UMASS/AMHERST * f 312066 0333 2706 W ¥ DnDDDnnnDDnDnDDnDDDDDnnnDDaDDnnD D D D D D D D •^°*^% D D D D D /tf^1t% D D D > ^ft %i/ ijg m D D * w^ImI Iff "5 D D •? y^^^^s ** D D D "^^^^^ a D D n D D D D D D UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS D D D D LIBRARY D D D D D O 'J D D D D i D a D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D 3 D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D a D D D D D D D D D D D D D D DDDDDnnnDnaDDnDaanDDDDDnDnaDDDDD ■ ' LIBRARY ir^'F^' OF f^«RST, ?^^SS. Q-47 V, /^ Vol. XIX. JAN. 1, 1891. No. 1. TERMS: Jl.OO Per ANNUM. IN ADVAKCB;! Tp 1,+ rt T\l T o Ti o rl -i-v) 1 S '7 9 2Copiesfoi-»1.90; 3for«2.75;5forW.OO; I JldfiViAjUl'Vb iLt/Lb LfV ±0 I O . 10 or more, 75 cts. each. Single num.- \ ber, 5 cts. Additions to clubs may be , made at club rates. Above are all to be sent to one postoffice. PUBI-ISHBD SEMI-MONTHLY BT '\A. I. ROOT, MEDINA, OHIO. \ Clubs to different postofHces, not less I than 90 cts. each. Sent postpaid, in the J U. S. and Canadas. To all other coun- I tries of the Universal Postal Union, 18 cts. per year extra. To all countries L NOT of the U. P. U., 42 cts. per year extra EDITED BY DR. C. C. MILLER. What a winterl TJees flying a little Dec. 1.5. What splendid kindling old wood separators make! SuB-VENTiLATOKS are still in high favor with Mrs. Harrison. I don't know how Rev. W. F. Clarke can make such good poetry about what he doesn't know. A7neric(tn Bee Jouniai for 1891 is to have 1(564 pages. How does friend Newman expect us to bind it? Winter days have come. Bees no longer hum: They hibernfite some. If 3 lbs. of honey make 1 lb. of wax, wouldn't it be better to raise wax at 20 cts. a pound than to raise .o-cent honey? A writer in the British Bee Journal, who has ■' both straw skeps and movable-frame hives, likes the latter better."" Closed-end frames, according to W. Camm. in Tlie Guide, do not have the combs fastened as well to the end-bars as open-end frames. Heddon says that one of the reasons (and he puts the reason in capitals) that he sold his honey so (]uickly. was. that he kept the priees down. I have four colonies of bees outdoors — the first in perhaps 20 years. '• Why haven't I tried it before?"" Well, I don't know whether it was more prejudice or laziness. Rev. W. F. Clarke and Bro. Newman are hav- ing quite a controversy as to whether Canadi- ans are Americans. When they agree on it, w(^"ll know for sure just how it is. Hill and HrxcuiNSON are down on the cor- ners of the Dovetailed hive. Is there any law to prevent the two H.'s from making the same hive with an improved corner, like a common store- box? Cover Picti're.— That of the Review. It"s ahead — neat, appropriate, beautiful. The only chance for any one else to beat Hutchinson is to copy his cov^r, and then sew it with colored instead of white thread. '■ LorK-.j()iNTED Hive -corners" is the head- ing to an item in the Review about the "so- called Dovetailed hive." Say. W. Z., why didn't you, years ago, lift up your voice against the "so-called dovetailed " section ? Hasty thinks 3 lbs. or less of honey will make a pound of wax; Simmins, less than (3}^ lbs.; tradition. 20. Don't we stick to that 20 from mere habit? I do. Has there been a single ex- periment of late years to confirm it ? Whether your cellar needs ventilation for the bees or not, if your wife and children are worth keeping you will do well to see that the air in your cellar is sweet and pure at all times. Pure air won't hurt the bees, at any rate. Japan clover is sijokeu of in the American Bee Jouriial as a kind that flourishes well, at least in tlie South, doing well even on the poor- est. stoni(>st land. It is highly praised as a plant for grazing, but nothing is said of its val- ue for honey. Upward ventilation, according to tlw Brit- ish Bee JoiiriKtl. is not desirable. It says, " Personally we prefer to keep the top close — just as the bees will make it if left to them- selves— and to ventilate from the bottom. We have come round to this view after trial of both methods."" Black bees the British Bee Journal decid- edly prefers to the Italian, for profit and for all-round superiority. It says, "After several years' trial, our most experienced and success- 8 GLEANINGS IN BEE CUI.TUllE. Jan. 1. ful bee-kpepers have generally discarded Ital- ian (or Ligurian) bees in favor of the old black or brown variety." How's that ? A British writer recommends having extract- ing-co7nbs 3 inches from center to center, to prevent the queen going up into them. I think there Is something in it. With 3-inch sections I never had much trouble with the queen going up. even when I used neither separator nor honey-board. Joshua Bull, in the American Bee Journal. thinks, "when we have frequent storms, with heavy discharges of electricity in the form of lightning and thunder, the honey-flow is apt to be light; but when there is less thunder and lightning, there is more honey in the flowers." Well, what can you do about it? Isn't contkaction beginning to expand a little? Dr. Tiiiker says, in the Canadian Bee Journal, that contraction "is now admitted by all the ablest producers of comb honey in this country to be necessary to the best results. '" But he has decided, that "it does not pay to carry the contraction too far." He thinlvS " the equivalent of (J L. brood-combs is the best." And now it's Hasty I am mad at. I like Hasty, he's always so fresh and briglit. But in the Review he hints that the venerable false- hood, that it takes twenty pounds of honey to make one pound of comb, is kept alive by the bee-journals in the interest of the foundation business. Hasty, did you ever know any of them to suppress any evidence that 3 lbs. of honey make a pound of wax? That hint wasn't nice. It was hasty — almost with the top knock- ed ofl" the h. Foui. BROOD in Canada is not likely to be kept hidden. Any ])erson, whether bee-keeper or not. who knows of a case and does not repoi't it to the proper authority, "shall, on summary conviction before a justice of the peace, be lia- ble to a flne of $5 and costs." That's right. It's different here. At a bee-convention a public official announced the existence of a large num- ber of cases of foul brood; and when I pressed for the names, he said lie would not teU, because the parties did not want it knoicn! Artificial incrp:ase is practiced by E. France to prevent swarming. He runs out- apiaries for extracted honey, with no one to watch foi- swarms. He visits them every week to ten days. When they get, so strong that there is danger of swarming in a good honey- flow, he takes from each sucii colony about two combs of honey and brood— mostly brood— tak- ing bees with it but no queen, and puts in place empty corahs or foundation staiters. Thus from 3 to () colonies he gets enough to All an empty hive, which in a few days makes a strong working colony. Next visit he cuts out queen- cells. AMOUNT OF STORES FOR WINTER, ETC. G. M. DOOLITTLE GIVKS US SOME FACTS GLEANED FROM YEARS OF EXT'ERIENCE. The following from a correspondent is just at hand: "How much food does each colony of bees require, in order to winter successfully ? I find Mr. Hasty telling in the Review of starting doubled-up colonies with as little as five or six pounds, while some of the ' doctors' say that fif- ty pounds in a hive is better than any thing less. Which am I to believe? and what am I to un- derstand by this great dift'ei'ence of opinion ?" Well. thes(» things are often very confusing to a beginner, and I do not wonder at it: but, as a rule, the writer of an article in any of our peri- odicals can not well go into all of the minutiae connected with his or hei' subject, because it would make too long an article for one niunber or issue of such periodical: and continued " stories " do not seem to be just the thing for a bee-paper. That none need be thus confused, my advice to all beginners would be, that they ptirchase one or more of our valuable books oii bee culture, and in these they will find the most if not all they want to know about spoken of at length, and the reasons for the writers" opinion given, so that they can