QUEEN REARING.

Our friend Dean, always uses the latter, and
advised us, if wc wished good Queeus, to get
a new empty comb built perhaps half way
down, and insert it one day in our Imported
Queen’s colony. When it was supplied plenti-
fully with eggs, to remove and give to a Queen-
less stock having no other brood, thus obliging
them to commence with eggs; suclt Queeus
hatching in sixteen instead of 10 days. Now
we did just this, two days after starting the lot
for the 58 cells, noting results carefully.

The large lot were started by the bees at
different times, but the first of these hatched
on the morning of the tenth day. Those hatch-
ing on the first two or three days, from large
nice cells were large, and tolerably light for
imported stock but some of the last to hatch
were very black and small, though quick and
active. Wc have saved several of the latter
for experiment, but mind you, we do not pro-
pose to sell any of them. Another thing, in
none of the large lot did we find any jelly re-
maining in the cells, but this could hardly be
expected with so many.

About oue dozen only, were started in the
comb with eggs only , but they were swimming
in jelly as soon as the larvae were visible to the
naked eye ; a day or two after, more cells were
started over pretty good sized larvae, half
grown perhaps, these have not hatched but the
first constructed produced the yellowest
Queens we have ever reared from the Import-
ed stock, and they are larger limbed and strong,
though not so quick and active as yet, as the
small black ones mentioned heretofore. We
shall keep a record of course — we can do it
easily with our Queen cards — of the longevity
of these respective Princesses.

Aug. 19/4 — The great loads of orange and
yellow pollen that come in, in the fore part of
the day, more especially the hives that con-
tain the daughters of our Imported Queen,
call forth admiration from every one, from
Blue Eyes up, and as nothing prevents our
peeping into the interior as well, we are happy
to say the young Queeus are faithfully doing
their duty, even the dark inferior looking ones
as well us the rest. Notwithstanding quite a
severe drouth, under the stimulus of our liber-
al feeding, every egg seems to produce a perfect
bee, in a way we don’t remember seeing before.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

100

OUR PRIMARY DEPARTMENT,

O.- First Principles in Bep-Keepin^.

[Designed especially for the veriest novices, and
those who know nothing of bees whatever. Conduct-
ed by a fellow Xovice of several years experience
replete with blunders, as well as with occasional
su ccesses.]

A GREAT many commence bee-keeping but
JLA too often end in a miserable failure in a
year or two, and some times in a few mouths or
perhaps weeks even. Now as we can’t tell how
many of our readers may do this, and we par-
ticularly desire that you should not fail, we
shall endeavor to make our list of implements
for a beginner as brief and simple as possible.
We have for this the twofold reason that we
wish to avoid all confusion, and also that as
few “traps'’ as possible may be needed and
consequently be lost should you abandon the
enterprise.

We rather prefer that you should commence
with one hive, but if you can’t be satisfied with
so small a beginning, just double or treble
the tollowing amount.

Stock in trade absolutely necessary for a
starr in bee-keeping

One swarm of bees 5 to $10.00 estimated $7.50

Simplicity hive 1.00

10 frames(g,0c GO

Quilt 25

Transferring clasps, one package 25

GLEANINGS IN BEK CULTURE 75

$10.35

We would say it needs just about a $10.00
bill to make a modest trial in the business.

“But. " says some one of our readers, “you
are continually calculating on our being able
to judge for ourselves what we need, when the
fact is we know nothing at all about it.

“The hive at $1.00 lias no bottom, and how
do we know what is best to set il on; also,
you have said nothing about paint, yet we
think you have somewhere taught that they
should never be exposed to the weather with-
out painting. Still again, you say the Italians
arc much more docile than the blacks, if so
why not give us the Italians at once, and then
our increase, without any more or an much la-
bor in fact, if we are to credit you ‘bee folks,’ I
will be Italians and all the more valuable.
We certainly don’t want to waste our time on
inferior stock just to save a little additional
expense in the beginning. Come now; tell us
just what you would do, should some friend
tell you to start him an Apiary, and if you
thought one hive sufficient, all right, but it is
l.o be all complete ; the amount, to he ent rust-
ed entirely to your own skill and judgment.

“Now remember your besetting sin, of econ-
omizing too closely in lice matters, but take all
the money you want. If we mistake not you
have decided not to give a beginner the Stand-
ard hive ?”

"We certainly would not. Their first lesson
should be increase of stocks rather, and after
some experience in that business they can de-
cide for themselves whether they prefer to lift
their ten frames into a long hive with capaci-
ty for twenty, or simply set on another story.”

“Well, here is your heading on this paper now
put down the Items and figures.”

OUTFIT FOR A BEGINNER.

Simplicity hive $1.00

One extra cover to serve as a bottom-board 50
Three good coats of Averill Chemical paint 50

Quilt 25

Ten combs, mostly worker, @75c eacli 7.50

Italian Queen from Imported mother 3.00

Four quarts of bees @$1.00 4.00

Gleanings in bf.e culture Vol 1 and 2, 1.50

$18.35

“And is the above all ?”

“All for the present.”

“Of all the various articles mentioned on
your price list would you add none?”

“None else until the article is really felt to
be necessary by the owner.”

“And the above is sufficient to build up a
large Apiary without any additional purchase
of bees ?”

“We think so. If all Queens aye reared from
the one mentioned there can be nothing poorer
than half bloods, this will serve to give a new
strain of blood and they are very good to han-
dle usually, and are nearly equal to pure Ital-
ians as honey gatherers. When this Queen
fails another tested one should be used. In
an Apiary of 25 stocks or upwards an Import-
ed Queen will, we think, be a profitable invest-
ment.”

Those who have, or find it more convenient
to use tlie box hive and common bees, we
would refer to the articles on transferring in
former number, see pages 33 and 64, Vol. 1st,
and page 40, current volume.

It will require considerable care and skill
to transfer a colony in mid-summer or fall, as
well as to transplant t lie grape vine out of sea-
son, yet it can be done if you particularly dc
sire it.

If you fail, it will probably be because you
are careless and not neat and tidy about your
work. The bees will assuredly pass readily
into anything in the shape of a hive if it occu-
l pies tlie precise position of the old one and
I contains some of their brood combs. Two
j principle difficulties beset beginners; First,

! daubing honey around so that robbers get “a
going,” secondly, losing the Queens. Some
deft housewife can instruct you better how to
avoid the former than we can, and in fact
handling honey in almost any shape seems to
be decidedly feminine work, but you should
before hand give her a clean nice place, free
from rubbish etc., in which to do the work.
Bees are decidedly the neatest and most, order-
ly class of all animated creation — bless our
stars we meant to except every time and at-
iciii/h , these same feminines — and if you ' wish
them to thrive you must make their habita-
tions (vve mean the bees) agreeable to this trait.
The Queen cannot get lost unless you leave
some crevice or hole for her to crawl into,
therefore we repeat our injunction, to bank all
around the new hive with clean new saw-dust,
pounded down bard, so that a bee may travel
over it easily. Now if you make it a point not
to kill a bee during the whole operation, you
certainly will not kill the Queen.

Very likely they may in their fright, crawl
and cluster in several places about the new
hive, instead of going in at the entrance, but
this should occasion no uneasiness for if the

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

1UI

majority pass in, the rest will all follow in due I ventilation. That is all the difference required in the
time, like a flock of sliecp. We would locate *" "'‘“tering, and the saving in honey will

the old hive while transferring, just back of I ,nore - th#n ,e »“ y aU 3le “ oublc ’ cvcu 11 “ '" k “ tw "
the new one, but so close to it that the young

bees will crawl readily to the entrance on
hearing the hum of their companions. Use
plenty of smoke in commencing, and you will
tind them as peaceable as flies when their old
hive is removed from its stand.

OI T-VOOU WINTERING IN THE
4 t LON(; HIVES.”

ItIKXD NOVICE: Several of my friends having
fir] - asked my opinion in regard to wintering bees
r-kl out of doors, in New Idea Hives, I will now en-
deavor to answer them.

That they can sometimes be successfully wintered
in that way, I have no doubt, as in certain seasons
ihcy seem to winter well under all circumstances, and
in almost all conditions. I should hesitate about
advising any one to try wintering many in that way
until the system has been more thoroughly tested.
That some have been successful in wintering their
bees in that way one or two winters, does not prove
that they will always be equally so. The winter of
'71 and 72, one of mv friends wintered his 25 swarms
on the summer stand and did not lose any, although
that was one of those “blue” winters for bees, fie
tried the same way the next winter and lost about
half of his stock, and the rest were so reduced as to
yield but a small return the next season. Such may
possibly be the luck of those who try out doo v winter-
ing in New Idea hives.

It has been asserted that strong stocks wintered
out of doors in the “New Idea” Hive, consume no
more honey in proportion to the number of bees than
they do in cellar or special depository. Such may be
the ease in some localities, but all my experience and
observation, in regard to wintering strong stoeks out
of doors, have been different.

Mv father has kept his bees for over 25 years in a
house built on purpose. It is boarded up outside with
half inch, and ceiled up inside with matched inch
lumber, with six inch dead air space. It is divided
into rooms two feet square and they are about seven
loot high. The bees never swarm, become very strong
during the summer, and generally gather a large
amount of honey, but owing to their numbers, and

men to carry them in.

In the fall of '72 I had a number of two story hives
on which I hud used the extractor, and as the Queen
had been breeding in both stories, the hives were lull
of bees almost to overllowing. On the approach of
winter I put them all in the lower story, gave them
plenty of upward ventilation, put them in the house
with the rest, and they wintered as well as any stocks
in the Apiary. Last fall when I put the bees from
double width hives in single hives, 1 neglcetcd to give
them the proper amount of ventilation, and conse-
quently more of the bees died, and they consumed
more honey than the ordinary stocks, but in other
respects they came through in good condition.

JAMES Boi.in, West Lodi, O.

EETTEI? TO* “NOVICE.”

3jj3jjItIENI> N °VICE :-As you request, I will make
Jgjj l you a report of my Apiary for 1874 up to this
— J date (Aug. 5th). I began the season with 48 col-
onies, 31 of my own wintering (all Italians) and 17 of
blacks bought this spring in box and Quinby hives.
Ine Quinby hives have been more trouble, and less
prolit to me than the boxes. I have increased to
about 70 colonies I guess, but shall cut down to 50 of
my choicest Queens before going into winter quarters.
I have taken, up to this date, 1 think some over 1500
lbs. ol ext’d honey, and 500 lbs. of comb now off, and
almost ready to come off. About 700 lbs. is from fruit
and Whitewood blossoms, and the rest all Basswood,
and the heaviest and brightest I ever saw. This has
been a poor season with us. The drouth has been so
severe in this immediate vicinity, that corn is not ^
ol a crop, and potatoes nearly as bad. We shall lose
the Ruck wheat crop for honey at least, though it
yields an abundance of pollen. I shall look for 2000
lbs. of honey yet from Bone Set and Golden rod. I
mean ext‘d of course, or 150 lbs. of comb if you think
I had better “go for comb honey.*’ I could have had
all my 500 lbs. off now, if I hail let the forty five hun-
dred slip from me. I have used 22 of the “New Idea”
one story hives, with from 20 to 30 combs about 10x13
and have come to the conclusion that combs and not
Queens are the basis of an apiary , and that I prefer
the two story hive for the extractor, as well as comb
honey in 1 mines or boxes. I can get more honey from
30 combs and two or three Queens, than from 30 combs
and one Queen. The three Queens don’t have to be

2S2SE’ ltfr v q th U e n ,n'thrauah ulcwinte/Vncvc? ' live much longer

•Y them through the winter. He never j than the "tony idea ’ Queen. 1 have the lumber dry-

coflect to carry
? ets as much honey from one of his swarms, as I do
irom the most of mine. If he could put them in some
moderately warm place, it would no doubt save a
large proportion of the honey they consume during
' e winter, but with the thermometer at from 20° to
•»<> below zero, the ground freezing to a depth of 2 or 3
jeet, two thicknesses of boards and one air space are
, ut !l slight protection, and the bees must consume
jioney or freeze. Owing to the wide air space, which
uu*y nave to pass in going out, the bees do not fly out
as soon as they do out of common hives, during warm
JP® 1 ' weather during the winter, yet large milli-
ners ol them perish every winter, and by spring they
arc* no better than my common swarms wintered in
h,. “ 0U8e > whilst they consume at least two or

n ee tunes as much honey. Now, I cannot see whv
J( iea Hives, with one fourth inch air space, will
give any better protection than father’s house, with
'“2 C1 air space. The large number of bees will
e co . n ^durable heat, but they will produce no
m S£V h ??i the >’ wil1 in the house.

tM * “le 1 would not advise any one to risk trying
Z IT, man y of th eir bees out of doors in New Idea,

imtM« c Ju any . ot * ler kind of hives, in preference to
loutoS?* hem in 80me warm place, before they have
im- e U ! h l ma tter, yet I would not wish to discourage
“ on \ making such hives, for so far as I have
in„ ti i 1 ' 11 !' ^ey give good satisfaction, for summer
ti"i s V lore especially the case where the ex-
t». n 22,”, they are certainly handier than the
" ive8 lor that purpose. And aside from the
'iccimv i nce 11 handling them, and the space they
lie JinVi ca j U ? ee no reason why bees In them cannot
hives • * n ” < l° o rs as well’ as those in common

more’ */ we can winter strong stocks in them

not, ken»! n /i >m ‘ 11 - v iu “ ( l°ors than out, their size should
a stiiiiio °, u1, A horse takes up more room in

Mini ]An. i H g or ekicken, yet few object to sta-
ci* t)„. ”' on that account. As the swarms are strong-
'viuteref? , !!J )ei ! a , t,ur 1 c o1 the room in which they are
•non H^t lower than it should for com-

eivs, and they must have plenty of upward

i ing for 30 double story hives, and have 32 “New Idea”
hives lor sale, at less than cost. Combs cost, well say
from 50 cte. to $1.00 each, and Queens 10 cts. each or
taw. James Hkddon, Dowagiac, Mich.

In answer to a query as to wherein the long
hives were defective, we rec’d the following:

I have Iried 22 “New Idea” hives in every way pos-
sible for the extractor, and And out that bees are
bound to store the surplus % of every comb full, when
strung out horizontally, but not so with two stories;
they will then store in upper set ot combs almost en-
tirely. j. H .

We have not observed the trouble mentioned
above, but our experience has been limited to
one hive only. We want further reports on
the matter. Friend Whitson who writes the
following, seems to have succeeded with them.
It was written when acknowledging the re-
ceipt of a double wall, four foot hive that we
had made for him :

1 have just got my bee house done, and tilled the
walls with dirt, but I would be glad to never put a bee
in it it 1 knew they were as safe out-doors. Some-
thing that will wait a week while we cut hay and then
stand out-doors at 20° below zero, while we sit by the
lire, is what we careless ones must have if we ever
make it pay. Yes, I must tell you that my bees were
so nearly played out last soring, that I only transfer-
red one to the Standard; that one gave me 100 lbs.
honey In 20 days and 20 lbs. since, and no one of the
rest did more than half as much.

J. J. Whitson, Valley Mills, Ind.

A. A. Kick, of Seville, this Co., has used sev-
eral of the 4 foot hives this season and says he
gets three times as much honey from them as
from the 10 frame hives.

103

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sf.pt.

Gleanings in Bee Culture,

Published Monthly,

.A.-’ I- ROOT OO-/

EDITORS AND PROPRIETORS

ME DINA 0 H I 0 .

Terms : 75c. Per Annum.

For Club Rates see Last Page.

3VEEIDI3ST-A-, SEPT. 1, 1874.

Friend Nevin’s report of the Catnip Field Is crowd-
ed out.

It is just fun to make colonies, rear Queens or build
combs even during a drouth, if you can afford the sugar.

Bee World is to-day (Aug. 28th,) at hand. Loss of
first copy was probably caused by the burning of a
large amount of mail matter.

If empty combs are worth 50c each, we really think
they can be profitably made during warm weather in
the fall by feeding ; ’t would keep the bees in fine con-
dition besides.

G. W. Stinehking, Shreve, Wayne Co., ()., is black-
mailing the Bee-keepers of his vicinity by threatening
them with suits at law, unless they pay him $5.00 for
the right to use the American Hive. Hadn't they bet-
ter take a Bee Journal ?

Three different persons it seems, have struck upou
the idea of making frames of a single strip of wood,
bent in shape by steaming the corners after having
cut V shaped grooves, nearly through, where the bends
come. We have not as yet been able, by this means,
to make so linn a frame, nor one that will remain as
perfectly square, hut others may be more successful.

Axv one who doubts that Italians work on red clo-
ver should pass a small patch of it as we do now, half
a dozen times daily. They have been busy on it about
a week, and the colony belonging to the oldest daugh-
ter Of otir Imported, is building comb and slowly fill-
ing it with what appears to be clover honey. We re-
moved their feeder a week ago as they seemed deter-
since mined to build combs under it. They have
grown from 3 frames of bees and brood only, June
•23d, ’tis now Aug. 29tll.

A neigh mm left some jars of honey at a grocery
where they stood all winter side by side with our own.
While the latter candled and oozed out around the top
of the jars, so much so In fact that they hail to be car-
ried away finally ; the former remained on the shelves
clear and clean, all winter. When we applied to
them for their valuable secret, the lady of the house
laughingly said ’twas all because we didn’t know
how, and finally said theirs was put up precisely as
canned fruit. The honey was heated nearly to the
boiling point, by suspending it in a tin pail in a kettle
of boiling water, then poured in the self-sealing jars
and the lid screwed down instantly.

Although we shall pay all postage on Gleanings
for 1875, the price will still remain 75c. To our friends
who have so warmly aided in increasing its circula-
tion. we tender sincere thanks. That the task of
obtaining a club, for almost any periodical is no light
one we are well aware, and we have many times
thought 'twas easier earning our money by ‘regular
days' works, than by urging people to subscribe for
something they were not sure they wanted. We are
always willing and prefer to pay for such services,
and where your time is limited you can aid us much
by giving us the addresses of such of your friends as
you think llkelv to engage in Bee Culture; we will
send them sample conies with pleasure, and will also
thank you for your aid in increasing our list.

STRAW HIVES.

A. I. Root & Co: -In answer to vour inquiry about
the straw hives described in my book, allow me to
say that they are not equal to the old-fashioned, con-
ical shaped straw hive, and for movable frames, but
little superioa to boards ; not enqugh better to pay ex-
pense ot making. A straw hive without frames, so
that the combs are attached to the outside walls Is
superior for wintering in the open air, as has been
proved for centuries. Straw disposes of moisture
readily. When combs are in frames and there are
spaces between the edges and sides of hive, the bees
do not feel the infiuence of outside warmth readily,
and suffer during protracted cold weather. The thick
walls ot our hive, nave proved insufilent during pro-
tracted severe weather, for the same reason, when
the colony was too small to generate warmth to coun-
teract outside cold. Yet they are a great advantage
in ordinary winters.

M.'Quinhy, St. Johnsville, N. Y. Aug 19, ’74
We intended also to inquire about straw-
mats for the top of hives. Will Mr. Q. please
give us his experience with these?

ABOI T OI R CLOVER SEED.

A. I. ROOT & Co.— Sirs, As I have been a regular
subscriber to Gleanings since its first start, I think it
due to me to mention in your column on humbugs,
that last spring a year ago' I sent money to Novice lor
Alsike Clover to’ sow about one acre, I received the
seed and sowed it and lo and behold ! it turned out to
be all the old fashioned red clover, l’lcase explain.

Samuel Mumma, Highspire, Pa.

But. we don’t put folks in that department
friend M. until we have first submitted the
matter to them to determine whether the
trouble was only a mistake they may regret
more than any one else, or an intended fraud.
The seed you mention was raised by a neigh-
bor, and was advertised as containing a small
quantity of Timothy seed, but was offered at
less than the market price. One other report
mentions that it was a considerable part red clo-
ver. Now if you, and others will send in
your bills for seed, trouble, etc., we will remit
at once, and thank you for reminding us to use
more care in buying. We will in future test
our seed by sowing a sample In-doors.

— - — m ^ —

OIK INI VERSA L FEEDER.

f j|hat a daily accession to the stores of a col-

, ony is absolutely necessary to its fullest

prosperity, we are so abundantly satisfied
since the experiments of this season that we
take a real pleasure in recommending the fol-
lowing simple device :

Make as many bags of stout coarse cotton
cloth (such as is required for quilts) as you
have hives; these bags should be about Id
inches long and 5 deep, and the upper edges
around the mouth are to be tacked to the un-
der side of a strip of half inch board, 1?4 wide
and as long as the top bar of the frames, or so
long as not to allow bees to come up at the
ends of the feeder.

To use it, remove one frame from the hive
next the side where the lid opens, and push
the edge of the quilt down to make room for
the feeder as in the accompanying diagram:

c c

D D

A ^ ( ) A

The figure is supposed to represent the top

E874.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

103

of a Simplicity hive made to contain ten
Standard frames. A, A, represents the strip
of wood that holds the cloth bag and the ob-
long hole cut through it is to allow of pouring
in the syrup handily from a coffee-pot. C, C,
is the quilt with the portion that usualy covers
the space occupied by the feeder A, A, turned
<lown over the frame next the feeder, along the
line 11, D. If we wish to stimulate brood-rear-
ing simply, raise the cover of each hive, as you
puss along, enough to allow the nose of the
coffe-pot to deliver a half a tea-cupful, or more
safely into the bag, and close the hive and so
on with the rest. If you wish to fill up rapid-
ly for winter, pour iu larger quantities of
thicker syrup, and till again when empty until
they have the desired quantity. If you wish
it all taken down quietly, feed only between
xvndown and dark ; at any time in the middle
of the day ’twill make what we call a “row” in
in the apiary. In regard to speed we will only
say that two of us, with each a coffee pot, caii
feed 00 colonies in five minutes. You will ob-
serve that if the quilt closes every crevice as
it should always do, no bees can get in the
way at all. ’Tis true there is danger ( if fed
rapidly) of comb building iu the space not
filled by the bag, but this we avoid partially
by moving all the brood combs to the opposite
side of the hive; if they should have seven of
the nine combs containing brood, you can in-
terpose two that do not, between it and the
feeder. To work rapidly you will need to
have your tinsmith cut the strainer from the
coffee pot that it may pour thick syrup easily.
These feeders cost almost nothing, and when
not in use, 100 or more can be packed away
•safely in a single Simplicity hive.

Now then if your lices are not ted up for win-
ter when this reaches you, our advice would
be to set about it at once, and give them
enough. If you keep up brood-rearing brisk-
ly during this month, we think it can do no
harm. Take the inside out of your extractor,
and fill it with syrup, and you have it in a
very convenient shape to replenish your coffee
I>ot from the molasses gate. With this insti-
tution you can get beautiful combs built al-
most as rapidly as you can ask, if you are will-
ing to furnish the sugar.

We can only say in regard to boiling the syr-
up that there is an editorial disagreement in
the matter; Novice insisting that 'tis just as
well to put a half barrel of sugar into the ext’r
and pour on boiling water, and he backs up
his position by a host of succesl'ul experi-
ments ; P. G. on the contrary stoutly insists
Unit good syrup cannot be made without boil-
ing. As Novice is willing to admit that boil-
mg “will do no hurt” those of our friends
who agree with P. G. perhaps had better do
*o ; at least if they will feel better satisfied
about it. Should the bees gnaw holes in the
feeder probably because your cloth is not
siillieiently stout and heavy. We think noth-
mg can induce such rapid brood rearing, aye,
or comb building either, as regular, daily feed-
ing; a colony may have unlimited stores seal-
ed up in the combs, yet if no honey is coining
■u. either process will soon go on sluggishly.

> hould our bees survive the coming winter, we
propose with the aid of this feeder to have
some •‘tall" colonies next spring by the time
'uit blossoms are out. Go make your feeders.

II O N K Y V * > LOIN

‘‘fjjr'S there no way by which honey produccis can gel;
J?|[ the full value of their honey or what, the purcha-

J sers propose to give, without risk from irreeponsi-
bh* parties, and also that the purchaser incur no risk
ji*om producers sending an article less in amount and
interior to sample or description ? It should he done
some way by deposit of price, where conditions are
agreed upon. Many more would ship, and many more
buy, if they felt entirely safe from tricks.

it. Wilkin, Oscaloosa, Iowa.
An arrangement can usually be made with
K. R. Co’s to deliver the honey and receive the
pay, but perhaps this would be only feasible
with large lots.

I rec’d the extractor— have taken out t)00 lbs. from
10 colonies works well.

J. It. Pratt, Manchester, N. Y.

Have now on hand 500 lbs. comb honey, and 135 gals,
extracted white clover honey from 44 stocks ot hy-
brids and blacks, Season not good.

Theoi>. M. Moltz, West Falrview, Pa.

We have had a fair honey season here, but nothing
extra. I commenced with 4*2 stocks; have increased
to <5, and have changed Queens in 20 hives, losing
some time in each, Boxes were put on 15 hives; from
‘-0 the honey »vas extracted ; the remaining 7 (thi*
weakest) were kept busy eomb making. 1 have now
8th, perhaps 150 lbs. of box honey, and about
.1800 lbs. or nearly two tons extracted, and plenty of
empty boxes for sale cheap.

J. II. Townlev, Tompkins, Mich. Aug. 8th, 1874.

S.— The best yield from any one hive was GO lbs.
in lour days, basswood honey, ’carried from one, to
three miles. j. h’

FRIEND NOVICE: I fear you made a mistake in
quoting qt. fruit jars at 75 ets. for the retail price. If
we go to the trouble of putting up our honey in jars,
waiting for our pay etc. we surely should have 20 cts.
or more per lb. for the brightest. I tlnd that large
sales of ext'd honey depend upon the efforts of the
retailer more than any body else, and their efforts , can
be had at about20 to 25 per ct. commission; 10 per ct.
wont purchase any more than “Yes, well, we will:
we will put it in a conspicuous place” etc., etc. Say
honey 3 lbs. @ 20 cts., GO cts. ; jar, if a good one, first
cost 15 cts., commission 20 per ct., and you have 05 cts.
Now take the others cts. for bad debts, freights, can-
died honey, lire, and other casualties, labels etc.
i our idea of putting honey on your nearest market is
just my old way of doing it. James IIkddon.

A. I. ROOT & t'o. I had 40 colonies Italian bees to
begin the season with: have taken 180olbs. extracted
honey, all Locust and White clover— a choice article
weighs 12 lbs. to the gallon. Am selling at home
by the pailful at 20c. per lb., iu 2 ID. jars 25c. per lb.

The drouth cut short our honey harvest more than
one half. I started out with the expectation of get-
ting 4000 lbs. We have no Basswood and get nothing
after 20th of July, and this year nothing after 25th of
June. My neighbors who worked their bees for box
honey have the pleasure of looking into empty boxes
with perhaps a lew pieces of comb started in one cor-
ner. I had one box hive that I intended to build box
honey, but when the honey was being sealed to the
bottom board, brood, comb and all, it was more than
1 could stand, so 1 “busted” the side oil’, took out the
combs, extracted the honey and titled them into
frames. After honey failod I “hustled” all my old
Queens off and now have all large healthv vigorous
young Queens to “run the shebang”. I never lose
any bees to signify in wintering. Winter in cellar
under living room temperature 40 v.

J. A. Buchanan, \Vintersville, O. Aug. 7th 74

A I Root & (.'o : -Gleanings comes to hand
promptly every time, each one tilled with good things,
just the kind of information us beginners are in need
of. Still it is not very gratifying to selfish human na-
ture to read of your immense vield of Basswood hon-
ey during July, when our bees are not gathering-
enough outside of the sugared floor to keep them,
vet we cannot complain, the yield of white clover
having exceeded my expectation. The hives I ex-
tracted yielding on an average very nearly 100 lbs. I
run three hives for box honey; it is' not worth while to
weigh as I don’t care to know how small the vield Is.
But I do know some of the extracted ones gave me
150 lbs. each ; one gave 70 in one week. I may get.

104

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

more surplus y ct as wo generally have a good yield
of full honey, the country being yellow with golden-
vod alter the middle of Aug. This is only my third
roar at Beekeeping, and all J know i have learned
by reading and observation, and no one to go to for
information, for movable comb hives are as scarce as
“chicken’s teeth.” 1 have about 1100 lbs. of White clo-
ver and 450 of Fruit blossom honey, and if I can sell
ih is readily I will go deeper still.

C. 11. Rue, Manalapan, N. J. Aug. 6th ’74.

No.

May J

.li*

! Jim

• J l>: « l

Jul j

\ Jul { jul 2 Jul

J Aug

Total

hive

30 |

11

1 21

1 27 1

8

9 | 18 | 25

1 4

i each.

! lbs.
304

1 |

I

! i *

3*

20 *

31#

35*

58 52* 73

27*:

2

7 *

2*

12*

20#

37

36* 34 60

24*

242

3

6.Vf

4*

18‘.t

32#

43*

44 31 90

27 ;

296*

4

0

16

28*

19 ,

43 33 65

13

229

r,

6

4

11)

44#

« i

43* 35 60

13

270*

Tofc’l

27

17*

85 %

158* 130

225 190* 348

110 ;

1342

each Spring I Clover and I Basswood.

* ln £ honey. | Raspberry. |

day. | Average yield per hive 203 2-5 lbs.

Editor Gleanings: The above is what I have
done this season with live, 32 (Kidder) frame, Gallup
hives and Italian bees. As von perceive, bees did not
gather much until the middle of June, the spring be-
ing very cold and backward here. The secret of large
yields of honey is to keep strong stocks. I have just
put division boards in the center of 4 hives and intend
jo have V) swarms If they keep strong enough, as 1 gave
them an entrance at each end of the hive. The divi-
sion boards are perforated and covered with wire-
cloth thus giving the two swarms the heat of one. I
want 13c for my honey which is very thick and nice.

Wm. H. S. Grout, Poland Centre, Chaut. Co., N. V.

Thanks for your very complete report. We
fear we shall become converged to 32 frame
hives, but from Quinby’s report are we not at
liberty to consider a two story arrangement of
them, at least equally as good, as a horizontal ?
Is it not possible that the approaching hive is
to be double width, and two story, whatever
may be the frame? can no one furnish a report
from a similar hive composed of 40 Langstroth
frames? Kidder frame is 14 by 12 we think.

Be careful of wire-cloth on division boards,
see page 74 July No.

FRIEND NOVICE: I fear you will often have j
cause to be disappointed by my mistakes and short- '
comings, since to err, you know, is human. But were i
you not “putting it on pretty thick” in expecting me
to report 100 lbs. to the hive, which is, perhaps, nearly
double the average amount reported in Gleanings
for July?

We have less white clover this season than I have
ever known, as it was nearly all killed last winter,
and the same may be said of red, in this neighborhood.
Two miles north or here there is considerable red
clover and nearly all the clover honey we have came
from there. However I will do the best I can, and if
I fail to reach the standard you have set up for me,
please don’t, “view me with a critic’s eye etc.”

But is extracted honey really so much more profit-
able than box, in all places, and under all circum-
stances? With your permission I will give a little of
my experience. Three years ago 1 hod a pretty severe
attack of “extractor on the brain” and determined to
surprise the natives, by the amount of honey I would
obtain from some of my bees. So in the spring I se-
lected a number of my very best stocks, and as soon
as they needed more room I put on the upper story,
filled with empty combs, and as last as they filled
their hives with honey I extracted it.

Now for the result. The most honey I obtained
from any one of them was 163 lbs. while several
swarms that I let “fool away their lime on box honey”
yielded over 120 lbs. each ; and from one stock that
swarmed twice, and the swarms that came from it, I
obtained 216 lbs. of box honey. Isold the extracted
at 13. and the box at 25 cts. per lb. The account
would stand about as follows:

216 lbs. box honey@25c $54.00

168 “ extracted “18 30.24

Diflcronce in favor of box honey $23.76

or, adding value of the two swarms, $15.00 each. . .30.00

853.76

Now, in view of the above, I hope I may be pardon-

ed If I am somewhat skeptical in regard to the advan-
tages of extracted over box honey. Where the yield
of noncy comes with a rush, for instance, where it !.*>
nearly all basswood, I have no doubt the use ol' the
extractor will prove most profitable, but where the
yield is gradual, lasting a long time, as it generally
does with us, 1 have, as yet, seen nothing to prove
that the use of the extractor will yield most, profit
here, especially when we take in consideration tlu*
difference in the demand. Dealers come a distance of
ten or twelve miles and take away the box honey, but
the extracted 1 have to carry to them, and then find ll
dull sale. I believe in building up a home market,
hence, try to furnish what there is a call for.

James Bohn, West Lodi, O. Aug. 12th, 1374.

There, friend B., we had suspected you of
heresy before ; however, we are content to let
you work out your own reformation as the rest
of the bee-keeping world are doing rapidly.

A I ROOT & Co :— I must say a word further in regard
to what was called errors in judgement. I had said
in circular that we had extracted 361 lbs in one sea-
son, from one hive, and over 200 lbs box honey; and
intimated that even this amount might he exceeded.
Part of such result was attributed to giving abundant
room in the hive. Capt. Hetlierington, Cherry Valley,
N. Y., will reach this amount ot box honey from a
hive— I will venture to say, from 100 hives— this sea-
son. Mr. P. Ehvood, Starkville, Herkimer Co., N.Y.,
hud one stock last spring— in Quinby hive- -the Queen
of the family came from you. Began with eight combs.
As the center ones became filled with brood, they
were moved toward the outside, and the empty
ones put In their place, till sixteen were full, on the
bottom board ; and then another course was placed
directly over them, and the bees had increased to oc-
cupy the whole.No brood had been taken from them to
assist others; neither did they have assistance from
others. He commenced extracting before they had
accumulated much, and kept the date of each time,
and anjounl obtained -will give them at another time .
1 only remember the product of two days -57 V lbs.
In the aggregate, 502 lbs. I visited him Aug. 11th.
Before that day he had taken 440 lbs. This was so
extraordinary that I expressed a wish to see how
much was accumulated since the last was taken. To
accommodate me and some others present, he let us
witness his taking 62 lbs. All up to that time was
white honey, Buckwheat was just beginning to yield.
What it will amount to is yet to be seen. The crop is
promising, and usually amounts to half or two thirds
ns much as the white honey. It seems safe to esti-
mate over 300 lbs. that this one hive will give in one
season. The parts relating to what he already has,
can be substantiated beyond dispute. When this a-
mount can be obtained "from any hive except one on
this principle, I would like to know it; your readers
would also.

M. Quinby, St JohnsviUe, N. V. Aug. 21st, 1874.

Lest it might appear we had a position to
defend, we will submit the question to our
readers whether this great result is to be at-
tributed to the hive, locality, their owner, or
the queen. Weave much obliged indeed to
Mr. Q. for the reports, but we really should
have liked with them, a report also of the rest
of the Apiary. Capt. Hetlierington lias, or
had, near 1000 colonies, and Mr. Ehvood, as
nearly as we can determine, about 200; what
the rest did, and the general average, jt seems
to us should lie given with the above to pre-
vent mistaken impressions. Reports have been
given in Gleanings nearly if not quite equal
to the above, and with a diversity of hives.
Is it not much due to plenty of empty combs

and an intelligent but stay; if the Queen

came from us ’twas certainly a “dollar Queen,”
and Gallup, and some others, say that “dollar

Queens’* Why can we not rear such Queens

every time, and get such crops of honey from
every hive? Truly perfection belongs not to
bee-keepers, any more than to mankind gener-
ally. We gave directions for making a mam-
moth hive similar to the one described by Mr.
Q., on page 37, Vol. 1.

1874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

105

Hostels! of Cii'.iii n-,,

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS.

1 NOVICE : — Mr. Martin is no doubt right

j!rj J in thinking I do not deserve much credit for
4k 1 wintering my bees without loss, as there are

= wvo " uuom toss, as mere are

plenty of others thn have done the same thing, and
he may be right in thinking 1 may vet find my -Wat-
erloo.” Of one thing I am pretty certain, however,
and that is, when it comes, if it ever does so, it will
not find me with my arms folded, trusting to luck for
success; but like Napoleon's old guard, in the field
ready for the fight. But as I am not much inclined to
cross bridges before I come to them, i will trv not to
• borrow any trouble from that source at present.

Now to snow friend Martin ilmt it is not altogether
fair sailing for bee-keepers in this section. I will men-
tion that a neighbor living within no rods ol me put
liis bees in the cellar ia.-t fall ami disturbed them all
to death before spring. Another put his three
swarms in a cold out-building an l only had one left
the first o. Ain\ ami tin v were not worth 25 cts. Of
two other neighbor.-, one living one mi.e east and the
other the same di.-cance wesu oik- had one swarm out
of five, and tile oilier three out of ten lelt. llie above
are the nearest neighbors J have that keep bees, and
their luck is a pretty fair sample oj ill. way bee-keep-
ers have lared lor some years | a.-t, where ihev were
not properly cared lor.

1 never wintered more than one swarm on the sum-
mer stand. That was the lirsi swarm 1 owned, and
the amount ol honey they consumed, and the number
of bees that perished during the winter, determined
me to try some other mode of wintering.

At the time, 1 was engaged in supplying the neigh-
bors with what dry goods, notions etc. they needed,
and when I talked of putting my bees in the cellar,
many were the smiles exchanged at mv expense. 1
might know how to sell goods, but bee-keeping was
evidently out of my line of business. Well, the bees
were put in the cellar, and in spite of all prophecies
to the contrary, came out all right, and diu the same
each succeeding winter, until failing health compelled
me to seek some employment affording more om-door
exercise. A natural liking for bees, amt the belief
.hat there was money in them, indicated plainly
enough what that employment should lie.

On moving here, 1 had no cellar suitable for wiuter-
ii.^ bees in, 1 therefore built a house lor that purpose,

" 1 , * ia> : more than met mj expectations so far, as

ai> losses in wintering have amounted to almost noth-
ing, whilst bees kept on the oid hup-hazurd plan are
lapiuly disappearing. 4

* u to bees sometimes wintering well

Mw f.°i l L 3,n - V , n< ! ol car <h— is it not generally owing to
men being, by chance, in about, the same condition,
»<> tar as dees, stoics and empty combs are concerned,
as ucurelul Apiarian would put them in, belorewin-
i 1 ,lave Umiiglit such was the case. It is seldom
M m } vork » ,a - vs ver - v loug, lor carelessness in

, business is sure to bring its reward, sooner or la-
d , Jim 1 bee-keeping forms no exception to the rule,
m tiessness is no safeguard against the “many vary-
i rdi r 1 a J 1 ^ es * ’ mentioned by Mr. Martin, and

J p .nmA 1101 M 1 !’ it the dm v of the bee-

S f a « ainst - ffor Instance ; most of the

n ees winter and spring were lost by the

whpn L *W n > timir hives in quest oi pollen or honev
and nq flJI! 11101 ' " as u> ,° < o1 ' 1 lor them to be out,
„ n ,. a v ; ^bOHsequencc the old bees tlieu before voting
h « he V 05 "' 1 '' 1 1,1 “ike their place, Lilli, leaving 111 ?
HH.lv , 0 1 l '. lle “ 1 'b so- -Now 1 think there Is it

Meretfvin/, k ‘“'' " ,S3 - 1,1 ‘"'“‘O ihe old bees

1'ce- a ral ® t,ial threatened the salety ol mv

t« set i iw m' l l >ul lk , cm in 1,10 house again, feed them
miilt H t0 ,,v cuius ’ 11,1,1 keep them in the house
\ n t i' °V Kl lju l’»t out with safely.

Ihev nu.vhe flniS out * ,,<l hud u pnritx lug flight,
am{ siii r,, i I. m-doors lor some time with saietv,
s »ailu wl ihH " S ,y 1 have to see the lirst

Warm plaoejaiu' fed!’ 0 * ° SUt *° bmMUu «' If put in a

iii l eiulB 11< \i']n! 0 | 11 ’ ¥ r ’ kiditor, just say to your farmer
tieither th . J, 1 !! 1 ' 1 nt " s ulemllie” liee culture, that
‘in’ ej.usp Vi* iU , OI ’ stigar-syrup, or the Italians are
tiu- abovi* lilt i °' s ol , so many bees; as i have all
k3 'vfaile,i to km m lne? g ulvolm “ sUu “ue»'' and they
James B oi.ix,' West Lodi, (). July loth, is7f.

in Mna'ii m j , s ,?" ui * 11,1,1 bees will store surplus honev
•ItanTevwiTi fiSSUSH 11 ?- ?“ » “‘oderate supply,

humhhuhhi

tliiSX Win M® re »! ui .' on a moderate supply
i'artor .L,,, it,. ‘'‘'(j;; itl' us, lint tlie use ol the ux-
modules the rule and to my mind

?nd , h > iA« nlh i ll « tcs "i 10 ncc ; t ‘, 8sil - v Of diversity in frames
and lines. I a n only making a start in bec-keeplDK

mh. ,r C l ’,im have handled, and can handle bees for
otlKis. I did what 1 think most others should do I
“ 1 n " i "! 1 apprenticeship in a large apiary, and If
same Jo,,) ^ur correspondents would submit to the
...... k . o /i'Scipilue they would not need to ask so

n anj silly questions and let everybody know' it,
eii'to k’now 1 " n , M, nkerof Gleanings a subscriber want-
tw , k i what to do, -wanted to examine his bees
100 oold-JVi mice -did not
know , wit} Amice ! J cam them into a moderately
warm room-do It In any kind of weather. If mv
bees don t sing “Never mind the weather,” I do.

Geo. W. Horner, Dubuque, la.
Now friend H. if we ajl followed your ad-
vice there wouldn't be any more novices. A
letter is now before us from a lady, who has
.lust been through her hives with the extract-
01 for the first time, asking how soon she can
extract them again; of course we replied pleas-
antly, “as soon as they are full again,” and
we hope our readers will not hesitate to ask
anything they may feel disposed. We have
tried taking the bees in doors to examine, but
they had a way of getting around loose on the
floor, and after somebody had stepped on them
™ey were “all spiled” or as Blue Eyes would
express it, “broke, broke, broke, real hard !”

NO Y ,( E:--! see a Sood deal said about
Quinbj s new smoker as though he were the invei.-

8Cen il * % from descripih n

\\ ntov w iwf ° l?. ,ne as P n , c Mr * Davis Of Ch ur
vv atci, W 1 iglit Go., Minn., tried to sell me seven years

'T as ma(1 e of tin, perhaps 2 inches in diaiheli r
and s inches (more or less) in length, with a foldiu
seam like those in tin pans (as the heat melted Uh>m-
only with solder) one end terminated in a
small tube, to the other end was attached a small hei-
jyhich couid be readily removed when wishing
to nil it. \\ ho was the inventor I know not, he made
J, 1 !?! 11 p^^bially to kill lice on calves or ticks on sheep,
with tobacco smoke, but when he went to keeping
bees he used one ol them to smoke his bees.

Have taken 56 lbs. of honey from 4 of mv f> svvaims
all ol which were weak in spring; will i oi extract
Irom brood chamber this year and see if tln-v will not
winter better on early gathered hom\. Wintered
1/ees successfully when 1 ext'd onlv from tup stow.

8. Howei.i,, Faribault, Minn. Aug. Jml.'lt 74 .
Thanks for the item. We see 13. K. M. also
mentions that combining the smoker with the
bellows is not new. However, the most inge-
nious part of Quinby’s is perhaps the arrange-
ment of valves that open when it is stood up-
right, but close when laid down ; so i‘ar at
least, we believe Mr. Q. is entitled to credit.

We Teal ly hope leaving the honey near the
brood may prove an advantage, but if this is
all tlie trouble why have box hives fared so
badly ? We certainly should be sure that the
bees have an abundance of well sealed ripened
honey tor winter, and where fall stores abound
your plan will probably be best, say, after the
1st of August at least. We never extract after
that time here.

Should not a fertile Queen begin to lay eggs lmmedl-
n clv, on being placed with and received by a swarm
ol bees, after being caged with about a dozen workers
4 5 days ? x. K. 1 ‘uentk e, Caatalia, O.

Site should lay within 24 hours at least, but
before deciding, we would give them a good
feed ; then if she would not lay we would sav
“off goes her head.”

You should have said in starting a colony with so
leu bees to uo llie work, “try to do as much of it as
you can yourself.” Keep them warm, fight their ene-
mies, give them plenty ol both honev and pollen. 1
built up a colony so last year, and two this summer,
ihev consume an enormous quantity of pollen and
should be allowed to fly every evening. One of these I
round had a great many dead ; I noticed too that the

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

106

pollen had disappeared and gave more, and the mor-
lalitv ceased immediately. These last I kept closed
several days dreading robbers, but opened them all in
the evening and swept otV the bottom-board. The
Sago tree commenced blooming about the 5th of June
and bloomed freely about three weeks and still has
some straggling blossoms left. Did your seed germin-
ate? Have vou any plants living now? I have never
heard whether am one has succeeded in making
them grow. Anna Saunders, Woodvillc, Miss.

Our seed, we are very sorry to say, did not
germinate — not a seed. Perhaps we did not
put it in a good place ; in fact it is — done up in
the original paper , in a drawer at our elbow.

We beg your pardon sincerely Miss Anna,
and will plant some within the next hour.
Can’t say for the other folks.

In regard to the small colonies; we really
doubt if they pay as a general tiling. If pos-
sible we prefer to give them bees, and brood
enough, that they may keep away robbers and
gather pollen, almost immediately.

DEAR NOVICE:— Those Queens arrived so safely,
and were so smart and lively that. I must have another
right nwav. I exchanged Queens with Mr. McMnrdo,
as mine was delayed. He said he would let me have
his and take mine when it came; I/elt almost sorry af-
ter I saw the one sent me, as it was the largest and
lighter colored, those sent McMnrdo being pretty
dark. Hurrah for sending Queens by mail, and for
those tin Queen cages.

Ila MiciiKNKit, Low Ranks. Ontario, Canada.

We have perhaps omitted to state that our
imported daughters are dark; indeed, some of
them just before fertilization can hardly be dis-
tinguished from common Queens, but after
they arc laying, they become much lighter un-
less it be tiic extremity of the body which re-
mains dark, or as Dadant expresses it, of a dark
leather color. The dark Queen mentioned
above was daughter of an Imported Queen.

1. Is the statement true that Italians work on the
red clover? Wo have no Buck-wheat for a fall crop,
but the Astor is abundant, and 1 suppose as good.

2. Do you prefer hives one, or two stories?

3. is it not better to give the same room laterally,
Ilian perpendicularly? That is, widen the hive till it
will hold twenty frames in one story, and contract by
close titting boards in winter, to ten.

4. llow many frames (Langstroth) are best for a full
colonv of Italian bees?

5. Is It best to keep the honey well extracted during
the entire season? 1 have done that in some of my
stocks, and they have reared much more brood than
those where the combs have not been kept empty.
Some advise me to keep the combs empty all through
the season, even if 1 have to put the lionev back in the
fall.

1 see by the eop\ of Gleanings you were kind
enough to* send me, that you make it your business to
answer all the questions \ our correspondents ask you.
That is the only excuse I have to offer for this long
list of questions— which I hope neitner oll'end or wea-
ry you. I am going to take your Gleanings, and I
hope that will keep me posted in future. I am a
“Country Doctor,-' and have just time enough from un-
professional cares, to write an occasional impertinent
letter, and attend to a few stands of bees. I made my-
m jj.wlf a honey extractor with a 12 gal. lard stand, tin,
and the castings of a patent churn.

J. E. Fry, Lynnvillc, Tcnn.

1. Most certainly they do, but not at all
seasons. While we invariably find them on it
working briskly in June, we seldom see them
take any notice of it in the fall. Whenever the
common bees are busy on white clover we rare-
ly fail to find the Italians busy on the red.

2, and 3. We really cannot give a full, deci-
ded preference for either form, and opinions
(lifter widely as you may see by reports. Each
form lias its advantages and disadvantages.

4. About twenty during the honey season,
and ten during the winter.

5. By all means, we should say, whenever
it is coming in briskly.

We should be ill natured indeed, were we to
refuse to answer any question coming from a
“country doctor” or minister either for that
matter. If they make it their business to serve
mankind all their lives uncomplainingly, we
certainly should be willing to help them when-
ever we can.

Both of my Queens— one from Blakcslce ami one
from Dean, arrived safely and in line order. I notified
both senders instanter, and send a card to thank you
and to say that I have been quite successful in intro-
ducing them, particulars bye and bye. J. McMurdo.

The “dollar Queen” business seems now to
have a firm basis, but since our note last month,
saying we were nearly caught up with orders,
so many have come in that we fear some may
have to lay over until next season. In such
cases please state explicitly whether you wish
the money returned, or to have them placed
first on the list next season.

G. Brigs, of New Sharon, this Co., had considerable
basswood honey collected this season, although living
three miles from any basswood timber.

It. Wilkin, Oscaloosa, Iowa.

After our main crop is over, our bees go to
the low lands near the river, where it blossoms
later, about a mile and a half perhaps; they
still store considerable, but their wings soon
get very ragged, and many doubtless perish
from flying so great a distance. Enough may
be brought three miles perhaps to give the
honey a plain basswood flavor but we should
hardly think it carried profitably so far.

The quilts stick rather tightly to the frames, so as. to
raise some when it is taken off. is there any remedy ?
Have been thinking that if something could be used
not touching the frames at all, it would be better.
Would It not be a good plan to have the covers on
hives so fixed that the sun could shine on the quilts
or straw mats; that is, in spring and fall, or in the
summer time when not too hot.

Peter Moykii, Sharpsvillc, Pa.

We find little trouble if the quilt be taken
by one edge near the end of the frames, and
“peeled” oft'. This will not disturb the frames,
nor the bees seriously. If the quilt is kept up,
we do not get the advantage of closed top
frames, that we do when it comes down close
to them. We think, (see Problem 8, Vol. 1)
letting the sun shine on the quilt in spring
would certainly be an advantage if it did not
induce flying in unseasonable weather; noth-
ing but careful experiment can tell liow it
will do.

FRIEND NOVICE:— Would It interest you, or your
readers, to know how the bee business is prospering
“away down East,” among the “Blue noses.” Well,
almost universally, it Is the old style -box hives- -plen-
ty of swarms— no honey. Thanks to Gleanings,
there is at least one exception. Convinced by your
writings that there was money in the business of bee-
keeping, I adopted “Novice” as my model, and went
ahead. Though our acquaintance extends but little
over a year, yet the wind-mill, Novice’s extractor, -Hi
Simplicity hives, the hexagonal apiary etc., all arc
here.

East spring I began with 43 stocks— 1(5, in old mova-
ble comb hives, 27 in boxes which 1 purchased f° 1 '
about $2.50 each. All were safely wintered, and by
judicious feeding were in good condition when the
honey harvest began. The spring, and first part of
bummer were very cold and wet. No honey was ob-
tained from fruit blossoms, and I was obliged to feed
my bees on the 4th of July to prevent starvation. My
27* box hives were transferred, but 1 could only get
enough good comb out of them on an average to fm
four of my Quinby frames. This left a vacancy of six
frames. The honey harvest began the Otli of July.

1874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

107

To date, I have 2500 lbs. of superior clover honey, ray
hives are all filled with nice worker comb imri'S arc
double hives. I have only increased ray stocks to 40,
hut with the increase of (-oral), and condition of bees,
I consider ray stocks at least worth $100.00 more than
in the spring. My honey, bottled and labeled, is sel-
ling rapidly at the rate of 28 cts. per lb. clear of bot-
tles: at this rate ray honey will turn nit* $700.00 which
with the $100.00 above makes me $800.00 clear prollt
from 43 stands.

My bees are rapidly filling up lor winter on Buck-
wheat, honey. The old fogy bee-keepers pronounce
this the worst season they have ever known, they
have little or no honey. I think myself that we sel-
dom have poorer. The result of ray summer’s exper-
iment has astonished everyone, myself included.

That Novice may ‘abundantly share the prosperity
and happiness he is causing hundreds to enjoy, is the
sincere wish of his British cousin. G. ('. ISIilmch.

Mi. Hanley, N. S., Aug. 12th, 1874.

More than once have we been tempted to feel
that our pay was but meager for the number
of hours we labor daily for the good of Bee
Culture, but friend M., you and others remind
us that our recompense is ample ; perhaps far
greater than we deserve. If it is not all in
dollars 'and cents ’tis in something far better,
the consciousness of having earned the good
will of our fellow laborers. Will our bee-keep-
ing British cousins bear in mind that although
we may never have the pleasure of giving them
such a grasp of the hand as we might wish, yet
a warm place in our heart will always be re-
served for them.

Supposing 1 succeed in getting Queens from those
eggs you are going to send me, liow many bands will
they have ? or at least their progeny ? My drones'are
all black of course. How many times will they have
to be crossed till tlicro is no trace of the Italian left.
Novice why don’t yon tell us something about Egyp-
tian bees sometime in GLEANINGS ?

Ila MIC II its i:k, Low Banks, Ontario, Can.

1\ S.— There is something I wanted to tell you and
nearly forgot. I have ten Queen cells nearly ready to
cap from eggs from one ol Mr. McMurdo’s Queens’.

If the dollar Queens are reared from import-
ed mothers, we think none of the bees will
ever show less than two yellow hands ; and
these two banded bees are very industrious
and quite pleasant to handle. However, if
Queeus are reared from this brood that produ-
ces the two banded bees, they are very nearly
black, and when mated with common drones,
their progeny is about as disagreeable as bees
can well be. and we can blame no one for ve-
hemently denouncing such hybrids. Friend
Mnth of Cincinnati, has Egyptian bees. Will
he please tell us more about them.

As our honey sells well at gooil prices, we have de-
termined to feed sugar to our bees this full. How
many barrels should you get to feed sav 70 colonies ?

James IIeddon, Dowagiac, Alieh.

Much depends on the strength of your colo-
nies. We have never found any ground at
till for the assertion that two weak colonies
would consume less when united than either
of them separately, hut on the contrary find
the amount of food consumed as with all otli-

stock, depends upon the number to be fed.
Wc should estimate 25 lbs. of sugar, enough
•or the strongest colony from Sept, until May ;
W lbs., enough for all ordinary stocks, and
where the bees only cover three or four combs
on a frosty morning, perhaps 10 lbs. would
sttllice. Never err by giving too little, unless
you expect to foetl early in the spring, and on
the other hand we should wish to give only
about enough on the average to last until
noney comes in next season, that it may not be
111 the way in the combs. Without seeing your

70 stocks we might guess that you would need
six or seveh barrels of sugar, if all their stores
were removed in Sept.

These remarks refer to in-door wintering ;
we have had too little experience of late years
to decide how much more will be required for
out-door wintering, but perhaps a half more
would not be far out of the way.

Ills strange lmtl never can get a Qneen that will
occupy more than 5 or 6 frames with brood, and not
nearly all the comb in frames at that, some at top
and sides being filled with honey and pollen. Am in-
clined to disbelieve reports of Queens tilling so many
frames as some say they do. 1 have Queens from
m any breeders. J. A. Buchanan, Wintersvllle, <>.

We partially agree with you friend B. A
Queen that occupies 7 L. frames we think very
fair; ’tis true that by mixing the combs tip
frequently, we may get some brood in 20 combs,
or even more. Is this good economy ? Those
who are in doubt should make the experiment,
but please try it on a few hives first.

Mr. ROOT I have thickened my syrup with starch
for more than 1*2 years to feed bees, I have not per-
ceived any bad e’ifcct from it. if some one would feed
a hive that way this tall and notice how it wintered, I
would like to hear the result. 1 could not well feed
with and without, myself. J. Winfield, Hubbard, o.

Starch and sugar are regarded in Chemistry
as nearly identical, in fact starch is converted
into sugar by a chemical process with such
facility that the price of the two always re-
mains*about the same, and as the starch In our
food is quickly changed to sugar in the process
of digestion, may it not be the same with the
bees? Still further is it not a fact that when
you feed starch with the sugar, in form of a
syrup, you find only the latter deposited in the
cells. We are inclined to think that even if
starch were taken with avidity, it would not
prove a substitute for pollen nor even for Rye
and Oat meal.

I send for some fresh eggs laid during the night, or
within 24 hours before sending. These eggs will
count with me. After they nre grubs or larva) one or
two days old, I transfer them to Queen cells already
built in’ Queonlcss Nuclei, where they tire brought up
Queens, and they will lie beauties. I have two such
now on hand, one laying, the other younger, besides
one in the larva; state. I wish these eggs to be from
your imported Queen.

JOHN L. Davis, Delhi, Mich. Aug. 7th, 1S74.

’Tis our opinion Mend D. has hit on some-
thing really valuable. We at once removed
the larva 1 from three queen cells in our own
Apiary, and introduced others much younger
from the imported stock. They were all led
and taken care of; we use a quill toothpick
for the operation ; push it under the just
hatched worker larva; and remove it food and
all from the worker cell, and carefully put it.
in the Queen cell, having previously “poked”
out the original occupant. If done carefully
wc have no doubt of complete success, and a
stubborn colony can be allowed to go on with
as many of their own Queen cells as they choose
to build. We sent two pieces to Mend D., one
containing eggs as lie requested and the other
larva- so small as to be just visible. He writes:

The boxes were on hand last night the lath inst, and
this lllh. 1 l>. M. there arc 15 Queens started front the
comb with larva;; it came all right, the other came
with Ute same mail but ", of the eggs were jarred out
of the cells. Among the Qneen cells spoken of above,
■1 are in Incipient natural Queen cells into which I
transferred the lavvaa this morning, the bees seemed
pleased and are already feeding them jelly. 1 cut the
piece containing larva" into three pieces and put into
throe hives and they have started 4, 5, and I! t ells res-
pectively already. Thanks for promptness.

I'W

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Sept.

Please inform me, 1st: Are Queens reared in a two
lrame nucleus as good as those reared in an eight
n ame colony ? .My bees in nucleus tore Mown the cell
i gave them and are building one for themselves, shall
1 allow them to proceed?

In I. In making a nucleus, I bv mistake, got the old
Queen on one of the frames, which error was not dis-
covered till two days after. In that case could I put
her back In her own hive without endangering iter
life? or would you tulvlse changing places of the nu-
cleus and the old hive ?

Geo. G. Scott, Dubuque, Iowa, July I5tli. 1874.

1st, So far as vigor is concerned, we would
let. them use the cell if we were sure it contain-
ed tin abundance of royal jelly, which seldom
.is the case unless the young colony have be-
come fully organized and are bringing both
honey and poilen industriously. Tis our opin-
ion a pint of bees, in very warm weather, may
do this as well as a larger number, but they
would probably be unable to supply more than
one or two cells, and a larger number of bees
would generally be preferable.

Jul. Try and see if they will receive their
old Queen of course, before running any risk.
If they are gathering honey there will seldom
be any trouble, but you can easily remove a
frame and place her on it in the midst of the
bees, having some smoke handy, in case she
should be in danger. We introduce Queens
newly hatched in this way, with scarcely ever
a failure, if the honey yield has stopped it
may be necessary to cage your old Queen be-
fore releasing her, after two days or more ab-
sence, bn.. we should try her first on tile plan
given. Queens not valued highly we often
introduce in the manner given without caging,
and even let them run in at the entrance with-
out opening the hive; at certain seasons all
will go well every time, but at others every
Queen, seemingly, will be destroyed. They
can be released on a single comb without dan-
ger if you are prompt and fearless in rescuing
them when attacked.

FRIEND NOVICE I had an extractor made on
your plan, and it works like a eliarm. 1 am a sort of
a genius hut I have been trying to study out the prin-
ciple ol tin extractor the last year or so* and could get
no Idea of how to get it to work till I got lirst volume
oi Gleam xos. 1 then went to my tln-smlth hut had
much trouble to get him to understand it. How-
ever we made it work. I think 1 can heat vou on
prices; 1 had it made for frames 14x1 IX inch, with
sloping bottom, molasses gate excepted, for $4.1.1.

Bees are not doing very much here tills summer, es-
pecially blacks. Tin* Italians arc still doing some-
thing. I have two that swarmed and have extracted
•41 ii»s. of honey from them, the blacks heslile them
have neither -wanned nor made any honev more
than they consumed.

I am rearing a lew dollar Queens ibis summer. I
can’t raise them last enough, lint i I in v life is spared
till next spring 1 will breed on a larger scale. 1 should i
like to have your advice a.- to how to proceed. Would
it he best to have my nuclei formed of say 4 or :l stand-
ard I rallies, or have little boxes with four frames. 11
inches square? I am using the latter now.

I intend to liny bees to rear Queens with. I can huv I
them In box hives with drawers of from 14 to 1.7 n.s. of I
box honev lor $7.(10. Now, if I use Hie standard frame. !
would It lie advisable to transfer them in September,
extract the honey all from the body of the hive and
give them all the comb, then feed sugar-syrup for !
winter? Comb honey sells here for 47 ets. per m, and
extracted for 18 eta., so thev would not cost more limn
S4.(m per hive or hardly that. Or would It lie a better j
plan to let them remain until spring and pay $7.uii for '
them without the box honey, and be sure of not losing
them this winter? though there has not been much
trouble in wintering in this section of the country.

Aaron T. Weionkr, Higler, Pa. !
Small hives, and small frames have been al-
most universally abandoned. You will find,
we think that using the same frames used in

your hives is much safest in the long run, and
if not less thau three combs of brood be used
to start a nucleus, they will protect themselves-
from robbers without shutting them in at all.
We think we would use nothing smaller thau
a hive capable of containing ten combs; these
can then be built up to a good colony with lit-
tle trouble after they get a laying Queen.

If the honey can all be extracted in August
or early in Sept., so as to feed the syrup ami
get everything in good shape during warm
weather, it might do ; but transferring in the
fall, where the combs arc filled with honey, is
risky business even for an expert. The safer
way would be to wait until spring we think
especially if bees winter well in your locality
on natural stores.

Wed. ;\ lr - Q'-Faninos. will you please tell us next
month through the "wind-mill print" how Novice
manages to separate his honey from the sugar-syrun
that gets into his hives in various ways. We would
like some, times to Iced a little syrup but don’t want ii
with our honey. Some say to us when we offer ex-
tracted honev, that it Is syrup. We tell them no, It Is
the pure honey and tell the truth too.

A. J. Hoover, Plymouth, Pa.

Just exactly. In the spring we contrive to
have all the sugar-syrup used up in rearing
brood, before honey comes in, and if some
heavy combs still remain we put them into
nucleus hives to be used by bees not old enough
to gather honey. If placed next to a brood
comb it will be used up very fast.

The present season we found it impossible
to use it where the bees had died, without re-
serving it until the honey yield had passed,
and it is now being worked up to excellent
advantage by upwards of 40 young colonies
containing Queens just commencing to lay.
Such combs filled heavy with sealed syrup,
work in beautifully in this way. When we
were extracting if by chance any comb was
brought in containing sealed honey looking
other than as if it had l>eon freshly* sealed, it-
was tested by tasting and if any trace of sugar
was perceptible, ’twas condemned and reserved
for brood-rearing. Should fall honey come in
while feeding, we really don’t know what is to
be done unless empty combs be inserted tem-
porarily to receive the new stores, extracting
from them only, and leaving the brood combs
untouched at this season.

My hues have not nor can I make them do much,
t here seems to he no honey In the clover, and we have
no linn ; buck-wheat is just commencing to bloom.
Have only taken out with extractor from over .70 colo-
nies inn lbs., and think I had better have left that in
as they don’t increase much. Very cool, no comb
honey at alt. A. J. Hoover, Aug. 8th. 1871.

R ally friend H., such a report is almost us
disheartening as to hear ones colonies are al-
most il l deail. Did we not know that you
ready Uumr If nr to take cure of bees, we might
think some of the fau f yours.

What are the advantages of A 1 slke clover over
White clover as a hoiiev*plant ?

(’has. 11. Rue. Manalapan. N. J.
riuit it is a larger plant, bears more and lar-
ger blossoms, and consequently gives inure
honey. On the other hand we really fear i' is
not going to "hold" in the ground like the com-
mon white , or even the red clover. Something
has been said of seeding with what is culic'l
Dutch White clover. Can any one tell us more
about if? Seedsmen advertise it we think.

DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO BEES B-ISTE HONEY

Vol. II.

OCTOBER 1, 1874.

No. X

HOW TO CONDUCT AN APIARY.

No. 10.

BY JAMES BOLIN.

M LTHOUGH the labors of the busy workers are
over for this season, those of their owner are
— '^i not by any means ; and if he has many stocks to
care for, tins month will be u busy one for him. His
labors no longer consist in preparations for surplus
honey, or an increase in the number of his stocks; but
in preparing those he has, for winter, if he would be
cheered by their merry hum again next spring.

K tj 1 ® lal) ors pertaining to Sept, were promptly and
iaithlully performed, those of this month will be much
lightened. All stocks should now be strong in num-
bers, well supplied with stores, and have good prolific
Queens. If, however, the apiarian has been negligent
ind put oil until a more convenient season what
should have been promptly done, no time must now
lie lost.

first and foremost then., lie should see that none are
Quoenlcs^, for trying to winter Queenless swarms
leads to nothing but vexation. If any are Queenless,
they should be supplied at once with a laying, or vir-
gm Queen, or at farthest a Queen cell; as giving a
•stock brood at this season for the purpose or letting
tnem rear a Queen, generally fails: not so much I
rearing a Queen as in having her fertilized so late i
the season. Il neither Queen or cell is to be had, pei
4aps the best disposition that could be made of
Quoeuless stock, would be to unite it with one bavin
a laying Queen.

II all have Queens, the next thing in order is to se
„ l: ! 1(( i ley 1 nre stron £ enough. Much has been said am
i a iJ 1 *' wintering a pint or quart of bees, and i
-an be and has been done ; still 1 venture the nsser
iV “ a . t 1 ^ree out of every lour who have tried it
JwJi , Na POleon once said that Providenc
toe heaviest battalions; so in bee culture, luci
times ’ always favors th ® strongest stocks, at al

oftilA? 001 da >\ lhe bees should occupy at least foui
7 n-if s,Klces between the combs, and from that up t<
“f ?L e , ve " ! “ 1 ' found that ave to<

Hi. \',i - u ,’ ay stm 1,0 strengthened in some local!

JC( ' H s''* 1 jet breeding, by giving then
\V i!vo ?> blood fl ' om strong stocks that can spare it
th mid i „ y c ,? n l 10t bc strengthened In this tvay, tliej
stronest b m.t Hil 4 ! 1 snllUdently populous, as out
thewfntovn, that .'7 llllju U( " 10S( sure to live througl:
will f , . 1 worth more than two weak ones thal
w 11 be about equally sure to die before spring.

brood film! d , be tukeu ’ however, not to take too much
slronlr storks, to aid weak ones, lest the

ratmot m eb bu i'.'J’K'od. If any are short of stores and
hnvitnr a snr'V leU .. ,y exchanging combs with others
once S surplus ’ feeding should bo attended to at

ear’l'v In th£V, 1 ,i’i d0lng what feeding is necessary, as
urc ih™ lid i w 1 US P ?i 6s S c ‘\ s th “t«stho center combs
feet! at'th.. t, ?‘ bro ?‘ ■ the bees are forced to put the
Old,, the com .,. a “ a i back , emls of the combs, Instead
the most Sf PtW 16 ,;' 0 U A uy J 110 quite sure to store
The s“orln a nf alU ’ r th , e b, ’ 00li ls hatched out.
where the Li. h s - v , r , u C 111 the center of the hive,
the stronScs?^hWM 0uld . 0 1 as one of

U,U h ° UCy

the lieavvf omhi lB r COnl J )s ,‘’? r wl,,tor ' lf the hive ls full,
the oXiL Cb " bS „° f seul lu ! 1 honey should be placed on
ter, to,- the’. ld P 1080 °" lv Purthdlj tilled, in the ecu-

combs onotmh : c l ! stW *,"• V [hvrK , are ,wt e,np ty

should be i"' 1 ," *,° cluster in, one or two

more room. 1 ' vlth the extractor, to give them

II the hive is not full of combs, the combs and bees
should be placed at one side, and the space contracted
by a division board; and if any IVames are only par-
tially lllled with comb they should, unless nearly full,
be placed at one side of the hive, where the bees
would naturally have them.

While handling the combs in the fall it will pay to
cut a hole in them about one third of the way flown
from the top. The object of this passage is three fold ;
viz: it will save the lives of a great many workers
that are caught away from the main cluster during
cold spells of weather that occur before they arc
housed in the fall, ami after they are taken out in the
spring; it will enable them to reach their stores du-
ring the winter; and will promote breeding early In
the spring, by enabling the Queen to distribute her
eggs more regularly in the combs while it is too cold
tor her to pass readily around the outside of them.

During the cold weather that occurred last springs
t lound on several occasions where I had neglected to
to make a passage through the combs, a niece of scal-
ed brood several inches square on one side of a comb,
and not even an egg on the other side, the Queen be-
ing unable to reach it.

Where honey boards are used, they should be taken
oft the last of this month and their places supplied
with quilts. By putting the quilts on early, before
much freezing occurs, no frost will be formed on the
combs and the bees will go into winter quarters in
better condition than they would do if the honey
boards were left on until they are housed.

Before putting on the quilts, a stick about % of an
inch square should be laid across the tops of the
frames, so as to leave a passage between them and
the quilts.

Notwithstanding all that has been said about hand-
ling bees at all times, even in mid winter, I would
earnestly advise that all the handling in the fall bc
done as early, and as long before housing as possible,
as I have repeatedly found by experience, that dis-
turbing bees much just before they are put into win-
ter quarters has an Injurious effect.

Last fall, and several proceeding ones, I introduced
a number of Italian Queens just before putting my
bees in the house, and although I lost none of the
stocks into which they were introduced, yet I almost
invariably found more dead bees in them the next
spring, than in others that were not disturbed. For
bees to gorge themselves with honey just before going
into winter quarters, is about as unwise as for a per-
son to eat a hearty supper just before goiug to bed.
Some people may stand it, and so will some swarms of
bees, but it is unhealthy for all that.

Did not the disturbance, consequent upon moving
them so late in the fall, have something to do with the
loss of the bees Mr. Daniels purchased? I think Mrs.

I upper mentioned a similar case, as having occurred

in the West some time ago. West Lodi, O.

[Friend B’s remarks so completely cover the
ground, that we hardly need add more, but it may not
be amiss to advise that your Bee Houses or cellars bc
put in good tVim now, before cold nnd stormy weather.
For instance, our own Bee House was too cold last win-
ter; we resorted to artificial heat then, but will it not
be better to bank it in well with dirt all around and
prepare straw cushions to put between the doors etc i

II any cracks are to be seen from shrinking of lumber,
they should be caulked with list or strips of cloth,
doors made close etc. etc. For ventilating cellars we
know of no plan equal to having a stove pipe run down
within a few inches of the cellar bottom, the other
end communicating with the pipe of the kitchen stove.
By allowing a niece of burning paper to fall on the floor
you can readily see how this tube draws all the heavy
impure air from the floor, up the tube. We saw the ar-
rangement at friend Blakeslee’s. Get it all fixed now
before it is neglected. Ed.J

no

gleanings in bee culture.

Oct.

CULTIVATION OF CATNIP AS A
HONEY PLANT.

KpHE following was rec'tl in answer to an
Jr inquiry for further particulars in regard
to the cultivated Catnip mentioned on. page 33,
March No.

The bees are increasing in stores slightly upon the
Everything else is dried out, and catnip don t
produce half the honey it would were It not for ■ the
ievere drouth. There are wells dry heie .it this time
that have not failed before in forty years, .Some ot
mv swarms are building comb and some are not. On
the 27 th of July 1 examined nucleus No. 12 and noted
in register, laying Queen. Aug. Hth I had occasion
*to draw on this number for a Queen, and was fem-
inized to find them making a desperate effort to dem-
onstratc the fallacy of the tig ldvc theory. My nuclei
arc made by putting division hoard in cento e of lull
si/.cil L. hive, and a nucleus on each side. 1 his one
had but two combs with adhering bees, when formed,
and as nearly all the old bees would return to the
parent stock they could not be over Strong. Ill the
time between these two examinations (17 da> 8) this
little swarm had built one comb the full length to the
bottom board and another comb % as large, ine
large one was filled with brood nearly all capped ovei
ami the smaller comb had some brood, and all this in
the midst of this severe drouth and scarcity. . Now
who says a pint of bees in a hive will not work as well
proportionally as live bushels? This nucleus was not
fed a drop of any thing. . _

I believe the quality of the catnip honey is ftiUy
equal to the clover, and the color so near it that the
difference is hardly perceptible. Idesiie to save all
the seed, lint have no plan of getting it out except by
hand, and I found that too tedious last year, w ill
not some of the friends who have been sowing Alsike
seed give inc some light on the subject. Ihis seed is
much finer than the Alsike hut I think it could lie i t-
nioved bv the same process. I had supposed until
this rear that the catnip would not bloom the hist
season from the seed, hut I sowed some last .Januurj,
which is the best time to sow it for the purpose of
raising plants to put out next spring, and it. now

’wTh'ii! ’ “ h “ hiKh cheviot^o!

p. s. Mutli says lie will pay the same price lor cat-
nip honey that he does for the best white clover.

We at one time had a strong inclination to
try a ten acre field of Catnip, but when we
found that the expense, rent, labor etc., would
amount to something like $25.00 per acre, to
us, cash out of pocket, and that ’twould even

then be uncertain of giving any precise income,

we confess we were somewhat intimidated.
The same sum expended for sugar to lie fed
during the fall would be a positively safe in-
vestment; that is we get an equivalent from
sugar without any doubt. If an acre of catnip
would yield during the season, a barrel of hon-
ey, it would without doubt pay to rent land
and cultivate it, but very much less would
hardly make it a safe investment.

With farmers who have the land and time,
the ease is quite different, and if the catnip
could lie grown without any or but little amh
out, we should say grow it by all means.
Friend N. offers the seed as low as seedsmen,
and of course knows it to be fresh and pure.

By the way will not “catnip” honey necessa-
rily possess some medical qualities? For the
“infantile portion of com muni ty,” for instance ?

[For Gleanings.]

THE HIVE QUESTION.

*T seems to me that there is a general misundor-

I ■■ — i’ — /\f 1 . Vi i ifoe * i i£iili_

seems to me that there is a general misundor-
standing on the subject of mammoth hives, a sub
— h jeet which Is just now calling forth a good deal of
comment; and if you will permit me to say a lew
words Mr. Editor I will try to keep silent ill the future
as I have in the past, for it doesn’t behoove every one
to become a regular contributor to a Bee .Journal it
he is posessor of a few bees. In the first place I

would sav that hives which are arranged lor securing
such enormous yields of honey as we hear toll ot, are
a humbug. Now men of mammoth hives don t say
“fogy” till I explain in what way tlic.v are humbugs,

I keep two mammoths in nvy apiary just_ tor "Inn,’
and have arrived at the following conclusion :

In the first place they gather no more honey than,
the same number of hoes when placed m two or three
hives with one half or one third as many combs m
each ; and It takes more work to extract a given-
amount of honey from the big things, than it does
from several small ones. Also, it often becomes m*e-
essarv to move a hive when full ot honey, anu then ii
you are single handed, as many ot \xs are, what arc.
you going to do ? And when it comes to wintering
you have either got to divide — thus entailing an extra
expense of two sets of hives- -or else have a regular
old fashioned barn raising to get them into the house.

I have <>2 colonies in hives ot eight frames each, 11 j.\
IS*' an( i i c an attend to them more easily and get just
as much honey as if they were in 31 hives ot twice
their capacity, and my Queens do not lay themselves
all away the first season. , , * , r o

1 know it sounds large to hear it said that Mr. Some-
body had a single hive to gather six or eight hundred
lbs in one season, and it no doubt does stagger the old
box-hive fraternity. Hut if any one will pay me tor
the extra trouble 1 will (a la Hosmer) have one hive ol
bees to gather 1000 lbs. of honey in ’75, providing it is
a good season, and will not brag about it either, it if
my opinion that for ease of handling and tor profit we
want hives with capacity of about 100 lbs. ot honey
pen' season in average localities. ...... .

There Mr. Editor 1 have said my say, and 1 think
that experience will teach many to “see it m a.imit
the sa me light. I* R Hogue.

Eoydsville, <). Sept. 8th, 1874.

The hive question is yet receiving much attention.
Why do we want a better frame than the Langstrotn.
The two stow hive- I think— for many reasons, will
ever maintain a front position. The large hives about
which 1 consulted you two years ago, with eleven
Eangstroth frames below, and lit teen above, the uppei
ones hanging crosswise, and down within thyee (fights
of an inch of the lower ones, is the invoice in my
apiary. My bees have done well this season. i am
still taking* honey from the upper story, *

W. V. Moouk, Richland Station, Tcnn., Aug. 2nd, 74.

TIIE KINO BIRD FOUND GUILTY.

pH L. WAITE, of Berea, O., furnishes some
J|, g, very 'positive evidence and also men-
tions a habit of the King bird, we think not
•■■encrally known to naturalists. During tie-
month of June ’72, a flock of seven of these
birds were making such regular and constan
visits to his Apiary that his suspicions were
aroused and concealing himself, he with watch
in hand observed a single bird snap up 5 to -
per minute. After having pursued this "inno-
cent" amusement for a sufficient interval, his
birdsliip was in the habit of taking a rest on a
neighboring tree, where after a short medita-
tion lie commenced a series of muscular con-
tortions of the head and neck that finally
resulted in his opening liis mouth wide anu
“heaving up” a wad of some strange black
looking substance. By chance thei r perch was
close over a bed of Rhubarb or Pie plant aim
our friend secured a number of these wads as
they fell, and thus settled the point of their ms
ing nothing more nor less, than crushed
After they had- “squeezed” out all the homy-

probably having no farther use for the P°
ace” it was unceremoniously east aside wn
his worship with a keen appetite and r.est
the sport, went, “bee hunting” again. 1 »
came regularly for a “meal” two or three tin -
a day. Guess we had better use our rifles .
shot guns in such a way as to induce then
learn that Apiaries are “unhealthy mean
for such boarders.

1874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Ill

OUR OWN APIARY.

HPjjHE weather is to-day, Aug. 39th, very dry,
4 and sultry, the wind has blown the dust
and leaves about in such disorder that our
Apiary presents anything but a tidy appear-
ance. To add to our troubles, the eider mill
has commenced work and our bees were on
hand punctually, as they were a year ago.
Although quite a number of stocks belonging
to others are kept in the neighborhood and if
we are compelled to resort to out-door feeding,
we shall have to feed the whole, yet we cannot
have our bees annoy our neighbors ; if they
continue to work at the cider mill we must feed
them sugar all they can all carry away. To
add to our troubles, already a suspiciously
large number of bees are crawling about in the
dust looking for all the world as if they had
had “too much cider.” We are heartily glad
to-morrow is Sunday, for we are tired. Our
paper is out on time as usual ’tis true, but it
was only by working nights that we were
prompt this month.

Oh ! that it only would rain.

Aug. 81sf — We arose yesterday morning feel-
ing that at least one day in the week our bees
would not be tempted, for cider mills fortu-
nately do not “work” on Sunday. Early in the
morning they seemed to be very thievishly in-
clined for they buzzed querulously from hive
to hive in a manner that betokens an unheal-
thy excitement, and greed for gain not to be
procured through the ordinary path of honest
industry. We can readily imagine the feeling
that a gambler or burglar must have after tlrst
pocketing dishonest gains ; perhaps he has just
abandoned an honorable calling because times
■are dull, and full of an unhealthy excitement
at such a sudden and easy way of getting mon-
ey he may for a time evade stinging reproaches
of a guilty conscience for having appropiated
without equivalent, the honest, innocent, earn-
ings of his fellow men; but does not the time
come when he feels that lie would be far hap-
pier with the most meagre fare or plainest
clothing for his wife and family, could he only
once more lie down at night with the old feel-
ing, that ’twas all his own and honestly gained,
and that no one of his fellow beings had been
in the least wronged out of their honest earn-
ings? Have bees any conscience? are they
just as happy while robbing their neighbors?
We mused thus while studying their move-
ments this Sabbath morning.

Later, after the dew was oil', we were pleased
to see them launching out in an opposite direc-
tion from the cider mill and when they began
returning laden, and with that weary happy
hum, ttiat surely betokens honest labor, our
curiosity was aroused. By nine o’clock a per-
fect stream of bees were pouring out in this
same direction, and they hurried out of the
hives to tile in with the throng in a way that
secerned to indicate none would be left. ’Twas
<«ily an hour and a half to church time, yet we
clambered over the fence, and “poured” in the
same direction, our enthusiasm being kept up
by hearing their hum over head. After pass-
ing through a piece of woods about a mile
bom home we found about a half acre of Bone
set,, or Thorougliwort, ( Eupatorium, Perfolia-
lnm ) and the view on coming suddenly out on

this mass of bloom, literally dancing, and joy-
ous, with our Imported Queens young grand
children, was indescribable. The blossoms
were nearly on a level with ones head and the
music the bees made was decidedly different in
tone from that around the cider mill or the out
door sugar feeding either for that matter.
Their little selves were all dusted with the
snowy pollen and their happy hum seemed to
indicate that they, like ourself, felt such a
feeling of thankfulness to our Creator for the
beautiful world he has given us, that even ex-
istence is a pleasure. As this, could not em-
ploy all of them we went farther, and in a
dense wood beyond found acres of White snake
root (Kupalwium Lageratoides) not yet quite in
bloom, but still visited quite plentifully with
bees. Another plant interested us still more,
but before describing it we will say that for
several years past we have in the fall noticed
bees coming in laden, that had a queer white
spot on the tuft between the roots of the wings.
This sometimes had almost the appearance of
a drop of white paint having fallen on them.
In vain did we sally out with the determina-
tion of finding what plant gave this white
powder, for we were invariably baffled, and
finally consoled ourselves by thinking it must
be from thistles. To-day however, no bees
were on thistles, and yet this white spot was
plainer than ever as they hurried into the hive
to unload, and also when they hied to the
woods again. The bells were ringing for
church, and we were more than a mile away in
the woods, yet with uncovered head we stoop-
ed in mute wonder over the solution of the
riddle that had perplexed us so long. The
plant was the wild Touch-me-not, ( Impatiens )
so familiar to urchins on account of the won-
derful pods that snap all to pieces when touch-
ed. Well the honey is secreted in aspur in the
bottom of the flower, and the bee can only
reach this by diving down into it almost out
of sight and when the coveted treasure is ob-
tained he backs out with a ludicrous kicking
and sprawling of his legs, and in so doing the
down on his back is ruffled up the wrong way.
Now this would be pretty certain to get the pol-
len dusted all over him, but nature to make
sure has planted a little tuft that bears the
pollen just on the upper side of the entrance to
the flower, and in his struggles to get out the
white pollen is brushed all into his back most
effectually, to be carried to the next flower
and so oh.

As we hastened homeward with a boquet
composed of the different plants named, we
passed by a quantity of what is called here,
Rag weed, or Bitter weed, ( Ambrosia Artemis-
itrfolia) here too the bees and nature were at
work. Since Darwin has partially enlightened
us we might say too perhaps, that “Natural
selection” was at work. This plant bears the
male, or pollen bearing flowers on tall racemes
somewhat similar to corn, while the seeds are
produced lower down where the branches
leave the stem. As bees only work occasion-
ally on this plant they are not really necessary
to its fertilization as in the case of the Touch-
me-not, and accordingly we find that it produ-
ces hundreds of the male or pollen bearing
flowers to one of the seed blossoms. Now is
there not something analogous in this to the

112

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

fact that the economy of the bee hive demands
that hundreds of drones be reared where only-
one is needed ? The pollen is borne so much
above the seed blossoms that the winds in
wafting it are almost sure to fertilize the blos-
soms of some neighboring plant, and the drones
as they circle up in mid air impelled by that
wonderful instinct, are more than likely to
meet with Queens from other hives than their
own.

We reached church in very good season, and
in a much more devout frame of mind than if
we had spent the whole of the morning sleepily
over books and papers.

The spring scales showed at night a gain of
one half lb., which though a small matter was
enough to set us rejoicing. As the suspended
colony is less than an average one, w-e can
safely say we got 35 lbs. of honey during the
day, from the Autumn Wild Flowers; and
to-day they show % of a lb., or about 52 lbs.
from the whole Apiary.

Sept. 1 st — One half lb. again to-day, and we
think that they really have neglected the cider
mill, as our neighbor promised to send his
little boy up to notify us, if they troubled him
again as they did last week.

Sept. 1 8th — Nearly three weeks have passed
and the bees have been busy, some of them on
the Autumn wild flowers, others on dry sugar
in the open air, but by far too many at the
eider mill from which we have labored in vain
to entice them, especially when they made
"sweet apple” cider. With the extremely warm
dry weather wc have had this month, we have
not succeeded in keeping them away entirely,
although pollen in abundance, and considera-
ble honey has been brought from the woods
mentioned. Since writing before, we have
learned there arc about 200 acres of the wood-
land fenced close from all kinds of stock, and
also that the reason for this is, that same
White Snake root that literally whitens the
ground, is the cause of a species of “milk sick-
ness.” Since several people and many cows
and horses have died from this, the woodland
has been carefully fenced up. The honey from
the weed has something of a hoarhound flavor,
and gives the hives a peculiar odor. It has
been suggested that our bees too, died from
this same “milk sickness,” but we are more in-
clined to accord it to the cider mill. At any
rate our hives are now most of them heavy
with nicely sealed stores and pollen ; these
stores are a mixture of honey and cider with
liberal doses of sugar syrup given every eve-
ning, and all we can do is to hope the latter
will counterbalance all ill effects of the former.
As they have all been kept rearing brood
briskly we trust at least two thirds of these
stores are sugar.