form an opinion at once whether the writers' views are correct or not. Witli this prelude I will proceed to answer as best I can. While I do not think that 50 lbs. of honey should be required to winter a colony of bees, under any condition, yet the amount required depends very largely on the location, whether the bees are wintered in the cellar or on the summer stand, and upon what is meant by "winter." It will be plain to all. that more stores would be required to winter a colony wh ere winter lield its sway from the middle of October to the middle of April, as it does in some of our most extreme northei'u localities where bees are kept, than would be recjuired in some of the more southern localities where winter does not last over two months. If I undei'stood Mi'. Hasty aright in the Re- view, his idea of so little honey was to give only enough honey during the winter montlis proper to supply the '" fuel " reciuired to keep the colo- nies warm, and not to supply them food for brood-rearing in the sjjring. He argued that this scanty supply of food tends to make the bees retrench, and so they would use this supply 07) ly for fuel, and thus early brood-rearing, which is considered by many to be of no advan- tage, would be done away with, thus wintering our bees at little cost, and at the same time place them in a condition which is most condu- cive to their prosperity. But Bro. H. did not calculate that the supply he gave them in the fall was to last them till honey was gotten from the fields in the spring, for he plainly told us that he had a supply reserved, to fall back on when the supply given in the fall gave out. The only thing I see against this " short-store " plan, as given by Bro. H.. is, that in our locality the bees might run out of supplies at a time when it would be impossible, on account of pro- tracted cold, to supply their wants, thus increas- ing the ])robability of loss to those who are a little inclined to be careless with their pets. Yeai-s, ago, when I first began to keep bees, I thought that each colony wintered on theirsum- mer stand should have at least .30 lbs. of honey to cany them from the first of October to the first of May; but after repeated trials I am fully satisfied that 20 lbs. is just as good as 30, and I find that not one colony in 35 will consume 15 lbs. during this time. The only reason for giv- ing the 30 lbs. instead of 15, lies in the fact that the bees will retrench when their stores are get- ting low. just as Bro. Hasty tells us; and if this reti'enching comes when the bees ought to be reaiing hiood. then we are losing largely by not having honey enough in the hive to keep brood-rearing prospering as it should. I claim that all colonies wintered on the sum- mer stand shotild have at least ten pounds of honey in their hives the middle of April, in this locality, to give them the confidence they need to start out aright with for the season; for with this amount of stores they will not feel the need of retrenching, but will push brood-rearing on rapidly. If they can be wintered on 5 lbs. up to this time, so much the better: but, if at this time they do not have plenty of honey it should be sup])lied to them in some shape. For cellar wintering I allow 5 lbs. less honey than for out- 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 9 door wintering, finding that, as a rule. IJo lbs. of stores per month is the average amount con- sumed by the bees while in the cellar. Now. where we feed our bees, no matter how done, I find that it can be done to better advantage in the spring than in the fall, for the bees will go to brood-rearing with renewed vigor where fed: and for this reason 1 would say, give the bees only enougli to safely carry them through to May. then supply their wants by feeding tlie amount you would otherwise have given them in the fall. The amount which I think right in this locality, I have given above. INTRODUCING QUEENS TO Ql'EENLESS COLONIES IN THE SPUING. Another correspondent wishes to know wheth- er he can successfully introduce a queen to a colony which has bef?n \\intered without one. He seems to fear that such a colony would es- tablish laying workers during the winter sea- son, and thus make the introduction of a queen a perilous undertaking. I do not know that I ever placed a colony in winter quartei'S. know- ing that tliey were queenless. but I have sever- al times had queenless colonies in the spring which I believed had been queenless nearly all winter, and had no especial trouble in getting them to accept a queen at that time. I can not say for certain, but I do not think that the bees would establish laying workers while in winter quarters; at least. I never knew of a laying worker, in this locality, earlier than the first of June. Can any of the readers of Gleanings give us any light on this subject? It would have much to do with our trying to winter over queenless colonies. G. M. Doolittle. Borodino, N. Y., Dec. 17, 1890. [I heartily agree with you, friend D., in every thing you say. only you do not consider at all the strength of the colony. When we used to try to winter nuclei, say with a quart of bees or more, if we succeeded in getting them to pull through, they consumed, of course, but a small quantity of food : and if they dwindled down so there would be but a pint of bees in the spring to build up with, it took only a very small amount of stores for them to build up. I think I have wintered nuclei with not to exceed 5 lbs. of stores : and this took them clear up to the bloom of the soft maples : and at the same time I have had powerful colonies, say with four times as many bees as the nucleus men- tioned, that would consume 20 lbs. It is true, however, that less stores will be needed in pro- portion for a powerful colony than for a weak one, especially during winter time. As the powerful colony will, however, start a tremen- dous sight of brood before the nucleus has com- menced brood-rearing at all, they will need stores correspondingly. And the amount of brood reared, and the time when brood-rearing commences with a certain colony, has very much to do with the amount of stores needed. We therefore finally arrived at the conclusion of many of our veterans, that each full colony should liave from 20 to 2.5 lbs. of stores, in order to be (ibx(Autely safe, providing they were not looked over in the spring especially lo see how their stores were holding out. But with this large amount of stores, many will often liave sealed stores left when work commences in the boxes: and this is an argument in favor of ten-frame hives instead of eight-frame. The two extra frames may contain surplus stores the year round, as a sort of reserve force to fall back on in case of drouth or famine, or excessive brood-rearing. I can not remember that I have ever had any trouble in introducing a queen to a colony found queenless in the spring : and we, in such cases, turn them right loose, the bees often re- ceiving them with a roar of applause. I do not know that I ever saw them " swing their hats," but they make a loud buzz with their wings, and the news passes from one to another very much as shouts of applause go through a crowd of human beings.] WHITE SNAKEROOT (EUPATORIUM AGERA- TOIDES). DOES IT CAUSE THE DISEASE CALLED " IHLK- SICKNESS "? Friend Ro(jt: — Prof. Cook pronounces the plant sent by Mr. Hastings (see p. 79.3) " the common boni?set. or thoroughwort, sometimes called white snakeroot." Although I am not a botanist, I can tell the professor, that, although they may be ranked with the same family of plants, there is quite a difference. Boneset is a much larger, stronger - growing plant than snakeroot: and the leaves that spring from the body of the main stalk entirely encircle it. so that they connect with one another, and the stalk has the appearance of growing through the blades, while the snakeroot is entirely destitute of the band that encircles the other. The seed-ljlos- soms on the top of the plants resemble each other very much. There is a mistake some- where. Mr. Hastings may have sent thorough- wort instead of snakeroot: and if he did. the professor made a mistake. In regard to the "• trembles " in cattle, and milk-sickness among those who use the milk of cows that eat it, I have had a pretty sad expe- rience, but not as bad as some of my neighbors. When I came to Ohio in 1844 I heard that there was a section of country on the road from Medina to Seville where the settlers had been afflicted with a strange malady that the doc- tors could give no name to, and several deaths had occuiTed the year before: but the general opinion was that it was somehow caused by the water. I took up a new farm on the road one mile west of the main road to Seville, l5ut my neighbors' woods and mine joined, and then everybody's cattle ran in the woods; but it was so much trouble to hunt mine up that I cut a "slash row "'around my lot. Well, we would hear of sickness ca^t of us; but with tlie excep- tion of a little ague, one year, we enjoyed good health for ten years: but the year 18.5.5 was a dry one in the latter part of the summer, and the water failed on my farm. I let my cattle into the woods for water, and, of course." among the snakeroot. Soon a sucking colt died; then my oldest boy was taken ill, and then there was a general bad feeling, among us all; but I did not send for a doctor, for I dreaded them more than any disease. I was then 46 years old, and my wife 41: but neither of us had "ever tak- en a dose of medicine of any kind/rojji a f7oc- tor. A week passed; wife sick; yearling steer died with trembles: shut the cattle out of the woods, and cut corn for them. Stephen, my boy, had been seven days without any tiling passing his bowels — could eat nothing, drank but little, and generally threw that up. I would say here that we had abandoned the use of milk and any of its products. Stephen said that he wanted some ice. I took tlie old jumper from the stable, mounted her, and took a pail and went to the village and got a good big •' hunk," and cut it up so he could get the pieces into his mouth, and he " crunched " it up and swallowed it before it had a chance to melt. After a short spell he commenced to vomit, and threw up not only the water but the contents of a very foul stomach; and from that hour he began to mend. Suffice it to say, that, of the seven of us in the family, we were all sick but 10 GLEA.N'EN'GS IN BEE CULTURE. J AX. 1. the six-yi-ar-old boy (the youngest), and he had generally eaten much more maple su I would not have a doctoi': but we all lived, whih^ several of my neighbors died, with the doctors all around them. I have written these lines so that any one sick with that complaint may have the benefit of my (experience. I consider Dr. Tyrrell's I'e- marks on page 779 of Gi.eaxixgs to be like '"apples of gold in pictures of silver " to any one who will heed tliem. Jesse Hakiungtox. ^Medina. Ohio. Nov. 2^. [Friend H.. do not be too severe on Prof. Cook. We find, by the botanies, that the thoi'ough- wort. or boneset family, includes a vei'y large luimher of varieties; and although the white snakeroot looks very different indeed from what we in our locality call boneset. or thor- oughwort. it is still (me of the species included under that name. Years ago I sent a sample of the plant to Samuel \Yagnei\ and my sample was taken from the vei-y woods you allude to in your article. He at once pronounced it white snakeroot. or Eupatorium (ujeratoldcs. The piece of woods has always been of great interest to me. from the fact that, as cattle and all oth- er stock have been for so many years excluded, it is becoming a dense thicket of trees, plants. and shrubs — quite a contrast, in fact, to most of the timber land througliout Ohio. From the fact that stock has been for so many years ex- cluded from the woodlands where this plant seems to thriv(>. I am inclined to think that it. or some other one. has som(>thing to do with milk-sicknes.s. Years ago I thought it richly deserved a place in our greenhouses on account of the beauty of its snow-white mass of bloom, and 1 remember well when I first found it in a greenhouse. Now almost (n'cry florist has one or more varieties of EKpatoriuin with their downy tassel-shaped flowers of snowy white- ness. Recently a tinted vai'iety is found in some collections. The little fiowers and the mass of bloom have become developed by greenhouse culture to tnuch greatei' size and magnificence than they are in their native woods. Bees get an amber-colored honey, of a peculiar rich flavor, some seasons, from this plant. Perhaps I should mention that thor- oughwort has a strong. s\\eetish perfume — sometimes so great as to be almost sickening, while the snakeroot-blossom has no trace of this distinctive pei-fume at all. It has. how- ever, a delicate sweet i)erfume of its own. but not at all like the thorouffhwort.l BEE-KEEPING FOR WOMEN. A FEW TinX(iS THAT HEM" MATEUIALIA- To ETGHTEX TI1P:IK EABOIJS. Tnder favoring circumstances I can put in a long day's work witli bees— often, in the busy season, getting up at four o'clock: and, when at work in the out-apiaries, not reaching home until nine o'clock in the evening, liut I feel pretty sure that, under some cii'cumstances. it would be very little work I could do with bees. Take, for instance, the matter of shade. If I were obliged to work in some apiaries where they arrange their hives in an open plat with only shade-boards or vines, and the operator is obliged to take the full i-ays of the hot sun. I am afraid it would be a very short time that I could stand it. In our apiaries the hives ai'e so arranged that they are in the shade at least part of the day: and in planning our work for the day we always, so far as is possible, see to it that those hives which w ill be in the sun in the afternoon are worked in the forenoon, and vice iwrsa. Sometimes we don't plan just right: then Dr. Miller takes the sun. I suppose men are better able to stand the heat than women: but I can haidly see why it is necessary for ei- thei- to do so. What objection is there to ti'ees. providing the shade is not too dense? They help the b(^es to mark their location: and. oh they are such a comfort to the bee-keeper if he keeps them trimmed properlyl Last spring we were very busy, and neglected to trim the branches in the Wilson apiary. Wheiuncr I heard an ejaculatory "oh!" I knew what the matter was. and would look up to see Dr. ^Miller's hat jammed ovi>i' his eyes, and both hands full. One day. after having been tried in that way a number of times, he stopped shoj't with a remark something like this: "I'm going to trim these branches, even if I don't do another thing to-day." He did trim them and it didn't take so verylong either, and they had been a big nuisance for some time. You see. I rather had the advantage of him. for I could pin my hat on firmly. It's the little things that help to make our work hard or' easy. I should hardly like to work with bees if I were obliged to do all the heavy lifting. But Dr. Miller kindly favors me in that direction — so much so that I remon- strate sometimes. He generally assures me that it is pure selfishness on his part, as he wants to get as much help from me as possible, and knows I can accomplish a good deal more if I don't overdo. Eveiy lady bee-keepei' will find a pair of rubbei' boots and a good gossamer (one with sleeves if ])ossible) a great help — in fact, almost a necessity. Showers sometimes come up when work is pressing, and you are obliged to keep on. I have in mind twice this last summer, when we worked in a jjouring rain because we had a lot of queen-cells that must be attended to at once. Again, you can not wait in tlie morning for the grass to dry off. and you will find your rub- l^er boots a great convenience. Now. (ion't say. as I did. that they are entirely too heavy and warm, and that you know you nevei' can wear them. Well. I }i(((l to. as Dr. Miller got me a pair and insisted on my trying them. I like them. So will you. Emma Wilson. Marengo. 