We have loaned our Quinby smoker to the
cider mill folks, and wc are again using our
“sauce pan.” It certainly has one advantage,
and that is, that it don’t “go out” even if we
do forget to “squeeze” it incessantly, but on
the other hand it smokes ones eyes badly at
times, and when the smoke don’t happen to go
in the right direction we sometimes get a sally
from the hybrids that make us long for the
bellows smoker again. The latter does good
service at the mill, but it doubtless takes much
time to drive the bees a little ways. We can

Oct.

only congratulate ourselves that ’twill soon
be cool, and then such troubles will be over.

Sept. i’.ith — ’Twas just one year ago to-day
that we moved our bees to the swamp on ac-
count of the cider mill, and the “cider mill
man” has just been here to tell us that some-
thing must be done with “them bees.” 01
course we dampened the sugar, and soon had
all the bees tame and wild from a mile or more
around, having a grand free picnic at our ex-
pense. The weather has been unusually warm
and sultry ; cool days that must soon come,
will probably end this trouble for this season.

Sept. 21«f — We have tried putting a strong
colony in our bee house, placing it before tin-
window so that it could receive the full
rays of the morning sun. The great problem
was, to see whether after collecting on the
windows, they would regain their hive. It is
with much joy that we are able to state they
did, nearly all, after they had once learned
how. The young Italians learned the pro-
gramme readily, and even made foraging voy-
ages to remote corners of the room to some
combs of honey, and returned with the spoils,
safely to their hive. The old bees, accustomed
to the fields, as we anticipated, buzzed on tin-
window until tired and then formed in a large
cluster at the top of the window. In about an
hour a few found the hive again and set up a
loud call, and by noon, the entrance was cov-
ered with bees that with elevated bodies were
fanning their wings at a great rate to make
known to their comrades the joyful intelli-
gence. By sundown, all were in safely except
perhaps a dozen or two.

With space for them to enjoy the full sun-
shine, we have no fear but that all would regain
the hive safely, but we confess it seems quite
improbable that the bees from a dozen hives or
more in a small enclosure would all regain
their respective hives; still, until we have tes-
ted the matter, wc have no real right to doubt.

We have before made mention of bees with
distended bodies found around on the ground
during “cider time.” Well, among those on
the window, we found quite a number such,
and they soon fell to the floor. Later in the
day the floor was soiled with their excrement
and this soon had quite an unpleasant smell
that reminded us vividly of two years ago, yet
this was quite a warm day. Gould they have
had ample room to fly farther from the hive
perhaps this would not have been observable,
but we cannot help thinking it is the effect of
the cider mill. Perhaps giving them a fly ev-
ery week or two during the winter might do
much to avoid the evil effects of such diet but-
that it will prove a perfect remedy for Mu-
gradual dwindling away as did ours last spring,
we hardly dare hope. Our bees did not die
with dysentery as has been intimated.

From an experiment made we would decide
that bees do not make honey, but simply gather
it. We threw out some of the thinnest, raw
unripened honey that we could find during the
basswood harvest, and put it in a fruit jar cov-
ering the mouth with thin guaze only. After
keeping it in a very warm place for several
weeks it was found to be as thick as the thick-
est honey, to have lost its raw taste, and to
have become nice honey, such as is taken out
of sealed comb.

1874.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

113

OUR PRIMARY DEPARTMENT,

Or First Principles in Bee-Keeping.

[Designed especially lor the veriest novices, and
those who know nothing ofhecs whatever. Conduct-
ed hy a fellow Novice of several years experience
replete with blunders, ns well as with occasional
su ccesses.]

"A'Vfif E promised to tell how to “swarm grape

yfti f vines artificially.” Very well; your
one vine is supposed to have become strong
and vigorous, and to have not only covered
the trellis completely, but to have seemingly
become impatient of being restrained by the
continual pinching back necessary to keep it
within such narrow limits. It in fact has per-
haps manifested this by blossoming and at-
tempting to bear grapes out of season near the
top bar of the trellis. It is precisely like a
colony having too many bees for the size of
the hive. Very likely each one of the ten up-
right canes has produced three or four tine
clusters of extra large nice berries, but still
the vigor of the vine, (if our directions have
been carefully complied with) is equal to some-
thing more, and accordingly we encourage one
of the outside canes by allowing it to send a
new shoot up above the rest of the trellis.
When this is well started, the whole cane is
bent over so as to go strait down to the ground
and then curved outward so as to lie in a trench
a few inches deep, that it may be covered with
soil enough to protect it from injury.

A new trellis is now to be constructed, if it
has not been done before, just 3 feet from the
old one ; that is, the two trellises are to have
a walk of just 3 feet in width between them.
The new shoot grows very rapidly and can
soon be tied up to the first post of the new
trellis and across the lower bar. Now select
a side shoot for each wire, and almost before
you are aware of it, you have another complete
grape vine.

The accompanying engraving will make it
all plain.

furnish shoots for not only a new one at the
right and left, but also for the whole six that
are to surround the original one, even in a sin-
gle season if need be. As the new vines take
root almost as soon as laid down, the old vine
suffers but little loss, and new ones that were
started in this manner the 4th of July last
season, are now pretty well loaded with fine
grapes; their connection with the old vine en-
abling them to become bearing vines in one
year only. Although their remaining attached
to the old vine does not seetn to impair its
productiveness, the aid they receive from it is
quite important. This matter we tested this
season by chopping one of the new vines oil'
where it left the old one, as we were hoeing
about them. It had been growing with great
vigor, and had considerable fruit on it, but the
next day the sun hung its foliage like wilted
cabbage leaves. By heavy mulching, and buck-
ets of water, we induced it to look up again,
but it is far behind its comrades and we have
decided it best not to sever “parental tics” in
future at all, and if we are careful in tieing
them close to the posts in laying them down,
they are never in the way. One strong Con-
cord vine, wc think could in this manner be
easily increased to 100 in three years, and they
would all bear a crop in the year following tlu*
one in which they were started. So far as
quality and size is concerned, of fruit from
vines trained in this manner we would only-
say that we have never before seen it equaled.
Our vines are now loaded with delicious fruit,
and Blue Eye’s eloquent praises of “Papa’s
whole lot o’ dapes,” coupled with the appear-
ance of the great purple bunches (which we
would willingly share with our readers if we
could) is enough to give one a mania for “grape
growing,” almost equal in virulence to the bee
fever. Long may these two innocent and fas-
cinating Industrial pursuits, thrive in harmo-
ny-. The idea, that the culture of either in any-
way interferes with the other is a joke entirely-
outside of our experience. Where grapes are

The view is taken from the south side, and
the hives are just visible through the foliage
ni their proper places. One strong vine will

trained thus, fowls if allowed will make sad
havoc among them ; the bees of course then
work on the bruised ones but never otherwise.

114

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Gleanings in Bee Culture,

PubliNliod IHonllily,

-A-- I. ROOT Sc CO.,
EDITORS AND P R OPRIETORS

MEDINA, OHIO.

Terms : 75c. Per Annum.

For Club Rates see Last Rage.

ZMHEHDI3XT .A., OCT. 1, 1874.

The Bee World for Aug., was laid on our table on
the Stli of Sept., but neither the A. B. J.. nor B. K. Af.,
were received until the loth.

lr N. < '. Mitchell has made good his promises oflast
spring in even a single instance we should be glad to
publish it. Was not his pretended reformation only a
pretense to get more victims?

Fourteen No’s for 75c. All subscriptions rec'd
between now and Jan. 1st, will be credited until Jan.
1870. As we wish to be equally liberal with our old
subscribers, to all who rene w ’before Jan. 1st, we will
send a- a— not. a horse and wagon because they
wouldn’t go into the post office, so we'll say a penny
whistle or well, you’ll know what when it conics.

Lots of trouble with the cider mill. To-day, Sept.
25th, the owner of the mill is laying idle at our ex-
pense. Even dampened sugar wont call the bees
away now, and we don’t know whether the trouble is
that we have got so many more, or that the “Imported
grand children” have a special fancy for sweet apple
juice. We fear bees and cider mills arc unsuited to be
neighbors, at any rate ’tis rather an expensive joke on
us now. We have offered to enclose the mill, and to
furnish wft*e cloth doors and windows, but our neigh-
bor don’t relish being shut up and wont listen to it.

Sept. 25<h— Sunshine once more, already. After a
visit to the scene of war (cider mill) this morning
about sunrise. P. G. quletlv suggested cloth curtains
as a remedy for the troubles that a dozen men had
puzzled over in vain, and about which two had almost
quarrelled. Some strips of pine, a few nails, 82.50
worth of sheeting 2% y’ds wide, and two willing
hearts and hands, (Novice and the cider man) comple-
ted the whole in a couple of hours ; the relief we feel
in seeing the bees completely baffled and obliged to
return to their legitimate duties also allowing the
eider man to return to his, is more than we can tell.

Several have written us in regard to making
< Cleanings larger with price to correspond, while
thanking them we would sav, that in order to do so
we must have a considerable larger number of sub-
scribers, and as we have full confidence in the judg-
ment and good sense of our American people we have
,felt sure they will give us the necessary support as
soon as we ’deserve it. In this age of the world real
worth is sure to be appreciated sooner or later. Rest
assured that when the world seemingly neglects to
appreciate you, it is pretty certain to lie the case that
there is nothing to appreciate, and that the fault is
your own, and not. theirs. Is not Gleanings as it is
how, about large enough to contain all that is really
new and valuable? Our friends may not all be aware
that with the close small type used in Gleanings of
late, it actually contains more matters bv measure
than either the ' Bee-Keepers' s Magazine or Bee World ,
and nearly if not quite as much as the American Bee
Journal. ’The contents are also almost if not entirely
original , and even if not always chosen with the hap-
piest faculty of pleasing every body, we have so far
been cheered in our labors with quite a comfortable
amount of patronage. When we succeed in deserving
a better one we feel sure we’ll get it. Don’t you kind
reader ?

We have at a considerable expense of time and
money, had a Lithograph made of the Hexagonal
Apiary. Of its merits we will say nothing, preferring
that it shall speak for itself.

Our Photo’ was very well so far as Photography
is capable of doing, but the amount, of foliage threw
so many shadows, as may have been observed, that a

full representation was impossible. In the new picture
we tear our Artist has gone to the other extreme ami
cut down the vines so much that they hardly do jus.
jlee; however, as he has given us a 12x16 picture- we
have ample room for delineating all the particulars;

> e T f • Ts 2* Walks, Feeding room, Fountain, Standi
ard Hi ve, Standard Extractor, inside and outside view
p* the latter etc. etc., besides a full complete view ot
the AV ind-mill. Instead of giving an exact represent-
ation of our own Apiary we have thought best to give
it as we would have one were wc to lay out one anew,
and wc trust; our efforts will meet with at least a
tolerable show of approval. The picture will be se-
curely put up on a roller and mailed for 30c.

Or sent with Gleanings for $1.00

!! \? a ”y subscriber sending one name beside his own.

,* “ “ “ “ for either of the previous

volumes.

Vol’s 1, 2 and 3, including Lithograph, ordered at one-
time $ 2.00

The pictures are now ready for mailing. We have
purposely omitted making any mention of them until
they were all ready for mailing to avoid disappoint-
ment.

~S o’ive v’T • « i7r m rv

f \ T the stores where I sell honey they put the
bottles on the shelves and they are not noticed,
““j Would not a good show hill with Pure Kxtracl-
cd l-Ioney for Sale, printed on it he a good thing ?

J. WiNviKi.n, Hubbard, O. Aug. 1st, 1874.

Such a card might be a good thing-, but our
stores and shops are so tilled up with adver-
tisements that people nowadays have a fash-
ion of not reading any of them. This we have
tested by experiment. If you can get a neat
small glass case to be set on the counter, con-
taining a sample of each of the different jars,
also one jar containing a nice piece of comb
honey it will attract attention quickly, and
will be recognized at once by every one. This
also helps the sale of the ext’d honey, for if
customers are informed the jar containing one
ib. comb honey and two lbs. ext’d is worth one
dollar, while the three lb. yar of the latter is
only 75c, they can soon reason out the real
state of affairs. Should the dollar jars gooff
fastest, you can buy box honey of your neigh-
bors and keep up the trade.

From the Daily Times of Binghampton, N. Y.
of Sept. 1st, we gather that Broome Co., can
boast of quite a number of successful Scientific
Bee Farmers. Their uniform succes in getting
large yields of box honey, shpws that they
either are experts in the business or that their
locality is extraordinary ; possibly both.

Mr. J. P. Moore’s yield is mentioned in an-
other place. Mr. L. Beard from 22 stocks in
the spring, has over one ton of box honey ; bis
best colony gave about 100 lbs. Mr. J. L. Scho-
field has 31 stands that will average 91 lbs. of
box honey each; one stock giving over 225.
Mr. P. J). Winn, of Port Crane, has ten stocks
that will average 100 lbs. per colony ; best, gave
180 lbs. The most successful yields were from
hives in which the honey was stored in framer
instead of boxes. The honey is sold in N. 5 .
City at an average of from 25 to 30c per lb.
These arc all men who take Bee Journals.

FRIEND NOVICE:— 1 almost think I am entitled t»
a place In tlic column of “Blasted hopes” this tall.
From the condition my bees were In last spring. I
expected 3 or four tons of box honey, but alas! man
merely proposes. Owing to the loss of nearly nil the
clover by winter killing, and drouth now, I shall have
to content myself by reporting 3000 lbs.

’Tis true, the breeding apartments are full of honey,
and 1 might extract from 40 to fiO lbs. or even more,
from each of them, and thus send inn much more
favorable report, but the fact Is, the good people oi

1874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

115

this section don’t like extracted honey, and my bees
don’t like syrup too well; so I guess i will leave the
honey where it is until spring. I will then extract
enough to keep it from interfering with breeding.

James Bolin, West Lodi, O.

L— wrote Grimm and has just rec’d a letter from

that gentleman stating that he has 1*2000 lbs. ext'd and
8000 lbs. comb. M. II. Tweed, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Have taken lbs. of honev.

.1. F. Montgomery, Lincoln, 'Tenn. Aug. 26th, 1874.
Short and sweet friend M. but you don’t tell
how many bees produced it.

^ [For Gleanings.]

ABOUT HONEY.

-jjmlUKXD NOVICE ; -Wc have heard many com-
5 N J plaints made about extracted honey put up in
— v common glass jars, with corks or metal tops.
Even “Novice’’ says in the last Gleanings, that
honey which he put up last year, oozed out of the
tops of the jars or candied during the winter. We
once experienced the same difficulty but have since
learned how to take care of honey better and now
have no such trouble. The plan of extracting honev
as soon as gathered, straining it from the machine
into the barrel, and drawing it off at once into jars,
lias caused much of this trouble.

Before commencing to extract, a portion of the
honey in each frame should he sealed. This may be
taken as an indication that the whole of that yield
is evaporated and ripened sufficiently to he taken
from tnc hive. After extracting, strain it or not as
you like; it makes no difference in the end. Just
draw it off into buckets holding from three to live
gallons each, and allow it to stand about two weeks,
skimming it every day or two. Unless there is old
honey candied in the combs, and thus mixed with
the new in extracting, there will be no sediment.
The skimmings will remove everything else, inclu-
ding what it is important to have removed, namely
t he little frothy substance which rises on the honey
and which seems to be the cause of the fermenting
and oozing out at the top of the jar.

Evaporation takes place while the honev remains
in the buckets which leaves it still thicker to bottle.
Honey treated in this way will be of good consistency,
clear, of better flavor than if put up without being
allowed to stand and have the scum removed, and it
will he wholly free from the tendency to ferment and
ooze out, while it remains liquid much longer than if
put up in the ordinary manner.

A visit to the Apiary of a friend in Nashville, Tenn.,
reveals the result of the same plan, only carried a
little farther. This progressive amateur bee culturist
has some very line samples of honey which lie put up
over three years ago, and which is now liquid and as
clear as when put up. As he is too modest to state
his method through tlie Bee Journals we think of
making it known in some future article.

Frank Benton, Edgefield Junction, Tenn.

FLYING BEES UNDER GLASS DURING
THE WINTER.

d®)Y reference to Problem No. 8, (April 1878)
ffnil No. 19, (Jan. ’74) it will be seen we
have been much interested in the feasibility of
taking advantage of the natural heat of the
8u n, by cutting off the cold winds with glass
sashes, as gardeners do in caring for choice
plants and early vegetables. The only doubt
that beset us was that it seemed somewhat
improbable, from what we knew of the habits
of bees, that they would go back safely to
their hives instead of flying against the glass
as they do in our dwellings. Our experiment
mentioned on page 22 Jan. No., rather discour-
aged us, but we have no south windows,
therefore could not give the bees the full rays
o( the sun. Friend Palmer, of Hart, Mich.,
succeeded better, and he sent us in May, a pos-
tal card that we really believe has been more
valued than all other documents rec’d on win-
tering troubles. It would have appeared at

the proper time but P. G. urged us to “go slow”
this time, and if possible test the* matter our-
selves before going into print with it. As
natural pollen has been coining in ever since
its reception no such experiment has been
made. This is the precious document :

I have had a swarm in a cold frame. Size of sash
2 >4x4 feet, frame 3 feet high in front and 4 feet high
at back or north end. Placed the hive close to the
hack end, facing south, with a dish of rye flour on top.
They worked on the flour and went back in the hive
all right. Henry Balmicr, Hart, Mich., May, 5th, 1874.

In the reports given of Mich. Bee-keeper’s
Convention, May 6th, ’74, brief allusion was
made to a paper from H. E. Bidwcll detailing
something new in regard to wintering, but
either the matter was regarded as unimportant,
or for some other reason, nothing intelligible
was made public in regard to it until the Bee-
Keeper's Magazine gave the whole paper in their
Sept. No. While thanking them for bringing
forward a paper of such apparently great val-
ue, we cannot sec why it was so delayed. If
it is perfectly authentic, all of the various pa-
pers on ventilation, diet, bcehouses etc., have
been misdirected zeal. Again, in all that is
to be seen on the subject, Mr. Bid well’s post
office address is carefully suppressed. Is this
characteristic of we Americans and our insti-
tutions? If Mr. B. will himself state to the
public that he prefers to answer no questions
in regard to the matter, ’tis our impression that
none of the readers of any of our Bee Journals
would be so impolite as to intrude on him.
We extract from the B. K. J/., the most impor-
tant part of the paper as follows :

“Having bought some bees last winter, which we
were anxious to fly before putting them in the cellar,
and having near at hand some empty hot-beds— which
had been dug out in the fall for the purpose of filling
early in the spring— we thought perhaps a swarm
might fly in one ; something risked, something gain-
ed ; so we put one in. The beds were roomy, 6x12 feet,
so that four sash 3x6 feet would cover them. The
depth was about three feet, with a slope to the glass
of one foot. In about twenty minutes alter putting on
the sash— it being mid-day, with a clear sky— the tem-
perature arose within to 70°, and the bees commenced
flying briskly and voiding freely. At night we found
every bee had returned to the hive. ■

The next day being clear, we put in two more; the
next four; and the next eight. These all returned so
well to their respective hives, that we next put in
eight, more, two deep. Being so well satisfied with
the result, and having six of these large hot-beds dug
out. we flew 111 stocks, as occasion required until
spring.

Tlie only caution I would suggest would be not to
fly them too often, which can.be readily prevented by
covering the sash with boards.

Occasionally the bees will alight on the hives or
collect on the glass, if tlie atmosphere gets hot and
close within ; they can easily be dispersed by sprink-
ling straw on the glass to shade the bees and cool oil’
the bed. A similar occurrence frequently happens
out of doors, on a warm, close day, after the bees have
been confined some time in their hives; they alight
on everything, and remain until cold or hunger re-
minds them of their home.

The advantages accruing to this method of winter-
ing bees are you can safely fly them at your pleas-
ure; none are lost in the chilly winds or snow, or on
the cold ground, which increases their value in our
estimation two-fold.”

From this brief paper we found it impossible
to gather : First, whether the sun was the sole
source of heat and these were only “cold pits”
or “cold frames” as they are variously termed,
or whether it was a veritable “hot bed.” Sec-
ondly, did tlie bees remain in the pits or were
they only lugged in occasionally from some
where else?

1T6

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

0('T

Thirdly, did they all come through to the
month of May in good condition? This last
item may be unimportant, and he like Gallup
and Adair may think it trivial and beneath him
to count his hives and allow his pupils to make
an estimate of the per cent that was probably
saved, and thus decide whether they can afford
to build Conservatories for bees alone.

Our readers can rest assured that we shall
give the matter a careful test and report from
month to month. If it enables us to feed meal
in the spring without the usual loss by cold
winds etc., we shall think it of much more mo-
ment than simply getting them through the
winter.

FOU.GN.

ITS RELATION TO BROOIWIEARINC.

-j-rlUENI) NOVICE A s you put me iu “Wasted
g] -1 hopes’’ department, in the July No., I must sup-
— A element it by sending you “Reports Encoura-
ging.’'

From my six puny swarms I have increased to ‘25,
all strong. I could nave possibly made 30 but 1 am
learning to move slowly. Our main yield ol' honey
came from basswood and buckwheat, “Linden Ave-
nue” had a few blossoms this season. Besides our
increase I have taken almost 250 lbs. of honey. A bee
house was to have been built and several other things
purchased for the apiary, but 230 lbs. of honey wont
make both ends meet and we must wait another year.
It is said, and truly, that “adversity enables us to
wear out all of our old clothes.” So, it will make us
figure close in the apiary. Our cellar is being put in
prime order for wintering now. We shall try natural
stores and we are going to keep an eye on friend Bo-
lin, meantime thanking him for the instructive article
on page 105. Mr B. is evidently ready to forestall his
“Waterloo” and to such a person it will never come,
we trust.

Now Mr. Novice we wish to consult a little iu rela-
tion to pollen. Will it do to keep the Queen breeding
until late in the season ? In nearly all our colonics in
seasons past, the Queen generally ceases to lay
almost entirely in Sept, or Oct. Now if we force
brood-rearing at this season much pollen is UBed that
would be of use in the spring, the old bees will live
until spring. If the pollen is preserved, a quantity of
of brood will be capped over quite early, and by the
time the old bees die off an army of young ones will
lie ready to take their places; furthermore may not
the forced laying produce unprolillcnees in the Queen
during the next season?

These thoughts present themselves as we perambu-
late our apiary; we would like to hear from others on
the subject. It was very evident that bees hatched
late in the fall of ’73 died as rapidly in the spring of
’74 as the old bees. J. H. Maktin, Hartford, N. Y.

Linden Avenue Apiary. Sept. 3rd, 1874.

You may be right friend M., in thinking late
brood-rearing may deprive a colony of the pol-
len needed in the spring, but we are inclined
to think otherwise.

We have made a greater number of artificial
colonies this season than ever before, and in
carefully watching the process of building up,
we were surprised to find that an artificial
colony, started with two frames of hatching
brood and bees would iu about ten days, or as
soon as the Queens began to lay, gather more
pollen than any old colony in the Apiary.
This has been the case invariably, and even
now Sept. 11th, we find our late nuclei “spark-
liug” with heavily pollen laden bees passing in
at the entrance, while our strong heavy colo-
nies seem bringing scarcely any pollen at all.
What is the reason ? they can certainly find it
as well as the others, if they thought it was
needed. An examination shows that these old
Queens have quite a tendency to cease laying.
Is not some stimulus or excitement needed to
stir them up? Natural swarms are frequently

mentioned as working with greater energy,
gathering stores when old colonies were al
most idle ; now this is precisely the case with
our artificial colonies, in fact they even com-
mence comb building out of season, if a space
can be found in which to do it..

While we were rearing Queens last fall in
the upper stories, these Queen colonies brought
in pollen, while the old colonios below, appar-
ently did nothing ; had we fed them during
Aug. and Sept., as we have done this season,
perhaps they might have gathered pollen too.
Is there not pollen to be had almost always
during warm weather if they can only be in-
duced to gather it ? We have noted precisely
the state of affairs you mention, viz : an ab-
sence of sealed brood or larva;, but plenty of
eggs during weather in the spring in which no
pollen could be gathered ; we also succeeded
perfectly (see page 48 Yol. 1.) in getting larva
by giving pollen gathered the year before
found stored in an occasional surplus comb.
These combs were kept iu the barn over win-
ter. If put in a cold room we have no doubt
but that pollen can be kept over safely ; we
should fear however keeping it away from the
bees iu very warm weather. If covered with
honey and sealed over, ’twould probably be
safe, but if unsealed and damp it frequently
moulds. We succeeded in getting them to
work on rye to some extent last season in Oct.,
see page 87, Vol. 1. We do not think the
Queen’s fertility in spring will be in any
way impaired by keeping her busy during
Sept, and Oct. in localities where buckwheat
swarms and fall pasturage are common in the
fall, we cannot find that the old Queens are in
spring any less prolific than in other localities.
Again, is absence of brood in the spring the
fault of the Queen, or the fault of the bees in
not using the eggs laid? We think the latter,
for we have rarely found a Queen unable to
lay as many eggs in March and April as could
be cared for.

PROBLEM NO. 25.

bYf O VICK : Will you please tell me what it costs a
Pel comb to feed bees to build them ? Will it pay
“i I to feed sugar to build combs when you can buy
combs at 25c each ? Mas. L. II ahuison, Peoria, 111.

My bees were in good condition when the honey
harvest came, and I intended to take a nice quantity
of honey but when it was too late I found 1 had no
place for them to store it in, so I have to put up with
what box honey I can get, but I shall have mon-
combs another year. I had extra combs for two hives
and have taken <>03 lUs. from them already and think
I will get a 100 more. Lewis Kelley, Smyrnla, Mich.

We wrote Mrs. H. that we though it might
cost about 50c eacli to get combs built by fee-
ding, which would make it cheapest to pur-
chase, but in that case we generally have the
trouble of transferring. An accurate solution
of this problem is attended witli no little diffi-
culty, for whenever comb is built to advantage
we have brood-rearing and the syrup will be
stored in the comb more or less also. Besides,
if the bens are gathering nothing at all, they
decrease in weight a little every day, accord-
ingly enough for their support must be
taken into consideration. Who can report an
experiment that will give us approximately,
the expense per square foot of comb built by
bees fed on sugar?

1874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

117

Jlci a cl* of C2 i*aln , ;

PROM DIFFERENT FIELDS^

•>pj]{lKNl> NOVICE:— You ask me if I like the two
story hive best? I have not tried the New Idea
3i yet, but thought that I would next season. I
hardly think for my locality the long hive is as good
' as the two story ; I shall give them a fair trial next
year, but think they would only do for summer. I
can't see how they would be any improvement on the
simplicity for spring or winter. I have had splendid
luck with 81.00 Queens, got one of J. II. 1’. Brown, one
of Ilosmer, two of J. Shaw & Son, and all pure; all
came safely by mail. Those from Shaw & Son were
packed best oi any Queens that I ever got.

Bees have been doing very well here for the last two
weeks, Buckwheat is in full blossom now and my
hives arc getting so strong that I think 1 shall have
to divide them more. There have been 3 swarms of
Italians in the neighborhood in the last few days.

1 had 9 swarms of black bees and 3 of Italians in the
spring, about as many bees in them as there would be
in i good hives, had to feed them until the 10th of
May to keep them alive; have now ‘20 good ones from
them; all Italianized and got 48G lbs. honey which I
have sold for 25o per lb. Had an order last week for
4 doz. quart jars for Pittsburgh. Sold most of it in
Muth's quart flint glass jars, could sell live times the
amount of such honey if I had it. Had two hives giv-
en me yesterday, the man who had them said they
would die with him and if I would take them home I
might have them. Had to haul them 15 miles over
baa roads, broke down the combs some but the bees
were all right ; have two good Italian Queens to put
in them now and they will make two more for me
next spring (if they don't die).

E. W. Hale, Wirt C. H. West Va. Sept. 4tli, 1874.

There now we’ve “ketched it.” Our Extract-
ors have been so universally praised on all
sides, that we began to think our head was
clear on one point any way, and that we knew
how to make an Extractor properly if we didn’t
know anything else. Therefore imagine our
consternation on unfolding the following:

MESSRS A. I. ROOT & CO.. Gents:— I busted up
my extractor on lirst trial. The shaft broke oil' just
below the wings while in full motion and the racket
that ensued caused a rapid getting away of the curious
spectators who had congregated to see the thing work.
Of course I had to carry back my frames, much to my
chagrin but to the evident delight of the bees, for
they gathered rapidly upon the comb and sipped the
uncapped honey >vit.h great gusto. Those who had
come to witness the operation, with one accord pro-
nounced it a failure. I was forced to admit that there
had been deception or carelessness in the making of the
machine, yet 1 insisted that the principle was correct
and that honey had been and could be extracted from
combs by machines of this kind. But I could not dem-
onstratc it. The machine was quiet enough now.
Ihe spectators, one by one, had returned, the boldest
lirst, the timid later; the poor machine was limp and
powerless, with its “in’ards” jumbled up like it had
bad a severe exercise with the cramp colic. I tender-
ly gathered it up and bent my way to the tinners, fol-
lowed by the jeers of my valiant friends.

Wm. C. Gkier, Lamar, Mo. Sept. 12th, 1874.

tinners flxed it up and nothing could
work better. It is just fun to throw out the honey (it
cost me two dollars). My friends still pronounce it a
DUinmig because I can’t get them to look again to see
-vork. I suppose they are afraid of another “bust

We dropped friend G. a postal “instanter”
telling him to make out a bill for all his troub-
le and chagrin, besides the tinner’s charges aud
we would remit at once ; we tell the rest of
(> y r readers the same, if they have had any
trouble through our carelessness. We have
unproved and strengthened our machines in
several ways since that one was made, and
invite reports in regard to their working, for
Jt is only by experience that we can tell where
o improve them without adding materially to
their weight.

In two story hives, does the Queen occupy onlv one ?
Do the top bars of the lower story, the bottom bars of
the upper and the space between prevent brood-rear-
ing in both stories? That is. if room is given, will
the Queen pass these bars and occupy both stories the
same as if no bars were there ?

Petek Mover, SharpsvUle, Pa. Sept. 15th, 1874.

The Queen generally gets up into the upper
story after a while, and eventually we often
get the bees, brood and all above. We suppose
it is because the warm air from the cluster
rises until it is confined by the roof. This fact
we consider the greatest objection to two story
hives viz : the lower combs get cold and are
apt to be deserted late in the season. The ad-
vantage of shallow frames (where they are
covered closely) for rapid brood - rearing in
spring, is probably owing to this same fact.
We always expect in using a two story hive,
that the Queen will use both stories.

MESSRS NOVICE & Co. I am in a quandary , will
you please lend a helping hand? Here is my condi-
tion ; a short time since I ree’d from Mr. II. Alley, a
nice Queen, I got ner safely into a very strong colony
of hybrids, have fed freely since her introduction, oil
syrup ; she is now laying. In this climate I have plen-
ty oi time to raise Queens from her, but there is not
a single drone or any drone drood in any of my hives,
or within live miles of me that I am aware of. Forage
failed long since, and all drones were at once disposed
oi. How shall 1 proceed? Shall I trv first to rear
some drones to lcrtillze Queens this fall? or shall I
rear one or two Queens, let them remain unfertilized
and try to keep them over winter in a strong colony
to he used as drone layers early next spring, id esl, if
they should lay at all. A dozen or more laying work-
ers, (so some say), are found in one hive at same time,
would two or three drone laying Queens live upon
equally peaceable terms in the same hive ? Mrs. Tup-
per I think reports one case at least, where a Queen,
reared very late in the fall, when there were no
drones, was impregnated the following spring. We
are told, that alter a Queen attains a certain age with-
out being Impregnated, she cannot be iertilized. This
may be true in relation to Queens hatched in the prop-
er season. Gen'l Adair tells us that workers hatched
late ill fall, remain in the adolescent state until next
spring, that is, capable of performing all the work
proper to young bees for a much longer lipic than if
they had been hatched during the working season.
Might not the same thing be true of young Queens,
hatched very late in fall i Remaining iii Gen’l Adair’s
adolescent or immature state through the winter and
still being capable of impregnation on the return of
spring. J. II. W 1 1 . so.\- Sen’r, Lexington, Texas.

If Mrs. Tupper made the statement you men-
tion, we presume she thought such was tin-
ease, but a great number of experiments seem
to indicate it an impossibility. Does not
Adair’s remark like a great part of his writing
seem to imply that he is more familiar with
long words than with the interior of bee hives?
Your only hope is to rear drones by liberal
feeding which you should be able to do any
month in the year there, for we can rear them
here in Oct. When you get sealed drone brood,
raise a new lot of Queens. If a Queen is not
laying at one month old, you are safe in con-
sidering her of no value. Even if rare instan-
ces do show certain tilings possible, ’tis very
unwise to calculate on a recurrence of such
improbabilities.

While two young Queens are occasionally
known to have existed for a time in the same
hive, on the other hand ’tis almost a daily oc-
currence (at tlie proper season) in large Apia-
ries to have the first hatched kill all the rest.
Even in our lamp nursery when they are
without bees, they invariably kill each other,
unless quickly caged.

If your bees have not already food for win-
ter, even "Teakettles" may not save you now.

118

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Oct.

A. I. ROOT Co. Sirs— I sent for n Sii.Olf Queen and
rac'd her about throe weeks ago. I introduced her as
vou introduced your imported Queen, but she got out
although 1 secured the front with wire cloth, as I
thought perfectly. I sent for another Queen and in
the meantime placed the hive witli hatching brood
on the. stand of an old stock. I rcc’d the latter Queen
on Monday last and placed her in a wire cage between
the frames immediately ; 48 hours later I released her
and watched her with the other bees, when one bee
palled her by the wings I took her away and caged
her again. Tills morning about 10 o’clock 1 opened
the hive, smoked the bees and sprinkled with sweet-
ened peppermint water. I released her and watched
the bees on the combs for some minutes. They per-
sist in building Queen cells but 1 have repeatedly cut
them out; now. 1 o’clock, I have just been out to look
at them. I left the sheet spread out in front to see if
they killed the Queen. When watching the bees with
the’ Queen this morning 1 perceived no hostility and
left them. 1 looked at them repeatedly but now at
1 o'clock, on examining the bees carried out i find
her dead.

Hus. Mont. AN, Elyria, O. Sept. 4tli, 1874.

We get altogether too many reports like the
above. Although it seems our friend did all
that could be done with the latter Queen, site
certainly deserves some censure for letting the
former get away. Until bees enough have
hatched to gather around the Queen and make
her contented to remain with them, say 24
hours or less, they should be carefully fastened
in. No need of wire cloth for this, as they
need no provision for ventilation, but the hive
may be made tight by crowding cloth or paper
into the entrance. Any decent hive can be
made perfectly secure in this way with but
little trouble, and if the young bees have never
seen any other Queen they will always accept
the one furnished. It seems to us this method
is always a perfectly safe one. We have al-
ways had much trouble in introducing Queens
late in the fall by the caging process; they
will sometimes destroy them after they have
been laying a week or more, therefore, keep all
old bees away from a valuable Queen if she is
rec’d late in the season.

On the 10th of July my two last natural swarms
came out anil lit on an apple tree within three feet of
each oilier in a ilifllcult position tojilve. I finally got
them hlveil all right anil separated, but must have got
the two Queens In one hive, for In four or five minutes
alter hiving, bees left one hive and went all together.
1 opened them the last (lav of Aug. and found them
full of beautiful combs and full of honey, and knowing
It would lie to their interest I extracted two gallons of
nice thick honey from them. This may not seem very
large to vou but it is so much better than I ever ex-
perienced in the swarming line I had to tell it. 1 have
had blank swarms come the middle of July and not
half fill their hive.

YVm. Paynk, Spencer, Medina Co. O.
This report is encouraging for the Italians,
as the month of August here, is almost with-
out exception, not a honey month.

Will a Queen reared from a pure bred purely fertil-
ized Italian Queen mother produce any entireiylblack
bees ? I have reared Queens for ten years and never
had a Queen that was reared from a pure mother of
my selection, to produce any black bees whether ma-
ted witli an Italian or common drone.

J. A. Buchanan, Wintersvllle, O.

Our experience is about the same. Our first
Queen from Mr. Langstroth stocked our Api-
ary with Queens that produced two or three
banded bees, but no black ones. In selecting
one of these daughters to breed from the next
season, we had colonies producing some bees
all black, and the whole of them so cross that
they they positively were enough to “make a

preacher "ahem, get out of patience. Since

then we have had more or less of the cross

black bees every season until we reared from
our Argo Queen ; her daughters produced no
black bees so far as we know, and our present
Imported Queen's have produced none. Hence
the position we have taken for years, that so
far as honey was concerned, if we could only
be sure of having all Queens reared from one
of known purity it matters little what drones
they meet. The following is just to the point.
Probably any one of us would be satisfied
with the yields of comb honey mentioned :

I have taken ofl'all my box honey now and have in
the neighborhood of 18(io lbs. of box honey and 500 lbs.
of extracted, from ‘22 colonies in spring. My best hive
gave me about 200 lbs. comb honey, and two or three
others gave me loo lbs. and upwards; I had other
stocks that gave me hut very little box honey, they
were the light colored, very handsome, very gentle,
very pure Italians. We find that a little dash of black
blood is a great Improvement in box honey workers,
hut we don’t want enough black blood to prevent
striding all the workers. When we get a light color-
ed pure Queen, mated with a drone lrom an impure
stock, it shows in the Increased activity of the stock,
and when we raise Queens from that stock, we get
just about the color we want. Our plan now is to
breed from the most industrious stocks both Queens
and drones and no others.

J. 1*. Mooke, Blnghampton, N. Y.

Yesterday I transferred a lot of grubs from cells
started ia li hive containing old black comb, to some
cells I found started on new comb, and gave some to
Queenless nuclei. To-day I find them all right and
much lengthened out and well supplied with royal
jelly. Some of the larva; were pretty good size, some
just visible. J- A. Buchanan.

Did you ever! Front this, it seems that all
we have to do when we want a Queen, is to
hunt up some old Queen-cells, put a small lar-
va; from our choice stock into each, and simply
put them into Queenless colonies. Can’t some
one whittle out wooden Queen cells, — like
wooden nutmegs — and thus save the bees the
labor of building them '!

Davis’ Transition Process really amounts to
more than even we had anticipated. Both
cells (mentioned last month) to which we
transferred larva;, have produced line
Queens. If there are to be no failures ’twill be
a novelty in Apiculture.

Friend B. sent us oOc for an unfertile Queen.
As we had finished for the season, proposing
to bend all our energies to the work of winter-
ing those we had, we had no choice but to go
to work and raise him one; this we did simply
as follows: We put an empty comb in the
centre of our imported stock and left it four
days, then it was put in a Queenless colony
that was waiting until wo could get a laying
Queen for them, and left three days at which
time the Queen destined for them had com-
menced laying. Now as it was late in the sea-
son, they must have the Queen at once, and yet
We did not want the Queen cells (of which
there were 7 in an unsealed compact cluster)
destroyed. To accomplish both, we moved
the cluster, with the cells, to the north side ol
the hive and placed the laying Queen with two
of her own combs with brood bees and all on
the soutli side, idling between the two with
empty combs. As we expected, the Queen
cells were all properly sealed in three nun®
days— 10 days in all from the egg— and as we
had no farther need of bees, the comb wlthou
bees was taken to the lamp nursery. Obf® ' ‘
that we only kept a colony Queenless
days to get this lot of Queen cells. After s •

' days more, 16 from the first eggs, two tine

1874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

119

hatched at once and one killed the other. We
examined them hastily, morning noon and
night; the survivor — when we could catch her
—was put in a cage with a few just hatched bees
from another hive, and mailed as above. On
receiving her he wrote as follows:

Since writing the above I have rac’d the Queen. 1
must snv I have never before seen so neat anil conve-
nient a shipping box ns the one you use; bees ami
Q„een clean anti lively. The Queen looks to be fer-
tile; was she before mailed? She was Introduced
safely immediately.

The other live Queens were equally strong
and finely colored, — none of the small black
ones — and royal jelly was left in each cell.
The temperature was kept the whole six days
at from !)0<> to 10()«, in fact “P. G.” declared
they would all be baked, but they were not.
The workers of course did not hatch until four
or live days more, so we had nothing but
Queens in our nursery, unless for sooth the
moth worms be counted that hatched and
flourished with provoking vigor. We think
100 - about the right temperature.

By permission of D. Lyons Browne, of India-
napolis, we give the following extract from a
letter rec’d by him.

1 have been engaged in a number of industrial pur-
suits for 40 years and I must say to you frankly, that
bee-keeping is my favorite both for pleasure and profit.

I am now running 1200 acres of good land. Broad
acres of waving grain and grass, herds of cattle, sheep
and horses, are a source of pleasure, but nothing in
comparison to the apiary. To hear their busy bum
and behold their economy and industry, smell their
sweet perfume and share with them the proceeds ol
their and our industry is a pleasure to me beyond des-
cription.

1 have realized over $10,000 in sales ol bees and hon-
ey; more than in any other business in proportion to
the capital invested. Last year I averaged $81.00 per
colony. I do not expect to reach that amount tills
year as I did not give the attention required to pro-
duce such results.

Setii IIoagland, Mercer, Pa. July lltli, 18i4.
If the number of colonies that produced this
average was considerable, it certainly was a
great result ; too great for us novices to as-
pire to for years to come.

My cellar ranges from 34 to 40°— when above 40° the
bees arc restless. Until the past winter I have been
in the habit of opening a window on north side and
door on south (at night) and leaving open till the tem-
perature reaches 32" — would close this once a week.

1 think bees need pure air as much as humans. This
winter I think I will have a tube run from cellar to
stove pipe in room above, this will create a draught
and carry oil' the impure air. Where bees can be ta-
ken out and have a good fly — say in January and put
them back, they will then go to breeding and keep it
up. I know they will consume more lood but then
they will have *bees to make it up when the llowers
come. There was less hrood in my hives when I took
them out in March than there usually Is in January.
I did not know how to account for it, unless it was
that their supply of honev and pollen was less in
quantity. It makes them feel good to have say 10 or
SO His. of honey in the hive, and if you Intend to have
a big start by the 1st of June it will take about that
much to take them from Oct. 1st to June 1st. Ills
very easy to start a home market for extracted honey
by putting it up in an attractive form— say in jelly
glasses with a piece of comb in; such as C. O. Per-
due wholesales at $1.00 per doz. The glasses hold
about H lb. of honey. I told my grocery man to retail
at 25 cts.-thev go oil like "hot cakes”— 3 lb. fruit jar
$!.uo, and pay 10 per cent commission. Quart jars cost
$1.75 per doz., >: pint jelly glass, tin top $1.01) per doz.
Hie first 1 bought cost 75c, and were the neatest, but I
could get no more of them, they were sold too low,
bat to buy at the factory and a gross or two at a time
is tlie way to buy them. T. G. McGaw, Monmouth, ill.

Please let me know through Gleanings, if the
quilt in winter in the cellar should lay fiat and tight

on the frames? if not how should It be? Two of tin
quilts are all waxed over on the under side. Will
they do for wintering. ? C. Kendig, Naperville, 111.