111.. D(>c. 1.5. [Good shade in an apiary is indeed a luxury, even to a )nnn. and to the poor bees, also, wlu^n not too dense. It is very hard to be obliged to work in the hot sim, over hives all day. without at leasi a little shade a ])art of the day. Shade- boards are inconvenient, as you say. About the best thing. I think, is small trees, or trees that do not have a very dense foliage. Large apple-trees are rather bad: small ones are just riglit. Grapevines are hardly the thing, in my estimation. They require such constant trim- ming, and that (luring the busiest part of the time in the apiary, that either one or the other of two things happens— they are eith(M- neglect- ed, or they stick out in the way unless attended to so that they take valuable time away from the be(es. A small boy can do it, it is true: but somehow or other it does not get done at our home apiary. I never had my hat crammed down over my eyes as you say Dr. ]\Iiller has had. but I have had an ugly shoot from a vine that had been cut off. punch me in the face: anci I have felt more than once as if I wanted to tear the whole thing up, root and branch. This matter of shade is one of the important questions, and I hope our coiTespondents will discuss it. \'ou \y\\\ remembei', three or four years ago I recommended light rubber boots to work with I8yl GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 11 in the apiary, and I am glad you have spoken of their convenience to ivoiiien. Very often, dur- ing the morning, the grass will be soakiug wet; and if your yards are like oui'S, somehow or other the grass will become long, so as to malce common rubbers an iiisafticient i)rot(x*tion. After I had recommendi'd light rubber lioots we had quite a numhci' of orders for tliem. I would say to our good friends, that we sell a good many things: but boots are among the articles that we do not wish to handle just yet. The kind I mentioned can be obtained at any of the stores.] E. R. RAMBLER IN PROVIDENCE. ilOFFMAX FRAMKS AXU 15KK-SPA(KS: NO BUKR- COMBS. r We performed the duties required of us on the apiarian exhibit: and not seeing much anger inthe faces of the exhibitors, we concluded it was safe for us to stop a few days in Kliodc Is- land. We learned that Mr. t'u^hnuln was tloing a good work at the Experiment Station, and it was through the unremitting labors of Mr. Miller and Prof. Cushman that the premium list was extended and tlie exhibit enlarged: and if the people of Rhode Island remain in ignor- ance upon bee-keeping and the methods of honey-production, it will not be tlu' fault of the bee-keepers. The exhibit from the Experi- ment Station was intended to be instructive: ment is mostly in tlu^ morning and evening. The rest of ids time is devoted to banking busi- ness in the city. It is a delightful run out of Providence to Barrington. ^Ve follow down NarragansettBay: and the many beautiful cot- tages along tlie shore and upon the islands re- minded us strongly of our own loxely Lake (icoige. Mere, however, instead of tisliing for pickerel, larger game was sought aftei'. Only swordfish. sluirks, and kindred tish, will satisfy the ambitious fisherman of Rhode Island. Stakes protruding from the water all along down the l)ay were point(>d out as the boundary lines between the oysti'r-beds, from which the Rhode Islander derives a large revenue. When we left the lails. and rolled peacefully along in a chaise Ijcliind the jict luirsc of the family, we remai'kcd about tlu' hardness and pearly white- ness of the roads, and were informed that they were made so by the liberal api)lication of oyster-shells: and when informed that there were miles and miles of such roads, and thou- sands of loatls of shells wei-e used for other pur- poses, we began to realize the magnitud(> of the oyster-business. As you may suppose, these beautiful roads are a veritable paradise for the bicyclist, and we found Mr. Miller owned such a pet. and was expert in its use. Mr. Miller has a commodious and pleasant home, with a wife and three little ones to wel- come him after the cares and fatigues of the day. In the rear of the house is a large yard and kennel for the pet blood-hound: and be- AKTIIUR C. MII.I.EK'S HOME A?fl> HOBBIES. and at almost any time of day we found Mr. Cushman patiently answering questions and correcting erroneous ideas. Several of the exhibitors acknowledged them- selves to be merely amateurs, and had taken it up for its diverting effect. Mr. Tlios. M. Pierce, of Wickford, lost his health by too close appli- cation to business, and had gained a very good degree of vigor among the bees and flowers. Mr. Pierce and family adopted, the novel plan ■of eating as much honey as they could, and giving away the rest. One youth, with a taste for sweetness, got away with over 40 lbs. It proved a sure way of using up the surplus: but when he changed the order of things and put the usual price on his goods there was a sort of reaction. The recipients of past favors were no better customers than outside parties. ijAt the close of the day's labors we were whisked off' by rail to Barrington, and the resi- dence of Arthur C. Miller, several miles out of Providence. Mr. Miller's time at bee-manage- yond, the poultry-house with the pet rooster. A cow has been added recently to give pure lacteal food for the little ones, and to give Mr. Miller necessary recreation in the early morn. A cow is always an oljject-lesson of patience, and there is not a family in the land that does not venerate tln' family cow. The manipulator of the lacteal glands is also taught the virtues of patience, especially when flies abound. A few years ago Mr. Miller had a Hue apiary; but sickness necessitated a change of climate, and he spent the winter in California, leaving his bees in the hands of inexperience. A severe loss followed, and the apiary has to be built up again under the master's hand. This will soon be accomplished, if future seasons equal the present. With three full colonies and two nuclei in the spring, an increase to ten has been made, with abundant winter and spring stores, and 38.5 lbs. of surplus, both comb and extract- ed: and, under careful management, the honey is of a gilt-edged order, and commands a good 12 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Jan. 1. price. Rhode Island bee-keepers, as far as we observed, sell all their honey in the home mar- ket, and we saw no piles of special shipping- crates in their apiaries. The Hoffman frame is used in this apiary, and the spacing of frames, and from frame to honey-board or crate, is large enough to give the bees easy access, and no larger — we should say a scant t%; and when the ci'ates are remov- ed, not a brace-comb is visible. Italians and Carniolans are in the apiary: but Mr. Miller favors the Carniolans, and often laments the loss of a valuable strain of them when he was absent. He has not replaced them, but hopes to find ere long a Carniolan with all the desir- able qualities. As your readers will remembei-, Mr. Miller is the inventor of the best foundation-fastener yet devised. We here saw its practical working for the first time, and foundation can be secure- ly stuck to the sections with rapidity, leaving no thick rib next to the section. Tlie ajMary is comfortably located under the spreading branches of apple-trees of the Roger Williams variety. We did the town of Barrington, and found many elegant residences. City people live out here, and spend their surplus dollars in adorning their grounds, and they are good to look upon; but the greatest comfort a Rhode Islander can attain to is a clam- bake; and every cottage and club-house along shore is provided with the necessary appliances to pro- duce the effect. It was a little late in the sea- son for bakes, but we heard so much about them that we feel quite well posted on clams. makes the man love home and family more. A man who loves pets, and is kind to them, will necessarily be kind to his family. What you say regarding the Hoffman frames, and their freedom from burr-combs, is literally true. I saw the same state of aft'aii's in more than one apiary in the East; and I confidently expect it in our own yards at an early date.} B. R. A CLAM BEE-KEEPEK OF THE "BRIMSTONE" DAYS. The clam is a very conservative animal, and is seldom influenced by outside considerations. The clam is considered selfish, as he shuts his door in the face of all fntruders, and even his aunts, his uncles, and his cousins, are served the same way. The clam will not open his doors to the interviewer, and all he wants is to be let alone, to pursue the even tenor of his way just as his grand-dad did. If Mrs. Clam wants to put on an airy back kitchen, or a front bay window to their old shell, Mr. Clam gets in a rage, and closes his front doors closer than ever. Scientists do not agree as to whether the clam is a biped or a quadruped. Usually just after Mrs. Clam has given him an extra good dinner, he has a faint resemblance to a biped; at all other times he has all the qualities of a quadruped. " Don't be a clam," is the advice of the Ramhleu. [I have a great respect for a man who has hobbies, particularly if they are of a kind that THE DOVETAILED CHAFF HIVE. ()B.JEfTIONS TO THE OUTSIDE AVINTEK I'KOTECT- ING-f'ASE. There are decided objections to such an out- side case as is suggested by Ernest on page <598. If made the size mentioned, there will be too little space for packing. There will be some difficulty, I think, in adjusting the cushions so that one can always feel positive that there are no unoccupied spaces left for the free circulation of air. The adjusting of cushions and case will re- quire a skilled workman, and will consume more time than would be required to tuck up the same number of colonies in regular chaff hives. There are too many pieces that will need stor- ing for a part of the year, causing too much carrying back and forth between the stands and the honey-house. A little extra cost of a hive, when used for a term of years, is a snuill thing; but a little extra work, often repeated, is of some importance; and the longer tiie hive is used, the sniallci- is the importance of the cost and the greater the importance of the time con- sumed to manipulate it. If it were possible, there should be no part of the hive requiring storage at any time, except- ing the supers. These we want stoivd during the 'Winter, so that they may be filled with sections for the following season. It is true, tliat such a temporary winter case can be used by those who already have their bees in the Dovetailed hive. This is some ad- vantage, but not as great as at first appears; for if we adopt an eight-frame chaff' hive, the Dovetailed hives tlius relieved from service will not be lost, as, with such a hive, we shall need a number of just such bodies for summer use. with which to form nuclei, to hive swarms, and to form second stories for extracting, if such should be needed. If there were a greater number than would be i-equired for these pur- poses, they could easily be ripped in two. and thus be converted into supei-s. Another advantage of such a case is, that it could be used early in the honey season to protect the supers from cold. Later, as the hot weather comes on. they might be con- verted into quite efficient shade- boards by removing the cushions. Foi- this purijose they would require to be a little larger than sug- gested—lai-ge enough, in fact, to slip over the Dovetailed cover. The advantage of cheapness, which Ernest urges. I am not willing to admit. His state- ment of the cost reminds me of a woman of my acquaintance, who regularly, every Monday morning, says to her little boy, " Now. Johnny, mother washes to-day, so you must bi'ing a pail of water before going to play." Johnny will- ingly Ijrings the stated amount, when his mother says. " Now another." After that has been brought. " Now another;'" then. "Now an- other:" then. "Now another:" then. "Now just one more." It is fortunate that the mother al- wavs stops at the sixth pail; for about that time there comes a look on -Johnny's face that leads me to think there might be a small rebellion were she to call for the seventh. To keep us 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 13 good-natured, tell us right at the start how much this 3o-cent chaff hive will cost, when you have figured in all that will be required to make it a complete one-story chaff hive. Let us see. There will be one dovetailed body; one Irottom- board; one piece of duck to cover the franu's; one cushion to cover tiie duck, and one long cushion, over five feet, to surround the dove- tailed body. If, after thoroughly discussing the matter, the committee find sufficient advantages to overbalance the disadvantages, why not com- promise the matter a little and construct it so that it can be used either in the way mentioned, or converted into the permanent outside shell of a one-stoi-y chaff hiv(>? Make it of 9^-inch lumber, dovetailed at the corners, as proposed, but somewhat larger, so that it will take thick- er cushion's. Instead of a complete cover, put on a rim-piece somewhat similar to those used on the other chaff hiv(>s. When the rim-pieces are in place, th(( shoulder should be just like the upper edge of a dovetailed body— flat— („ inch wide on the side, and i.j' inch on the ends, and should stand sufficiently above the rest of the rim to admit of the use of the regular dove- tailed cover. To use as a removable winter protection, adjust the case and side cushions, nist as you would the one proposed by Ernest. Now you have access to the top, and can tuck in the top cushion so tiiat you are positive every thing is snug. Then just slide on the regular hive-cover, and make it useful winter as well as summer. You may not wish to ex- amine your bees at all from the time they are prepared for winter until the next season; but it is worth something to know that you can do so if you wish, without tearing your hive all apart. Fig. 1. To make a chaff hive with permanent pack- ing, there will be needed an inside shell made of ^-inch lumber, and dovetailed at the corners, and bottom-boards similar to those used in the other chaff' hives, if it is thought advisable to have packing under the brood-nest. a FIG. 3. KING S PKOPOSEIl OUTSIDE PROTECTIXG- CASE FOK THE DOVETAILED HIVE. Since it has been decided to use sucli a large entrance, winter as well as summer, what is the, use of extra protection at the bottom ? Why not use only one bottom-board, leaving simply a dead-air space beneath ? Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section of a Dovetailed hive, with the protection and cush- ions, a. (I, a, in place. Figure 2 shows the case made into a chaff hive, in which a. is the chaff' cushion; b. />, chaff packing, and c a dead-air space. Marysville, O., Dec. 15. W. A. King. [Criticisms are always in order, friend King, and I am free to acknowledge that you make some good points. Let us consider some of them seridthii. Allowing me to be the judge (for I have tried them), the adjusting of the outside cases, as you supijose. will not take nearly as much time as the same number of colonies in regular chaff hives, and there is going to be. I think, nothing to lug back and forth. These outside cases will be needed in summer for comb honey, as a jn'otection from the hot sun. El- wood, with his thousand colonies, uses just such an outside case for shade, and he did not con- sider it a superfluous affair, if I remember cor- rectly. Of course, the cushions would have to be put away; but then, we have to do that with our regular chaff' hives. We can not aff'ord to have great lumbering cushions on the hives during the entire summer; and in the produc- tion of honey tiiey must necessarily be removed to make room for the supers. You say, a little extra cost of the hive, when used for a number of years, is a small thing. Very true; but the smaller this extra cost, the smaller this thing becomes. A regular chaff hive is not ada|)ted for moving, but a single-walled hive is. Toward winter the outside cases can be hauled to the yard and set over the hives. The committee had already in mind such an outside protecting-case as you outline in your diagram above; and there is no getting around it, there are some good things about it. But such a case would assuredly have to be stored away in the summer, and, besides, it could not be niade to answer for shade. It would not do to leave it on during