We use the quilts flat on the frames the year
round. Waxing, or covering them with pro-
polis seems to do no harm only that 'tis more
trouble to remove them, when opening a hive.
Laying a strip across the frame under the
quilt to give the bees a passage has been rec-
ommended for winter, and friend McGaw of
Monmouth, 111., lays an empty frame under-
neath the quilt. We have made some similar
experiments but discovered no especial ad-
vantage.

Do von think bees can be taken from Detroit about
the 15th of Sept., with no honev and little comb in
hive, put on cars, fed and watched on route, carried
to some good locality about the range of Northern
Georgia and after that gather honey and bee bread
snfiicTent to keep them through the winter? Can you
from personal knowledge recommend some locality?

M. H. Clements, Belleville, Mich.
P. S.— Can yon give P. O. of some, bee-keepers in
that section ?

We have had considerable correspondence
on the subject and would particularly refer
you to M. S. Klum, Sherman, Grayson Co.,
Texas, and R. Wilkin, Oscaloosa, Iowa. Can-
didly, we fear it will not pay, still some exper-
iments might be advisable. Shipping bees is
as yet too risky a business to expect them to
be handled as they should be.

I)o you put anything into the syrup to keep it from
candying? Did yon know any trouble with that that
you say you arc now feeding to swarms you are buil-
ding up ? I mean those that yon have wintered, and
partly summered. Will honey sour if extracted before
being sealed ? if so how do those manage who ex-
tract once in three days? Can it be evaporated to
make it thick without injuring the flavor?

Joseph Sinton , Ithaca, N. V. Aug. 5tli.

Sugar and water only. The combs contain-
ing syrup fed last fall, even when used in Aug.
of the present season were approbated for
brood-rearing without waste. It is seldom
that honey is gathered thin enough to sour,
even if you do extract every third day. Should
you happen to get any that is too thin it can
be ripened into perfectly good honey by keep-
ing it several days in an oven or other warm
place. The flavor is unchanged unless it is
heated to the boiling point. As this artificial
ripening is a slow job, we think it most profita-
ble to let the bees do it. A very strong colony
will get the honey ripened and much of it ready
to seal in three days. The only sure wav of
telling when you should take the honey, is to
go over a few hives and see if the honey ob-
tained is ripe enough to suit you. Thick hon-
ey is heaviest and will eventually, if it does
not now, command the highest price in the
market.

Gleanings came to hand on the 3rd aud is full of
valuables. 1 notice you advise feeding sugar immedi-
ately for winter use. 1 intend to winter on sugar but
what shall i do? Nearly our best honey season is
coming vet. Goldeu rod and Iron weed are our best,
honev plants alter June. If the weather is favorable
will t have to lose the crop or can 1 wait two weeks
longer to feed ? If it should not be settled up until too
cold weather could I not take them in a warm room
to seal it? A. T. Wkipnek, Bigler, Pin

We certainly would not want to lose any
yield of honev that might come any time when
bees could gather it. We know of no plan ex-
cept the one given on page 108 last month viz :
make them store the late honey in empty combs
placed on both sides of the central combs con-

120

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

taining the brood and sealed stores, and empty
their temporary combs as fast as tilled, or ex-
tract all unsealed stores. We think we should
prefer sealed honey to unsealed syrup. One or
two wrote last winter saying their bees
were doing finely on unsealed stores notwith-
standing all that had been said against it.
Late in the spring one of the most sanguine of
them wrote as follows :

DEAR NOVICE My bees have all gone to the
<>— U— d— ilogs this winter; did not have one left
when the weather became tine enough for bees
to fly. So I have commenced afresh with 17 swarms
that i bought last week, all natives. Now Sir how
would it work to winter bees In this way, say have
both stories on with the bottom story empty, no flames
nor comb in it, have combs frames and bees in the top
story witii a straw honey hoard on the top, and sun
cap over that, and place them on the south side of an
s foot high tight hoard fence. I think of trying this
plan next winter if von are in favor of it. My experi-
mental swarm I spoke of last winter, in the room, did
not increase the least ; the young bees would not come
to perfection from some cause or other, and 1 could
not keep my store room in which I kept mv bees, cool
enough to keep them quiet, and through fooling about
with them lost them till.

M. UlCHAluisON, Port Colhorne, Canada.
The plan you mention friend M., hats been
tried, and gives no especial advantage. A
strong colony often winters well in this way,
as they do in ljives without bottom board at
all, but much more food is consumed.

It should be borne in mind that a very strong
colony can be safely fed, later than a weak one ;
if their hive is fall of bees they can evaporate
and seal up, but beware of giving a feeble col-
ony in a large hive a large amount of stores,
after the weather has become too cool for them
to ripen it. All such experiments, so far as
we can learn, as taking bees into a warm room
in the winter time have proved failures. What
will be accomplished by utilizing the heat of
the sun’s rays in winter time remains to be seen.

some writers claim to have Queens hatch In 9davs,

I never had one hatch in less than 10 days— unless it
was till' first lot I ever raised, and I have often thought
the mistake was mine. Never have seen one of the
Queens that only live two or three months. How
long will a fertile worker live ? G. M. Doolittle wrote
a number of years ago, that a pure Queen mating a
black drone would never show any black bees among
her worker progeny. 1 have had a good many Queens
that mated impurely whose worker progeny never
showed any black bees.

T. G. McGaw, Monmonth, 111

DEAIl NOVICE & Co.— Just now with us, it Is ills- I
trcssingly hot and dry, not a particle of liouev in the
fields, still the bees are Hying at a rapid rate. Do you
■uf what they are after? I answer water, water.

*d liters tell us, as well as our own experience, that
bees require water to prepare food for the grubs.
With me, breeding for the present is suspended, no
grubs to be provided lor, still the bees drink an Im-
mense deal of water, they require it for their own bod-
ies, they also furnish the Queen with a liberal amount.
My close daily observation this summer lias fully
satisfied my mind, that many, very many Queens sent
by mall and express, during Intensely ' hot weather,
tire lost while “in transitu” solelv lor the want of
water. I am not a Queen breeder, but an occasional
Queen buyer, and hence, feel an equal interest with
the breeder in safe transportation.

J. II. Wilson, Sen. Lexington, Texas.
If you allow your bees to be entirely without
brood hi Aug., we fear we shall have to con-
sider you a bad bee-keeper. Why don’t you
get ready for the yield that Is coming? Water
is a very good thing no doubt, but aiut it rath-
er “thin” for a regular diet? Joking aside
friend IV*., we presume you know your own
business best, but we have been so well pleased
with tlie plan of keeping things lively this

Oct-

season, with sugar, that, we don’t like to think
of their being idle during warm weather. Our
friend Dean who lias had such success in send-
ing Queens great distances, gives them nothing
hut honey in a sponge. A sponge filled with
water does not answer for long distances ; it
evaporates and the sponge is dry, while the
honey remains unchanged.

I went to Mr. Alley lust year and got an Italian
Queen, she lived till May tills year, then was missing.
Bees raised live Queen cells, the Queen they saved
was lost in bridal trip. Then I was plagueu with a
fertile worker and they actually made Queen cells on
"''one eggs. 1 gave them a black Queen and after she
bad laid a quantity of eggs, she disappeared and tlie\
raised another Queen which now reigns I suppose.
Now 1 have been plagued with that hive bevoud ac-
count, and if I had not kept it up with brood and bees
It would have gone up ere this time.

John Dawson, Pontiac, Mich.
We dare say you have had far more trouble
with tlie hive than if you had made an exam-
ination of it once in every week, or two weeks
even. Fertile workers never make their ap-
pearance in a well conducted apiary, and they
may almost be considered as only an evidence
of inexcusable carelessness. If a Queenless
hive has fresh eggs given every week or ten
days, they will never appear; they are only
seen when tlie colony lias no Queen, and no
means of raising one. With proper hives, tve
can remove a frame from tlie center of the
cluster and see if the Queen is all right, in five
minutes at least, and he who cannot take this
trouble whenever the deportment of the bees
outside seems to indicate a want of thrift, de-
serves to have trouble. We are well aware
friend D., that you are not tlie only one who
allows a hive to go, “weeks” without a Queeii,
but it is assuredly at a loss, for all that.

You say you suppose they, have a Queen now ,
we advise you to suppose nothing about it but
look and see, at once. •

Please tell me whether a stock will be any more
likely to accept a strange Queen after having been
Queenless for a time?

Ila Micukneu, Low Banks, Ontario, Canada.
We think as a general thing they will.
Should they however have been Queenless so
long as to induce fertile workers, the case
would be different. A steady yield of honey
lias more to do with a favorable reception than
any tiling else we know of. Regular, liberal
feeding until comb building has commenced,
we think comes next to it.

Can Queen bees be sent from Ohio to this place
through the mails? If so what would each Italian
Queen cost me here, and bow soon in the spring could
you furnish me with a small number? Bees begin
swarming here the latter part of Jfeb.

1). F. McFahland, San Diego, Cal. Sept 3d, 1874.
We thiuk our friend Dean, of River Styx,
will scud them without trouble, but it is diffi-
cult to furnish dollar Queens here before July.

Some one asked you the question— will It do to win-
ter in the tony hives? 1 believe you answerd, yes.
Shall w r c give t he bees the whole length ofliive, giving
them plenty of honey, pollen, and a lew empty combs
in middle? or shall we restrict them to a limited por-
tion of hive, giving ilium the balance of room In spring
as they may need It? J. II. Wilson, SEN.

We have had no experience in wintering in
the long hives, and are therefore unable to de-
cide. We should favor a division board, having
uniformly liad much better success at all times
of the year, when tlie hive was of such size
that tlie bee^j filled it completely.

DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO BEES .^AISTEt HONEY

voi. n.

NOVEMBER 1, 1874.

No. XI.

HOW TO CONDUCT AN APIARY.

No. 11.

\f?T is with considerable hesitation that we
2| undertake to advise at all as to what shall
be done in the Apiary this month. If any col-
onics are without food now, perhaps the only
tiling that can be done is to unite them until
they have sullicient. About the 20th, in this
locality is the proper time to put them in-doors.
Reports seem to indicate that nothing is very
well decided in regard to what the frames
shall be covered with. Some ventilation to
carry off the moisture seems many times abso-
lutely necessary, aud straw mats perhaps fur-
nish the proper amount better than anything
else. Quilts would probably come next if not
too much covered with propolis, and even then,
where they are not glued down too closely
around the edges they often do very well.
Many also seem to be quite successful in using
only the old fashioned honey boards. Lest the
bees might get damp perhaps they had better
be raised slightly iit the back end, say the
thickness of a C penny nail for instance. This
ventilates between all the combs more effectu-
ally than openings in the board. The need of
this ventilation is only during the coldest
weather.

Where bees can fly frequently, or after March
1st, in our locality, we would have the cover-
ing over the frames as tight as we could possi-
bly make it. Leaving an empty space beneath
the frames seems to give no positive advantage,
and for wintering the Simplicity hive perhaps
'tis as well to carry in bottom-board and all,
simply removing the doorstep. To avoid car-
rylng in a lot of dirt sticking to the bottom
boards ’twill be well to raise the hives up from
the ground on thin sticks after the flying sea-
son is about over, and before much wet weath-
er has set in. If the hives stand permanently
on a square frame of inch sticks, they will
always be ready to be lifted without carrying
rubbish along with them : we would not have
the hives more than one inch from the ground
in the working season.

The following is just at hand :

, Ji'oa’t want a “horse anil wagon” nor a “penny
oV. i but help. 1 have 13 stocks of bees In I, ang-
strom hives, one or two of which tire not strong, anil
i wish to unite them with others. Now what 1 wish
"‘you Is to inform me in plain terms how to do it
tl... a' "he oilier day I was examining a lilvc, the
~}®t frame taken out 1 laid near the hive and when I
nas done, put the frame back ill its place, with about
' hul of bees that i took to be robbers, and the
■ml !y°™*lg I found about that number dead on the

,, ■ ... 8 board; and I am afraid If I unite a large
Puintity they would be treated In the same wav.

John Ouikh, Baltimore, Md. Oct. 5th, 1871.

After cool weather has set in, simply kill the
poorest Queen if you have a choice, and then
lift bees comb and all, from one hive into the
other. If they are allowed quietly to remain
on their own combs, we believe they never
sting each other. Close up the hive and let
them “lix it" when they get ready. If you can-
not manage to get each colony on five' combs,
go to both the day before uniting and remove
all but five of the most desirable combs, pla-
cing the combs of one of them in the middle of
the hive. Next morning while it is vet quite
cool you will find all the bees on tlie combs
and they can be then carried to the other hive,
losing scarcely a bee. If the weather
is warm soon after this, some bees will go back ;
these will cluster on an empty comb if it is
given them, and can then be taken back at
night. After a few days cool enough to pre-
vent flying most of them will remain. Caging
Queens in cold weather is so risky that we
would not advise it even though a Queen be
killed occasionally in uniting. We would not
advise any one to purchase or attempt to in-
troduce Queens, in Oct. or Nov.

Most of our readers are probably aware that
a strong swarm will stand almost any degree
of cold for a short time with no apparent harm,
and that out-door wintering would on some
accounts be the most desirable, were we sure
of having a “warm spell” as often as once in
ten days or two weeks, to allow the bees to
exercise, and to bring a fresh supply of un-
sealed honey into the cluster. Bees seem to
find difficulty in going over to another part of
the hive among heavy sealed combs, during
zero weather. Quinby argues in view of this,
that unless bees can be housed in a warm
place, they had much better be left out, to take
the chauces of occasional sunshine; and also,
that unless we have as many as 50 in one room
we cannot expect it to keep above freezing.
Therefore, a wintering house, if it is to contain
less than 40 or 50 stocks, must have walls so
thick and warm that it would be like a cellar,
almost or quite frost proof if it contained no
bees; otherwise your repository is in danger
of being little better than an open shed on
the north side of a barn, in fact the very worst
place you can select. Covering hives with
straw, or corn stalks, just enough to exclude
the sun is about as objectionable. They are
partially shielded from the winds ’tis true, but
does this compensate for the loss of the sun-
shine '!

During the past winter a neighbor (A. A.
Rice, Seville, this Co.) gave his “a fly’’ four or
five times during the winter, aud the whole, 30

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov.

123

or 40, canir through in excellent condition.
Two reasons prev ail us from recommending
this course generally; one is, we seldom have
warm clays at intervals as we did the past
winter, and the other is that so much disturb-
ance in mid-winter with the chances in favor
of sudden and unexpected changes, would be
pretty certain to make mischief among novices,
to say nothing of the back breaking task of so
much incessant lugging hives about.

OUR PRIMARY DEPARTMENT,

Or First Principles in Bee-Keeping.

[Designed especially for the veriest novices, and
those who know nothing of bees whatever. Conduct-
ed by a fellow Novice of several years experience
replete with blunders, as well us’ with occasional
successes.]

WftSUALLY the first work in the Apiary
commences about April 1st in this locali-
ty. If the hives have been wintered in cellars,
or special repositories they are generally put
on their stands in March or April. The great
point in bee-keeping is to have an army of
workers ready for the blossoms when they
come out. To enable us understandingly to
go to work to secure this we shall have to con-
sider something of the Natural History of the j
bee. As we have before mentioned, the Queen
lays all the eggs. These eggs are deposited in j
the bottom of the cells to which she attaches
them by some glutinous matter so that they ,
Stick in the center of the bottom with consul- j
erable force ; she commences to deposit these
eggs about the first of Jan., and continues to
deposit more or less daily for at least the next
ten months of the year. It has of late been j
discovered that only a very small number of
the eggs ordinarily produce bees, more espec-
ially those laid in the winter and spring
months, although we believe every egg is ca-
llable of producing a perfect bee if it has prop-
er cafe from the working bees. Now when we
take into consideration that the yield of honey
that may lie obtained from a hive directly de-
pends on furnishing the proper conditions for
these eggs to hatch, we sec the importance of
being able to assist nature intelligently. Per-
haps the first essential is to give the. Queen a j
brood nest in the center of the hive at a uni-
form temperature of from 90 to 100 degrees;
in the present stage of our knowledge we know
of no other way to secure this with all other
requisite conditions than to have a large clus'-
ter of bees surrounding the Queen, and covering
the combs. The eggs when kept at the proper
temperature hatch out a tiny worm or larvae,
in just about three days. It is quite probable
that aside from temperature the bees have
some agency in making .these eggs hatch, for
they, from the time the egg is laid seem in-
cessantly busy “poking’’ their heads into the
cells containing the eggs ; be this as it may at
any rate so soon as the larva: breaks the shell,
it is kept profusely Supplied with a milky look- '
ingfood probably produced in the stomach of
the attendant or nurse bees. These larvte at j
first just visible to the naked eye now grow
with marvelous rapidity and at the end of
about (1 days more, they :i!most entirely fill the
cell, end are soon capped over forming what
we -hi i a led brood. The young bee now |

receives no further care, but after about 11
days more — 21 days from the egg — it gnaws
itself out of its cell a perfect bee and ready to
assist in some of tiie duties about the hive in
perhaps 34 hours alter.

This milky food administered to the larva;
lias of late become an interesting matter, for
unless the workers can supply it plentifully,
the eggs laid by the Queen seem to lie removed
by the workers almost as fast as laid, at least
they are gone and we find fresh oues in their
places every day, but no unsealed larvae is to
be seen in the cells until the workers can go
abroad and gather pollen from the flowers,
providing they have no supply kept over win-
ter in the comb. Some instances arc mention-
ed ’tis true in which a limited amount of brood
has been reared without pollen ; but so many
circumstances seem to indicate pollen as being
an absolute necessity for brisk brood rearing
that wc may consider it established we think,
and proceed at once to consider whether any
substitute may be profitably furnished in the
spring, before the blossoms yield a supply. It
was some time ago decided by analysis that
tiie composition of this pollen, or what is bet-
ter known perhaps to some of our readers as
“bee bread,” was quite similar to that of the
unbolted flour from our common grains, Oats
and Rye particularly, and that bees will carry
into their hives considerable quantities of this
in the spring is well known, heavy colonies
having been reported to have carried in 20 lbs.
or more each, in a season. W c are happy to say
that tliis substitute seems to answer every
purpose, and the heaviest crop of honey we
ever had was after having fed them most liber-
ally with the Rye and Oat meal in the spring.
To get them to take it Tis only necessary to
place it in some sunny place, as much out of
the wind as possible, in shallow frames or
boxes. If they don’t find it readily, get a few
bees at work on some bits of comb honey, and
then Jay them in the meal. If it Is before nat-
ural pollen lias come they will soon abandon
the honey, and commence a joyous hum over
the meal ; after the soft maples and aiders
yield pollen they will pay little or no attention
to the substitute.

While fruit trees are in bloom, but little can
lie done to aid nature unless it lie to put a
frame of empty comb in the centre of the brood
nest to give the Queen more room for eggs,
this should only be done .however when so
much honey is brought in that she is really in
need of more empty cells than the workers
have provided for her. Much mischief has
been done by beginners, in their zeal to have a
colony rear brood faster, by spreading the
brood nest so as to expose and chill the larva'.
After fruit blossoms, in most localities there
is a dearth of honey yielding plants for two or
three weeks, or until clover begins to yield.

As we cannot by any means afford to have
our colonies stop rearing brood we would ad-
vise feeding through this period. No provis-
ion need now lie made for pollen, as plenty ot
it abounds, and we need only consider liquid
food. For this purpose sugar syrup is probably
equally as.good as honey; for the method Oi
feeding, see Universal Feeder in Sept. No.

At this season we should feed only so much
as will tie used in brood rearing and no more.

1874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

[For Gleanings.]

BEPOBX OF OCR APIARY FOR 1874.

BY G. M. UOOI.l'ITI.i:.

ssaisaE hail a very cold and backward spring.

iflf Snow was three Inches deep the first ol' May
JJ and upon examining our hives the 4lh of Slav
(which was the first day we could do so) we found
them with no brood and but few eggs. We gave them
the best of care in our power and by lire time apple
blossoms opened we had them in quite a prosperous
condition, although yet few in numbers. Apple blos-
soms furnished an abundant supply for brood-rearing,
and some of our strongest stocks made a gain of from
12 to Pi lbs. We always have a season of scarcity be-
tween apple and wiiite clover, and by the time white
clover opened, which was about the 18th of June, our
honey in the hives was nearly exhausted. As white
clover was nearly all killed by freezing weather last
spring, bees did not gqt any more than they consumed
until sumach and whitewood opened, which was July
1st . and lasted hut four days as it came oa wet then
and continued so until the 18th of July, at which time
oar hives would not average 2 lbs. of honey in the
hive; a week of rainy weather at that time would
have starved the whole, without the aid of the bee-
keeper. Basswood opened I lie llltli hut bees could do
nothing on it. until the tilth on account of high wind
and rain. Then came 7 days of fair weather, then
three of rain and then two more of fair at which time
basswood was gone, making 9 days of basswood.
Teasel yielded very sparingly but from buckwheat we
got MOO lbs. of surplus which was the most we ever
obtained from that source.

Thirty seven out of our 50 stocks we worked exclu-
sively for box honey and the remainder we devoted to
improvement of stock and increase. We have at
present 100 stocks in fair condition for winter and
have sold ;n li t lbs. box honey or a fraction of a pound
less than 100 lbs. to each old stock worked for box
honey. We sold our white honey, (2774 lbs.i at 2844 els.
per lfi. here, and the dark at 2Ug. Extracted is worth
but 12 cts. with us, hut as we have none the price will
not affect us any.

We should he pleased to hear a report from those
large hives and prolific Queens down in Kentucky,
kept by Mr. Adair.

How many of the readers of (li. makings have been
troubled with their bees persisting in building drone
comb? We never saw such a year. Some of our new
swarms built ten full frames of drone comb before we
could get eight worker built. We first commenced to
cut ii oat bat they would build it right back drone, so
wo adopted a new plan; we let them have it and kept
shoving it out putting empty frames in the center and
by tile time they had 4 or 5 drone combs nearly built
they would think it was time to build some worker.
Wo think a great deal of nice White drone comb for
boxes, and in order to get it so, we opened eaeli new
stock every four days and what combs hud larva 1 in
we took out, and left the others in until next time
round. When they would not build worker any long-
er we lilled out the hive with worker combs from our
nuclei. Mrs. 'flipper and others toil us to make our
new swarms by taking full frames out of several old
stocks and putting empty frames in their places
thereby making a full stock at once. We have found
ourselves often wondering at such advice as we never
hare been able to gel one square inch of worker comb
built under such circumstances.

Borodino, N. Y. Oct. 12th, 1874.

In rending the first half of the above we had
almost concluded our friend was going to be
a candidate for “Blasted Hopes,” but “shades
of Iluber!” we certainly know nothing of bee-
keeping if it, be possible to get 2774 lbs. of box
honey from 117 stocks in but little more than
"'lit' days yield of honey. Again the 11! remain-
ing were increased tool); this is not so very
difficult if the season were fair, but friend D.,
you certainly had a good yield from some
source for more than the time specified, or else
you possess some secret method of getting
honey not yet given us through the Journals,
'ye’ll have to pay you York State fellows a
'|sit and learn something if we are so far be-
hind. Seventy five lbs. each during the bflss-
wootl yield would be over 8 lbs. per day, for
"'lays ,bo.e honey. Saving all the nice white

drone comb for box honey is certainly a very
important item.

<>Ut OW8 APIARY,

' lave to-day, Oct 9th, commenced go-

J'Jj ing through the hives for the last time,
inspecting bees and stores, cutting winter
passages through such combs as have none,
etc. Wo find that our quilts arc always kepi,
above the frames far enough to allow a bee to
pass, by little projections of propolis, comb
etc., so we shall not think it necessary to lay a
stick across under the quilt. We find some
sealed brood in the hives but no eggs. They
are bringing some pollen now; this will prob-
ably be kept until spring.

We are enjoying ourself hugely just now in
making a Glass House., (we’ll have to stop
“throwing stones” will we not?) it is simply a
wooden structure 8x13, set in the ground 2 1 .,
feet, and the dirt thus removed is thrown on
the north roof (which is of boards) and banked
up at tlie east, and west ends. The south roof
and south side are to be ail of glass. We pro-
pose to make this an experimental “hospital”
for bees that get uneasy in winter, or for very
weak ones in spring.

Oct. 15JA— We have had two severe frosts,
anti as usual we find a few dead bees bro’t out
of most of the hives afterward. We presume
these bees have been caught away from the
cluster, and in drawing together as the cold
increases they found themselves separated by
an entire comb, and being too much chilled to
go around or over the top, they are frozen. In
front of one entrance to our Standard hive we
found the Queen dead among a small handful
thus brought out.

Alas, our 70 colonies, arc already , only 69.

Oct. 16 th — Another frost, and another Queen
found in front of the hive. Our subterranean
Green House is nearly finished. Although the
day hits been only tolerably warm, the ther-
mometer showed the temperature of the ait-
inside to lie 115 degrees, about two o’clock,
and we have not had the glass washed yet
either. We have been of the opinion that bees
would thrive even during our hottest summer
months providing honey was yielding plenti-
fully but whether they will rejoice" at the
temperature mentioned is more than wc can
say just* now, but wc assuredly will test the
matter.

Oct. VMh — To-day being warm and pleasant
we have looked up the cause of the loss of the
two Queens. Our Standard hive contained
two colonies; it came about in this way: P. G.
some time in June petitioned her choice of a
nice lot of Queen cells just built, and combs
of brood sufficient to start a colony in the
“Standard." Much was the bantering and jo-
king in regard to her ability to choose a cell
that would produce the finest Queen, and when
it really resulted in a crooked one, while all the
rest wore fine and shapely, of course the crook-
ed Queen was a standing jest. She became
fertile and in due time laid eggs, but she made
so slow progress that a division board was
inserted, an auger Hole made in the back end
and a new Queen reared. This last proved
very prolific and so rapidly did she fill the
combs that her colony in a short time eclipsed
{Continued on page 125.3

124

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov.

RE13S AND THINGS “AWAY OVER
THE WATER.”

FKOM ONE OF OUB MUM BEK IN AUSTRALIA.

NOVICE:— I rcc'd four Nos. Gleanings,
]?| !?)) two packages Queen Registers, and King’s Text
book, all in good shape. I must certainly com-
mend you for the manner in which you send your
goods out.

I see you arc about to have a Standard frame and
hive also. I think it about time; now, the “horizon-
tal” as you call it, has been in use at my Apiary just
three years. I have only worked six ot them as vet,
but I am about to have my Apiary composed of hfves
holding 40 frames each, the frames are 18x10, which I
intend to keep to. 1 have hives at the present Lime
working frames of the following sizes: 23x8 )£, V2H x
13'“, 18x10, 10x10, and 13^x8. The different frames
have been brought into use just by way of trial,

And of all the frames I ever did see.
Eighteen by ten is the frame for me.

Adair is right in saying that a large hive will pre-
vent swarming if properly managed.

Your Queen Register is a first-class affair, but for
this fair land of ours, we should require every month
in the year. 1 thought I should have had some use
lor the cards by the time they arrived, but alas ! I am
doomed to disappointment. I told you about Quinby
sending me two colonies of bees, in my first letter, the
bees were not ordered in my name, but Novice I
must not forget to tell you that it was my money that
paid for them. And what do you think the charges
were? lust 134k 5s. 7d. (about $70.00). Now the only
tiling that I blame myself for is this, I ought to have
written to Mr. Quinby stating full particulars. We
have now a Royal mail from San Francisco which
makes the run In about -'10 days, they wont refuse to
take bees now. If Mr. Q. or any other bee-keeper in
America will try their hand at sending a colony of
Italians, and the Queen is only alive wlien 1 receive
them, I promise to forward by ihe return mail $25.00,
and if it proves a failure I will pay the usual charge.
I refer them to my Banker in Queensland, any mem-
ber of the Legislature, any Newspaper Editor, or to
the Governor himsell. Money is no object providing
we can get the bees safe, and for my part I see no
difficulty whatever in sending them. I have tried
from Neighbor & Sons, London ; some bees arrived
bpt the Queen was lost shortly after leaving England.
1 wrote them about it and they expressed their sor-
row at the failure and said that if I could devise a
better plan they would send out another colony.

it is mid-winter witli us, and our bees are gathering
honey and pollen at a good pace. We have something
blooming all the year round in this fair and happy
land. 1 wish poor old Mr. Langstroth were here, J aiii
sure he would live much longer.

I have sent the Blue Eyed baby a photograph of one
of our Natives. j. Carroll, Mohawk Valley,

Ennoggera, Queensland, Australia. Via San Fr’isco.

Who will send friend Carroll the bees and
thus successfully introduce the first Italians
In Australia? Quinby, and Neighbor & Sons,
have failed but with better facilities now, we
think it can be done. Observe he offers to bear
all expenses, and run all risk, whether the bees
arrive alive or not. Those who arc willing to
try had better drop a letter to him. The let-
ter must be prepaid 10c. Perhaps Dean can
send him a Queen by mail. He has never failed
yet to our knowledge. The Photo, mentioned
will make a rare addition to our “Medley/*

HONEY RESOURCES, I1EE-KEEPERS
ETC., Or THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY.

BY M. II. TWEED.

* nfllltlEND NOVICE :-Th e following week after re-
jlp J turning from your place, 1 started for Virginia,
hhj was away six days and had a very successful and
deasant trip. I called at the little towns between
larper’s Ferry and Winchester, and from there I
drove up the beautiful valley of the Shenandoah, was
on the road with my horse for four days. I found a
great deal of honey in the valley and at reasonable
prices. I bought some in large caps— beautiful honey
at what they call a shilling per lb., a Virginia shilling
is cts., and we are getting considerable at 20 cts.
there. 1 do not think there is so favorable a place for

bee-keeping east of California as the Shenandoah
valley. The principle reason is that the Blue Thistle
abounds in the whole valley. Then the climate is
most favorable. The Blue Thistle makes rich white
honey, is in bloom fully four months of the year, each
plant has from 25 to 50 blossoms on it. One great ad-
vantage it lias over white clover is that in pastures the
cattle cut down the white clover while the thistle is
never molested. A blue Held looks handsome though
it is a great pest to the farmer. I cut a sample and
brought it home as a curiosity and it you have never
seen one and care to look at the great honey produ-
cing plant of that valley, drop me a postal card and I
shall gladly semi it to* you. There is great room for
such a man as Novice down there. With the excep-
tion of about a half dozen, the bee-keepers of that
valley know very little about bee culture. 1 saw two
extractors and they had not been used to any extent.
One owned by Henry Slagle who understands bee-
keeping very well, takes two or three Bee Journals
and makes ‘money out of his bees; he has 100 hives
and has this year 4000 lbs. comb honey, he lives in
Winchester. The other extractor Is also owned by a
Winchester man— Oliver Brown, a very line old gen-
tleman. He knows all about Novice and had many
questions to ask about you. With the exception of
your Apiary, his is the finest I have ever seen— 50 col-
onies in Langstroth hives. Slagle’s are also in the
Langstroth hive. In wintering, they in the whole
valley scarcely ever lose any ; in nearly all cases they
winter outside. I found very few Italians, only such
men as Brown and Slagle know anything about them.
The principal hive is the obi box hive, where they
have anything else it is the Langstroth, and in a few
cases the American. The majority of them call any
kind of a hive a “bee gum” and many of them call a
colony “a bee.” I found an old watch repairer in Front
Royal who had GO hives, had been keening bees for 25
or So years, and had never seen a Bee Journal or
heard of an extractor. Had heard of bee veils but
had never seen one. lie took me out to look at his
hives and when within 20 yards of them, he said we
had better not go any nearer as the bees were very
cross. I did not wonder at that man not getting
much surplus honey. I left him two copies of Glean-
ings and bought what honey he had, some 500 lbs. 1
found one of your subscribers, Steed & Sou, near Front
Koval. They have quite a large Apiary and seem to
be learning something in the way of bee management.
I was looking at one of their hives which resembled a
coffin very much in shape and the old man told me
that Jamie put a “bee” in that in the spring, and now
he had it nearly full. There seems to be no question
but that they can with any reasonable care get a fine
quantity of surplus honey in comb, any season. I
was well pleased with my Visit and came away satis-
fied that the valley of the Shenandoah is the spot for
successful bee-keeping, and that we can always rely
on getting a large quantity of white clover honey for
our purpose and at reasonable rates. 1 was astonish-
ed at the bitter feeling they still hold towards tin*
North, it was very interesting to me to talk with a
bee-keeper who hail formerly held his slaves.

I have made inquiries about mustard seed and can-
not learn that any of the genuine seed is raised east of
California (it is raised profitably there in large quan-
tities), the seed used in this city is all imported from
England. There is a kind of mustard raised in the
Eastern States but it is not of much account. If you
wish to try it I can get you some genuine English
seed at any time at 12U cts. per lb.

There is a party in California who has offered best
strained honey (as clear as water) by the car load to
cost about 12 to 13 cts. delivered here, we have sent
for four barrels as a .sample.

Have you ever heard of “Virginia wild honey?” 1
had often heard of it, but never understood the mat-
ter thoroughly until my recent visit to that state. I
had heard it spoken of as having an unpleasant taste,
and those who knew nothing about bees attributed
Its peculiarity to the fact of its being gathered by
what are called wild bees.

On each side of the valley extends a great range ol
mountains, the North mountains on one side and the
Blue Ridge on the other, on these mountains a plant
or small bush grows called Laurel, it is poisonous y>
itself but on it there is a pretty llower which yield*?
honey largely; rank and bitter it Is, and I was tom
that a liberal dose will always be followed by sickness.
I know the taste for I got some for breakfast at Shaus-
burg. Now as no bees are kept that arc confined
entirely to the mountains, there is no Laurel honey
of any account excepting such as Is got from bee trees,
and it is natural enough to suppose that the difference
is caused by the bees that gather the honey.

Pittsburgh, Pa. Sept. 26th, 1874.

(874.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

125

[Continued from jnige 123.]

the other although made fully six weeks later,
and nothing prevented the execution of our
original intention, viz., killing the “crooked
Queen,” except that she proved pure , and the
other hybrid. After some discussion they were
doth to be allowed to winter and further steps
■decided upon in the spring. The Queen found
at the entrance man not crooked and the exam-
ination to-day showed that our division board
although nicely fitted at the time, had shrunk
so much that the bees were passing under one
corner and so we had one large colony instead
of two with a crooked Queen as their only
hope. We have before thought we wanted no
more divided hives, yet division boards can
he made perfectly safe we suppose, although
they have cost us some fine Queens before.
The other hive proved to have a young Queen
inside so that we have lost only one after all.

The Green House is finished and two colo-
tiave been in it for two days. ’Tis true they
will take syrup from the opposite end of the
room and carry it to their hives, and a part of
them seem contented and industrious, but by
far too large a part will persist in flying
against the glass bumping about until they
fall tired and exhausted to the ground. They
will not as yet touch the meal but have their
hives' pretty well filled with syrup and have
commenced sealing it up. The very high tem-
perature in the middle of the day seems to
make them very little inconvenience. We im-
agine ’tis the young bees that do the work and
that the old ones accustomed to the fields are
the ones that blunder about on the windows.
The walls absorb so much heat during the day
which they give out at night, that the air is
kept all night at a very comfortable tempera-
ture.

Oct. 20th — Three more colonics have been
placed in the green house and we are sorry to
say they don’t do just as we would have them.
They will cluster on the windows and buzz
about until a good many fall down on the
ground. Toward night the greater part of
them get into hires and if the glass was only a
foot or two above the hives very likely the
humming as they find their hives would call
all the late bees into some hive, but as for find-
ing their own, when so many are crowded
together, it looks quite doubtful. The bees in
the first two hives ’tis true, seem to be quite at
home, and flit about gathering stores etc., and
seemingly never touch the glass. Had they
all been put in after having been confined some
days by cold weather, that might have made
a difference, as it is, we have had a fine spell of
weather for some days. We have made one
discovery which is new to us at least. The
syrup we have been feeding is quite thin. Well
the two first mentioned have filled their combs
so well, that even the eggs one of the
hives contained are now crowded out.

1 his morning laden bees were going out so
rapidly from one of them, we thought it might
be they were being robbed. After a little prac-
tice we were enabled to follow them easily
on the wing, and made out unmistakably that
' hey, after dancing a while in the sunshine, dis-
charged from their bodies what scents to be
only pure water, and after this maneuver they
returned immediately to their hive with bod-
ies so much reduced in size that they made

quite a contrast to their comrades who were
just going out. Many bees are hopping about
on the ground with distended bodies seemingly
unable to take wing, and soon die. Does this
not partially explain dysentery and show why
it is so essential that diseased bees be allowed
to fly occasionally? May it not be also that
this is a part of the natural process of freeing
the raw honey of its superfluous water?

Many of the bees on the glass, we notice are
those with the distended bodies, and perhaps
the instinct that impels them to get a greati r
distance from the hive is the cause of their
death.

Oct. 21 st — We put a curtain of cotton cloth
over the glass to-day and thus kept an even
temperature of about 80<> ; this does consider-
ably better.

three o'clock P. M . — The Queen has actually
laid one egg in our pet Italian Nucleus in the
green house.

Oct. 22nd — That egg is gone.

Oct. 2 3rd — Friend Dean has been here. He
very much doubts our being able to get brood
reared out of season by any artificial means,
and fears that confining bees by glass will not
work at all. Many bees are now dead under
the glass and our weak nuclei is daily getting
smaller although they seem to labor with an
industry perfectly natural.

We really begin to think our experiment a
failure. We would build a larger enclosure
without hesitation if we thought ’twould an-
swer any better. Dean thinks" the farther the
glass from the hive, the greater would be the
loss. As a part of the bees seem to be perfect-
ly at home and carry syrup from any part of
the room without difficulty we cannot as yet
agree with him. We now give them full sun-
shine in the morning until the temperature
reaches about 80°, and then put down the cur-
tain the rest of the day, and the mortality
seems less.

Oct. 24 di — Gathered up all the dead bees this
morning that we may be enabled to see how
many now die daily. We found perhaps a quart.

Ten o'clock — “Oh you little yellow busy bod-
ies ! Outwitted your ‘Poppy,’ didn’t you.” We
went to let down the curtain and our weak
nuclei seemed so very industrious that we
took a further look. The Queen and most of
the bees had gone over to one side of the hive
where we had not looked and actually had a
cluster of eggs nearly as large as ones hand.
Perhaps her Majesty objected to our counting
every egg as fast as it was laid. The glass
house may be a success yet. We gave them
yesterday some basswood honey for a change.

Oct. 2 (ith — An interesting point comes in
here; these bees have no pollen in their combs
that we can discover. To-day is the third day
since the eggs were laid, but none have hatch-
ed into larva;. If our former deductions have
been correct they must work on the meal or
there can be no larvae.

After dinner— flow many of our readers can realize
the joy we felt at finding just one little bee at work on
the meal when wo went home to dinner ? Of course
it went strait to the nucleus when laden. After dinner
two more were at work and although thev each aver-
aged a load, say, every ten minutes, scarcely a trace of
it could he found in the cells at 2 o’clock. Arc we not
right in thinking it was quickly taken into the stom-
achs of the nursing hoes to be changed into food for
larva) ami that we shall Hud larva* also, to-morrow or
day after ?

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov-

126

Oct. 27 ih sure enough we have larva? well supplied
with its milky l'ood, ami are so far along in the work
of rearing bees entirely in an artificial temperature.

Oct. iSlh—Just before going to press — Four of the live
hives have eggs and brood and every thing seems
thriftv except the number of bees (perhaps 200 daily)
that lly against the glass and fall on the ground with
distended bodies, and die. We should very much like
to know how many dead bees were found in Mr. Bid-
well's hot beds in the spring. In our next we hone to
be able to tell you of perfect young bees reared en-
tirely on artificial supplies.

Gleanings in Bee Culture,

Published monthly.

remark that he could “sec no reason why an Api-
ary exactly square, is not quite as good and
convenient as one hexagonal in shape,” and
that “bees build their combs hexagonal for

very good reasons” “which, however,

would Ire very poor arguments for having an
Apiary in that shape.”

If we grant that (i feet, or any other distance
for that matter, is as close as iiives should he
placed, can we not get them much nearer on
the plan mentioned, than if placed in the form
of a square ? Is not economy of steps as im-
portant to us, as is economy of wax and labor
I to the bees?

_A-_ X. ROOT <3c CO.,

EDITORS AND PROPRIETORS

~ME D I N A, OHIO.

Terms : 75e. Per Annum.

[Including Postage .]

For Club Bates see Last Page.

NXEIDITsTAA, NOV. X, 1874.

AVe have unfortunately mislaid Seth Hoag-
iand’s circular in regard to the N. A. B. Con-
vention at Pittsburgh, on the 11th 12th and
13th, but think that to secure the benefit of the
half fare rates granted on most of the R. R’s, it
is necessary to write first to Mr. II. at Mercer,
Pa. '

AVe have just rec’d the semi-monthly' German
Biencti Zeitwng for the year 1874. At present it
is of just about as much value to us as a

work on astronomy to Blue Eyes we have

a “big time" looking at the pictures. If the
Germans use hives and implements as well
made as the plates that represent them, per-
haps their American cousins can with profit
learn more than one lesson from them.

— m <>^> — —

K IND read er. If you are in any way interested in

X$ees ox* Honey,

we will with pleasure send vou a sample copy of our
Monthly “GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE." Simp-
ly write your address plainly on a postal card and
address ' A. I. ROOT & CO., Medina, Ohio.

[Any Periodical diving this one insertion and sending
us /narked copy will receive Gleanings one year.]

As we are paying considerable money for
the insertion of above advertisement in various
papers, of course we shall consider it a favor
to have you give us the names of bee-keepers
who you think might wish to take it. Don’t
send any stamps; simply put their address
plainly on a postal card.

While we are much obliged to the Ed. of B .
K. M. for his pleasant mention of our Litho-
graph, we can hardly forgive him for not look-
ing at it closely enough to discover that it
really is a Hexagonal Apiary, having the
whole number of hives arranged so that each
one is the center of six others, at equal distan-
ces from it and from each other. Had he been
in the habit of extracting honey each season,
carrying the combs into the extracting house
and then back to the hives, he certainly could
not have failed to note that the nearer the hives
were located to this room, the less would be
the labor; and lienee would not have made the

“FJLYING 15EES UNDER GLASS.”

^TrTRIEND NOV ICE:— I sec in Oct. Gleanings that
1*1'] J you allude to Mr. Bidwell’s experiments in win-
—ki tering bees : also make some criticisms in refer-
ence thereto. Will you please allow me space in
Nov. Gleanings, for an explanation.