summer, because that would destroy the liee-space; that is. the space (I, in Fig. 1 above, would be anywhere from two to three inches— hardly enough to allow room for a super, and too much room without a thing in which tlie bees can store honey. It is true, in Fig. 2, that you can put on a super; but then, there is about a two-inch bee-space under it. For extracting, this can be remedied by using frames a little deeper. But you would then have two sizes of frames in the apiary, the one so near the depth of the other as to make it a nuisance. I do not see any practical way of making a water-table to be used in a regular hive, so that it will not destroy bee-spaces. Of the two arrangenuMits, I think the outside pro- tecting-case, such as I outlined in Gleanings some time ago, is much preferable. Reports now coming in show that it has already been in use, and is giving good satisfaction.] E. R. MRS. AXTELL'S EXPERIENCE AT THE KEO- KUK CONVENTION. CONTINUED FKOM LAST ISSUE. I felt amply repaid for my trip to Keokuk, if for no other reason than to meet so many of our editors and bee-keepers themselves, and exchange the friendly greeting, some of whom I have known for many years, and been greatly benefited by reading their articles, but have never been permitted to meet before. Why, it would have almost paid me for going, just to hear Dr. Miller, who is the very embodiment of music, render his sacred and comic music. If 14 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Jan. 1. any boe-keeper is troubled with indigestion, or the blues, let him attend these conventions and hear Dr. Miller render his side-splitting comic pieces (as Ernest calls them in Gleanixgs): and I miss my guess if he does not return home very much improved in health as well as spirits. Among the supplies shown at the conven- tion was a section foundation-fastener, which I purchased and brought home with me. I like it very much better than the Pai'ker machine. It does its work much more accui'ately and more rapidly than any other process I have evei' tried. I feel sure I can trust my help to put in starters with this fastener, which we never succeeded in having done accurately with oth- er machines. This is Mr. Bittenbender's ma- chine. I think he told me he had it patented, but I am sure no one will hesitate to expend 50 cents for so good a fastener when he has tried this. He is quite an enthusiast in his work. His wife was intending to come with him had not his little child got badly burned a day or so before. QUITE A .JUKE ON US. The night after the convention closed, we thought to remain at the hotel where it would be quiet, rather than to travel on the cars, as we wei'e going over into Iowa; but about 10 o'clock, dancing and music began, and it was kept up until about 2 o'clock in the morning. Doors banged every two minutes, it seemed to me. all night, and people kept up a continual tramp, tramp, by our door, until I thought sure I was in bedlam for once. We had just fallen asleep when the lady of the iiouse called us at 4 o'clock to take the train west. As I passed along by farmhouses I kept on the watch for bee-hives, but saw none until we reached about the middle of the State, where we found one small apiary on the north side of a steep hill. Probably there were bees, but not in sight of the cars, until we reached Afton. and there we passed a beautiful little apiary of 50 hives. They looked real pretty, standing in straight rows, and hives so white and clean, on a side hill sloping toward the railroad track. As our friends we went to visit lived in Afton. we found the owupr of that apiai'v was Mr. W. R. Hunter. Mi'. Axtell called on him and found him to be quite an enthusiastic bee- keeper. He had just invented a foot-power saw that Mr. Axtell said was ahead of any saw he had ever tried. With this saw he sat down. To work it he used both feet. He had ai)plied for a patent upon it. He winters out of doors in double-walled hives, and seldom loses a col- ony if propei'ly ])repared for winter with good stores. His bees were all pure Halians except two or three hylirid colonies. About a mil(> from Mr. Hunter lives Mi-. Sype. who has about 50 or (K) colonies. They both re- ported a fair crop of honey from colonies that were in good condition in the spring. They both use a double-walled hive without chaif ])acking. which, he claims, is almost air-tight, or almost holds water on all four sides. The corners have tin strij^s tightly nailed on. He claims for them that they are almost a non- swarming hive, as the dead -air space keeps them cool, even in the hottest place: and just before they swarm he takes out the combs that have the most honey in, and removes the center combs full of brood to the two sides, and puts three or four empty frames with starters in. in the center, or uses empty brood-frames if he has them. With that treatment he said he seldom had a swarm: but he has not been in the bee-business many years, and it has how been several years since we have had many swarms: but let a heavy honey -flow come again, especially early in .June or the last of May, and I believe he too would have a plenty of swarms. If we can be prepared to care for swarms, and hive them so as to return tliem after the colony has lost its swarming fever (especially all col- onies that are not very strong), I think it just as well to let swarm, as it seems to be nature's way: and a colony that has swaiined. and gets settled down to work, works with much energy and vim. Our last shipment of honey to Chicago brought us 18 cents wholesale, and we are sell- ing cut-out honey in new tin pans with glass shades over it. in Koseville groceries, at 18 cents, and take it in trade. Mrs. L. C. Axtei.l. Roseville. 111.. Dec. ISltO. CANE SUGAR. PKOF. COOK TELI.S US A GREAT DEAI, AISOUT SUGAR OF ALL KINDS. Since you ask me to state whether there is any difference between beet sugar and sugar made from cane, you must excuse me if I am quite scientiiic. I see no way to avoid it: but I prom- ise to be as brief as possible, and to try hard to make all plain to all. There are several tests of sugars: First, their chemical composition: :^ their reactions with various chemical reagents: 3, the way they ro- tate the xjolarized ray of light: and. lastly, their solubility and assiniilability. Now. so" far as we have any knowledge, the sugar from beets, from cane, from maple, and from the nectar of flowers, is precisely the same in all these re- spects. It is know n as cane sugar, or sucrose. It has the following chemical composition: Cjo Ho, On. C stands for carbon, H for hydrogen", and O for oxygen. It will be seen that the H and the O are "in projiortion to form water, the symbol of which is H.O. This is true of all tiie sugars and starch, as such substances are called carbo-hydrates. The same is true of lactose, or milk sugar. These siigars rotate the ray to the right, but do not decompose the cop- per salts. They are not as soluble, not as easily ab- sorbed, nor as easily assimilated, as are other su- gars. Thus wemaybelievethatsugarfrom beets, from cane, and from maple, is identically the same. In the manufacture, beet sugar and sugar from cane are perfectly refined, or clari tied, and so seem alike. Maple sugar is not so. The sugar is the same, but there are other substances present which modify the color and flavor. By the re- moval of these we should make maple sugar exactly like beet sugar. All water is precisely alike: but all •so-c((/7e(? water is not so. Some is full of lime, some impregnated with iron, and some saturated with a mixture of saline sub- stances: but these are foreign substances added. The water is always the same. The same is doubtless true of these cane sugars. As cane sugar will not act upon the copper salts, it must be reduced to glucose before it can be analyzed by the use of Febling's test. The bee does this with nectar in changing it to honey. We do the same with cane sugar when we eat it. Tlius it seems very probable that honey is a safer sugar for one with feeble digestion than is our common cane sugar. Cane sugar is not so solu- ble, not so easily absorbed and assimilated, as is honev or otiier glucose sugars. We know this: for, if the same amount of cane and grape sugar be injected directly into the blood, at different times, it is found that but very little of the cane sugar will be used by the tissues, but most will be eliminated by the kidneys. Much more of the glucose will be appropriated. This proves that glucose is more assimilable, and explains 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 15 why cane sugar must be digested before it pass- es to the blood. Liver sugar is like glucose in this respect. It is formed in the livei'. and is probably just adapted for use or assimilation. The glucose, or grape sugar of the glucose- factories, is chemically the same — that is. all have this formula: L\ Hi-, (),;. Yet I think this corn or starch glucose is not the same, else why do bees dislike it, even at its best, and why is it fatal as a winter food, when honey or digested cane sugai- is perfectly wholesome? It might seem that the chemical composition would alone determine the character of such sub- stances; but this is not the truth. Thus, fruit sugar, the most abundant sugar of honey, and dextrose, the sugar of starch, have the same chemical composition: yet one turns the polar- ized ray to the left, and the other to the right. All the glucose siigars are identical in chemical composition: vet. as we have seen, they are physiologicallj' quite different. We see the same truth illustrated in starch, dextrine, and glycogen. They have the same chemical com- position—Cg Hio O5: yet starch is insoluble in cold water, and gives a blue color with iodine: dextrine gives a brown, or purple color, with iodine, while glycogen, or liver starch, is soluble in cold water, and gives a brown color with iodine. While chemical composition is a sure test of inorganic compounds, it is not so with organic. Thus we conclude, so far as we now know, that all cane sugar, of whatever origin, beets, cane, maple, or flowers, is the same, but that the glucoses, or grape sugars, though chemical- ly alike, are not so. I think we may further add. that glucose, when of organic origin, like honey, liver sugar, and digested cane sugar, from any source, is easier of absoi'ption, and a safer food than is starch, glucose, or cane sugar. While this last may not be positively proved, it is certainly a reasonable conclusion from the facts as explained above. THE NATUHE OF A SOI.UTIOX. One of the brightest bee-keepers of our country asks me if the centrifugal machines that are so effective in separating milk from cream might not be utilized in the separation of water from thin honey. Our friend, though an ex- pert in all that pertains to practical apiculture, is (nidently not informed as to the true nature of a solution. The reason that the centrifugal ma- chine s<*parates milk from cream is due wholly to the different specific gravity of the two. The same fact causes the lighter cream to I'ise to tlie top and leave the heavier milk b(>low. In a solution the soluble substance is held by the water or other liquid, and all is liquid, and uni- form in weight, except that the liquid is more than saturated — that is, it contains more of the substance than it can dissolve, and l)oth will re- main intimately combined indefinitely. The wat(M' or liquid will not rise to the top. For the same reason a centrifugal machine would be powei-less to separate the liquid from the sub- stance in solution. The sugar that settles at the bottom of the ciip of coffee does so only be- cause so much was added that it could not all be dissolved. A liquid will hold only so much of any special substance in solution. If then the liquid is sat- urated, and we in any way reduce its quantity, we shall secure the substance previously held in solution. Boiling drives off a liquid as steam: hence by heat we thicken our honey or secure sugar from its solutions. liy freezing we can also separate a liquid from the substance it holds in solution, as every boy who has worked in a maple-svTgar bush well knows. Thus, to reduce our thin honey we have only to api)ly lieat. If this latter is mild, we can thicken the honey iust as well as it can be done by the bees in the hive. A. J. Cook. Agricultural College. Mich., Dec. 1.5. [Friend C, I am afraid you are getting in a good deal of chemistry for a good many of our readers. You have, however, brought out sev- eral valuable truths. First, we do not want maple sugar refined like beet and cane sugar, for then it would be worth no more. The ma- ple aroma must be kept. Beet sugar and cane sugar are exactly alike because they are chemi- cally pure sugar. Usually it costs a good deal of money to get any substance chemically pure. Even common water, when it is wanted chemi- cally pure, is expensive. Since, however, the demand is so great for pure sugar, it is done on such a large scale by such expensive apparatus that the cost, after centuries of experiment, has become only very trifling, per pound. Water from wells and springs is never chemically pure, and seldom anywhere near it. Even rain wa- ter contains moi'e or less foreign substances. Since you have suggested it, I feel quite cer- tain that sojnc hinds of honey might be im- proved by the centrifugal machine. A good many of us have seen honey that was thin and watery on top. and thick and heavy at the bot- tom. "We have used it, by drawing off from the bottom until it became too thin, and then evaporating what remained. Perhaps a cen- trifugal machine would not be of much advan- tage after all over gravity in the ordinary way.] ABOUT GETTING OUT BEESWAX. FRIEND FKANfE GIVES TS SOME VAI-UAHLE SU<;(iESTI()XS IN WORKING WAX ON A LARGE SCALE. F^or several yeai'S I have used a large iron kettle in which to melt up old combs, scraps of wax material. capi)ings, etc. But I have been verv much dissatisfied with the locks of the wax. It was too dark in color. I studied over the matter a long while, to find out where the trouble was. I thought pei'haps that I burned the wax. as the kettle was hung so the blaze from the fire canu^ np all around the sides of it. The wax could c^asily be burned on the sides of the kettle above the water. I was always care- ful about having my fire small, and well under the kettle, to guard against burning on the sides. But, do the best I could, I think sometimes the wax got scorched some. But I found out that there was another I'eason why the wax was dark. Last spring I thought I could spare some 300 lbs. of wax. and sold it to Dadant. He said to me, after he got the wax, that it could be a good deal nicer. Now, I did not like that kind of talk about my wax— not because it was not a fact, but because I did not know how to do any bet- ter: so I wrote back to Mr. Dadant for informa- tion how to go to work to make a first-class article of wax. I askt^d if a solar wax-extractor was what I wanted, etc. He wrote me that the solar wax-extractor was not what we wanted. He said it was too slow for the amount of work we had to do. but advised me to get a copper boiler made. He gave the dimensions of a boiler that he thought would be about right. It would cost, he said, six or eight dollars, and would last a lifetime. I went through our hard- ware stores to see what I could do. First. I bought a second-hand stove— a very large, flat- topped one. costing .«().0(). Then I found two sheets of tin. verv heavy, and sent off for copper to make the bottom. I had a boiler made. 36x','4 inches, and 22 inches deep, with a good cover. It cost »1.'5.00. and weighed, empty, over 16 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Jan. 1. 