At the spring session of the Michigan Bee-Keeper’s
Association, held at Kalamazoo, iii May last, I was,
in absence of our Secretary Mr. Frank Benton, elected
Sec. 2)?*o /cm, and took charge of all papers presented
at that meeting. In making out the report of the pro-
ceedings for B. K. M. (which was condensed as much
as possible consistent with perspicuity of statement),
we purposely refrained from making any extended
remarks in reference to Mr. Bidwell’s paper, inasmuch
as the paper itself, was to be published. Being re-
quested by their several authors to return the original
manuscript to them, we copied the different papers
and forwarded the same to Mr. King from time to
time for publication. Owing to ill health, which al-
most, entirely precluded mental labor on our part
during the summer, we deferred sending a copy of
Mr. indwell’s paper until about 'the tenth of August,
for the .Sept. No., supposing it seasonable at that time;
not even dreaming that any one wished to try the “ex-
periment” of placing bees under glass, ivith the mer-
cury indicating 100° in the shade.

Now about suppressing Mr. Bidwell’s 1*. O. address.
Mr. Bidwell is extensively engaged in horticultural
as well as apistieal pursuits, ami being corresponding
See. of the bouth Haven Homological Society, lias very
little time (and possibly— inclination) for answering
inquiries relative to bee culture. He lias repeatedly
stated that lie intended to write nothing more about
bees, having had “his say” on that subject. We there-
fore did not feel at liberty to give his address, and so
withheld it. But in view of wliat has been said, we'll
simply say that he resides only a short distance from

the writer, and receives his mail at South Haven,

Michigan.

We are well acquainted with Mr. B. and know him
to be perfectly reliable and trustworthy. Moreover
we are conversant with his experiments, and feel con-
fident that the value of this method lias not been
overrated. For the benefit of Cleaning’s readers,
we submit the following in reference thereto.

The “hot-beds” alluded to in Mr. B’s paper, were
excavations in dry sandy soil (about t wo feet in depth)
sloping gently to* the south. Boxes made of 1% inch
plank, and some 15 inches in width, were set over
these and banked up with earth. Each “bed” was
covered by four sash, .’>x6 feet, and straw was scattered
over the ’bottom of the pit to keep the bees from
alighting on the earth. Tlie sun was the sole source
of heat.

The bees were all put into a house cellar in Nov.,
but becoming uneasy in Jan., were carried out and
placed in these “hot-beds” fora fly. Many of them
were left there until a “cold snap” in March, when
they were returned to the cellar, as the “beds” were
not’ made sufficiently tight to exclude a great degree
of cold. Mr. 1>. llew 1G stocks at once in a single be«l,
assetTorth in bis paper, and encountered no difficul-
ty in having all bees return to their respective hives-
And Anally, his bees that llew under glass, all came
through to May in good condition, and have stored a
large amount of surplus honey the present season.

Heiuikbt A. Bruch, South Haven, Mich.

FKIEN1) NOVICE; — Yours of 3rd, at hand. I had u
temperature as high as 85 to HO when the bees flew.

I think the bees all returned to iheir proper hives
that, returned at all. I had only one tier of hives.

('li! yes, you could have seen them go out and

L874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

127

around and never touch the glass at all, void, and fro
right hack. I believe Mr. Bidwcll tells the exact truth
about it. I thought I could -glean” a knowledge ol'
the fact that, that plan could be made a success, from
what I saw during my experiment. I think it M ill
become practical only when a voiding room is “kind-
Hm” attached to the wintering house. A glass over the
.(hives is incomparably better than one in front, as a
■window for instance.

Jambs IIkddon, Dowagiac, Mich. Oct. 6th, 1874.

We think enough 1ms been done to make it
pretty certain that dysentery can be arrested,
if not entirely cured by this means. Mr. Burch
has given all needful directions for making the
pits unless it be that they must be most thor-
oughly drained ; if not naturally then artific-
ial iy. The sash 3x6 feet can be purchased in
Cleveland of B. II. Stair & Co. for $1.25 each
in quantities, perhaps a little more singly.
The glass can be purchased of B. L. Fallen-
stock, who advertises in this No., for $3.50 per
box of 00 lights, net ; a little less for large :
quantities. This is second quality glass but
we presume it is just as good for this purpose.
Each sash will require 28 lights and the ex-
pense of material will therefore be not far from
$2.50 per sash, or $10.00 for a (5x12 bed such as
were used by Mr. Bidwell. Will Mr. Burch
please accept thanks for the information given.

REPORT FROM ADAM GRIMM.

IUTOIt Gleanings Yesterday I shipped the
J*fJj| second car load of honey from my this year’s
— t* crop with some few small lots from other bee-
vaisers. This cleans me all out and since I get a little
more time now, I comply with your request to report
my tins year's bee business.

1 had after the spring’s sale, and a loss of 48 during
winter and spring, Too colonies left
From them I got of box honey lbs. - - 14887

And of extracted, net weight 10882

In all « 25219

Add to this amount in unfinished boxes “ 600

Previously sold and given away “ 100

Making a sum total of “ 25919

<>r an average of about 21 lbs. box honey, and 16 ex-
tracted. The extracted honey however was all from
<o lnvcs making It about 147 lbs. as an average from
each ot these.

It M ill lie natural for your readers to inquire, to
whom I sold all my honeyi and what price I got. Well,
i contracted the whole amount to Mrs. S. E. Spaids,
->ew York, who bought all my honey last year and
paid me for it, ns agreed. The price I am promised is
r. )C P er ';>• net weight, for white and yellow lionev In
tne ct mh, 15c for buckwheat honey, and 12c lor ex-
tracted. This is a low price, but I am satisfied, since I
\, ri , 01 M’ ,a t large lot of honey at once.
iUy ljc.es, which increased to 1158 colonies, are in
\ cry good condition to go into winter quarters and if
hum Humid go through the winter and spring in good
condition 1 will have 800 or 400 to spare or can stock
M>mc more apiaries. Bees are considered very good
iv?v.?i le P£?P ei *ty here and sold at full prices If offered
i f “ ave g°ne into banking, but cannot think
( tln ^ m >’ l, ees. 1 have not been at the bank
'°5 tila " one week’s time in live months. Bee busi-
M) much more profitable that 1 cannot get a
notion vet to leave it.

Adam Grimm, Jefferson, Wis. Oct. 21st, 1874.
Shall we not have to acknowledge Mend
Onmm with his 1158 colonies, the largest bee-
keeper in the world V and judging from his
} early reports, is he not also as a rule the most
successful V

11 «».KV 4 0 U MX.

1 ■ ^ 1 - BOOT:— What Is your best figures for
Honey in, say from 2 to 5000 lb. lots? Give us

Main St. Cincinnati, O.

j. . !T '°i! r elosest'urlee for cash.
oAttnu! S Stout, No's 32 a :il

We are happy to say that Messrs. Barber &
Stout are both prompt and reliable.

Mu. BOOT, Dear Sir Through the assistance ol'
your and other Bee Journals, anrl inv old acquaint-
ances, I have already procured 73000 IDs. of honey and
hope to be able to handle 50000 lbs. more this season.

S. E. Spaids, N. Y. City.

As an item of interest, I will say that I have just
rce'd trom a St. Louis Dealer the generous offer .if
12X<. for Pure Linden Honey, ext’d. for which I have
a home market at 25c. and a demand for more than I
can furnish, from my hives.

E. M. Hayhubst, St. Clair, Mo.

Could I buy Honey Jars cheaper of the manufactu-
rers than of dealers here? If I can could von send
me the address of a manufacturer?

I have 4 barrels of Linn honey, I would like to get
15c for it. Kobeet Bieley, Colfax, Iowa.

You can buy cheaper of the manufacturers
usually, but you will have to take a whole
case. B. L. Falieustock whose advertisement
appears this month is a manufacturer. Send
to him for a circular.

To your readers please say that I do not buy lionev
at all, but if they will send me a sample (say 2 or '3
ounce vial) I will sell it for them where tliev will ..et
their money on the delivery of their lionev here.
There is no demand here at present, or at least veri-
little and I now advise holding lov a short time. My
object has been to keep up the price of ext’d lionev.
Good nice comb in good shape will bring 30c very
readily here now.

\Y. G. Smith, 119 Main St. St. Louis.

DEAR NOVICE:— I have about 1500 lbs. white clo-
ver ext’d honey, put up in I t gallon casks, well waxed,
a choice article of honey. W hat shall 1 do with it ? 1
can get 16e in Milwaukee, but freight and commission
out (Sc) leaves. me only. 13c, a poor price. I will get
about 500 IDs. golden rod and buckwheat enough to
stock tlic local market here, with what is raised bl-
ethers. Box honey sells readily at 25c, and 1 would
like to realize 17 or 18c clear, or 1 am afraid 1 will get
crowed over. Some of mv neighbors already proph-
esy sour honey and no sale'. The honey weighs 12 lbs.
per gal., so there’s no danger of souring, i will tell
you how 1 got It some time.

it. L. Joinek, Wyoming, Wis.

At present the market price for light honey
seems to be only about ID or Hie. As this
price is for delivery in the principal cities it is
generally best to sell near home. The figures
you mention for comb honey are probably re-
tail. Does not extracted honey sell at retail
for nearly as much ? In ’71 we sold our whole
crop for 12c, in ’72, 13c, and last season we sold
4 barrels for 15, l(i, 18 and 20c respectively, and
could have sold all for 20 had we kept it until
Feb., as we did the last barrel. Although we
are not justified in thinking it will bring any
more in Feb. than it does now, yet we should
be in no hurry about selling at less than 16
unless we needed the money badly. If the
bees (‘jest wouldn’t die” we should be quite
content to raise honey for 12 or 13c.

Huns bugs stud Swiiulles

Pertaining to Bee Culture.

[We respectfully solicit the aid of our friends in
conducting this department, and Mould consider it
a favor to have them send us all circulars that have
a deceptive appearance. The greatest care will be at
all times maintained to prevent injustice being done
any one.]

A LTHOUG11 we might prefer to dispense,
for all time to come with this department,
we fear public safety ns well as our own, de-
mands that we should mention the names of a
few who are hindering the cause of bee-culture.

123

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov

Before so doing, and while thanking our
friends for the aid they have given us, we
would remark that the mere fact of differences
in opinion in regard to a business transaction
is by no means sufficient ground for publicly
showing up either of the parties. Still, we arc
always glad to have such transactions submit-
ted to us, as it gives us an opportunity of
judging better of the business habits of those
advertising largely. Where an advertiser re-
ceives money and then refuses to respond in
any shape or manner, and also refuses to grant
us any explanation, we have very good grounds
for suspecting fraud.

In our April No. we gave a letter from Mr.
-I. P. Parker, but omitted the name of the firm
to whom he sent the $30.00. This firm was
Gray & Winder of Cincinnati. We have been
waiting since April to give them a chance, but
as their letters, or rather Mr. Winder’s letters
only propose to pay it sometime, if friend P.
will be “quiet and gentlemanly about it,” we
presume it is $30.00 lost. Mr. Winder in a let-
ter to us recently, said if the transaction were
published he would never pay it at all , and as
he probably would not any how, what is to be
gained by keeping quiet ? True, lie might go
on and get other peoples’ hard earned $30.00,
and then tell them the same, but this is the
part we most decidedly object to. The letters
we receive from these delinquents have got to
be an old story, and we have become so har-
dened that we don’t mind it a bit when told
we are “meddling,” and that our assistance
and advice has not been asked etc., etc. We
are sometimes gravely informed that great
numbers of similar complaints are made of «s
but that they, out of a kind regard let it drop,
etc. Now tins is a mistaken kindness certain-
ly, for if any one has been guilty of such a
piece of folly as making complaints of us, in-
stead of to us, the only way we know of is to
tell us about it. Put it in print certainly if
thought advisable. We haven’t the least objec-
tion "to having any part of our business fully
ventilated at anytime.

D. L. Adair has been complained of for a
long time. The B. K. M. thinks proper to give
one of the complaints, omitting name ’tis true,
but his contradictory mention in his adver-
tisements of the long looked for Dec. No. is so
familiar to most readers of the Journals, that
few will fall to know who is meant. If the
complaii ts were only for money sent for An-
nals, we might think that lie would sometime
send it, but when he advertises to receive
money for Gleanings and keeps that too , with-
out giving us the slightest notice, we have no
choice really but to speak out.

Before crediting appearances, we have writ-
ten him repeatedly, and even appealed to him
in print to come forward and assure us that he
meant sometime to settle all things honorably,
but to all, lie preserves a grand indifference, and
Were it not that drafts, registered letters, etc.,
are readily taken care of when addressed to
him we might think yet with It. K. M. that
there is some mistake. Titles and education
are a fine thing, but their possessor is no more
excusable for appropiating other peoples mon-
ey, than any one else.

“BEK STINGS CURED, WITHOUT COST. NO MORE
RAIN OR SWELLING. Tills IS A NEW DISCOV-

ERY,” has been for some time past advertised by
the “Busy Bee” mar , but it did cost us 10c.
We know we “got bit” $2.00 worth on the Am-
brosial Honey, sometime ago, but we thought
perhaps he had become a better man now.
“Nary better.” The “Ambrosial” is advertised
with the same old, oily string of falsehoods
(see page 85, Vol. 1) and the “Great Discovery”
is as follows :

THE BUST BEF. SUPPLEMENT.

Bee stings— A re dreaded by nearly every one, on
account of the pain and swelling which follow, from
the poison injected.

How cubed- I n severe cases, the person should
drink freely of whiskey or some strong* alcoholic
drink, till he feels its effects; this will prevent all
danger and further swelling.

A new discovery— I mmediately after receiving a
sting, take some leaves of peppermint, or catmint, (or
their allies,) crush them with tne teeth and add some
saliva ; then rub the wounded part briskly for about
live minutes; this will remove the pain and prevent
inflammation, as by this process the poison is all re-
moved.

The above is the whole contents of this great
Supplement to be given away, (for ten cents) ex-
cept a few advertisements ; among them is one
of “Cheap and Artistic Printing.” All we
have to say is that if the supplement is a sample,
we would respectfully prefer “t’other kind.”

We arc amazed that this II. Herman Flick
should find people enough in this age of Jour-
nals, to support him with his Ambrosial and
Bee sting cure. We certainly shall “stand by
him.”

About the Cure. Will all those who persist
in believing in the efficacy of these cures, (we
mean to include the Germau Bee Sting Cure
and all the stuff “put in bottles” for that pur-
pose) please test them by the method proposed
by Quinby, viz., try one sting with the “medi-
cine” and one with nothing? Don’t make up
your mind from a single experiment, but try
half a dozen times, first with, and then with-
out, and our word for it, (unless you har e some
bottles to sell) you will conclude if there is any
difference, the sting you rub and “fuss” with
most, will be the worst. When you can learn
’tis best to pay no attention to stings, but to
go on with your work, you will have little
trouble.

We agree with A. B. J. in saying that not
one letter in tenthousand is lost by mail if prop-
erly directed, if we except perhaps some of the
Southern states where postal facilities have
not as yet reached the perfection they have
here. Now for a person to claim that letters
must have been lost in the mails, as an excuse,
and also to make this plea to a dozen different
correspondents at about the same time, is sheer
nonsense. We have yet to hear of a postal
card being lost in the mails.

P. S. — About that Whiskey antidote. Since
the “Crusaders” closed the saloons of Medina,
we fear there would be a serious rush to the
bee hives for the sole purpose of being stung
were such treatment reccommeuded here.

We to-day, Oct. 22nd, get a new circular
from Mitchell in his usual “Spread Eagle’
style, offering (rights!) the best hive extant at
a cost not exceeding 25 to 50c, and other things
in proportion. It appears that he is located
this time near by — Defiance, O — but the circular
comes all the way from P. M. Peterbaugh, San
Gabriel, Cal. Can h a find more victims?

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

129

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS.

Tlw books teach us that all bees cut themselves
out of their cells,

KAR NOVICE El al \— In the fall three years
a; a back, lay first year with bees, the following
came under my observation : Tin: 16th Sept. ’71,
1 had one Italian stock, on opening this hive I found
several Queen cells. There were two on one comb,
one near each side bar. This comb with the two
Queen cells on it, I put into another hive, added to it
two or three combs of capped brood and honey and

C t in over a quart of bees from parent hive (parent
■e very full of beesi. Both the Queen cells were
capped when transferred to the empty hive. Seven
days alter, on opening the hive, without smoke, found
several bees cutting away on one of the Queen cells.
On dispersing the bees I lound a hole cut into the cell
about H of an Inch above the small end. I distinctly
saw the white Immature Queen in the cell, and with a
sharp knife 1 carefully enlarged the opening, so as
not to wound the inmate. I immediately replaced the
comb and closed the hive. Two hours alter I reopen-
ed the hive, found the Queen on bottom-board, the
bees were trying to put her out, indeed did put her
out of the hive. I now examined the remaining
Queen cell, this was intact, there had been no inter-
meddling with it by the bees. This was Saturday,
next day being the Sabbath I did not open the hive.
Ulouday about 6 o’clock .V. M. on opening the hive, the
Queen was out on the comb, a very pretty well ma-
tured Queen. Now the last cell was cut on the side,
as I saw the bees cutting the first cell) and there was
surely nothing like the smallest hole in the lower end.
I examined with all possible care and had others to
examine. I am satisfied that both Queens were cut
out by the workers. Why did thev do it ? what was
their object? J. if. Wilson skn’k.

Lexington, Texas. Sept. ‘26th, 1H74.

The occurrence mentioned is not infrequent.
Although we cannot positively say why they
do thus, we would suggest that it is the work
of mischievious young bees who finding no
unsealed brood to care for, have “nothing else
to do.” Had they been furnished with eggs
occasionally, they would doubtless have been
busy otherwise, and so felt no inclination to
meddle with the Queen cells. At a certain
age, they seem to be as full of mischief as
“young puppies,” and if they can’t build comb,
nurse larva;, or build Queen cells, they will
amuse themselves by “tearing down some-
thing”; if the Queen thus rudely exposed is
old enough to live, all is well, otherwise they
pick the white soft chrysalis out of the cell,
piecemeal, with a most provoking unconcern
and disregard of consequences. Young bees,
like children must have something to do; if it
cannot be useful it should at least be harmless
or they will assuredly be in mischief of some
kind.

n,f., am bmkh'g bee-keeping a specialty, commence
Y„„:Y; rs ago with two box hives ami Black bees
have SO colonies of as fine Italians as can b
Ti-n.pi lltt ywhero, have hail many dlfUculties am
i,i '!■ i . a . m have tried several different kinds o
nos but have something now that I think I can ti
x,,!. a choice Imported Queen from Oh. Dadun
(.lUti.'.i. is yc? r - hly slock Is all raised from Import
k and it nothing happens will be In the Qneci
i.uu, p* n a small way another year. Have taken nbou
a ,?\°l honey timing the season, 8000 lbs. since th
tiicj/m, .S'. 1 had some gather over 1.10 lbs. betwcei
honov , ? Au S- Il “d the 11th of Sept. One of the be.s
Island !!! uilt \?n my locality is Wild Cucumber; th.
Mv i„„ ’* hmg the Mississippi river are covered with 11
wlieiwi 8 n.’n'ked well on Alslko and lied clover, bu
cd „„ i? cucumber commenced blooming they work
of s„n„i ,’i “other good plant for honey Is u varict'
lielcilSIf,.? ?. CI 1° that grows in abundance In cori
'Toss n! w a )’ 1,1 Places too wet for corn. My bee;
hnnev m. ,*?, ss !l , P 1 river and gather a great deal o
■il'ul eoi'.m 1 1 V 1 All f' a, 'd Sept. The honey is a beau
golc.en color. 1 will send you a sample the lirsl

time I am at a town where there is an express office-
My bees have always wintered on their natural stores,
have never lost a colony except from starvation. The
late honey is so thick I could not throw it out if 1
wanted to. I wintered them in cellar of my house. 1
have made many observations on bees and honev
plants but am a poor hand to write them.

A lover of bees. a. L. Williams.

Deer Plain, ,111. Sept. 28th, 1874.

Shall be very glad of your assistance in the
Queen trade friend W. We hope no one will
be deterred from writing us because they think
themselves poor hands at telling what thev
have observed. We are all “at home” in this
department.

Now X am only a beginner in the business, having
only four colonies, three Greys and one Italian. In
passing them for the last week ov two I have noticed
a pecular tour smell among them. As as thev were
working finely. I attributed the smell to the 'bloom
they were working on; but the scent increased, and
yesterday I found that it was the Italian colony, so 1
opened the hive and found it wet inside, from sweat 1
suppose, drops of water were on the lid and running
down the side. The comb seemed to he damp and
had a sour smell. On opening all the hives this morn-
ing I found two others in the same fix, except not -o
sour. I want to know the best plan to pursue in this
case. I am using the Buckeye hive and It has no ven-
tilators. I have attributed the cause of the sweat to
that. Am I right ? 1 intend ventilating them by bo-
ring a hole near the top and covering It with wire
cloth. T. B. Parker, Goldsboro, N. C. Oct. 6th, 1874.

We think the trouble is that they are getting
very thin honey or syrup from some source, so
thin in fact that it sours before they can ripen
it. More ventilation will probably help the
matter, but to make sure, we would remove
the cover entirely and let the sun shine direct-
ly on the bees and combs ; this will dry them
out and assist them in getting everything
sweet and clean. W© have had a similar troub-
le in feeding weak colonies a large amount of
very thin syrup.

Find out where they get these stores if you
can, and report. The superior industry of the
Italians sufficiently accounts for their being
the worst affected. Nothing can equal the
benefit of direct sunshine, for restoring either
plants or animals to vigor and health.

And now a word on the “Ivon weed” experiment.

I moved two colonies on the morning of the 5tli of
Aug., after extracting all the honey, to the prairie
referred to four miles oil'. Bv 9 o’clock’ A. 51. they w ere
as busy ns though they had not been disturbed, anil
by the 15th they had every thing filled. Having a line
Queen I wanted to take care of. I took a couple of
frames of young bees, brood etc., from these two hives,
and put into a new hive, caged the Queen and put her
in with them. In 86 hours 1 let her out, and now thev
are a good colony. 1 added other frames of brood
from the other colonies however. Now I have three
strong colonics that i have no doubt will winter safe-
ly. 1 did not extract any of this honev to test its
quality. Next fall X propose to utilize this prairie to
the extent of a barrel of honey, the season favoring.

Tills season has been considered a poor one for hon-
ey ns every person here depends upon box honev for
their supply, lint with an extractor it would have
been a tolerably fair one, the Basswood Yielding
abundantly. Win. 51. Cake.

West Independence, O. Oct. 7th, 1874.

Thunks for the item. We think you have
made a move in the right direction friend C'.
We have often admired the Iron weed ( Vern/t-
nin ) but have had no chance to try the honey.
May we petition for ajar of it if you succeed
next season ?

Can you give me one or two mimes of parties
who will pay the best price, cash, for box honey of
excellent quality— in 16 lit. boxes? We have about
1400 llis. of such.

We have increased this season from 27 to 50 colonies,
the 27 have made the honey above, besides 850 lbs. ex-

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov

130

tt acted. One colony gave 204 lbs. box honey and a
strong artificial swarm. Wc have no losses out-door®
In winter, no disease whatever. The honey is 1'rom
Blue Thistle and White Clover— of the former there
are hundreds of acres near us. O. M. Brown.

Winchester, Va. Sept. 29th, 1874.

Those who advertise for honey in our col-
umns, will we think take all you can produce.
The “Blue Thistle” must be of considerable
value, especially if it furnishes honey four
month* in the year. Even if it is a bad weed,
so long as Virginia farmers continue to grow
it, we hope the bee-keepers of that section will
endeavor to utilize the honey it produces, as
far as possible.

FRIEND NOVICE;— I have thought for some time
l would send you a report of this season’s operations,
and as we have got through extracting and looking
over the bees preparatory to winter, have now got at
it. We (T say we. for my wile' and I are in company
in this business, she does the work while I superin-
tend, being disabled,) have 52 colonies, just what we
had one year ago this time, and twelve more, than five
months ago. We put upper stories on 34 of our Lang-
strotli hives, put t wo colonies in Long Idea hives ami
four at making box honey. When white clover had
done blossoming we bad just one box of honey (6 lbs.),
and that was over half full from the year before.
They did better on buckwheat however, for we have
about 150 lbs. now. The thirty six we extracted from,
brought in about 4250 lbs., and all have enough to
winter on, perhaps more. From the clovers we got
1300 lbs., we have several acres of Alsike, and it is
splendid for bees, but Catnip for the amount of honey
per plant, beats anything I ever saw. If all the cat-
nip within range of our bees were gathered together, 1
don't think it would cover more than an acre of
ground; but he that as it may, from what there was,
our bees gathered sixty gallons that weighs over 12
lbs. to the gallon. I carry a little of the seed in my
pocket all the time and when I see waste places on
my 'farm that I think might as well be raising some
honey as not, I scatter a pinch of seed. It wilt grow
in fence corners or brush heaps lirst rate, and we are
going to make such places useful. If it will pay to
raise any plant for bees exclusively I think that plant
is catnip— have so much faith in it that 1 shall try
some next year at any rate.

The clovers are go'od, and catnip is good, but for a
sure thing give me buckwheat. It has not failed to
give a good crop of honey for seven years in success-
ion to my personal knowledge. The honey crop is
more certain than the seed; this year both are good.
We have on hand now over a ton of honey from that
source, and they gathered all their winter supplies
from it, which would he about 1500 lbs. more. Buck-
wheat honey is dark colored and is not worth quite as
much as clover, mine is lor sale at 12 cts. per lb. here,
barrels Included. Catnip 14c. It is as light colored as
clover but not of so good a flavor, at least in our opin-
ion.

And now Mr. Novice If you think we have done well,
take a good share of the credit to yourself, lor 1 verily
believe if it had not been for your so persistently ur-
ging bee-keepers to extract their honey we would
have been “fooling with box honey” yet.

J. L. WOLFENDEN, Adams, VVis. Oct. 13th, 1874.

May continued prosperity be the lot of both
you and your wife friend W. To you in your
misfortune ’twould seem that she is a “help-
meet” truly. May wc take the liberty to kind-
ly suggest that she in her ambition be not
allowed to do too much of the heavy work in
the Apiary. A few men in our land show the
effects of too much hard work, but far greater
is the number of wives and mothers that even
at an age that should be the prime of life, show
unmistakable evidences of too much care, and
alas too often also, the effects of work physic-
ally beyond their strength. Who lias not oc-
casionally contrasted the happy girl of 20,
with the worn out woman of 40 or 50.

We should really like to hear from Mrs. W.,
for we feel sure from the way you write that
she too has had a pleasant summer amid the
Vices. Scatter the catnip seed by all means.

We think it can never prove a troublesome
weed in any event.

Of course we can’t help admiring the way in whir-',
you keep things lively about that apiary of yours: a
we look in from month to month, we are forcibly V. -
minded of looking in on a hive ol' busy workers, at ih,-
commencement of the warm season": we never
things in statu quo, as the latins say, but lind that
great changes are made even in three days. We are
sorry you have got cider mixed with your winter feed,
but if you had enough of those combs sealed up in
August with sugar syrup, you will be all right yet.
We think we can winter almost anything but from
your description we don’t want any eider in our win-
ter stores.

J. 1\ Moore, Binghampton, N. Y. Oct. 12th, 1874.

We thank you for your good opinion friend
M., but we can hardly feci that we deserve
very much credit, when so many are going
way ah cad of us in increase of stock as
well as surplus honey. Wc try to console
ourselves by thinking if we do remain down
towards towards “the foot of class” we proba-
bly shall be nearer the mass of our readers
than if we were side by side with you and
Doolittle, who get more box honey than we do
extracted.

Don’t know hut 1 ought to say something about
bees if it has been a poor season lor honey, in conse-
quence of the most severe drouth ever known, even
by the “oldest inhabitant.” From 21 colonies have
taken 1700 lbs. honey and increased to 45 colonies.

Henry Farmer, Ilart, Mich.

Will not clean old rag carpets, if whole, do for bee
quilts? say two thicknesses— a strip of quilt might lie
put around the edges so that it would tuck down
better aud make tight, what think ye ?

Wesley Brown, Homer, >!. Y. Oct. 14th, 1874.

Old carpet does very well but they are more
apt to be so hard as to kill bees, and in tearing
them loose from the frames the propolis some-
times pulls out pieces that may thus get into
the honey. The requisite qualities in a quilt
seem to be softness, pliability, porosity and
strength. W c have made some experiments with
various fabrics but none seem to answer all
purposes so well as those we have described.
Coarse woolen would many times do were it
not for the fibres pulling out and making the
hive untidy, to say nothing of its getting into
the honey.

My report of Apiary is estimated at 2500 lbs. comb.
500 fbs. ext’d honey, and (5(5 swarms natural and arti-
flcial. Started to ’winter 48 hives, lost in winter, one,
in spring, one, leaving me 4(5 for the above result.

J. L. Davis, Delhi, Mich. Oct. 10th, 1871.

Now r am an old man verging on 72 and have, all
my days 1 may say, kept bees in different kinds of
box hives. I am now trying frame hives; my frames
are 12 inches deep by 10 long, but the thing that-
bothers me is, the bees work their comb across the
frames and also stick thorn to side of hive.

John Dawson, Pontiac, Mich. Aug. 23rd, 1871.

Have all combs built between two good ones
and also put a finished comb next the side of
the hive, if they persist in it. Some colonies
seem much more disposed than others to build
comb irregularly.

I think we shall have to put Gleanings on the list
of the tardy- I have not rec’d the Oct. No. yet.

J. Pratt, Mallet Creek, o. Oct. 13th, 1874.

Now friend P., and several others, we here-
by protest against being put on any such list,
for we have mailed every No. so far, promptly
on or before the 30th of each month, and we
beg you in future to conclude that the Post
j Office Dcp’t has failed, that the cars are off the
I track or that Uncle Sam lias suspended busi-

tS74

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

ness, but do not we implore you, intimate that
we have been so shiftless as to fail to mail
( ii.KANiNOS as heretofore. Should Novice get
sick, you can depend upon it that P. G. or
some one else will mail something, if it be no
more than a printed postal card informing you
what’s the matter. In other words we pledge
ourselves to let you hear something from us
the first of every month.

if you wish to “stir up” Novice, ask him on
a “postal” if any Gleanings was sent out for
Oct. or April as the case might be, “cause why”
you didn’t get any. That they are promptly
printed we are sure of but to avoid making a
single mistake in mailing, wc find more diffi-
cult for wc occasionally do blunder; but by
far the greatest source of mischief is the fail-
ure of subscribers to give the Counties. If you
don’t get every paper at the usual time, don’t
fail to drop a postal, and we will with pleasure
make it right no matter who is to blame, but
please don’t ask any more “if wc printed any.”

I thought some of trying Bidwell’s plan of winter-
ing. Fora beginner, have had excellent success du-
ring Hie summer— increasing from 4 stocks (purchased
"!' A. tfrlnun) to 12 Simplicities. Most of them contain
hut 8 frames.' Purchased 20, so they have built me
some BO combs. Took very little lioiiev (ext’d) as mv
aim was increase. Am fearful for winter, but will
"lake all necessary provision for the safety of the
valued little fellows.

(Jko. O. Scott, Dubuque, Iowa. Oct. 14tli, 1874.

\\ e are glad to know that Independence,
Iowa, can boast of pretty girls, as well as the
rest of the world. We were made aware of
the fact by a Stereoscopic view of his Apiary,
sent us by E. A. Sheldon. In going into an
Apiary we always see the girls first if there
■ ire any — those in the view may be all married
women for aught we know but that don’t
make a particle of difference; they have as
good a right to lie pretty as any body else.
And now we think of it bee-keeper’s wives are
generally remarkably pretty women, that is
when they are not afraid of the bees, if they are,
" c never see them — as we were saying wc al-
ways see tlie ladies first and the bee hives next,
*“? n if there’s a proprietor we generally make
ms acquaintance. In the above picture the
“haps that take our eye are the ones in their
shin sleeves. A bee-keeper certainly wants
his coat off when among the bees. The old
gentleman reading his paper in his arm chair,
as well as others scattered among the hives
throughout the Apiary seem perfectly uncon-
scious that bees can sting, and we presume
d ieutl Sheldon has so cared for them that such

tears are entirely unnecessary. We see extra
at ldth hives as well a.s hives of only half the
' Hlinary width, the latter presumably for
,iii‘i'n rearing, and the small trees planted so
ls 0 bullish a partial shade, give a very
cu tty effect to the whole Apiary. As our
“k'lul uses the extractor we venture to say
• ;.*i . Ils labors would be considerably lessened
his hives were grouped at more regular dis-
auces; also we would want the grass kept
little more in front of the hives. I-Iow-
1 ii, it lie gets a large yield of honey as it is,
fieri) aps it is just as well.

I K! "au'inth of the sun’s rays prcvei
■in-in ‘i u Iffi* combs in tlie cold franic
n r i,.,,. y so 1 should say the cold frame Is i
1 have been looking fur.

•JOS. A. Savage, Cincinnati, o. Oct. 2

m

We think it will without doubt. Our house
keeps everything as dry js it well can be, and
damp or mouldy combs dry out in the warm
sun and become sweet with the greatest facili-
ty. Our only trouble at present is to have the
bees get back into their hives. Very likely
Mr. Bidwell’s plan of having the sash only il or
4 feet from the ground would insure the bees
all getting back better, but that, they should
all find their own hives seems to us very im-
! probable.

What is your advice in case bees have uo pollen i:i
their hives ? Will feeding Rye Hour during winter
wlien they fly out be sufficient ?

W. F. Coats, Columbus, Ind.
Wc hardly know that we have any advice to
offer at present. Bees will not work on the
meal in the winter unless we have weather
! quite warm and pleasant ; such as we usually
have here in March or April. Wc have known
them however, to work on meal briskly in
Feb., but seasons permitting much of it are
unusual. If wc could make the plan mention-
ed last mouth, of getting them to carry in
meal under glass, work, we would be all right.
There are plenty of days during March and
Apri I which furnish ample sunshine, if wc
could only’ keep off the cold winds. Our bees
will pay no attention to the meal under the
glass at present. We have written Mr. Pal-
mer for further particulars of his experiment.

DEAR NOVICE : I wintered 32 hives, lost one In
winter and the rest were all in condition to become
strong stocks by tlie end of May. In April we had
one day they could fly out in full liberty, the rest were
so cold that it was only at mid-day that some ventured
to come out; no bees could get n't the meal until tlie
hrst ol May and iu tlie whole they did not store five
ounces per hive. The Queens were so enclosed that
they laid eggs from I to (1 iu a single cell; in the lirst
week of May the lirst pollen was seen, then we bait
four very line days; honey and pollen were brought
iu at a bright rate and the Queens spread iu :i to 4
combs. Pollen was brought in until whole combs
were titled with it. To-day, one mouth later, my bees
are worse than two months ago; the old bees are* gone,
the young bees are more than needed for the brood
work, and honey is so scarce that I am feeding every
day. Instead of being strofcg by the first of June they
are nearly all weak.

in three of my hives Iliad inserted empty combs,
the Queens lilted them and I at once gave three cheers
lor tlie new idea hives, but alas, to-dav several whole
combs are deserted ; young larva are dried up and the
Queens, remain on one side playing their old April
tricks of laying :1 to 8 eggs in a single cell. Instead of
pushing the combs apart aud inserting empty combs 1
now contract them, -with division hoard in place etc.
With strong stocks and ordinary seasons we know
very well what to do, hut in a season like this one, we
certainly need all our brains and they need he sound.

I have two straw hives of Elizabeth's time and those
stand best in numbers in flight and weight. I have
some fears that we bother too much with our bees, it
may tic that we would he better off if we prepared the
hives at the commencement of tlie season with good
worker combs and let the Queens manage their own
affairs. I have lost this far tl stocks and have 4 very
weak ones on hand. What 1 want to know is this,
has mi y one tried setting his stocks in ids bee house in
April, wanning H to summer temperature and stimu-
lating by daily feeding, and other care, ami how did
they litre ? I shall try it next year. What we need is
brood iu early April, the more the better. On this
depends all. 1 intend to make three or four New Idea
litres in August and shall insert a division ill the mid-
dle and have a laying Queen in each side, in October
shall kill one Queen, and winter the rest; If this is not
well then 1 go hark to “Elizabeth’s time.”

Joseph Duefelek, Wequlook, Wis.
Tour experience chimes with our own ex-
actly friend D. if something cannot he done
to enable us to rear brood iu March and April
even during bad weather, we certainly cannot
accomplish the best results possible.

132

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Nov

REAR NOVICE:— Last year I bought two young
colonies of hybrids, bringing each home in the ^ve-
iling of the day on which it swarmed. One stayed,
the other “cut sticks” the woods, next day. The
contented one nearly tilled its hive by fall, when I
took out one frame or honey and equalized the distan-
ces between the others, and laying two grooved
sticks across them for passages for the bees, put on
the quilt, leaving oil' the cap, and put them in the
cellar. They came out in good condition in the spring,
and a large swarm issued on the 18th of June; and
supposing that to be glory enough for one year, I es-
sayed to destroy all but one of the Queen cells, but
found the “sell 4 ’ to be the other way, as another swarm
rushed out in due time, when I again examined all
the frames while the swarm hung from a bough, finil-
ing several cells more, and thinking it a sure thing
this time, returned the swarm to the old hive. But in
a day or two a swarm sallied forth somewhat larger
than the other, when 1 gave up “beat” and hived
them. They vied with the other colonies in numbers
and industry.

On the 18th of July, finding the old hive pretty w r cll
tilled, I took out the frame which was returned in the
spring empty, but now tilled with white clover honey,
replaced it again empty, and adjusted a set of small
frames for surplus, made according to directions of
Mr. Burch in B. K. 3/., of last year. And as the iirst
swarm had almost kept pace with the old one, I pla-
ced boxes the same way over that, furnished with
nieces of nice comb by way of a gentle hint for the
bees, expecting both frames and boxes to be tilled
with the sweets of clover, as the pastures and road-
side were profusely be-decked with its nectar-bearing
flowers. It was confidently believed at any rate, as
both colonies had already so nearly tilled the bodies
of their hives, that when lluckwhcat burst into bloom
the receptacles would no longer remain empty, as
some two acres of that mellilerous plant had been
sown within 100 rods, while no other bees were nearer
than a mile, and but 5 or G stands within bee distance.

But no signs of labor hail appeared in the consecra-
ted receptacles when your Aug. number came to
hand containing the following sentence: “If our
friend will excuse the liberty, we would advise him to
nut his surplus receptacles where neither lie nor his
bees will ever see them more.” This had reference to
a verdant question of mine about, receptacles, and
was a severe damper on my faith, but which I find to
have been sound advice, as the receptacles are still
empty, Sept. 15, and the buckwheat nearly played out;
but as what we call Spanish needles— the pest of the
corn Held- -are in full blast and the bees after them, I
will let the frames and boxes alone a few days longer,
that the bees may remain the party found wanting.

The bees have persisted in lounging about the en-
trances in large numbers, a few have been moping
through the frames and boxes, and I know not how
many have been inside, sanctimoniously “loafing
around the throne.”

Should my bees survive the coming winter, I intend
to transfer the old colony to a hive like those occu-
pied by the young ones, thus having all frames of
a uniform size and shape, and send to you for an ex-
tractor to match.

Stephen Young, Mcchanicsville, Iowa.

From the dollar Queen 1 got of you last fall, I have
raised 60 Queens the past season, and each one
is a duplicate of its mother, and not one of
them produces a black bee, with thousands of black
and hybrid drones around. The same Queen produ-
ced 120 lbs. of box honey the past season besides.
Also add for Adair’s special benefit that all her wings
are cut close to her body and that she lias five legs, as
the bees “hugged” her in June so she drew one leg
behind her and I cut it off to have it out of the way.
Would not take $25.00 for her to-day.

G. 31. Doolittle, Borodino, N. Y. Oct. 5th, 1874.

Some of the Journals, (the World especially)
seem to have had grave doubts of the possibility
of the dollar Queens proving equal to the high-
er priced ones, and considerable pains has been
taken to caution the public against them.
That Queens hatched by artificial heat would
prove fully equal to others, of course we had
no means of determining only by experiment ;
accordingly we have anxiously awaited reports
from them. Not a single unfavorable one has
come to hand that we know of, and the one
mentioned by Mr. Quinby in Sept. No., as well
as the one above, were both hatched in the

Lamp nursery, for we sold no others.

Eighty-eight stocks Italians, all full, from 17, J\n ■
1st. Every Queen's wing clipped. Raise Queen , ,
soon as she lavs, flit up with combs— brood Inn.,
strong hives— Champion hives.

E. l). Godfrey, Red Oak, low

The above came on half a postal card, lnt;
we presume our practical bpekeepers will ilnd
it perfectly intelligible. Pretty well done even
if there was no surplus, was it not?

C. Wurster of Kleinbnrg, Ontario, Canada,
writes quite a lengthy article detailing his loss
of Queens, while extracting, and in spite of
various precautions. He says :

I lost one or two Queens from 1G storks at every
operation. 1 extract every three days; In the midst
of <i llow of honey giving from 5 to 15 lbs. per hive, per
day, this is no small loss as yon well know.

We certainly do know, for in our earlier ex-
periments we did lose a few, perhaps three or
four in a season, out of 40 colonies. The sea-
son after, we made up our mind that this must
be remedied, and accordingly, put our hives
directly on the ground, cleaned away all grass
and turf, and with sawdust, fixed each hive so
that no crack or crevice remained that a Queen
or young bee could by any mistake crawl into.
Since then we have lost almost none at all
while extracting, and yet we never see the
Queen while handling the combs for this pur-
pose unless by accident. Opening hives when
there is a great disposition to rob, is liable
to cause demoralization of the colony and even
loss of the Queen ; so of late we have only
worked our extractor when the bees seemed
peaceable. When much robbing is going on,
you can take it for granted that hut little hon-
ey is being gathered, and therefore ’tis as well
to give up extracting for the time being.

Friend W. inquires why it is that others say
uothing of similar troubles; we opine ’tis be-
cause they have their hives arranged as we
have mentioned. Having hives very close
together, will often result in loss of Queens,
simply because in extracting, some bees will
crawl into the wrong hive, and attack the
Queen before being aware that their unusual
upsetting has changed their locality.

We have been inclined the past season to
decide that nearly all the parricidal attacks
which have been so frequently mentioned in
the Journals, have been caused by bees from
hives that were placed too near, getting in by
mistake, and that the stinging is after all not
parricide.

We remarked this, on finding Queens thus
attacked most frequently, where we used douls
le hives with the entrances near each other,
and especially where we used wire cloth divis-
ion boards. We are inclined to think the
trouble with friend W’s bees much owing to
his having placed his hives too near each otli
erf; we judge this because he says the trouble
was the same, even when the frame contain-
ing, the Queen was left in the hive without
extracting. With hives arranged as far apart
as they are given in the Hexagonal Apiary, we
think no such trouble will be experienced.

When they are first set out in the spring,
there is quite a tendency for them to get into
neighboring hives, and accordingly we ha"
quently hear of bees hugging or killing then
Queens at such seasons.

DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO BEES AND ECONEV

VoiTlL ~~ DECEMBER 1, 1874. No. XII.

HOW TO CONDUCT AN Al’I A 1£ V

No. 12.

‘-Ty'-ERY many of our subscribers in different
yj localities write us they have never lost
any bees in winter from any cause other than
starvation, and these fortunate people some of
them so far ignore the statements coming from
their less fortunate brothers, as to declare they
don’t believe bees ever do die, where they have
food in abundance. Other writers have de-
clared that small colonies are the trouble and
that they don’t believe a colony with plenty of
bees and sufficiency of food over dies whether
in-doors or out. Now although these have
never had any personal experience with this
serious drawback in wintering, with hives
having plenty of bees and ample stores, would
it not behoove them to carefully read the re-
ports of the sufferers, and “go slow” in deciding
where the whole trouble lies.

Were we to judge solely from our own local-
ity, we should in many things be led to think
differently from what we do when we take the
reports from the country at large. Although
isolated cases seem occasionally to point
strongly in favor of out-door wintering, the
testimony when summed up is very strongly
in favor of housing in a frost proof repository ;
bees having many times survived when thus
cared for, in localities where almost all others
were swept off. So many bee houses arc in use
not really frost proof , that good cellars have
rather given the best results. We really are
not sure that a bee house can be so construct-
ed above ground as to be as perfectly free from
change of temperature as those in part, or en-
tirely underground. When we dig down to a
certain depth, entirely below the reach of the
frost for instance, we find the ground almost
of a uniform temperature the year round.
This temperature is fortunately between 40 and
l-i'\ in fact, just what we need to keep our bees
in that semi-torpld state in which the consump-
tion of honey is reduced to an amount so small
ihat we often hear it stated that they consume
none at all ; they also seem to awaken in spring
h'oin this torpor (when the proper condition is
maintained) almost in the same state so far as
age is concerned as when they went in. This
m fact used to be all that was required, and
some contend that ’tis all that is required still,
but we think this position will have to be
given up. Since our wintering troubles, Quin-
>y We believe, and some others have suggested
inat all that is required, is to keep them a little
warmer, say from 45 to 50“ , or even as high as
•’'i'’ ; such a condition for instance as we have

in a cellar directly underneath the family sil-
ting room. We believe many experiments have
decided that this don’t do either, and in faei
nothing ever has amounted to a “row of pins"
if we may be all owed the expression, except line
weather that allowed the bees to fly. All agree
without exception that as soon as we have set-
tled warm weather, allowing the bees to fly
and gather pollen, all mortality ceases, and
even the weakest nuclei, can in June and July
be built up to strong colonies. Hence the po-
sition that, if bees are perfectly healthy in warm
weather, cold must be the cause of the malady.

Our bee house cost us over $200.00 and yet
it isn’t frost proof unless it contains 40 or 50
good colonies ; again, if we have several days
of quite warm weather, -it is impossible to keep
it cool enough to have the bees stay in their
hives, unless we should carry in lumps of ice
as has been recommended. Yet friend Blake-
slee says he feels sure he could keep bees safely
in his cellar any day in the year, the tempera-
ture being nearly the same both winter and
summer. Now comes the question; if cellars
are better, why not use them? The principal
objection we know of is that they are generally
remote from the hives and are often inconveni-
ent of access, besides they should be kept per-
fectly dark and this necessitates dividing off an
apartment by some kind of a partition — thick
paper does very well — and this often encroach-
es on the space needed for the family vegetables
etc. Besides we want our wintering house to
serve for a honey room in the summer. I n view
of all these items we arc going to suggest a
wintering house built partly underground, and
covered entirely with 18 inches or two feet of
dry earth. We have just built such a room as
an addition to our small hot house, and the en-
tire expense of it, labor and all, was not dne
fourth that of our bee house. Where it is nec-
essary to economize it can be made to answer
very well for a honey house, and will be nice
and cool for summer work. Get live pieces of
4x4 pine or hemlock scantling, 16 feet long.

Cut them in two exactly in the middle, on a
bevel, so that their ends will lit together rafter
fashion at the tops while the bottoms are just
12 feet apart. In the accompanying diagram

134

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

which is drawn on a scale of inch to the
foot, A, A, are these rafters resting on posts
B, B, made almost 3 feet long. These latter
should be sharpened and driven into the floor
of our room about G inches, this will leave
them feet high on the iuside, and as they
are to be level with the general average of the
ground F, F, on the outside, our room is sup-
posed to set in the ground about feet. C,
is a piece of 3x4 scantling strongly spiked
across A, A, just high enough up to allow the
proprietor to walk under, unless we can afford
to make a little extra provision for visitors, a
matter depending somewhat ou our resources.
When this is done, get some cheap pine boards
(ours cost only $18.00 per >1.) and nail on the
inside, at both top and sides. Use 10 penny
nails and nail strong. When this is done put
earth overhead and at the sides, G, G, G, at
least 18 inches thick. Then cover all with a
shingled or board roof something like D. I),
I), D. If short bits of boards are nailed from
the rafters A, to the rafters D, at frequent in-
tervals, the whole structure will have some-
thing the strength of an arched bridge. The
dimensions of the room inside on the floor
E, E, are 10x13 feet; it will hold 100 ordinary
hives. .In case the Bid well process proves a
success, and it bids fair to prove so, you can
at any future time add on a similar structure
to either the east or west end, having the south
roof all glass. This is to be used as a voiding
room when colonies become diseased before
the weather is suitable to put them out.

We need hardly add that provision must be
made to keep such a room perfectly dry. If
the land lies in such a way as to render it
likely that water will soak under the walls, it
will be necessary to cut a deep ditch all around
it, and to provide a good underdrain.

P. 8. — We would nail the boards on the in-
side to prevent bumping our heads against the
rafters. The whole expense of materials need
not exceed $10.00, and not more than $15.00
more, if the apartment with glass be added.
Double doors afford access, and the outside one
is to be made like an outside cellar door.

In our Nov. No. ot last year we mentioned
having prepared nine colonies for winter on
their summer stands. These belonged to Dr.
J. II. Salisbury, Cleveland, O. As we remark-
ed then, we did nothing but to equalize the
stfires of some, removing all honey and combs
ni upper stories, and covering the frames with
nothing but their accustomed quilts, ma-
king no provision at all for any more ventila-
tion than is afforded under the cover of the
Simplicity hives. These bees all wintered fine-
ly. No dead bees, no trace of dysentery, and
no particular weakening down in the spring,
yet they stood unprotected on the summit of a
hill, exposed to blasts from Lake Erie of such
force as to render it necessary to keep a couple
of bricks on the Simplicity cover to prevent
their being blown off. Now why did these
bees winter well and come out with their
combs all so clear and bright? Had we used
straw mats, or given some peculiar ventila-
tion. or had them in somebody’s patent hive
embodying some great discovery or other,
what an excellent chance here would be for a
testimonial. We are very happy to say how-
ever, that there was nothing at all peculiar in

Dec.

their management. Nothing unusual was
found in the hives, unless it was that the hon-
ey was all nicely sealed up. So far as we can
recollect, and we noted all conditions care-
fully, the whole of the nine hives contained
almost no unsealed stores. The Doctor declares
he gave them no attention after we pronounced
them all in order.

We have just been out to prepare the same
Apiary for winter again. They ext’d about 100
lbs. of honey from the nine, in June or July,
and made seven artificial colonies ; the whole
1G are in the same condition as we found them a
year ago, unless it be that they have more
honey. The hives are too full ; almost every
space being filled up solid. One hive only, we
thought might possibly need a comb from one
of the others, and in lifting a comb out, we
broke into one side of the cluster which was
in the form of a perfect Sphere, and perhaps a
foot in diameter, — the day being rather cool-
now the bees that we unceremoniously pulled
out, at first seemed to be dead — for all the
world like a nest of ants, such as we some-
times And ir. splitting timber in Jan. — but soon
began to move feebly, and finally stirred around
until they revived enough to show they were
hybrids. These bees were dormant, or very
nearly so ; they were so densely packed and
knotted, that it seemed as though separating
the combs would tear them in two. The tem-
perature was then perhaps a little below 50°.
Is it not possible that if they could be kept at
just about that point until next April, they
would winter without food? The way in
which they were packed in the empty cells
from which brood had emerged renders it
seemingly impossible that they could move
about to get food, unless the cluster greatly
enlarged. 'We feel sure that at least one of
the requisites for such successful wintering,
is being fed early, that their stores may be all
sealed. Perhaps another is that after they get
thus nested, they be not roused up in cool
weather, as friend Bolin has suggested. Is it
not likely that after being stirred up, they
commence eating and then perhaps get a de-
rangement of the — ahem, “bowels?”

The Doctor certainly has very little trouble
with his bees, yet they are increasing yearly at
a rate that begins to look serious to him, as lie
only proposed to get enough honey for family
use from the three stocks lie procured in 1873.

Now here is a point: his time is too much
occupied to atteud to so many himself. No
one can be hired to extract the honey when it
should be done, as ,he has proved by actual
trial. The principal crop of honey seems to be
from the Autumn Flowers, perhaps principally
from the Goldeu rod, as we decided by the fla-
vor of several “chunks" gouged out of some ot
the most tempting looking combs with our
pocket knife. The honey is very thick, of a
rich golden color, and of flavor — well, prepar-
ing an Apiary for out-door wintering as we do
it is not a very unpleasant task. As usual we
forgot our point which was this: that during
the cool autumn weather, bees will not store
honey in an upper story as they will in coinos
at one side, for we find f lic lower story cram-
med full. Again if the Doctor had had Stand-
ard hives instead of Simplicities would he no
have had 20 combs filled with honey, or neai j

1874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

135

that, instead of 10 ? We think lie would, judg-
ing from appearances.

The Doctor’s wife furnished a moral to this
long story by relating that by great care she
had succeeded in rearing about 200 chickens
at one time in the spring. As they were valu-
able stock she gave them extra care until they
began to die at the rate of a pailful a day;
finally she became discouraged and in despair
concluded they might all “slide.” “Slide” they
did into the woods and pastures, and by
“scratching for themselves” or for some other
reason, they became strong and healthy, and
no more died.

For fear some of our friends may accuse us
of being contradictory we will say that we
understand Old Dame Nature means us to read
the moral thus : “Be diligent industrious and
faithful, but beware how you by mistaken
kindness upset the natural course of thiugs.”
Attempting to rear brood in a Green house
may be like the “chickens” so perhaps our
friends had better wait until we have tried
“Glass” one season before they invest much
in it.

P. S. — The colonies mentioned were not par-
ticularly strong, in fact two or three were
rather weak in numbers; had there been a
cider mill near by, in full blast four months in
the year, as there is near us, we opine ’twould
somewhat disturb their “torpidity.”

• J. G. Sough of Shelby, O., has just paid us a
visit and among other things, mentioned that
a neighbor had a barrel of cider that was leak-
ing, and as the bees seemed willing to save it,
lie allowed them to do so, but to “save” the
bees after this diet, was more than he was
adequate to.

^ l | l »

[For Gleanings.]

THE SECRET OF GETTING SURPLUS
IlONEY.

II Y G. M. DOOLITTLE.

^(^JiUIEND NOVICE We sec from your remarks
,<N J under our report in Nov. No. that you, and per-
"j haps most oi the readers of Gleanings, are la-
boring under a mistake in regard to our increase.
You will see by referring to said report that the 3(571
lbs. box honey was taken from 37 old stocks in the
spring, and a part of our increase came from them and
were boxed oi course. Now for our method with our
small hives holding 0 Gallup frames, and we would use
no larger. In the spring (as soon as the llrst of April),
we Jill our caps with straw pressed in with a follower
as tight as our weight (which is 243 lbs.) will press it.
This brings the straw on the quilt pressing it lirmly on
the frames and by the next day, if we raise the cap
and put our hand between the quilt and straw, it will
feel somewhat like putting it in an oven, while with-
out the straw the quilt is as cold as a stone. This sets
the Queen to laying and the bees will hatch the eggs
unless we have winter all the while, as we did last
spring. Now if you know each stock has a Queen ana
plenty of honey,' let them alone until pollen becomes
plenty which is with us, from the llrst to the tenth of
■May, then go to each hive, and if the bees will bear
spreading a little more without danger of chilling the
brood, take a frame of honey from tne outside, break
the sealing by passing a knife flatwise over it, and
put it in the centre of brood nest. In ten days go over
with them again and so on and when warm weather
comes, in June, go over with them every four days
putting one frame in the centre each time, and you
will And the Queen will Jill it every four days besides
keeping all the empty cells filled which are daily va-
cated by maturing brood. By the way, I his has proved
more satisfactory to us than any or all the methods
given for feeding to stimulate "brood rearing. Don’t
commence to spread the brood unless you are willing
to <lo all in your power lor the well being of your bees,
we have known a certain bee-keeper to carry all
swarms that he in any way suspected would suffer

from over spreading, during a cold snap, into a warm
room until it became warm again. But to return, by
the2otli of June, every available cell should be filled
with brood and the liive full of bees. By this time
white clover is at its higlit and if your bees swarm
they do well, and those that don’t swarm do better. If
they arc getting honey to any amount put boxes on
all tbat do not show signs of swarming in a few days,
but keep the boxes off the rest, unless they are getting
honey quite freely. At this season of the year we al-
ways' like to put boxes on when the hive is so full of
brood, and the bees so anxious for some place to put
honev, that they will commence putting honey in the
llrst "boxes before we have the last ones on. When
basswood appears put on all boxes, and by this time
your new swarms should have their hives two-thirds
full of comb, and the old stocks their young Queen
just commencing to lay. Those that have not swarm-
ed will have some boxes ready to take off, and will
get nearly as much honey alter this as the old ami
new together if they had swarmed. It is no trick at
all to get8 lbs. of honey put in boxes in a day if you
have your hive full of brood and bees, and honey is
plenty. They have got to put it in the box or nowhere.
Gallup gave us the secret in the A. li. J. years ago
when he said “get the bees and they will get’ the hon-
ey if there is any to be had.” Keep an eye out, anil
do things in the right time.

If we nail waited (5 or 8 days longer this year before
putting on our boxes we should have got nothing.
We have come to this conclusion in regard to profit in
bee-keeping and consider it perfectly safe ; that each
old stock in the spring that has a quart of bees will
make 80 lbs. of box honey if the season is good. If
they swarm the two will make that, and if they do not
they certainly will. One man can with ease tend one
hundred stocks worked for box honey. Now allowing
every other season a poor season, so’ that the bees do
nothing, (if they make some honey you sell it to buy
sugar to feed them with) and you have two tons of
honey for each year. Twenty five cts. is the lowest
price for nice box honey so you will have $1000 each
year as an income. I am speaking of an Apiarian
whose knowledge is equal to 100 stocks and not of one
to whose knowledge two stocks are equal.

Borodino, N. Y. Nov. 10th, 1874.

P. S.-We never saw basswood secrete honey as it
did this year. By taking two stems of blossoms and
joining them in the palm of vonr hand you could
turn 3 or 4 good thick drops of Honey out of it.

Many thanks friend D., but we fear wc have
not more than a half dozen readers who can
accomplish the result you mention with box
honey , simple as it appears as you state it.
We have repeatedly tried nearly the same plan
and yet have now only half filled or empty boxes.
We have used straw over the quilts but not
pressed down, which is very likely an impor-
tant point. Why not keep this packed straw —
which is equivalent to a straw mat and much
cheaper — on the hive all winter as well ?

BEE-KEEPING^ CALIFORNIA.

1IY GKO. 11. WALLACE.

M I. ROOT & Co. Since my arilvul hero one
year ago, fhavo not had the pleasure of read-
ing Gleanings and now my thirst for old
friends is my apology for this missive.’ One year ago
1 arrived here with’ 4 Italian Queens in Langstroth
nuclei. Wintered them and with the help of an apia-
ry here, I succeeded in rearing one or more Queens
every month during the winter. In March I started
business with 48 stands of bees laboring against many
unfavorable circumstances, such as the want of sur-
plus hives etc. In consequence many a line swarm
took leave for the tops of the mountains. Now for the
result: 1 have taken over six tons of choice honey by
extracting and now have between 30 and 40 hives, two
stories and full, but will leave them until another year
strengthens my courage. We have now formed a Go.
of three persons and have 300 stands; have 3 apiaries,
each containing 100 stands and have built long sheds
covered with shakes, and wide enough to contain two
rows of hives which front outward on each side with 5
ft. alley in centre for wheel room. We have employed
a cooper to make 2T>0 bis. of Fir timber, which we think
will not require to be waxed. If you desire I may at
some time give a description of the manner of handling
bees in this country. Send paper to Arrow Head
Mountain Bee Go., San Bernaruino, Cal., Nov. 0th, 1874.

13G

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dec.

017 It OWN APIAKY.

'.ffljVEN with the curtain clown, the heat has
ffijj ] been so great to-day (Oct. 29th) that we
made a door of wire cloth and now begin to
think the sole cause of the bees dying may
have been the high temperature. The t'ollow-
in<r note from friend Palmer corroborates this
view.

The colony under glass seemed to “thrive” until it
eras warm enough lor those outside. to gather pollen.
When the thermometer indicated 20" in the shade
outside it marked 50* to 55* under the glass; when it
was 50’ outside it was sir to no inside. Then the bees
commenced to die and 1 let them out. Is it any won-
der the bees died in 00” of heat and no fresh air?

Thanks for the picture. H. PALMER.

Hart, Mich. Oct. 26th, 1874.

Non. 2nd — We have at length had a day so
cold, that the temperature out doors even in
the sun, was not such as to induce bees to fly,
and the green house does much better. In fact
the bees now scarcely touch the glass, and yet
they work on the meal almost as lively as if
twere'spring. The strong stocks are rearing
brood nicely, but the cool nights have spoiled
all but the eggs in our pet nucleus.

The house is too hot days, but too cold nights;
to obviate this, we are about to build on at the
end, so as to more than double its capacity, yet
using the same sash which is about OfixVS.
Every part of it except the glass is to be cov-
ered with a thickness of about 18 inches of dry
earth to prevent frost from penetrating ; and to
keep all dry it has an additional protection of
shingle roof over all except the sash. We ex-
pect this large body of air will when once
warmed to about 70", — we now think the tem-
perature should never much exceed 70" when
bees are confined to a room — keep warm
all night, especially if the glass is also protec-
ted at night by a curtain. The dimensions
inside are now to be about 12x24 and (» feet in
bight. We think it advisable to have the
room as low as it can be consistent with com-
fort, while working among the bees ; for the
same reason a flat ceiling over head is to be
preferred, as the bees collect in the ridge, and
the warm air rising makes it so hot as to be
quite unhealthy for them, while they only
struggle to regain the open air.

H e arc making preparations to put our bees
in their winter quarters before cold and stormy
weather, the hives are dry now, and the bees
seem quite healthy.

Sixty eight colonies now, counting nuclei
and all. One of those under the glass was
found Queenless, caused probably by bees from
other hives getting in by mistake when first
put in. We united it with a nucleus, but their
artificial abode yet so nearly approximates na-
ture that we found the Queen in the midst of a
ball of bees on the bottom board an hour after.
8ho was promptly caged and now all seems
well.

Jfov. 3rd — Our bees are all housed for the
winter, except a few weak ones that are to be
domiciled in the green house. We would like
to say they are all nicely housed, and we sup-
pose our readers of course presume we did
everything just right. To be frank, we only
succeeded in getting through with the first 20
colonies when we set out to cut winter passa-
ges. Remodeling and enlarging the Green
House has taken much of our time and — we

concluded to let the rest go.

Why do we house them so early? Well,
principally because the hives are dry and nice
to handle; they seem very quiet, and have had
their stores all nicely sealed for some time, and
we thought it might be well to get them in
before damp and stormy weather.

We have left on their quilts just as they
were in summer and carried in bottom-boards
and all, that we might disturb them as little
as possible. Quinby advises that they be
housed so quietly that they will know nothing
about it. This we started out to do, but some
of the hybrids found out more of what was
going on than was really comfortable to one’s
feelings. The weak ones— and a large propor-
tion really are weak again in spite of us — were
docile enough it is true, but the heavy colonies
of hybrids are rather averse to being disturbed.
We know of no reason why our colonies should
dwindle down as they do in the fall unless ’tis
the cider mill, and we shall in the future have
no more of this trouble we really believe,
P. G.’s cloth curtains having proved a perfect
remedy, yet great numbers were lost before
they were used.

Oct. 3th — Although we have had a couple of
remarkably warm days for Nov., our bees
seem as quiet as one could wish, and by the
way there is something unusual about them
this fall in this respect. For instance: iq
building our Green House, two hives that
stood handy, were used as “saw horses” to
hold lumber, and as the sawing did not seem
to disturb them, we even ventured to nail inch
pine boards together on top of these laves. In-
credible as it may seem, not a bee showed his
“phiz;” to assure ourselves they were alive we
raised the quilt and there they were, full blood
Italians, grandchildren of our Imported Queen,
and they were so densely packed that it almost
seemed they would never get “untangled.”
After we had looked at them a moment in
amazement, they began to rouse up with a be-
haviour that seemed to say, “what in the ‘dick-
ens’ do you want of us this cool weather?”

A man that we have in our employ to “dig”
(toe can dig some alone, but when a “very big
hole” is required we — that is — some how
“ ’tothcr man” seems to be the most profitable)
insists that our bees this fall really are. adiffer-
ent kind, or they would never stand hammer-
ing on the hives iu that way. How is it kind
readers ? is it the new importation, or lias the
sealed stores given them in Aug. and Sept.,
something to do with it ? or is it both? Now
while we were putting them in the house we
probably calculated on this sublime indiffer-
ence to this world’s “bumps” and as it was
almost dark — by the way do you know that it
sometimes “gets dark” at provokingly inoppor-
tune times? — but we finished putting them in.
As we were obliged to hold the entrance
against us in setting them on the upper shelves,
two or three of the hybrid colonies which were
very full of bees and correspondingly “sassy,
“biled' out.” It was too dark to see them
plainly, but from the neighborhood of our
waist there came a peculiar hissing sound, la-
miliar to most of our readers, plainly Indicating
that they were anything but “dormant.” Were
we stung? Well really, as we went on with
our work after brushing them off with a broom,

1874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

137

■wc can hardly remember. Ilad it been day-
light we should have saved the bees, but as it
was we regretted far more, being obliged to
hill the over zealous little fellows, than any
injury they did us. We really do hope some-
thing will turn up to do away with “lugging”
hives about at any season of the year. An
•examination of the Bee House since shows all
.quiet again. In fact it is hard to believe the
u'oom contains any living thing at all, when
we enter on tip toe in the night time. This
really seems like the year we first built the
house. We lost none then..

The bees in the Green House now work
beautifully on the meal, and one hive shows
perhaps 50 square inches of scaled brood. Af-
ter they have hatched out perfect bees we arc
<n>ing to sail our hat higher than it ever went
before. If our readers should hear any thing
unusual about Nov. 15th or 20th, they can
conclude it was probably Novice giving three
cheers for the successful solution of Problem
No. Nineteen.

A few bees got out at the door to-day when
we went in for something ; supposing these lost,
we thought no more about it, but toward night
seeing some bees about the door we opened it
and let them in, and sure enough they flew in
immediately to their respective hives.

Just think of it : It may be that we after all
shall be under no necessity of having the sash
removable, but shall only be obliged to open
the door to our Green House whenever the
weather will admit of their going abroad ; still
further, is it positively among the impossibili-
ties that a small door may be so arranged that
it can be left open at all seasons allowing the
bees to work abroad or in doors according to
their own “sweet will,” for we really do dislike
making prisoners of any animated thing, and
bees most of all? We really feel that we are
but "groping in the dark” in this business, yet
as light is daily coming we will try to be con-
tent. Help would be quite acceptable, and we
should welcome with pleasure the result of
any similar experiments.

We found our hybrid Queen safely introdu-
ced to-day and had we not already spun out
such a very long yarn we would tell about the
remarkably large white eggs she lays. As it
is, we’ll say nothing about them now, butlhey
really are remarkably large. By the way her
bees, — nearly black hybrids — have an “aston-
ishingly” cool way ol giving a body decidedly
pungent stings for no offense in the world ex-
cept “jest trying to get a peep” at the aforesaid
-arge white eggs.

Don’t you believe we’re tired ? Besides wri-
ting all this gossip, we have been at work
since daylight on the extension to the Green
House ; nailing boards over our head until our
nick ached, working all doubled up in cramp-
ed places with insufficient “understanding,”
scratching ones’ head when it is already lull
of saw-dust and dirt, in the vain attempt to
decide how a Green House should be made for
bees, when there's not a mortal on the face of
the earth who has ever heard of such a thing
before, (nor since for that matter). Can’t we
say good night now? Blue Eyes was
asleep hours ago dreaming perhaps that it’s
“too bad” that “Rapa so busy” he couldn’t even
hclpjier up When she “fa’d down” over his

“naughty boards” when she went out to see
him work.

Noe. 1th — We opened the door again this
morning and very soon the bees deserted the
glass and rushed out and in at a great rate.
After an hour’s exercise in the open air — it is
as warm as June — they go back contented, and
work on the meal with more avidity than any
day before, this fall. They have also eaten or
carried away nearly a whole sweet potato-
see Heads oi' Grain — but we were so busy we
did not even see how they did it. In our work
of enlarging the structure we uncovered the
whole room in the afternoon, and finally had
the hives so covered with boards, and timber,
carpenter’s tools, spades shovels etc., that it
was a wonder indeed that a bee could ever
identify any trace of their usual home, yet to
our astonishment they labored as happily as if
nothing was amiss; and even repelled some
black robbers vigorously toward night that
proposed to share their “meal and potatoes.”

Nov. 12th — As sure as you are alive nice
young Italians are hatching out! Wings arc
as good, and all else apparently as perfect as
bees reared entirely under the broad canopy of
heaven.

If it were not for the bees that still die dai-
ly from trying to get out, we fear we should be
about as happy as we ever expect to be in this
world. “Cause why ?” When fruit trees arc
in bloom next spring, we could then have each
individual hive ready to sicann if we chose,
and then each would perhaps give 500 lbs. or

more, and 68 times 500 is but they do die as

yet though not quite as fast as the new ones
hatch, so we will keep hopeful.

Nov. 23 th — We have made many experiments
since our last, have torn down and built up,
moved the sash, changed its angle of obliquity
etc. etc., but with no good result toward keep-
ing the bees from clustering on it worth men-
tion, until we raised the sash so nearly level
that the south side is only ouc foot lower than
the north. Mr. Burch was certainly right, yet
we could see no reason for it until we had
made the experiment ; it seems that bees like
all winged insects and birds, in their flights
for exercise, swing around on circles nearly
level with the horizon. They may ascend or
descend, spirally, but find it very inconvenient
to shape their circular flights so as to avoid
striking a glass placed obliquely ; whereas,
with the sash level or nearly so, they describe
circles or figure 8s, with no danger of touch-
ing any thing unless it be the sash bars which
they naturally avoid without effort. Seeing
nothing but the blank sky overhead, instead of
familiar objects may also have something to do
with the matter. After changing the sash as
mentioned, we put a tire in the stove, which
was incorporated with the apartment hav-
ing no glass, and soon raised tlie temperature
to 80° ; this caused the bees to pour out of
their hives as they do when a warm spell oc-
curs sometimes after a storm ; after an hour’s
circling about under the sash, which was ap-
parently quite satisfactory, they all returned
to their hives or to their labors on the meal
and syrup, except perhaps 2 or 3 dozen. If we
can reduce the daily mortality to 8 or 10 bees
per hive, we are all right, for they are even
now, rearing brood much faster. The pet uu-

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

13S

clous hail their brood all killed during a frosty
night while the house was torn up, and after
two or three repetitions of the same, gave up.
V.'e thought we could easily start them again
when ali was made tight, but here we failed.
Gather syrup or meal any more they would
not, even while the other three were making
t he air jubilant with their labors. Finally we
put them all in our Lamp Nursery, and kept
ilieir combs at a temperature of from GO to 70°
for over a week, but all in vain ; they crawled
over the combs idly, played a little in the sun-
shine, their Queen got small and insignificant,
and they evidently, like some mortals, conclu-
ded they had “tried and tried, but it wasn’t
any use,” and they wouldn’t try any more.
On the 22nd we turned up the lamp until their
hive was warmed to between 80 and 90°, and
at. the same time gave them food drizzled on
top of the combs, and now, the Queen has
commenced laying, and they clustered on a
definite place. One point right here : keeping
the hive at this temperature does not induce the
bees to fly out in a cold atmosphere and get
lost; if they arc taken out of the hive they fly
back where it is warm with alacrity

Did the “manure heaps” feally have any agen-
cy in reducing the number of our bees last
spring after all ?

On page 105 where friend Ilorner speaks of
carrying bees in-doors for examination, We
needlessly exposed our ignorance, simply, be-
cause we had never given the plan he mentions
a proper trial. ’Tis a very simple matter if the
room is not too warm. We beg pardon friend
H., and thank you for your criticism. We
/hope there will soon be no need of losing bees
in the spring just because of the weather.

Non. Hth — Heighho! Another problem. Our
sash won’t shed rain with only one foot “fall”
in six. At present we see no other way but to
make another sash over this, on a proper in-
cline to get the most of the sun’s rays and to
shed rain; this will also give an air space to
keep out frost. The disadvantage is that it
takes more money, and we often have a feeling
of late that the whole structure is a piece of
blundering in the dark (mud too just now, un-
der the sash) and that perhaps when wc get at
what is wanted, it will all have to be thrown
away as so much rubbish. Such is Bee Cul-
ture in unexplored directions.

Nov nth — Temperature in open air 10, green-
house 38, in lamp nursery 90°. Queen has
laid a nice cluster of eggs, but they haven’t a
particle of pollen. As the nursery is roomy,
we placed a small heap of meal at one side of
the combs, near the entrance which is large
enough to give considerable light. Even at a
temperature of 100, these bees do not fly out
unless the atmosphere of the room is above 50°.

Nyo 20 th , — The weather has moderated so
much that we found the thermometer in the
nursery indicating 110 ; the bees with the queen
had deserted the combs and clustered on the
quilt. She had filled quite a space with eggs
but none have hatched as yet. Some of them
had flown out, and again showed symptoms
of dysentery, as they did when the room was
warmed by the sun to 120. Does not this
seem to indicate that a temperature of more
than 100° is prejudicial to bees, and that con-
sequently their hives need shading during the
hot summer months?

Dec -

Gleanings in Bee Culture,

Published lYlonllily,

-A.- I. ROOT OCX,

EDITORS AND PROPRIETORS

MEDINA, OHIO.

Terms: 75c. Fcr Annum.

{Including Postage.]

For Club Rales see Last Page.

DEC. 1, lsr-i.

A. B. J. at hand Nov. 5tli, Magazine the 11th, ami
World on the 20th.

We are using better paper to print our Gleanings
on. Do you notice it?

We are happy to say our neighbor nice, who adver-
tises Catnip seed, is both prompt and reliable.

In answer to an inquiry on another page, wo will
say wc cannot learn that the N. A. B. Society consid-
ered the matter of a Standard frame or hive at all.

Remember all new subscriptions sent in before
Jan. 1st, get Nov. and Dec. also, and that all old sub-
scribers renewing before that time, get a present
equivalent in value.

In getting up clubs for any purpose, subscriptions
for Vol’s 1, or 2, will count the same as for Vol. 3; ac-
cordingly we send Vol’s 1,2, and 3 for $2.00, and In-
clude Lithograph besides.

Tiie Lithograph we are prepared to mail promptly,
but “that present,” we fear we shall be unable to get
fast enough to mall just the minute a renewal is ree’d.
We’ll try hard , however, to be prompt with this also.

Medley will be ready to mail about Jan. 1st. Price
will be $1.00— to those who have sent in their Photo's,
only 75c. Or it will be mailed to any one sending us
5 subscribers, to those having sent in their pictures,
4 only.

We don’t know that we have any great promises to
make as to what Gleanings will be for 1875; we
might disappoint you. it will probably be about what
you might expect judging from an examination of our
two first volumes.

Tell us about your troubles as well as your suc-
cesses. Ilad we not mentioned the difficulties wc
have had with division boards, we probably should
never have brought out the excellent device described
on page 143 by friend Mb ore.

We are under obligations to M. II. Tweed, for cop-
ies of the Pittsburgh Commercial containing reports of
the N. A. B. Society. The report is necessarily much
abbreviated but our readers who desire can probably
get It in full in the 7J. K. M. y as Mr. King took a prom-
inent part in most of the discussions.

Tiie Bee World for Oct., which came to hand just
after our Nov. No. was Issued, is one of rare practical
value. Perhaps no single No. of any of our Jour-
hals has given as many valuable letters bearing di-
rectly on the “frame” question, ns this. Will oiu*
Southern friends accept our thanks for the informa-
tion wc were thus enabled to “glean” from so many
practical bee-keepers.

Can we be so very positive after all, that large
hives give any great advantage? Doolittle’s yield
was most extraordinary under the circumstances, and
yet his hive (nine Gallup frames) Is the smallest wo
recollect ever having seen recommended, but lit-
tle more than the capacity of * one story Lang-

vm

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

1^0

* troth. Will lie describe his honey boxes and tell us
whether they are put only on top or the frames.

\VK presume many will read the California report
with interest. We would be very glad to hear what
you are doing, friend W. Could we have a climate
permitting queen rearing every month in the year,
it, seems to us we could not only supply the world
with dollar queens, but could get six tons of honev
from 48 colonies, even with our average seasons, with
.m 11 ease. We can't well pull up stakes and go to Cali-
fornia, but if the greenhouse will enable us to push
•brood-rearing regardless of weather, it will be the
next best thing.

Is it possible that any one who will take, and read
the American Agriculturist can fail to be benelitted to
the amount of As a vehicle of civilization, and

lor keeping up with the industries of the present
time, whether one he farmer, mechanic, merchant or
anything else, we do not see how they can fail to feel
an interest in its pages. Every page of it, even
ihe advertising columns if read, will have a tendency
to improve your homes, improve your morals, and
just as surely, augment the contents of your pocket
books. Sent with Cleanings postpaid for 8 2.10
^ —

SOME RmAKKS IIV KEGAKO TO
OU’JVJDOOll WINTERING.

« veil AS. F. MUTJI.

S winter is approaching I suppose almost every
jjitk one of us has been taking care to put Ills bees

l — in proper shape l'or wintering, i. e.. lias seen the
Queen in every colony, given each hive the necessary
supply of winter stores, cut winter passages through
Ihe combs and arranged them so that the combs with
brood, if any such be found, hang in the middle, and
honey comb’s next to them etc. 1 have given my hoes
ihe full size of the lower story of a Lahgstroth hive,
with ten frames, honey in each one, without regard to
the strength of the swarm or to the honey being cap-
ped or uncapped. Why should the honey sour in the
cells, when it does not. sour in an open vessel ? But I
have a straw mat on top of the whole and an air pas-
sage above the mat. Let us give our bees a warm
covering in winter, but at the same time 1 prefer up-
ward ventilation, whether this is efl’ceted by the aid
of a straw mat or something else makes no difference.
1 know there is much said in favor of giving our bees
just as many frames as the colony can cover, vetl
have failed to see the difference in spring, in the bees
of those of my friends who put them up in that man-
ner, and my own bees. To test this matter 1 have left
a medium sized swarm in a one story hive containing
-0 LangstroUi frames, every frame tilled or partly till-
ed with honey. J don't believe that anybody's bees
wintered better last winter than my own," and "those of
my neighbor's who put them up similar to my own.
friend Curry's bees oceanic strong in spring perhaps
lister than any other bees In the neighborhood, caus-
ed by a splendid natural protection. Their apiary
iieing situated in a hollow, opening to the south anil
protected from cold winds almost completely. 1 wish
you would give our way of wintering a 'fair test,
brother Novice. It might be the means of saving you
and others n good deal of labor and disappointment.
I should not hesitate to winter bees in Minnesota or
Wisconsin, on their summer stands and protected as
stated above with the same coutidencc of success.

Cincinnati, O. Oct. 25th, 1874.

Thanks for your very excellent hints friend
M. In regard to honey souring in the cells,

0 tr experiments have given us some light.

1 he pet nudes, ns we have called it, when first
put in the greenhouse, gathered a large quan-
tity of thick syrup — much more than the clus-
ter could cover, and after having cool nights,
they began to have a peculiar disagreeable
'•'Uiell. We supposed this was caused by the
moisture from so small a cluster, mixing with
the honey, for in fact right about the cluster
was visible a peculiar damp kind of mold,
ihis all disappeared after we kept them up to
t'b or 70«> , by means of the lamp nursery. I lad
tiicre been bees enough to keep the whole hive
" nniK this we think would not have been the
vv* Se ’ f° r other colonies near “smelled” all right,
tve never hesitate to “poke” our nose into any

thing, even bee hives, if we think any thing is to
, gleaned thereby. Perhaps a good large duster of
bees would get along well on unsealed stores,
but we feel sure weak ones will not. To di-
gress a little, we last month mentioned symp-
toms of dysentery in the greenhouse; this has
all ceased since we enlarged it enough to pre-
vent a temperature of 100° or over occurring.
In Feb. 18C9 wc had about 40 colonies in our
i cellar ; in order to give the strong colonies
enough ventilation to keep them quiet, we re-
moved honey boards and cap entirely. A\ e
had perhaps ten days of weather almost as
warm as summer, and opening the door and
windows nights, seemed only to make them
warmer. In spite of all wc could do, all but;
eleven died of dysentery. Now the smell wc
noticed in the greenhouse when the thermom-
eter stood at 120«, was precisely the old fainiP
iar one emitted by these diseased colonies.
Many of them had unsealed stores. Could
they have had a good fly — wc put them out
just after the warm spell was all over — they
might have rallied. All had natural stores.
Is it not possible that getting too warm lias as
much to do with the disease as getting too
cold? As bees never get too warm when win-
tered out of doors, we certainly secure one
condition by your plan, friend M. The testi-
mony in favor of straw hives and straw mats
is certainly too strong to be passed over un-
heeded. But do you believe Mend M. you
could thus winter a colony whose stores were
half from the cider mills, or some equally un-
healthy diet? We too have often had serious
doubts of the utility of division boards for win
tering, but are at present hardly prepared to
decide them useless. Very many things that
wc “fuss” with are perhaps useless, and we
know of no point neecding the benefit of clear
cool judgment more than this, viz: to deter-
mine what may lie safely dropped and what
may not. Wc are testing a straw mat, and
have three colonies wintering out doors.

HAVE two barrels of white clover and basswood
i.*jl honev and about 400 lbs. or Aug. and Sept, honey,
4 — " mostly golden rod. that I could sell, it is all can-
died.- ‘ A. Buks, Forest , O. Oct. 26th, 1874.

If the Semi-weekly Tribune (N. Y.) of Oct.
27th from which we clip the two following
items, has been correctly informed, it seems
friend Grimm has quite a formidable rival in
the honey business, in'the East, as well as J. S.
Harbison of San Diego, California, who is said
to have produced seventy Jive tons this season.
We arc making an effort to get at the real facts
of the case from the gentlemen themselves.
The second item seeing to be a revival of Prob-
lem 17, as given on page 80, Vol. 1.

Wc rend that John E. Iletherington, Cherry Valley,
N. Y., “shipped one day last week a car load of io
tons of choice white honey. He had previously sliip-
kmI three tons, besides two tons of strained honey,
lis crop this season will hardly fall short of 80 tons.”

Some of our apiarians are talking of a wagon with
frames for a large number of hives, that can he moved
about from one location to another. The benefits
claimed are to take advantage, first, of the maple and
willow blooms: next come back to orchards and white
clover; then oil’ to the forests for the basswood ancl
other flowers ; then for the blossoms of the tulip tree,
and Anally back to the Helds of buckwheat and flowers
of Autumn. This plan has been pursued in a small
way for some years.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dec.

140

It <> p o i* I « K ii e o ur iitfing-

- HVD m colonies nf bees at I’ort Sanilac, the. past
IsIT from which I got over 2000 lbs. of honey,

il, nion"t' thhik that very ha.l for a new beginner.
Ten colonies were all the’ bees I had, but the honey
harvest aSd ylebl in Sanilac Co. this season, was the

* \Vin! sI’eiViji NO, RockwoQd, Mich. Nov. 20th, 1874.

Bees In onr locality have done splendidly shicc the
soring troubles. Box hives in the neighborhood have
in some instances yielded over 100 lbs. comb honey
alter bavin 1 ' been robbed in the usual wav Inst s ' rl r’
i helped transfer several such myself. Our peonle
are becoming Interested on the subject. I hate in
creased .nine to over 40, Miss.

And do you too have “Spring troubles?"
Please tell us a bout it.

DEAR NOVICE:—! wonder if any one of your sub-
set! berstakes care of his bees as far « his [ work .as
I do. It is 08 miles from whcic 1 sit all da\ lon„ u n

ting letters, to where my bees are. and I have taken

alfthe care of them myself. Increasing from 8 last

spring to 22 ready to put In cellar and have . taken aao
lbs of very nice extracted honey. Spent about 15 days
with them. I have l»romised mv wife *2.00 each, tor

nil the hives she winters. C. C. MIM.EIt, Chicago, in.

A tip top idea Friend M. When we get
hold of something we can’t manage ourselves,
whether it be intemperance, cider mills, or
wintering bees, just put the whole matter into
the women's hands and it will generally be all
right. .

In August I visited several bee-keepers Jn Ononda-
ga Cm, Sir. Root. Mr. Hosford and L oyd o Otlsco
Valiev, Mr. Doolittle of Borodino, and olhc 8. Mr.
Boot keeps about 50 swarms, eavs he has sold &«»0
worth of hone v in four years: has known only one
vo-ir in his experience in which bees (lid not pay well.
Mr. Hosfonl works bees on shares for
ers mostly, and has raised this season about lus.
box honev. Mr. Lloyd commenced the season with 21
swarms, increased to 44 •‘naturalswarming ajjjJ ^
•2T»00 llis. box honey; lie saves beta in
closing tlie hives cold and windy da\s. Mr. Doolittle s
report vou have. I will only add i had the privilege
of Jeeinir that lot of “nine day’s” honey all in one pile
and it was a splendid sight. Mr. D.aso s howcdu|

his apiarv, the 51.00 Queen, her progeny etc. f etc., and i
think she is just as good-H Queen as one I bou 0 ht of
Mr. Lunjrstroth for §20.00. m

Taken altogether, wc bad a very pleasant and profit;
alilc visit and left satlslled that Onondaga Co..
place tor box honev, and that Bcuirwood in thi eecict.

Enclosed Had Photo ol myself and wife. It takes
two to make one bee-keeper at

(If reports are true) you will sec the bcttci halt llrst,

but i will not feel badly. -vy v vntr ontii 1S7(

G. T. Wheeler, Mexico, N. \. Nov, 20th, 187 1.

imploIents DEVICES and
SUGGESTIONS

V DEVICE FOR CUTTING WINTER PASSAGES IN
THE COM US.

is simply a tin tube 6 inches long and 1 inch in
i diameter, shaped thus: This pushed in the comb
4 a t the same time turning gently back and lortli
cuts comb nicely. The tube is easily cleared by means
of an awl thrust across the slits A.

A. 1 Hooker, Middlebury, ^ t. Non. 10th, 1871.

HOW TO SECURE 8TRAIT COMBS EVERY TIME.

Place the frames rightly and (111 the hive to double
its capacity (according to ordinary Ideas) with bees
or ,vhlch is equivalent, contract the hive to halt its
capacity, or so much that in hot weather, some bees
will hang out the llrst night. In a few days. Insert
frames between, to give room. The phi osophy is,
the bees being cramped tor room to build combs,
start them rigiitlv on all the frames at once and then,
those started, when separated act as P ai, ‘ e s tor the
rest of the frames introduced between. Try it, fellow
Novices. H. Hudson, Douglas, Mich.

From what experience we have had, we
should judge the above to be correct. Where
the quantity of bees is limited, this result
can better he attained with short frames like
the Gallup or Standard. The principle is essen-
tially the one friend Dean works on; see page
91 Aug. No.

I gave my bees a little vye flour yesterday, and they

are working on it the same as in spring. Mill it do

anv harm or good? Would you let them have what
they will carry into their hives ? Please answer by
return mail, and you will very much oblige,

S. F. Newman, Norwalk, O. Nov. 10th, 1874.

Although we have had no experience in the
matter, we should say give them all they will
take any day in the year, by all means. Should
they not use it notv, we feel sure it will be just
what is wanted in the spring. We had been
thinking our green house furnished the only
conditions under which meal could be fed in
the fall.

FHIEND NOVICE:— The Nov. No. of Gleanings
at hand. You seem to be at a loss for a substitute lor
winter pollen. Suppose you try “Sweet 1 otatocs
nicelv baked, and put within or near the hive. I have
done' so successful I v. During warm weather I keep a
tumbler filled with water, and inverted In a saucer,
standing at. the entrance. A bit ot soft cotton clotli
twisted and coiled In the saucer leading to the cn-
trance furnishes water at all times. Have had t\\o
Queens I n one hive nearly all summer-one wingless.
Have been successful so far. Have the Italians, lor
pasturage have fruit blossoms and linn, the latter in
abundance, also clover, limited, some buckwheat, and
a few wild flowers. Success to Gleanings, always
on time. 1\ T. Roleum, Emlcnton, Pa. Nov. 3rd, ft.

After receiving the nbove, we imagined wc
had succeeded also witli sweet potato, but
now are obliged to come to the humiliating
conclusion that the mice ale it , for we only found
it gone, and did not see the bees at work at it.
Since trapping the mice it remains all untouch-
ed If used as pollen we think it must be
packed on their legs ; did you see them do this
friend “Roleum,” or did they only tear it to
pieces for its saccharine juices ? \\c shall

have to learn caution in stating the results oi
our experiments.

Wc have tried the device, and it does the
work admirably. By simply thrusting the two
points through the comb and then turning the
tube j:, of a revolution, a smooth round hole
is made much quicker than the sharpest pen
knife will do it. As lie is the inventor, we pro-
pose lie make them just right and offer them
for sale ; we will give him an advertisement
gratis.

I have an Ice house with a front room .5 by TO feet
witli thick walls; would it do to put bees In It to win
ter. If all Is well, I want a Queen us cur y as It vvl
do to introduce her in the spring. Shall I send J on
the dollar now, or wnit ? 1B74

Jj. M. Raub, Bolivar, N. A . Oct. 2(ftn, l »<»■

We do not see why the room will not answer
an excellent purpose if you can keep it between
40 and 45«. It will also have the advantage
of enabling you with little trouble, to keep ft
cool enough during protracted warm speift,
before it is advisable to put the bees out.

We would prefer that no order be sent u.
for Queens until we, through Gleanings, go
notice that we, or our neighbors are ready m
ship them. This will not probably be beiort
June, unless the greenhouse tlwuld amount v
something in that direction. If it does, J
will be pretty sure to know all about it a.
progresses.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

141

1S74

,11 si <1 « O f <» i’:i i it,

FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS.

■fljmRIEND NOVICE Owing to tlio unfavorable
[jf]^ and unprecedented dry summer, we are not able
-Ai to give a very flattering report of our Apiary.
We began the honey season with 31 very weak hives
and extracted 32(55 lbs. of very nice honey, nearly all
Linden. One hive gathered 165 lbs. in ten days and
carried it nearly three miles. We have increased to
75 colonies, mostly in good condition. Sonic are weak
but all strong enough to winter. We wintered 35 col-
onies lust winter several of which were nuclei, with-
out loss, till they got the swarming out fever, which
was con fined to the hybrids ; the swarming out only
occurred when they could not get natural pollen.
Hence the remedy is not to set out the weak stocks
until they can get natural pollen, provided they can
be kept in a healthy condition.

The Rape, 17 lbs., was sown at different times in
June, and came up but was a total failure as I suppose
every thing else would have been this drv summer.

E. C Lakcii, Ashland, Mo. Nov. 3rd, 1874.

It liad not occurred to us before, that the
swarming out in spring was particularly caus-
ed by lack of pollen, but from what wc now
call to mind, we have no doubt that it is oue
of the causes if not the cause.

Our Green House is enabling us to study the
pollen question as we have never been able to,
heretofore. As for swarming out in there,
bless you ! wouldn’t that be a joke for certain —
on the bees. So many reports have come in in
regard to Linden honey being brought lorg
distances, that we fear we shall have to admit
they do at times go 2 or 3 miles profitably.
The structure of these blossoms enables bees to
load very quickly, during a heavy yield.

We are sorry to say that but few flattering
reports of Rape culture in this country have
yet been rec’d.

DEAR FRIEND NOVICE:— We call you friend, but
seems to me I hear you say, who arc you * Oh ! Pin
the chap that used to get the old American Bee Jour-
nal from the Post Office, tear off the wrapper, hunt up
Novice’s article and devour it, yes fairly eat it, before
I’d go a step farther, and years before I knew he had
;t Root to his name. Finally he got stuck up and start-
ed a Bee Journal “Ills sell',” anil wc looked in vain for
the old familiar name, till we couldn’t stand it longer
and came pattering after Gleanings and the Photo,
with ye requisite $1.00. Lithograph received all O K,
as also back No’s of Vol. 1, and we have read ’em all
too. Can’t get along after this without Gleanings to
complete the list for wo take all the Bee Journals.
Now about flying bees in a hot bed. Am going to
make one for two or three stands, how do you, or
would you ventilate it ? or does it need no ventilation ?

Had one strong stock last spring, and one light one,
increased by purchase and artificial stocks, all light,
Jo 7 strong stocks, plenty of honey for wintcV, and
have taken 330 lbs. honey, 116# lbs. from one, and also

*n\ es of brood and honey from same one. IIow
will that contrast with Mr. Adam Grimm’s report of
‘/•^ flocks and 25919 lbs. honey? 011 1 well, guess
vou 11 have to put us away down In the “wee” corner.

* send herewith a Photo, of self for vour medley, if
it 8 not too homely. Your friend \V. M. Kellogg.

Oneida, 111. Nov. 5th, 1874.

P. 8.— A kiss for “Blue Eyes.”

Some provision must be made for ventilation,
<xr father for reducing the temperature, in warm
weather at least. This was our greatest blun-
der for we made the glass the full size of the
room at first, and found it insufferably warm
1 uside while icicles were hanging to the eaves
on the outside. This to be sure was remedied
>y a wire cloth door, but to prevent its being
00 cold when the sun had gone down, this
door must be opened and closed twice a day or
' itencr, and evon then we lose this volume of
heated air that is so much needed in the night
Hne - Reasoning from this we presumed ma-

king the buicling much larger and having the
glass only cover part of it would give a more
even temperature and also economize the sur-
plus heat furnished during the day time.

Our room now is something over 12x24 feet,
and all except the glass is protected by 18
inches of dry earth, all carefully roofed over,
to guard against frost iu winter. It seems to
answer as we had anticipated, but we cannot
report fully until colder weather.

In regard to Grimm’s report : our Journals
have for years been teeming with reports of
great amounts of honey obtained from occa-
sionally a single hive, or the product of a sin-
gle season. Certain parts of York SUhtc have
this season produced great results, yet for three
seasons previous they have not reported at all,
or at least but little worth mentioning. In
order to get at the real profits of bee-keeping
should we not have the average amount per
hive, and if we arc to make an estimate of
what can be depended on in the future, shall
we not also have reports every season V Adam
Grimm lias we believe always reported, and
has given us the benefit of the results of his
work poor seasons as well as good ones.

Also, if it be possible to secure $50.00 each
from 3 or 4 hives, or even half a dozen, it
will not pay us to spend our whole time on so
few. The bee-keeper who can so manage 50
colonies as to secure $1000 from them per sea-
son, on an average is in our opinion far ahead
of the one who gets $50.00 as the product of
one hive in a dozen, once in 3 or 4 years.
Could our readers make as good a result on an
average , as the lady who writes the following —
really, wc don’t know what would happen,
only that we should feel quite happy to see so
many others happy. The 24 colonies mention-
ed were wintered entirely on coffee sugar.
See page 21, Feb. No.

DEAR BEE KEEPING FRIENDS:— I commenced
my letter on a postal card but have laid It by, as not
half large enough to write what I want to. ' 1 wrote
you a letter last winter which was so full of “palaver”
(as the old lady called it) that I was heartily ashamed
of it afterwards, especially when the returning postal
card thanked me for my good opinions, but really 1
was sincere and I believe most any one else would
have been just as thankful as I was. I should say
we, husband and myself, for last year we had a very
unsuccessful year and it was our first year with bees.
Just then came such a bundle of good things (the
Gleanings) that it gave me a great deal of comfort,
hope, and I trust profit. Comfort, because they told
us we had been doing just about the best thing that
could be done considering the poor year; hope for
the future, and profit through the experience of oth-
ers.

This year has been a very poor one for bees, (judg-
ing from our neighbor’s bees), for I do not know of a
single colony kept on the old system, in box hives
with no care, that have given their owner any surplus,
or swarms that have built their hives full of combs.

We feel well repaid for the care we have given our
bees; each of the 24 colonies with which we started in
the spring has given us about 825.00. Husband says
no stock on the farm has paid so well for their care
and feed. We think it will pay well to raise catnip,
we had a small bed of it which we set out in the spring ;
the bees swarmed on it for weeks. Buckwheat ilia
well, Mr. McLny says it seldom fails in this vicinity.
We sowed some three times, the first did not amount
to much, dry weather and grasshoppers injured it
badly, but it gave a little picking for bees. The two
last sowings did well, 1 think husband sowed them
from 3 to 4 weeks apart. We think we shall sow acres
to catnip and mustard next spring. Of our Rocky
Mountain plant only a few seeds came up, the bees
do not swarm over it as they do catnip and buckwheat
or else it was because the plants were more scattering.

Extracted honey retails here for 26c, and box honev
lor 30 and 35, we are satisfied that we got as much

142

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

Dec.

again honey by extvacting as wc would if we had
made t/heitl store in boxes. We had three ol our
strongest with boxes on— got tired of their slow work
took them* all out except from one hive which we
made finish up thoso that were nearly full, and ex-
tracted the rest. , . . .

Our bees are mostly Italians, think they arc much
better than the common blacks. I have a few ques-
tions I would like to a9k.

1. IIow do you manage to keep track of your hives
that vou have extracted? do you commence and go
through the whole apiary at once ? If you skip around,
one so soon gets mixed up unless accurate account Is
kept, on paper.

We take each hive in regular order.
Some may not be ready ’tis true but we look
them over and see that they need nothing. In
this way we are sure to see that all Queens are
doing tfleir duty etc., also we can readily com-
pare one colony with another.

2. How did yonr hemp pay you ? I noticed in
Gleanings yon thought ot trying it this year. Would
vou advise raising it for bees.

We did not try the Hemp although Messrs.
Shaw & Son did. Bees worked on it some in
the morning but perhaps not more than on
corn and some other pollen yielding plants.
We do not think it would pay to raise it exclu-
sively for bees.

:i. Could yon tell us the best method of harvesting a
crop of mustard s"C‘ti ? and if the black mustard is
better than white for honey, could the seed be sold to
advantage do you think ? Is the white ever sowed
for bees?

We will try to collect information in regard
to mustard before another season. See page
124 last month.

4. What sized honey jar sells best, one, two, or
three lb. ?

We now use Mason’s 3 lb. Fruit Jars. We
prefer them because consumers, having no use
for jars made expressly for honey, wish us to
take them back when emptied, and coming one
a' a time, they arc too much trouble. The
regular fruit jar can be sold with the honey, at
the market price, and thus afford a small profit
also.

5. Do you think bees would go back to their hives
if put in a warm room with one south window, and
allowed to take a tty in the winter time, if the hive
were set against the window ? if they would, would
it not he n benefit to any colony troubled witli dysen-

ff you could have a window that reached
down to the floor, so that the entrance to the
hive could be placed very near where they
would fall when tired of flying against the
glass, it would probably succeed. Perhaps a
broad table placed tight against the window
sill, that they might not get down on the floor,
might answer. The room must not be too
warm. We are inclined to think from CO to 70"
enough. They will buzz on the window a good
deal the first day, but soon get used to it, and
fly about the room safely.

Will vou please describe golden rod and aster?
how tull do they grow ?

Both belong to large families, show many
varieties and usually grow from 4 to 6 feet
high. The Golden rod may be known by its
solid masses of golden lined bloom, composed
of many small blossoms. The Aster on the
contrary bears flowers singly that arc perhaps
an inch or more in diameter, and somewhat
resemble a Sun Flower on a small scale. Dif-
ferent varieties arc found of each in different
localities. To furnish honey profitably, like
all other plants, there must be acres of them.

(i. In using your surplus bees to raise Queens in top
of hive will bees enough stay there ? or is it necessary
to shut them in ?

Bees enough will usually stay if brood be
moved up with them. Sometimes however,
we have found it necessary to fasten them in
for two or three days.

7. Somo recommend turnips to be planted so as to
blossom just after fruit blossoms. Should the turn ips
he set out In the spring early, for that purpose? i
think the seed would not blossom so early, and tur-
nips would not live in the ground if left in through
the winter in tills climate. I would think it quite a
task to set out a very large bed of turnips, and unless
of considerable size, it would not benefit bees.

We think you are right. Unless one had a
job of raising turnip seed for the market,
'twould “cost more than it come to.” If cover-
ed witli light top dressing, they might stand
the winter, but even this would be rather ex-
pensive. To derive any appreciable benefit,
we really must have acres of the flowers.

8. We use the Peabody extractor. Don’t see how
an extractor could work better, hut wc have never
seen any other.

The Peabody machine certainly does good
work, but it runs hard and works slowly.
Witli thick honey, it must be brought up to a
high speed requiring a man’s strength ; when
this speed is attained, it requires even more
than a man’s strength to stop it instantly as
we readily do those machines in which only
the light frame that holds the combs revolves.
Your husband is doubtless strong (and pa-
tient?) or he would have complained of heavy
Quinby combs ere this.

9 . We also use the Quinby hive and like it real well,
don't see that we could netter it very much.

The Quinby frame is certainly a good one ;
.perhaps the best, where only a man handles
them.

10. We made a universal feeder for each hive, ex-
tracted all their honey, made good thick syrup and
fed the bees for their winter stores. We have now 47
good colonies witli plenty of good sugar syrup sealed
in their combs ; for winter feed we used about 20 lbs.
sugar per colony, they seem to have plenty.

Wc like the feeder, only one has to learn how to
use it. We got the strongest Indian Head Factory we
could find hut syrup of what we thought the right,
thickness would run through too fast, so we took a
swab and rubbed a mixture over it, X beeswax and };
rosin melted together, not all over it, but just enough
to prevent the syrup from running through too fast.

Use canvas, or “duck,” as it is sometimes
called, and you can feed even clear water in it
if you choose.

11. Husband made a tent which lie thought very
handy to finish extracting in, or rather to put over the
hives while taking out combs. We did the extracting
In the house, the hack of the tent was fixed on two
wheels, and when ho wished to move it he only halt to
lift the front and move it like a wheelbarrow, we only
needed to use it at the close of the last honey harvest.
We could not have taken all their stores without it.

Sarah J. W. A.xtell, Roseville, III. Nov. 3rd, 1874.

We presume such a tent is an excellent idea,
although we have never used one. In remo-
ving the honey preparatory to feeding syrup in
the fall, robbers are so troublesome that ’twould
be difficult to get along without some similar
device. If you put your tent on four wheels,
and place it on a track which runs between
two rows of hives, you have friend Blakeslees
idea precisely. Thanks for your very practic-
al and useful letter.

A. I. ROOT & Co. Why Novice! assure as thu
world if what 1 find wav down in the corner otoovu
jf Nov. Gleanings is correct, all our dollar Qu°eii
ire pure, and also the one sent mo by II. Alley- ('»
we had learned how to Introduce Italian Queens si e,
■essfullv, (which we have done with more success i.i
this fall Ilian early last summer) we thought « u
would have one pure If we had to send all the lv»j

1874

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

143

Italy for it, but we will stop now if we can only winter
those we have ; still our success in the past makes us
dcel hopeful.

Novice asks the question “cannot bees almost al-
ways gather pollen, when the weather is warm
enough ? ” I answer yes, our two colonies containing
our best Italian Queens, which we have been feeding
to stimulate breeding, were gathering pollen yester-
day and the day before, but 1 am afraid this is a bad
omen, they have used uj> all their supply of pollen I
fear, and have none on hand for winter. And now I
shall propose a problem: Can bees be wintered suc-
cessfully without any pollen? . I la Michener.

Low Banks, Ontario, Can. Nov. Oth, 1874.

We will call above Problem 25. Who tells?

DEAlt “NOVICE”:— I suppose you must “mean
me,” in your remarks on pictures in the Nov. No., no
matter which horn of the dilemma 1 take hold of; I
therefore herewith send you my Photo. I also send
you Mrs. Lane’s because', 1st, they were both on the
same card, and secondly, because she and I have run
this institution including the little “buzz” all by our-
selves, this season, and therefore I hope the pictures
may prove equally acceptable.

Last spring we had 84 colonies, and wo now have 72
“such as they arc.” W e are such “old fogies” that we
nun the Apiary exclusively for box honey, and we
have secured only 2409 lbs. Whether these results
constitute a success or not “this deponent saith not.”

D. P. Lane, Koshkonong, wis. Nov. 7th, 1874.

The “Photo’s” are coming in quite plentiful-
ly and ’tis amusing to see how differently our
friends look many of them, from what
we had judged by their letters. For instance :
who would suppose from the light boyish tone
of friend L’s letters that he was so far on life’s
road as to show streaks of gray. May we all
grow old as cheerfully.

Send along the Photo’s of the “better halves”
too, by all means, whenever they assist at bee-
keeping or bee-losing either, for that matter,
they are certainly entitled to join our throng.

A trifle over 64 lbs. of box honey per colony
besides more than doubling the stock ought to
be success sufficient to satisfy almost any one.

Several half barrels of Clover honey already crys-
talized. Do you know of any way to" get it out with-
out taking the barrel head out?

G. C. Miller, Mt. Hanley, Nova Scotia. Nov. 2nd.

Sec page 60, May No.

Mr. ROOT: -Please permit a humble “perusalcr,”
of your paper to bid you God speed in your task of
airing humbugs and swindles. And great may be
your reward for taking right hold of mastiffs as well
as little curs, is the prayer of one who appreciates
“Gleanings” and despises hum buggers.

Yours truly, L. B. Hogue, Loydsville, O.

FRIEND NOVICE Frank Langdon, of Kirkwood,
V Y., had one stock of Italians that tilled two 50 lb.
cases of small frames, and he made one stock from it.
About the first of June .1 fixed up 4 stocks of hybrid
bees for Itoswell Bump, Blnghnmpton, N. Y., they
were in Langstroth hives, but many combs were built
crooked. I told the boys to take off’ the sticks in two
or three days, and I suppose they were never opened
after the sticks were removed. They tell me one hive
iilled twenty three 0 lb. boxes, besides swarming once.
I hat beats me.

. As you seem to have had some trouble about divis-
ion boards, I will tell you how I made some to winter
two nuclei in one hive ; take some lath such as we use
to make small frames, Jn' inch thick by lAf wide, cut
two pieces (ends) long enough to reach from the bot-
tom of the hive up to the quilts, cut one piece (bottom)
the length ol' the nive inside; and one piece (top) the
length of the hive over the rabbet, and notch the
lower edge so as to fit the rabbet ; Now take some old
'\ooien cloth hard twisted and close woven, nail all
together with cigar box tacks and clinch and tack on
jo the trame, and you have a division board, that the
Y’ ,U ®l l| ster up against, that will not warp or
• iirink and will give each the benefit of the heat from
me other. j. i>. Moore.

mnghampton, N. Y. Nov. 3rd, 1874.
riiankts for the suggestion. We think such
51 ^vision board might be made to “keep tight,”

and they would be light and neat to handle.
Another thing, in using these for strong stocks
they could not be gummed down so firmly as
to be almost a fixture. We have never known
bees to gnaw woolen cloth.

REPORT OF MICHIGAN APIARY FOR 1874.

Began with 48 stocks in good condition. Have in-
creased to 55 and taken not less than 8500 lbs. of sur-
plus, only 1000 of which was comb honey. I have, as
you well know, started a “Honey House” on a small
scale for the purpose of selling my own crop, but havo
met with such good success, that I shall handle about
20.000 lbs. before next season. Have already bought
the crop of several Michigan bee-keepers, but shall
try in future to raise all the honey I can handle. Hope
all bee-keepers will retail their own honey, thus cre-
ating a greater demand for it. Our home demand has
increased fivefold since I started an Apiary here.

James Heddon, Dowagiac, Mich. Nov. 5th, 1874.

Mu. ROOT, Dear Sir:— 1 will send you by to-mor-
row’s mail, a Queen. I would like your opinion as to
purity and value. 1 bought her (a dollar Queen) of a
breeder well known to you and re commended by you.
She may be pure but I would’t give away such a Queen
if I cared for my reputation. 1 had her in a strong
colony about a week and as she didn’t lay any 1 re-
moved her to a nucleus. She laid a few eggs soon
after that. I don’t wish to spoil a stock by using her.
You can do what you please with her. I presume she
will be dead, but you can judge something about her,
she is the smallest Queen I ever saw.

E. KlMPTON, Cedar Creek, N. Y. Nov. 6th, 1874.

The Queen came to hand alive and is cer-
tainly small, but our friend should remember
that all Queens generally look small and in-
significant in Nov., also that they usually lay
but few if any eggs either in Oct. or Nov.
Please remember also that selling Queens for
$1.00 is pretty close business, and if occasion-
ally one should prove poor it is no more than
we might expect. When orders are crowding,
we often ship a Queen as soon as she has laid
her first dozen eggs, and consequently wcliave
no means of knowing what they will prove to
be. At the same time we hope none of our
Queen rearers have been guilty of selling
Queens from other than choice pure mothers,
and from cells that were well supplied with
royal jelly. The Queen in question was so te-
nacious of life that she lived several days
in the green house after the bees with her had
died. She might have lived longer had we not
(regretfully) pinched her life away.

A. I. ROOT & Co., Sirs:— The Wormwood has been
of great service to me this season, especially in those
hives used for extracting. A little of the smoke blown
among the combs drives nearly all the bees down into
the lower story, then by the use of a brush made of
White Cedar boughs tied together, the combs are
ready for the extractor as soon as one could wish ; the
smoke does not seem to stupify or injure them in the
least. One brush of Cedar boughs has lasted through
the honey season. This has been a poor season for
box honey but have had a good yield from a few hives
on which the extractor was used. I do not know that
any of your readers feel as I do about the reports of
such large yields of box honey from J. 1\ Moore,
Binghumpton, N. Y., and others in his vicinity. I am
very anxious to know what kind of hives are used and
how managed to secure such results. Perhaps he is
llooded with inquiries and I am waiting and noplug
that all the particulars will come before the pub-
lic without making him too much trouble. We cannot
all go there to get the information but it might be
worth many dollars to some of us, if wo knew all the
particulars, such as size of hives, size of brood cham-
ber, comb frames, honey boxes, and way of access to
boxes etc. A. C. Hooker, Middlebury, Vt.

Friend Moore we think will be happy to as-
sist in any way he can, but we fear ’tis not
every one who can succeed as do he and
Doolittle, even had they their locality.

144

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

DEAR NOVICE : To-day I rec’d Gleanings: I
flnd my letter in print, in which 1 wrote you so doleful-
lv. 1 must give you the history of the season as a
postscript that letter. 1 send you an extract lrom
my diary. , ..

From the 5th to the loth of June nearly every day it
rains, and is cold. Bees are to be fed almost daily.
But few ol' the hives are more than half lull, say from
live to six frames. I use frames one foot square. Not
a single hive has one pound fresh honey except the
feeding; eggs are laid sparingly and combs with lar-
vie are abandoned.

July ith — The two straw hives have swarmed. Ot
21, 10 hives have from 11 to 12 frames well stocked
with brood, the rest contain from 7 to 9 frames, and 3
of them are Qucenless. Not a hive that has one pound
of honey, and all very poor in bees.

July nth — Extracted 325 lbs. Linden honey.

July 21st — 125. Item— the weather is mournfully dry,
the Linden flowers gone, lasted only about 5 days.

July 28th— Extracted about 300 lbs., bees gathered
from buckwheat and swamp flowers.

Aug. 1st — Extracted 152 lbs.

Aug. nth — 160 lbs. Bees in good condition and honey
is brought in at a fair rate, pollen is gathered plenti-
tifully. Whole combs are fllled; the pollen is blue,
like moistened powder.

Aug. Dth — Extracted nearly 300 lbs.

Aug. 25th — The weather is very line and honey flows
as usual although very dry. Buckwheat is nearly
gone, all hives rear brood' splendidly. Every hive
builds a new comb.

Aug. 29 tli -Yesterday we had a slight rain, to-day
all fly in full force and honey is brought in quite plen-
tifully from swamp Snap-dragon ; all the bees that
come in are painted white from the Snap-dragon as I
call it. but you call it wild Touch-me-not. To-day af-
ter mid-day extracted one wash boiler full.

Sept. 2nd— Extracted 243 lbs. ; the combs are fllled to
overflowing, very much impeding the Queen’s work.
The weather is very dry. This night it rains.

Sept. Qth — Extracted about 350 lbs., the weather is
the same— dry and hot. Thermometer 90° in the shade.

Sept. lQthr- Ext’d 225 lbs.

Sept, llilh— “ 125 “

Sept. 11th— “ 123 “ Fives hives Queenless.

Sept. 18th— “ 55 “

I have brought up the number from 23 to 40. They
have sealed buckwheat honey, say one half; 1 have
fed to them one barrel sugar syrup, to complete win-
ter stores. I have extracted nearly 3000 lbs. In 1871
by the large lire, a cedar swamp burned down, and
this fall the swamp was one mass of flowers; The
wild Touch-me-not and another I cannot name,
with long cottony seed pods. The honey from the
wim Touch-me-not was very thin; 1 set it apart in a
large iron kettle containing 40 gallons. That honey
is now one mass like butter and by far the sweetest, 1
kept it for spring feeding.

Instead of making the 4 feet hives I have altered my
mind, and shall use my 12 frame hive. In the spring
I shall provide for each hive two drone combs con-
taining about 10 lbs. each, I have already a quantity
on hand. These will be used in a flow of honey.

You will see that this postscript is a necessary
compendium to the whole and teaches us all that lie
who takes care and continues to the end will be re-
warded. During such a spring while we arc feeding
until the 15th of June, hives only half full in full
swarming time, and the 4th of July not a single hive
that liacf one pound of honey, then swarming time
gone, it was time and reasonable to draw a long deep
sigh; yet how glorious the reward. My bees had to
build two new combs per week and all my old combs
have their drone combs cut out down to the worker
combs; all are repaired with worker cells, in my
new combs my trouble was great, they built nearly all
drone comb. Several hives however built all worker
cells. I cut all the drone comb, two inches from the
top bar, strait oil' and set them in the hives that built
the worker combs; by means of this. I have now all
frames with worker ‘comb strait like a plank. Now
what kind of a season have we had? was it a good
one ? My neighbors who stick to box hives say the
season was bad; there were no swarms and bees did
not work in boxes; their hives are heavy ; so they are
in the spring and fall every year.

Second postscript -My two straw hives were far
ahead in the spring, but from July to Oct. they work-
ed by far the slowest. One weighs (51 lbs., the other
4i ; the hives are small. I finish by saying, “a glorious
hand shaking, and a thank you.”

Joseph Duffelkh, Wequiock, Wis. Nov. 3rd, 1874.

Stock browse on the Rocky Mountain bee plant,
and I think it would make good fodder. J like the

Deu

plan of a uniform standard size for frames. 1 have
six sizes of frames in my apiary and lind it very incon-
venient , but as I am a ‘learner and experimenting, i
can bear it for a while. My bees have done well since
summer set in, have extracted 200 lbs. and taken m
lbs. comb, from (5 colonies and have increased from 7
weak colonies the 15th of May, to 17 now on hand.
Some Italians, some Hybrids and some common.
They are now laying in some, but what they get it
from I do not know as we have had till yesterday a
very warm and dry time.

Success to Gleanings, which I highly prize, and a
good time for all bee raisers.

Aiineu J. Pope, Indianapolis. Ind. Sept. 24th, 1874

I wish to ask the following favor of you; which is
that you try at least to have three young Queens fer-
tilized in your hot house. I am even more positive
than ever that it can be done, and that I have done it.
In the first place see that you have ho old bees in your
nucleus, insert drone brood in it so that it will hatch
a little before and just about the time the Queen
hatches, in short, have no bees in the nucleus that
have ever flown outside of the hot house. If you pa>
as much attention to this as you do to your other af-
fairs and don’t succeed, J will pay all the expense ot'
the experiment. A. N. Du a veil

Upper Alton, 111. Nov. 0th, 1874.

Bless your heart friend Draper; to be sure
we shall try the experiment. One colony has
attempted to build Queen cells already, but as
we had no drones, we were obliged to unite
them. We are going to push them along aud
as soon as drones are capped over we will have
some Queens. We have no fears but that they
will rear Queens, but to get these Queens to
lay worker eggs — that is the point. In regard
to pay; all the pay we expect or want, is the
75c at the beginning of each year and we’ll
foot all expenses of experiments whether they
are failures or successes. If the latter we shall
be very glad to know that we have been useful.

I have just written to J. Carroll, Australia, that J
would endeavor to send him a Queen with a small col-
ony of bees next spring.

Fall pasturage has been good. Bees quit gathering
only the other day, last week. Have plenty of drones
ainl bees do not appear hostile to them even in hives
having young Queens. Frank BENTON.

Edgetleld Junction, Tenn. Nov. 4th, 1874.

FRIEND NOVICE:— For the benefit of those read-
ers of Gleanings who doubt the practicability of the
Bid well method ot wintering, or the veracity of Mr.
B’s statements, please say that he has already pul
hiB bees in hot beds for the winter. When the weath-
er admits of It, the bees are allowed to fly abroad as
in summer. Wo think it advisable to construct the
hot beds so as to admit of ventilation without remo-
ving the glass.

One point more. While glass directly in front ol the
bees, as in your “Glass House ” may not destroy its
utility. ‘Still we must think it like a pane of glass In
the side of a bee hive, more ornamental than useful-
more convenient than desirable. Please try a simple
shallow “liot-bed” with glass over the bees only , be-
fore pronouncing this method a failure.

Hkubeut A. Buuci-i, South Haven, Mich. Nov. 9tn

We are happy to say our glass house isn’t a.
failure by any means, and if we conveyed tin
idea that the glass stood perpendicularly, it
was our mistake. The sash is about Oh.xlo,
and the lower edge is about 2 Lj feet from the
ground and the upper or north, perhaps
the whole room is 14x24 now, with only the
amount of glass named, and yet it gets too
warm on a very clear day. Instead of straw
for the ground underneath, we prefer saw-dust
When the air is cold outside, the bees get
against the glass but little. Our objection to
a simple hot-bed is that, we can’t go inside
and whenever our bees are where we can’t gel
at ’em, we arc “in a peck of trouble.”

Supplement to APRIL Wo. 1875; and Eighth Edition Circular and Price List.

OUR IKKOLEV.

THE liEE-KEEI’ERS OF OUR COUNTRY.

D ear fellow bee-keepers it is

now the 9th of March, and though winter
still lingers, the sun has to-day thawed the ice
off the walks sufliciently to allow Blue Eyes to
take extensive promenades, of such a nature,
that she fairly bubbled over at supper time
with accounts to her papa of the wonderful
things she had seen “out doors-es." The bees
have rather stopped dying in the forcing house
and are now starting brood very fairly, in pro-
portion to their diminutive numbers, left to
gather meal and care in other ways for the well
being of their little ones. The rest of our Api-
ary seem to have wintered splendidly ; Glean-
ings is receiving daily accessions to its circle
of friends, although it has already a far larger
number than at any time last year, and the
world in general presents such an unwonted
cheerful aspect that we really cannot, get at the
matter in hand, until we tell you all how fer-
vently we thank God for his many many bles-
sings of which we are so little deserving.
Prominent among them is the pleasant news
coming from one after another of our old friends
to let us know they are rejoicing to find that
we too have finally “found that peace that pas-
seth understanding.”

Bo you wonder that vie rejoice to And wc
have so many ministers among our subscribers,
that we feel as if we must take them all by
the hand and wish them God speed in their
noble work of reforming mankind ? And this
reminds us that we hope we shall have the
approval of all of you iu deciding to mention
Mr. Langstroth, first of all the Bee-Keepers of
America.

Rev. L. L. Langstboth, of Oxford, Butler
Lo., Ohio, most of you know, is generally ac-
corded the honor of having first made the
movable comb bee hive practically a success,
and of having introduced it extensively among
the people. IIow far lie has been remembered,
and what are his present circumstances may be
gathered from the following extracts from a
letter just received from him. It was not in-
tended for publication, yet it answers so many

inquiries iu regard to him that we feel sure he
will excuse it.

Excuse dear friends, the delay in replying to vnur
kind inquliics. Since the last, of June 18?:!, [ have
been laid aside from business ol all kinds, and only in
a few Instances have I been able personally to respond
to letters addressed to me. This week for the first
time, have I felt anv very hopeful symptoms of resto-
red mental activity. A year ago last fall I was com-
pelled by poverty and sickness to part with all my
bees, and it is only within a few days that I cared to
hear again the hum of an insect In which I once took
such delight. Two years ago I was straining every
nerve to have the suit of Otis against King brought to
an issue. That eminent counsellor S. S. Fisher, after
seeing al I that the defense could say for their ease,
was confident that the claims of my patent would not
be invalidated. The day was set for the hearing; hut
before the cross examination on my own sworn state-
ment could be completed I was prostrated in mind
and body by my old complaint, ami every thing came,
to a stand. Since then Col. Fisher has died ; and
Mr. Otis, alter being some time an inmate of an insane
asylum, died there, and of course the suit came to an
end. My relatives knew, and Mr. H. A. King was also
informed by me, personally, that in aiding Mr. Otis, I
had ceased to expect any pecuniary benefit by appeal-
ing to law (in case of a favorable verdict) to maintain
my own rights against infringers. My settled and
declared Intention, was in the large territory which I
then owned, to leave al! infringers to act as their own
consciences might dictate, in paying me a license fee
or not, even although the law allowed me seven
years after (lie expiration of the patent, to collect
damages against them. I have felt lor years that from
the many conflicting, and as I believe, infringing
hives, which have come into use, my relations to tile
bee-keeping community, had become misunderstood
by many who were Ignorant of the facts. I have un-
ceasingly grieved to find myself in my old age. In
such unpleasant antagonism to manv with whom I
sought to maintain only friendly relations. I have
never derived even a meagre support from my patent,
independent of the. employment, and am now, since I
have been laid aside from all business, almost entirely
dependent upon the kindness of relatives.

Should I regain sufficient health, I should delight to
revise my work on the Honey llee, and give it the
benefit of the latest discoveries and improvements.

Just before 1 was taken sick, I had been planning
to make you a visit and show you what I regarded as
a decided advance In the way of constructing both
hives and frames. 1 remember with great Interest our
very pleasant correspondence, and the expressions of
kindness from Novice and family. 1 associate you
with the dear wife who appreciated so deeply the* in-
terest, which you and your kind physician took in my
health. With tlie kindest regards to each member of
your family, I remain as ever.

Very truly your friend, L. L. Langstroth.

Oxford, O. Feb. 26th, 1875.

In giving the above we have several objects
in view ; one is to show those who are enter-
taining hopes of gain by selling rights, that
even so valuable an improvement as the mov-
able comb, only resulted in trouble and loss to
almost all parties concerned. And worst of
all, it made unkindness, and trouble, where all
should have been friends and neighbors. Last-
ly, it shows those who feel as if they owe a
debt that lias not been paid, just how they can
recompense our kind old friend for his services.

GLEANINGS IN DEE CULTURE.

Money may l><‘ sent ns, and we will give a
printed receipt for it in Gleanings each month.
If Mr. L's health permits, we shall also expect
brief communications from him for Gleanings.
Fellow Bee-Keepers can we not give our old
benefactor a lew bees to enable him to start
anew ? Who will give a colony? Those in
box hives would be safest to ship and our
friend would in all probability prefer to trans-
fer them to his own hives. Come now, let us
have a donation party, send in bees, Queens,
empty comb etc., etc. As he will need some
money to pay express charges on all those box
hives you are going to send him, we will start
the list with $25.00 for that purpose. You can
send money to him or to us as is convenient,
but drop us a card telling us what and how
much you have sent, that we may give proper
credit. A fair view may be gathered of Mr.
L s candor and good sense from his concluding
remarks on page 08, Vol. 2.

M. Qlinuy, St. Johnsville, Montgomery Co.,
N. Y., although also, well on in years, is sti'l,
we are happy to say, strong and vigorous both
in mind a lid body. As something from the pen
of a person will many times give the readers
a more vivid idea of their peculiar character-
istics than many pages of description, we
shall on account of want of space be obliged to
content ourselves u it h simply indicating where
their writings may be found in Gleanings.
Mr. Q's communications may be found on pages
102, and 104, Vol. 2, and 14, and 27, Vol. 3.

All who have read Quinby’sand l.angstroth's
books, and we hope most of our readers have,
we think will agree with us, that these works
were evidently written with a true spirit of
benevolence toward their fellow beings, aside
from any feeling of pecuniary gain that might
result thereby. Our warmest thanks are due
them both for teaching us our A, U, C’s in the
science. Although these two pioneers struck
out alone, and each without any knowledge of
the other, wc think it much to the credit of
both that they agreed so nearly. The works
that have since been compiled although de- j
serving of merit for having condensed much of ;
t he matter, are yet so evidently dependent on
these two, that we cannot think the writers j
deserving ol a place by their side.

At present, we have three large honey pro- !
d t icers iu our Country who seem to deserve j
mention rather in advance of the rest.

•J. 8. 1 l.utnisoN, of .San Diego, California, the
man who has shown himself capable of mana-
ging something like 2050 colonies, and who
has produced from them in one season about
75 tons of honey, writes as follows in answer
to a request for his Photo. Although his reply
contains much sound sense and wisdom, we
must think that wc did not succeed in making
him understand that our Medley is only a
ttiendly grouping of those whose labors seem
to give them a peculiar sympathy for each
other. We are very sorry, but we suppose we
shall have to content ourselves with his letter
i.i lieu of the Photo.

Vour favor came duly to hand, forwarded lo my
Mountain retreat. To give lo the public at lids early
I cried, die. results of m v successful management In
lice culture, would not he consistent eiiher with my 1
sell' interest, huvivg expended so much time nnu mon- J
rv iu ;ni i ling at die lesuils etc., nor justice lo die
several young men who are sen log an apprenticeship

under me, and who arc surely entitled to more con-
sideralion Ilian the public, who contribute nothing to
devtdope the business. To train young men lo my
method is die only sure way lo perpetuate die busi-
ness and rescue if from the dishonor and odium that
lias been brought on it in years gone by, by specula-
tors, as well us by some who claim a place as Apiari-
ans. Tills country is different from any other and i
Ibid myself vet milch at ft loss to understand Ibe sea-
sons, as each varies from die preceding. One or two
years of my personal attention will do much lo reduce
tin: business lo shape and establish precedents for
future reference. 1 have no photograph suitable to
send you, besides my reputation as ail Apiarian needs
more years to establish before being introduced lo
extensive public, notice. Accept my thanks lor your
consideration and suggestions us to Gleanings as a
medium to unswer inquiries etc. I will avail myself
of your offer at un early day. .1. S. Hakhison.

San Diego, California. Feb. 11th, ’75.

Capt. J. E. 11 etheiungton, Cherry Valley,

N. seems to come next. See his report on
page 7, Vol. 3. Now right here comes a point
that wc cannot illustrate better than by ma-
king a little extract from a private letter.
Will our young readers especially bear in mind
that it is almost out of the question, no matter
how good natured they may feel, for such men
as Harbisou, Hetherington or Grimm, to an-
swer all they receive. We cannot do it, even
while we make it our especial business to an-
swer inquiries. Many times the labor of an-
swering an inquiry iu full is as great as writing
an article iu full for an agricultural paper; in
the former case, it is only used for one person,
in t lie latter it may benefit thousands.

'Tn make a report of this kind is a simple matter,
while to lake ihu consequences is quite serious. Willi
my presen I notoriety 1 receive more letters than 1 can
iiiid time lo answer,* to say nothing of making a Hotel
of ones house. When a man says “he has come 3C0
miles lo learn just how to manage lo get su much box
lioney" one cannot do otherwise lhan Ircat him just
as well Vis he knows how. J. E. II. Dec. Hist, 1874.

Just exactly friend H., we must be neighbor-
ly, even if it involve making every subscriber
on our list wait for their paper, while we are
giving our attention to a single on" of them.
Cannot we make our Journals a more perfect
medium, for making, and answering inquiries?

Adam Giumm, Jefferson, Wis., is another il-
lustration that even advanced age need be no
serious impediment to successful bee culture;
see liis reports on page 80, Vol. 1, and 127, Vol.
2. Friend Grimm lias for years contributed,
much, both in his writings in A. J >. ./., and by
importations of superior stock of Italians.

As we have got through with the five prin-
cipal characters, shall we not now arrange
ourselves simply, in alphabetical order?

Miss A.. (“P. G’*) positively declines entrust-
ing her biography to our voluble pen, in any
shape or manner, so that wc shall have to con-
tent ourselves with the valuable piece of infor-
mation that Miss A., is P. G., and that P. G.,
is Miss A.

Mil. & Mrs. Axtell, of Roseville, Warren Co.,
Ills. Page 21, 47, 82. 142, Vol. 2; 21, Vol. 3.
Mamin II. Adams, Fort Ann, N. Y.

O. L. Ballard, Malone, N. Y.

George Baij., Danbury, Conn., writes Feb.
11th, 1875:

I.tist spring I had (I hives, made an extractor ami
sold over 8100.00 worth ot honey. Increased artificially
and have now thirty-one on summer stands.

Miss Sarah Barker, St. Johns, Midi. A friend
of hers writes :

I recently purchased a few colonies of Italian bees
for her with monev she earned giving music lessons.
She has started with a year's subscript ion to Glean-

1875.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

iso*, and a copy of Langatroth’s hook, together with
a g >od stock of patience and perseverence, hence I
think she will succeed.

P. I). Basspoud, Waterloo, Wis.

Frank Benton, Edgefield Junction, Teun. P.
115, Vol. a.

Robert Bickford, Seneca Falls, N. Y., is we
believe, the original inventor of Quilts.

E. D. Bii.i.ings, Elmira, N. Y.

E. 0. Blakkslee, Medina, O., is the man who
has the Railroad Apiary; See page 8, Vol. 1,
and 75, Vol. 2.

James Bolin, West Lodi, Seneca Co., O. P. 10,
47, 55, 05, 95, 101, 104, 105, 109, 115, Vol. 2, and
25, Vol. 3.

Pn. F. Bond, West Salisbury, Vermont.

Pit. J. P. H. Brown, Augusta, Ga. P. 24, and
cover to Sept. No., Vol. 2.

P. Lyons Browne, Indianapolis, Ind. P. 70,
93, Vol. 2.

Herbert A. Burch, South Haven, Mich., is
well known as a writer in most of our Jour-
nals. P. 120, 144, Vol. 2 ; 14, Vol. 3.

J. Butler, Jackson, Mich. P. 9, Vol. 2.

M. II. Clement, Belleville, Mich. P. 119, Vol.
2. and 10, Vol. 3.

Eli Coble, Cornersville, Marshall Co., Tenn.
Prof. A. J. Cook, Lansing, Mich., has shown
himself, by his writings and at Conventions,
one of our clearest thinkers, and he don’t go
wild on hobbies. P. 23, Vol. 3.

J. II. Cook. Paulding, Jasper Co., Miss.
Franklin Coats, Columbus, Ind.

Mr. C’s wife sends this l’hoto without his knowledge
wishing it its a surprise to him. She also says they
commenced last spring with 4 colonies, and have In-
creased them to!), and taken 300 lbs. of clover honey
which mostly sold for 30c. She, as well as some other
bee-keeper’s wives write us excellent letters and then
say we must not print them. Are we not excusable if
we are a little disobedient now and then?

J. Crane, Bridgeport, Addison Co., Vt. P. 30,
Vol. 1, and 70, Vol. 2.

C. P. Padant, Hamilton, Hancock Co., Ills.,
and his father Clias. Padant, bid fair to stand
at the head of the Importing business. Some
of Chas. Dadant’s articles may be found on
pages 29 and 50, Vol. 2.

J. L. Davis, Delhi, Ingham Co., Mich. P. 20,
23, 31, Vol. 1, and 9, 12, 51, 02, 107, 130, Vol. 2.
G. W. Dean, River Styx, Medina Co., O., like
many of the rest of our friends has made him-
self master of one particular point.
Friend P’s specialty is being able to make his
bees build all worker combs, and build them
"trait. His bees in fact, obey orders in general
much better than some wc have seen. P. 91,
92, Vol. 2.

W'. J. Dederick, Borodino, Onon. Co., N. Y.
G. M. Doolittle & Wife, Borodino Ononda-
ga Co., N. Y. We have many very good rea-
sons for feeling that Mr. D. lias not only been
a friend, indeed, but lie has proved himself also
a friend in need. P. 53, 82, 89, 95, 123, 132, 135,
Vol. 2‘ and 20, Vol. 3.

J. Donaiioe, Nevvboro, Ontario, Canada.
h lj(CS t-h® ** yeftrs, have at the present

ltulhinx 8t00 ^ 8 ’ a11 in moval,le comb hives, anil mostly

A- N. Draper, Upper Alton, Ills. P. 144, Vol.
3; 3(5, Vol. 3.

Andrew Dunlap, Champaign City, Ills.

!)■ J!; Eiavood, Starkville, Herkimer Co., N. Y.
P-55, Vol. 2; 7, Vol. 3.

John Elliott, Wadsworth, Medina Co., O.

B. Fincii, Gallupvillc, Schoharie C'o., N. Y. P.
47 and 71, Vol. 2.

E. Gallup, Orchard. Iowa.

“Gallup’s" name lias become almost a house-
hold word among bee-keepers, and wc only re-
gret that we do not hear from him of late as
often as we once did. Open almost any where
in the earlier volumes of the A. J}. J ., and you
may be sure of hearing either from or of him.

A. Grey, Reiley, Butler Co., O.

Katie Grimm, (now Mrs. H. Geiselor, of Green
Bay, Wis.) will have to be considered the Her-
oine of the Extractor for some years to conn:
we fear, as no other young Miss, (or Mrs. either
for that matter) seems equal to the task she
describes on page 53, of A. B . tor Sept., ’71.
Also see Gleanings page 7, Vol. 3.

Mrs. Lucinda Harrison, Peoria, Ills P. 116
Vol. 2. Mrs. II. deserves thanks for the lively
articles she has furnished our Western papers.
II. Hudson, Douglas, Mich. P. 140, Vol. 2

E. W. Hale, Wirt C. II.. Va. P. 1 17, Vol. 2. '
DR. Hamlin, Edgefield Junction, Tenn.

Dr. H. before his decease, was one of the
most extensive Apiarists in the South, and la-
bored long and diligently in disseminating the
Italians. At the time of his death, we believe
he counted his colonics by the hundred.

F. II. Harkins. We have not his own Photo,
but only that of his Apiary, when he was loca-
ted at Home, Brown Co., Minn. See page 21,
Vol. 2.

Mrs. Levi Hollingsworth, Monmouth, Ills.
E. Hunter, Manchester, Mich. P. 94, Vol. 2.

Dit. J. M. Jansco & Wife, Los Angeles, Cal.

In accordance with your invitation In Gleanings, I
send you my wife’s and inv own Photo, as wc are both
bee-keepers, although novices. We start with 100
stands of bees, out of which one was killed while mo-
ving them over a rocky road, the rest are all very
large colonies, some bracks, some hybrids, and the
rest Italians. WC learned the theoretical part of
Apiculture and now wo start in practice. The bees
work on pollen now. I have been practicing medicine
in town, but my health tailed and I gave it up, and
put up a bee l anche at the font of the Sierra Madro
Mountains, about liftcen miles from town in a tine
place. We have a line home and start an extensive
orchard and vineyard in addition to our bees. We, 1
mean wife and self, are great bee enthusiasts; stings
don’t scare us, and we arc in anticipation of a lively
season. At the foot of our house wo have over 500
acres white sage and much other bee feed.

Wc extend to you and your wife a hearty
welcome, I)r. J., and shall iook forward with
much pleasure to receiving frequent reports
from your mountain home. May we suggest
to Mrs. J. that although her task may at times
be laborious and fatiguing, we hope she will
not be wearied in well doing. Remember that
a nation of sisters are debating whether they
are fitted for such duties; by their husband’s,
father’s or brother’s sides, and even owe who
gets discouraged and gives up may may exert
a wide influence over the rest. Think of the
great blessing of that robust health, that is
only to be obtained by a life in the open air,
among the hills flowers and trees, and remem-
ber what a great boon it will be to many, of
your sex, if they once learn that they can thus
he useful, and feel that their acquired skill and
knowledge, places them, where they may not
feel dependent on others, no matter what re-
verses may overtake them in life.

Lewis Kf.lley, Smyrnia, Ionia Co., Mich. P.

1 16, Vol. 2.

C. Kendig, Naperville, Ills.

4

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

W. M. Kellogg, Oneida, Knox Co., Ills. P.
141, Vol.2.

I). N. Kern, Shimersville, Lehigli Co., Pa. P.
57, 60, 70, 72, and 84, Vol. 2 ; 1), anti 26, Yol. 3.

Friend ly seems to be the original inventor,
and for that matter the sole advocate at pres-
ent, of cloth curtains for keeping the bees from
the sun, and keeping oil' cold winds. The fa-
cility and quietness with which curtains can
be moved, it seems to us places them before
glass and shutters, that is if we really need to
give the bees sunshine between the months of
Nov. and March, a point on which we confess
to be undecided.

E. Kketchmeb, Coburg, Montgomery Co., la.

As a matter of historical record, I may state, that I
have owned Italian bees longer than any person In
America. Being raised only 5 miles l'rom the residence
of llzierzon, ol' Carlsmarkt, Silesia, 1 had the pleas-
ure ol' seeing the lirst Italian bees ever brought to
Germany In 1858. In the same year my lather obtained
a Queen from llzierzon, and on the 14th of March,
ISM. 1 received a swarm of pure Italian bees as a birth
(fay present. For my lirst Queen in America I paid
8150.00 gold, and in A'ugnst 1801, [then in the U. S. Ar-
my] I sold my first colony of Italian bees for 8150.00;
quite a difference from present piices.

We have decided to give the above a place,
yet it seems to us unaccountable that Italians
should have been sold at such figures the same
year that the A. B. J. was .started. We find
them advertised at that time on its pages at
prices not so very much in advance of the pres-
ent ones for full colonies. Was it not Confed-
erate money friend K. ?

Mb. & Mns. D. P. Lane, Koshkonong, Rock
Co., Wis. P. !), 51, 94, and 143, Yol. 2 ; 34, Vol. 3.
C. T. Lane, Koshkonong, Rock Co., Wis.

P. Lattneb, Lattners, Dubuque Co., Iowa,
writes :

In I lie spring of '7t I started with -’4 colonies mostly
weak, had plenty of empty combs [lost 110 colonies in
the spring of 1878 with the dysentery] and took witli
extractor 8B40 lbs. of honey. Sold all but about
150 lbs. at ‘20 to 25c. per lb. Increased to 40 and put 48
in winter quarters, lor the first time, in a dry cellar.
Examined them March 8rd, all right, except one Queen-
less, brood in nearly all stages. My bees hail not one
ineli of comb to build. Increased artificially, alter
the honey season was over. Enclosed find l’hoto for
your Medley, if you think It won’t "bust” it.

If the Medley won't stand tt report from such
a bee-keeper as you, friend L., it ought to be —
Ahem. vVc fear our veterans arc not equal to
the task of 150 lbs. to the colony besides doub-
ling the stock, even if they do have combs
unlimited. Who cun do better with 24 colo-
nies ?

E. Liston, Virgil City, Cedar Co., Mo.

P. Livingston, New Salem, Alb. Co., N. Y.

J. F. Love, Cornersville, Tenn.

W. S. Lunt, Fostoria, Hancock Co., O. Page
22, Vol. 3.

T. G. McGaw, Monmouth, Warren Co., Ills.
Pages 99, and 120, Vol. 2.

I now have GO stocks, and 0 nuclei. 1 expect to
winter and spring every one of these. I won’t tell
you now how much honey I expect to take from them.

A. McMains, Chariton, Lucas Co., Iowa. P. 60,
and 96, Vol. 2. From the cheerful tone of
friend M’s letters we would not think of his
being deaf, yet the Intense questioning look so
common in such cases is clearly seen in the
Photo. He writes:

I liavo not heard a word since I was about 15 years
old ami 1 am now near 84, but 1 can talk well. It will
bo a great pleasure to look upon the faces of the many
whose Interesting articles we have been reading so
long.

Rev. J. Meador, Dover, N. II.

Dit. C. C. Milleb, Chicago, Ills. Pages 9, 50,
57, and 140, Vol. 2, and 52, Vol. 3.

N. C. Mitchell, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Co-
lumbia, Tenn., and finally Defiance, O., when
last heard from. Friend M. teaches school for
the benefit of those benighted in the science of
bee culture, and also for the purpose of getting
$30.00 for one lesson occupying less than two
hours. He also keeps very valuable receipts
for sale telling things that can never be found
in any Journal. You pay him the money (from
5 to $50.00) and then learn that lie by mistake
left the precious papers at home but that they
will be sent first mail etc., etc. Our readers
may be astonished to learn that he does gel
large sums in this way, and even from neigh-
borhoods where Gleanings circulates at that.
See pages 80, Vol. 1 ; 20, 32, and 128 Vol. 2; 22,
Vol. 3. We earnestly pray that Mr. M. may be
led to see the error of his ways, and become a
useful member of our branch of industry. He
is smart and talented and could easily make a
handsome income by raising honey and bees
honestly, instead of prowling about the country
as he does.

G. C. Milleb, Mt. Hanley, Nova Scotia. Page
106, and 143, Vol. S.

J. P. Moobe, Binghampton, N. Y. P. 118, 130,
and 143, Vol. 2.

W. P. Moobe, M. D., Richland Station, Sum-
ner Co., Tenn. Page 110. Vol. 2.

J. E. Moobe, Rochester, Beaver Co., Pa.

Tiieo. Moltz, West Fairview, Pa. Pages 80,
103, Vol. 2.

P. Moiileb, Oneida, Knox Co., Ills.

CnAS. F. Mutii, Cincinnati, O. Pages 10, 22,
33, 139, Vol. 2 ; 19, Vol. 3.

Samuel Mumma, Ilighspire, Dauphin Co., Pa.
Page 102, Vol. 2.

A. J. Mubbay, Memphis, Tenn., is widely
known as a writer on Apiculture. He says :

From experience during the war, [I was a "Johnny
lteb”) I found Ihe bee-keepers Ignorant. I was raised
among bees in Europe, and loved them, and as soon
ns 1 had ti home of my own, 1 began to study them
again closely, and 1 have given my experience
and advice for the past 5 years, through llie columns
of Ihe Southern limner, ‘Southern Cultivator, Rural
Alabamian, Our Home Journal, and Texas Runner,
besides other papers that tmve lived and died some
lime ago. By inis means I have awakened an interest
in bee-keeping that was never known before, and the
interest continues to increase.

James Makkle, New Salem, Alb. Co., N. Y.

J. II. Mabtin, (“Scientific”) Hartford, N. Y.
P. 116, Vol. 2. Scientific is pretty well known
as a faithful and disinterested writer, in A. B.
J. particularly.

S. D. McClean, Culleoka, Maury Co., Tenn.

By your rule of judging it bee-keeper by the tons of
honey he sells, you won’t know where to locate me,
as I have never made a report of my success, blit will
try and be content with the position assigned me.

J. McElbatii, Asbury, N. J.

Native Australian.

We should like very much to be able to state
positively that this individual is a bee-keeper
but to confess the truth the picture was only
sent us by our subscriber in Australia, (page
124, Vol. 2), and he neither said lie was or was
not a bee-keeper, but we give him the benefit of
tlie former supposition. It strikes us that bee
veils, with extensive “coat tails” to ’em might
be in brisk demand in a country where such
simplicity (?) of dress is in vogue.

J. H. Nellis, Canajoharie, Montgomery Co.,
N. Y. Page 32, Vol. 3.

1875.

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

5

Novice and Blue Eyes.

But what lias Blue Eyes to do with Bee Cul-
ture, some may ask? Well, not much as yet,
but as it so happened, that she first opened
those blue orbs, to the light of this world, on
the very day, that Gleanings Vol. 1, No. one,
came from the printing office, she became asso-
ciated, and grew with Gleanings, in the affec-
tions of her papa. Accordingly at a very early
day, she visited the bees with him, and shared
his pleasures and enthusiasm. Up to this date
she has, strangely, never been stung. Should
it please God to permit her to talk to you all
on these pages, at some future time, as does
her papa now, that day will Indeed be a happy
one to both her parents. Mrs. N., has been
deterred from taking a very active part in the
duties of the Apiary, principally by the very
severe, and almost alarming effect of a single
sting. She is promising now however, to make
an attempt to become inured to the poison, a
point on which, although her faith is very
faint, Novice's, is unbounded.

II. Nesbit, Cynthiana, Ky. A valued friend
who has been through the “ups and downs” of
the business, but who we think is getting to be
a pretty cool and steady haud of late.

Miss Ida E. Noyes, Detroit, Mich. A friend
furnishes the following':

Several years ago she obtained a colony of bees In a
box hive. I transferred It for her. The number of
colonies was Increased the first season to three or
lour; then came a severe winter and all of them died.
This of course, was diseouraging to a beginner, and,
to say the least, her opinion of bee culture was at
“low tide.” She then changed her location for the
purpose of attending high school, and the subject of
bees was dropped for a time. Happening however to
read a bee item of mine, her interest was re-awakened,
and, though for a long time she kept very still on the
subject, she says "I very soon became so Interested in
Apiculture that I read anything and everything I
could find relating to the subject, and at last havo
come to the conclusion that bee-keeping is the verv
best kind of business to follow, and since it allows
much leisure during the winter months, one can de-
vote considerable attention to general literary culture.”

one now has an interest in a modest little Apiary
and is succeeding finely.

Oun Emend Charlie, is not a bee-keeper ei-
ther, but he comes very near it, for he carries
the frames, hives, extractors, honey etc., etc.,
to the station, anti brings the tin, lumber, sug-
ar etc., besides the paper, type and all the ma-
terials for printing the “Bee Cultivator” as he
terms it. Charlie has seen bees a few times but
he has never got hurt and we consider him
almost one of us.

IX D. Palmeu, Eliza, Mercer Co., Ills., ha:
written some pleasant articles entitled “Chips
etc.” He is familiarly known through the
Journals. He writes us March 1st.

“h my bees two years ago ; last winter lost fii
01 the 35 left I increased to 100 ami got 3000 lbs
i!.! h honey and 600 lbs. box honey, 3600 lbs. hi all
fi.es are in cellar, no sign of disease.
txEo. I AiutATT, Winamac, Pulaski Co., Ind
Page 9, Vol. 2.

Melvin Pause, Pine Bluff, Ark.

1 ■ Pierson, Ghent, Summit Co., O. Page 25
and 58, Vol. 2.

Wm. Payne, Spencer, Medina Co., O. Pag(
and 118, Vol. 2.

L. S. Pope, Indianapolis, Ind.

A j . 1 ope, Indianapolis, Ind. P. 144, Vol. 2
vf- L - Raub, Bolivar, Alley Co., N. Y.
it* i » ' L ' 1UuB > Bolivar, Alley Co., N. Y.

' J Rose, Petersburg, Monroe Co., Mich.

Mb. & Mrs. M. Richardson, Port Colborne,
Welland Co., Canada. Page 120, Vol. 2.

L. C. Root, Mohawk, Herkimer Co., N. Y.
Page 27, Vol. 3.

S. Rowell, Faribault, Rice Co., Minn. Page
9, and 105, Vol. 2.

Mrs. S. Rowell, Faribault, Rice Co., Minn., is
the woman that is going to get an Organ with
the proceeds of a single hive, (page 13, Vol. 3),
and she will get it too, or we are no judge of
“tao-man nature.”

Chas. H. Rue, Manalapau, N. J. P. 108, Vol. 2.
W. H. Sedgwick, Granville, O.

I don’t feel as though I was one of yon vet, until I
can say I have had 100 lbs. surplus 1‘roin a fiive. 1 en-
close » of my “precious self;” Mrs. S. thinks

that will bo the best looking man in your collection.

Mrs. S. is quite right ; we hope every woman,
aye, and every man too, feels a preference for
the fellow being whose happiness God has so
intimately interwoven with their own.

E. A. Sheldon, Independence, Buchanan C'o.,
Iowa. Pages 57, 90, and 131, Vol. 2.

Mrs. E. A. Sheldon, Independence, Buchanan
Co., Iowa.

W. F. Standefer, Dry Grove, Hinds Co., Miss.
Mrs. W. F. Standefer and Son, Dry Grove,
Hinds Co., Mississippi.

I send you Photo of my wife who helps me with bees
when she is able (being consumptive] and my oldest
child Sylvester, who attends my Queen nursery, and
either sets to rights any irregularity in Apiary or re-
ports to us; shows visitors around in my absence,
opens hives, exhibits Queens, explains the use of
extractors, smokers, cages, etc. Many are as much
astonished at the child, as the Apiaiy ; he is 8 years
old, began working with bees at 7 and is now ruiiniug
2 colonies on his own account.

A. M. Steed, Front Royal, Warren Co., Va.
Page 124, Vol. 2, and 23, Vol. 3.

Spencer Strong, Akron, Fulton Co., Ind.

J. M. C. Taylor, Lewiston, Maryland.

Wm. Troyer, Annawan, Henry Co., Ills.

I like bees. Was the llrstto introduce Bee Journals,
Frame ldves, Italian Bees and Extractors in this town-
ship. At one time I had 110 swarms, but the winter of
1871-2 nearly cleaned me out.

Mrs. Ellen S. Tuppeii, Dos Moines, Iowa,
has by her labors through the medium of differ-
ent periodicals, and at associations and colleges
made herself widely known and gained a great
number of friends. Her life has been, and
probably will be one full of active work, many
times it seems more laborious and full of busi-
ness cares than one of her sex ought to bear.
Her health of late has been poor and we trust
her friends en masse would be glad to see her
take more rest, and enjoy her bees more in
peace and quietness, undisturbed by busy
traffic.

Her daughter, Miss Kate N. Tupper, a grad-
uate of the Iowa Ag. College, is now studying
Medicine. May her life he as useful and yet
unclouded with the many cares that have at
times devolved on her mother.

Rev. J. Van Eaton, Vork, Livingston Co.,
N. V., although a minister seems always run-
ning over with fun as may be seen from the
sketch from his pen on page 28, Vol. 3, and the
following which accompanied the Photo.

On the opposite page Is the last development In
that lino of Darwin’s system of evolution. It is all I
have. 1 use them as posters on marriage certificates.
It must he at safe distance from Grimm and Gallup
and all the aristocracy of the great bee-dom —perhaps
you’d better slip It round on t’other side. If 1 only
could whisper to P. G., that same ploturo might stand
a nice chance for display.

<?

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

1875.

AV. S. Ward, Fuller's Station. N. Y.

Geo. T. AViieeler & AVife, Mexico, N. Y. P.
2!), 140, Yol. 2.

R. AA r n,KiN <& AVife, Oscaloosa, Iowa. Friend
AV. too, has seen the “ups and downs,” espec-
ially the latter, but wc hope to hear he is
improving of late. P. 24. 33, 82, 93, 90, 103, 100.
.1. AV infiei.d, Hubbard, O.

AV. I). AVriqut, Knowersville, Alb. Co., N. "i .
P. 50, Vol. 2.

The following names were omitted by mis-
take, or were seut in after the above were in
type.

Miss Annie C. Mann, Yarmouth Centre, Out.,
Canada.

I began with 2 swarms ami have in four seasons
worked up to 28. 1 am strictly a “novice” as the busi-
ness, ami the worst is, the more experience I have the
less I seem to understand it. “That bee disease” has
not been in my Apiarv. I winter out ol doors on their
Hands. I use the Thomas hives, double and single.
Prefer the single for wintering, i bought an extract-
or lately, and am going to try to use It next summer.
1 wish 1 could see some one else use it tirst. I am 60
pleased that "1*. G.” is a lady, I do not know of one
lady iu Canada who keeps bees, tho’ there may be.

A. A. Rice, Seville, Medina Co., O.

Mr. R. has been in the business but few years,
but if our veterans could make every thing
succeed as lie does, they ought to be happy.
His Alsike Clover gives him barrels of honey
and bushels of nice seed, his Long Idea hives,
work to a charm, he winters without loss, and
we really begin to suspect that that pleasant
wife of his. (Mrs. A. A. Rice,) has something
to do with it all.

George Stray, Girard, Branch Co., Mich.
Mrs. D. N. ICern. Her husband sends the
following :

My wife said she thought it was not quite fair, that
she thought she did take as much interest in tin* •‘cur-
tain arrangement Apiarv” as I. and so I send both.

Quite right friend' K., we certainly wish to
give the ladies every possible encouragement.
Another “Blue Eyes,” daughter of AV. II.
Sedgwick, Granville, O. lie writes :

I think I never opened a hire last summer that she
was not right at my side, in the way.

“Ouch!” is taken from a Chrorao published by
J. F. Ryder, 239 Superior St., Cleveland, O. It
tells its own story.

Iu conclusion dear friends, allow us to say
that we are aware of having picked up these
brief sketches, in a very hap-hazard way. The
thought only recently occurred to us, and
amid a crowd of business we have picked up
wiiatever happened to lay conveniently. If we
have omitted now and then to say a word iu
regard to some of our best friends, excuse it on
the ground that nothing lay convenient to hand.
Besides a lot that we wanted to say, and had
vrritten, was clipped oil’ for want of room.

lAI!I,i: OFPHEMHJMH,

Our reasons for deciding to offer Presents arc as
follows: Many names are sent us out of pure pood
will, saying they think it a pleasure to assist, and don’t
want recompense. Now it is some trouble to write a
letter, pay postage, get a money order etc., and we
prefer to pay every one for such service : yet you
know we cannot send you 5 or 10c. by mall ‘a* pay.
Hut we can send something to your little girl or boy
that will cost but little, and yet may please them more
than a “whole dollar.” We have been for years in the
Jewelry business and hope our taste and ability to
select, "useful, pleasing and instructive presents may
prove happily directed. You can count all subscrip-
tions sent during the year, and back volumes, tho same
.-. - the present one; as lor instance, if two of you send
lor Vols. i, 2 and J each, it will make a club of 0, and

will entitle you to any of the $1.00 articles, providing
you pay 75c. for each Vol. Where no premium is
wanted we send all three Vol’s for $ 2.00 including
Lithograph. Designate by number what premium Ik.
wanted; if you leave it to us, we may send you some-
thing you have already. Only those who have made
out ten names, are entitled to send them at 50c. each.
Otherwise, wc shall only send it for 8 months.

TABLE of Premium** and Term**.

o’ E

No l^xceptiouM-No Competition*^ $

Open to nil.

No.

I-

2 •

3

4

Names of Premium Articles.

Any of them sent free on rec't of price.
Lithograph of Apiary, Implements etc, 30

"That Present.' 1 ' f Explains itself. 30

Small Jlorseshoe Magnet , a scientific toy 30
A Finger Ring of Coin Silver , our

own make 30

Emerson's Binder for Gleanings,

will hold 4 Volumes 50

“ ** better quality GO

Pocket Magnifying Glass GO

A ny Volume of Gleanings 75

Best Quality Emerson's Binder for

Gleanings 75

Pair of Gold plated Sleeve buttons ,

small size but durably plated 75

Coin Silver Watch Chain, plain and

very light $1.00

Double Lens Magnifier , on 3 brass feet 1.00
Photo Medley of America lice- Keepers 1.00
Pen and case, Morton's Make, pen gold,

case plated 1.00

Gold tooth pick, in plated case 1 .00

Plain Gold Ring, our own make, light

but. full 18 K fine 1.50

Any two back Volumes of Gleanings 1.50

■Case of Drawing Instruments 1.75

A real Compound Microscope, beauti-
fully finished, and packed with Imple-

ina Mahogany box 3.50

An Achromatic Telescope, finished like

above 3.50

.1 coin silver U’atch Chain, two strand,
with Slide and tips, our own make... 3.50

Number
of Sub-
scribers
required
at

at

50c, 75c.

10
10
10

100 ! 10
100 I 10

Index to Vol. ^ GLEANING8.

Apiarv, IIow to Conduct 3, 15, 27, 37, 49, 61, 73, 85,

97, 109*. 121, 133.

Apiarv. Our Own 11, 23, 30, 35, 40, 42, 52, 63, 77,

80. 98, 111. 123, 136.

Apiary, Capital needed to start on ion

•* ’ Shall we allow Poultry in 63

“ Report from 93

“ A scene in the .88

“ Locating an — 81

“ Photo's of ‘ 21

Abbreviations in Bee correspondence 4<>

Aster 142

Adam Grimm, Report from 127

Artificial Fertilization 20, 144

“ Swarming 68

“ Pasturage 28

“ lleat. for building up a colony in winter — ■>

Alsike Clover 28

Rees, What i9 a hive of worth 4

“ Rve and Oats for 42

“ Giving them a “fly” in winter 15

“ Candy for 1 H

“ Wings etc 19

“ Raising in a hot-bed 27, 52. 53

“ Do not make honey HJ

“ And cider 114, 135

“ Can be kept in a city 34

“ In Texas 69

“ Killing their Queens, remedy lor o*

“ IIow far will they go home s

44 Moving In working season

“ starch for 69, 107

41 Shipping South to winter JV;

44 Water for 74, 78, l‘-0

“ And things away over the water

44 * Flying in confinement 125, 126, 14*

44 Hot-bed for

“ Flying under glass 126, 139, 136, ljjj

“ Moving for fall pils til rage -•

Bee Stings etc

“ Feed, cheap a

44 Correspondence, Abbreviations

44 Houses *"*

“ •* Rustic ‘

INDEX TO VOL. IT. GLEANINGS IN DEE CULTURE.

7

15(30 Houses, Painting lloor etc 17

*• Disease, Experiment on Kill

•* Journals - 11, *2:5, 42, 54

*• Keepers, Shull we have a dep’t lor box hive ?.. .Hi

*• *• Of Shenandoah Valiev 124

“ “ 01‘ Onondaga Co., N. V 140

•* Keeping in Calilornla 135, 139'

Brood Hearing 122

“ And Pollen 125

“ Or eggs for Queen rearing 1)9

Blasted Hopes '. 8, 32, 44, 55, 79

Box Honey 132, 135

*• “ Last appeal lor 104

Buzz saw for hive making 31, 42

3ioth sides of the question 52

HI ue Thistle 130

Basket lor carrying the combs 52, 03

Catnip, Cultivation of 33, 110

Honey 130

Conventions 7, Oct. cover

clipping Queen’s wings 7, 19, 32

Combs and honey from diseased colonics 00

Comb building 91, 90, 110

< Colonies, Ilow to make 98

“ Uniting 121

“ btrong 41

“ llow to winter loo 54

Comb guides. Receipt for making 11

Candied houey, melliug 33

Combs, Shall we build or buy them 44, 110

Changing Two story to Horizontal hives 43, 50

Clover seed 102

“ And Italians 102

( ider, deleterious to bees 135

Cutting winter passages, Tool lor 110

Dry Sugar feeding 18

Dadant’s divisible Quinby flames 29

‘•Dollar Queens” 23, April and June cover, 7o, 132

‘•Dollar” Extractor 00

Division boards 74, 123, 143

Does an Extractor pay 79

Door steps lor hives. 83

Double width two-8toi*y hives 104

Davis’ Transposition process 107

Disadvantage of two-story hives 117

Doolittle’s Report 123, 135, 138

Exchanges 2

Editorial 0, 18, 30, 42, 54, 00, 78, 90, 102, 114, 120, 138

Extracting ou

“ Tent lor 142

Extractor for $l.uo 66

44 Does it pay 79

Extracted versus comb honey 95

Entrance blocks 71

“Elbow room” lor the Queen 79

Experiments with bees under glass 130, 137, I08

In regard to the Bee disease 139

]■ it a me, St AM> a 1.' i). Can we agree on ?.20, 28, 38, 50, 02

1' rallies, triangular 7u

r doing 28

*• weal .;:.;;:.;.42

“ ill lull 14u

In the open air 58, 70

“ Dry sugar 18

feeders, Tea-Kettle 72

“ Our Universal 102, 142

freezing out the moth miller 90

fertile workers 120

entity or not guilty ? 10

Drape vines, Pruning the 27

’* *‘ For shade 70,88

... , Trellis lor 70

Detting ready for winter 90, 97

Dreat number of Queen cells ..98

ci ami children of a pure Queen, never black... 118, 119

C ol den Rod and Aster .142

!! n °. y Column 9, 24, 33, 43, 92, 103, 114, 127

Humbugs A Swindles 8, 20, 32, 40, 80, 127

cads oi Crain 9, 21, 33, 47, 57, 09, 81, 93, 105, 117, 129, 141
n ® 8 » ^ an wc agree on a standard?.. 23, ‘28, 38,50,02

4 , i ; l 1 1 ' ilw m 9, 102

About making good 7 . 16

3.) go r,j iQ|^ Cbtor y versus two story 23,29,35,38,

Dives, Tad for wintering 29

Buzz Saw for making 31, 12

„ Quinby’s Non-swanning 30,42

, t Changing two story to horizontal 43

c heap paint for 53

11 large shall we make them ? 29, 138

u Question HO

i,on “y Plants, Vetch ".'"jo

’ Labels

“Strained” 24

Money, about nr

“ Fan

“ Canuied 33

44 Wine and Krandy Casks lor 11

Care of after extracting i 15

“ Who buys and who sells .92

44 To prevent candying 102

*» 1 „ ^he K r eat crop from Calilornia 139

House for meal feeding 4 >

How to make a Wax Extractor .!!...!! .’44

** ” “ Queen cage Cover ol Juue No.

Straw' mats cj, 82

44 Colonies <jg

44 “ Winter 100 colonies without loss .54

“Spring” loo “ “ •• (J5

4 44 Get the bees off the combs 94

“ 44 Sell nice wax ;>4

“ “ Advertise honey

Ilow the moths nearly got the better of us 77

llow large shall we make our hives 13s

Hemp for pollen 142

Housing bees for winter 13a

Italians and Red clover u/>

imported Queens, color 106

Implements, Devices and Suggestions no

Introducing Queens ns

Introduction of Virgin Queens 43

King Bird lound guilty .‘no

Luck in w intering p )5

Manure on Hie Bruin ” 50

“Novice” Queens

iui

’ Queens.
Letters to.

Primary Department 7H, 88, loo, 113,122

Pasturage, early <,3

Problems 5, 52, 63, cover to July No., 113

“ Concerning 22, 28, 34, 44

“ Answers to 89

Poultry, a short chapter on 45

Pollen.

53

A timely word in regard to 72

Can it be wintered out of the hive ? 89

Why is it lacking? 513

Its relation to brood-rearing no

“ And brood

“ Want of in winter .141

Quilts in 75

“ Old carpet for .130

4 And propolis 11,23

Queen Rearing

“ Cells, great number of !..... .98

_ “ ‘ 4 Why do bees gnaw them down ? 129

Queens 81.00 12, 24, 36, Cover to April No., 54

“ Losing ns

44 Are the fel.UU inferior ? 132

“ Losing w bile extracting 132

“ Who will rear them in the south ? 24, 36

“ Cover April, May, Jiuie Nos.

“ Virgin introduction of * 43

“ Cages 54, 56

“ Shall they be reared from the egg? 89

“ By mail *10

Roll of Honor 59, Cover of June No.

Robbing, A piece about 57

Receipts, selling 5

“ For making comb guides ”... n

Reports Encouraging 9, 32, 46, 51, 140

Straw mats 09, 82

Strait combs .140

shipping bees South to winter !...119

Smokers, All about 68

Sw arming out in spring 53, i n

“ A grape vine 113

Sugar syrup versus honey for wintering 55

“ For Queen cells

Transferring

To prevent honey candying

Universal Feeder

102, 142

Unsealed stores

120,' 139

Uniting colonies

Vetch as a honey plant 10

Value of little attentions 81

Ventilating cellars 109

Water for bees 74

Wintering 10, 15, 35, 41, 31

44 Out-door, remarks in regard to 139

_ “ 14 lu Long hives 101, 120

What I have dono 74

Wire cloth division boards 74

W'ornnvood for smoking bees 68, 143

Waxing barrels 86

>Vax, nice, how to sell 94

W lint to do with tht* sugar syrup in spring IDS

Why do hives smell sour? 129, 139

8

GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE.

1875.

Implements for the Apiary.

In presenting this list, we would remark that we
have carefully thrown out or remodeled every thing
found in any way defective, and we offer nothing that
we do not approve of and use in Our Own Apiary.

We can ship promptly, by Freight, Express or Mail,
(none mailable except those designated) goods men-
tioned in the following list. Hives, Extractors, etc.,
can be sent much cheaper by freight, but in this case
they should’ be ordered three or four weeks before
needed, if the distance is considerable. During the
months of April, May and June, orders may some-
tlities be delayed several days, but our customers may
rely upon receiving notice at once on receipt of all
remittances.

At the prices given below, cash must accompany
every order ; as the sending of goods C. O. D. entails
an additional expense, and goods many times fail to
be taken, we must be excused for refusing to send any
that way. When hives or frames are ordered in quan-
tities, the additional expense of boxing is such that we
am make no better rates on large orders. Orders for
frames or hives of dimensions differing from those
named, will also be liable to some additional delay,
especially during the “Honey months.”

PItICE LIST.

As much diversity of opinion still exists regarding
hives, so far as 6ize and shape are concerned, we shall
still furnish the live different shapes of “Dollar
Hives,” as described in our circular for 1874, which
will still be mailed on application.

To those who ask our opinion, we would state that,
as yet, we have no sufficient reason for preferring any
thing to what we have calleu the Standard. Prices
as follows :

In order to hasten tlie introduction of tlic

^STANDARD Jg |

Apiarian Implements, we make the following offer.
Standard Hive, including bottom-board, door-step,
blocks, and all the stand that we think is needed to

keep it from the ground $2.00

Twenty frames for above 5&c. each 1.15

Sample Frame, by mail 12

Quilt 40

Or all complete except painting, for 3.50

The same in a bundle including nails, hinges, etc, 3.25
Extractor made expressly for Standard frames,

(holds frame 135* wide, by 11 deep) $i».00

Any deviation from above, be it only 1-16 ol an inch,
will be only at our regular list prices.

Frames of any desired dimensions, with Metal

Corners 06

Sample frame with section of metal rabbet, in-
cluding sample of transferring clasps, (by mail).. ..15
To save the expense of shipping so great a bulk,
frames will be packed ready to be put together, unless
hives to contain them are to be sent made up, but the
price will be the same in either case.

Metal Corners put up in packages of 100, i. e.

enough for 25 frames, (by mail 20 cts. extra) 1.00

Per 1000 0.00

Per 10,000 80.00

Cast Iron Bloeks for putting Metal Cornered
frames together, (by mail 10 cts. extra) 15

With every order lor 100 frames or more, one ol’ the
above will be included without charge.

Rabbets for frames to rest on, made of folded

strips of metal, per running loot 02

Folding the 6trips adds greatly to the strength, be-
sides furnishing a smooth, hard ’surface for the end ol
the frame to strike when replacing it, and preventing
the bees gumming the projecting ends of t lie frames,
as well as the supporting edge. In ordering, name
lenyth desired.

Quilts for any of the hives mentioned, (by mail

6 cts. extra) 1 25

The same double width 40

“ triple width 60

Metal Clasps for transferring, package of 100,

(by mail 10 cts. extra) 25

These are made to lit our Irames or any other just
of an inch.

Novice’s Honey Knife py mail 1.00

Half dozen, by express 5.00

We will add thutour Honey Knives are sufficiently
keen and 6harp to uncup honey with facility, without
resorting to water, either hot or cold. The handle is
of Ebony, and the whole is very strong and finely
finished.

Tinned iron hoops made expressly to go around
top of cun for Extractor, two sizes, 17 and 20
inch, each 50c., per doz 5.00

Tea-Kettle Bee-Feeders that will feed a colony
under favorable circumstances 25 lbs., or suffic-

ient for winter, In ten hours i.oo

Extractors for any of the frames meutloned 10.00

These machines are all of metal, and as the hearings
arc all of tempered steel, they are very light, and easy
running. The gearing has been recently, considerably
improved, and every part is most especially arranged
for rapid and easy work, while strength and durability
have been duly considered. It may bo as well to in-
form our feminine friends that the machine was not
only much of it designed, but its construction hns
been constantly supervised by one of their own sex,
who assists in the .extracting department of our o<vn
Apiary. The entire weight of the machine is only
about 16 lbs., and the entire inside work and gearing
may be lifted out, leaving a stout tin can with a sub-
stantial bottom, and iron bound at the top, worth for
a variety of purposes, nearly what the whole machine
costs.

We can furnish a cheaper form, with flat bottom

can. of cheap tin, for 6.00

There has been so little demand for these that we
have not kept them on hand.

Gearing for Extractor, including all castings to

fasten it to the can (by mail 40c. extra) 1.50

In ordering Extractors, castings, or inside work,
give outside dimensions of frame or frames to be used
in them.

With inside revolving frame and steel pivots,

bearings, wire cloth, and all except the Can 5.00

Galvanized iron wire cloth, made expresslv for
Extractors, per square loot [by mail oc- additional] 15
Fine tinned wire cloth for Queen cages, same price.
Molasses Gates for Extractors (by mail 20c. extra)... 50
Superior White Oak barrels for honey, hold 375 lbs. 2.50

The same waxed and painted 4.00

Spring Balances, a nice article 8.00

These Scales are made weather proof and when ar-
ranged to suspend a moderate sized colony, may be
left out all summer; as the figures on the dial' are
plain and large we can see at a distance the average
yield of honey per stock, each day or hour even ; when
weighing stocks for winter, they shorten the work
very materially.

Scissors for clipping Queen’s wings. These are

small, line steel 'and very flue pointed, by mail 40

Lithograph of Apiary, Implements etc., by mail 30

Alsike Clover seed, the best , loss than 10 lbs., per lb. 35
“ “ “ “ over “ “....30

“ “ 44 44 by mail, postpaid “....50

Summer Rapo seed, per lb., by mail, in cloth bag — 35

“ “ “ “ by express 15

Queen Register Cards, [for description and illus-
tration see cover of June No., Vol. 2.) per doz 10

Lamp Nursery lor hatching Queen cells 5.00

This is a double hive made of tin, with a space be-
neath the walls to hold water. A lamp keeps the
water at any desired temperature at an expense of
about one cent per day. Without a doubt, the machine
would hatch eggs, ( perhaps it would also scratch food
for the chickens) we haven’t yet tried it, but it hatches
every thing in the “bee line” quite satisfactorily.
See description in Vol. 1, page 74. In ordering give
accurately length of top bar to frame.

Queen Cages, [see cover to June No.] each by mail.. 12

Galvanized tacks, just the thing for the Apiary,

(by mail 2c. extra) 10

Thermometers (by mail 3c. extra) 40

Universal Feeder (by mail 3c. extra) 10

We believe, and hope this inexpensive arrangement
may prove fully adequate, for all purposes. For de-
scription, sec page 102, Vol. 2.

Medley of Photo’s of Bee-keepers, size 8 by 10 1-00

Bee Veils, (sec cover to May No. Vol. 2, and page

2, Vol. 1), l>v mail 75

Wax Extractor, for description see April No. of

Vol. 2. . 3.50

Honey Labels with name and address, per 1000 — 3.00
By mail 25c; per M. extra. Samples free.

Small Larva* for Queen rearing, by mail ®

These can only succeed in warm weather, say June,
July, Aug. and Sept. The piece of comb containing
them will be safely packed in a wooden box.

Wc always consider it an especial favor to hove
customers inform vs by postal card whether goods
arc satisfactory ; whether our mode of packing ts
efficient ; lime taken in transit ; whether Express
or Freight charges were reasonable , etc., etc.

Respectfully , A. I. Root & Co.