40 lbs. Then I built me a shanty for a wax- room, and set the stove up in there, took olT all the lids, set my boiler on, put in 6 pailfuls of -water, heated it, and then began to pile in the combs to melt. My! how much the thing would hold! As the "first melted. I put in more until the boiler was three-fourths full of water and wax. Then I took a dipper and dipped off the wax. about 30 lbs.: then as I had about all the wax out that I could dip off. I let the tire go out. and left it until the next day to cool off, when I found a crust on top of the water about 11.; inches thick that contained considerable wax. Below that there was a great amount of rubbish and dirty matter which I threw away. The top crust I put back into the boiler, to be melted with the next batch. The color of the wax was nice, a rich yellow. One thing more I want to speak about. Mr. Dadant told me that it would l)e well to have a wire-cloth screen sunk into the boiler, over the old combs, to keep the impurities at the bot- tom of the boiler. As there are a great many light impurities that float with the wax. being nearly as light as the \\ax. these are the most difficult to get rid of, and I succeeded in doing away with them most readily by the use of this screen. All right: we shall have one for the next batch, and so we did. It worked well. The first time I used it the wax was nice. Then it was four or five days before I made another batch: and during that time my wire sci'een had got badlv rusted. Not thinking of any thing wrong I iised the screen as it was. ISut when I took off the wax I found it as dark as any that I had made in the ii'on kettle, all caused by the rust from that screen. So I did not use it again. T intend to get some copper-wire screens to use in place of the iron, as the screen is a big help. Now. I find that iron rust will make wax dark— in fact, black— if there is enough rust. I find it pays to make nice wax. INli'. Dadant wrote me that he would like to get hold of my wax next time, if melted according to his di- rections. "Well, after I had got through making wax for the season I wrote him that I had near- ly 200 lbs. of very nice wax. I asked him how rhuch he would give. He answered that he had a large stock on hand, and he did not wish to buy any more at present. I then sent the wax to A. I. Root, and asked him how the quality of the wax compared with the average. He wrote me, "Your wax was a good deal better than the average, and you see we have allowed yoti two cents a poundextra on this account.'" So you see -it won't take long to pay for my boiler, in the extra price of wax. It pays to make a nice article. E. France. Platteville. Wis., Dec. 6. [We are greatly indebted to you. friend France. Although all you tell us is not exactly new, it helps us greatly in the arrangements for working on an old plan. We have discover- ed, as well as yourself, that iron rust is not a good thing for rendering wax. We have also found out that nothing in the shape of galvan- ed iron or zinc should be used about hot wax. It will turn the wax a peculiar dark green. Copper seems to be the only metal in common use that has no effect on hot wax. Tinware, after the coat has worn off. is almost as bad as the kettle, especially if it gets very hot. I fear you will find trouble in getting wire cloth made of copper wire. You can. however, get brass strainer wire cloth of almost any tinsmith, bttt it is pretty fine for your purpose, and rather ex- pensive. Perforated copper would answer nice- ly. But wouldn't it pay you to put the residue under your wire cloth, in a press? You know a good many claim that they get an additional quantity of wax by applying pressure when the wax is hot. We are very glad to get informa- tion from anybody so well posted as the Da- dants. Very likely it will pay bee-keepers with a number of out-apiaries to have a rig in some little shanty outdoors, for rendering wax. I am sure the women-folks will be ready to give us plenty of advice, and may be " three cheers " besides, "when they see us take up our duds and move out of the kitchen, into the wax-house away off in the yard.] MANUM ON A VISIT. HE CAI.LS OX IRA BARBER. Having pi-omised myself the pleasure for sev- eral years of making INIr. Ira Barber, of De Kalb"Junetion. N. Y.. a visit, as he is one of the most successful bee-keepei'S in the land, espe- cially in wintering his bees in the cellar with- out loss, year after year, I have felt a desire to learn his method of wintering: and having re- ceived notice that a friend living a few miles from Mr. Barber was a1)out to depart for the West. I thought it a good opportunity to "kill two birds with one stone:" therefore, on Nov. 8th I boarded the train: and after making my friend a few days' visit, on the 13th I landed at De Kalb Junction. Not having notified friend Barber on what day I would appear, of course he was not at the station waiting for me: btit on inquiry I learned that he lived only two miles away: and on consulting a liveryman I found that .Sl.(X) was his price to take me the two miles. The price was low enough: but I decided that 1 could save that much by going on foot, so I started: and in 40 mintites I was standing near friend Barber's hatchway, hav- ing just seen him and two other men go into the cellar with bees. As Mr. B. came out and looked at me a moment he exclaimed, " Hello, Manum ! is that you ? " '■ I believe that is my name, Mr. Barber, even though I am some distance from home." ■•Well. boys, this is Manum. the Vermont bee-keepei-. and I guess we will do no more to- day. We have the bees about half in, and we can finisli them some other time. I want to visit with Manum while he stays; and. by the way. how long can you stay?" "I must return to-morrow, sure." "Well, you are as bad as Ernest with your short visits. Did you learn that trick of him ? " " Now, Mr. B.. don't compare me with Ernest. I am not editing a bee-journal nor manufactur- ing supplies. I am just simply a bee-keeper, and nothing more: and. besides, were I tore- main here long I fear I should be homesick without any mountains to rest my eyes upon. W^hy! it looks strange here to me without a motmtain in sight. Surely I would not dare to travel very far alone in this country without a good guide, as there are no mountains to serve as landmarks. Why! I should think your bees would get lost if they had to go far for honey. But, as I observed while coming from the sta- tion, you have clover so very plentiful here all around you, I don't suppose your bees are obliged to go out of sight of their hives at any time. Surely I never saw clover more plentiful than you have it here." " Yes, Manum. we have plenty of clover here, white and alsike. Those large fields there across the way are all seeded with alsike; but this year there was no honey in it, hence I have had "to feed my bees sugar to winter them. I finished feeding last night." "What: feeding so late as this, and putting them right in the cellar? I have always 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 17 thought bees should be fed early enough so they could cap over their stores." " Well, that is the proper way, especially for outdoor wintering; but I have had no bad re- sults from lat(> f(M>ding. Yet I would advise feeding a little earlier than this." •'Mr. Barber, how do you manage to feed with these single-walled Simplicity hives?" ■'1 feed with ten-quart milk-pans — here is one right here. There, you see 1 break up old comb into inch-square pieces for floats, and I put in what syrup the colony needs, and cover the syrup with the floats; then I raise up a hive, set the pan on the Iwttom-boai'd — just at night — and set the hive over the pan, or, rather, the hive rests on the i)an: and by the next morning the bees have taken up all the syrup; and by having pans enough I can feed pretty fast in that way. Now, Manum, my friend Charles Hallegas, who has about 1(X) colonies, wanted I should be sure to take you over to his place when you come; and as it is only six miles we have just about time to go and get back before dark, and I think you'd better take your camera along, as I think he will want a picture of his yard; so I will go and harness old Tom, and we will be off." " I see you have stakes stuck down, with numbers oil them, where you have removed the hives; why do you do that?" "Those numbers correspond with the number of the hive that stood there. In the spring I set the same hive whei-e it was this fall." " Do you think that is necessary?" " Yes, I do; for before I practiced it, and when I set oat my bees they seemed to be lost for a day or two, there being much commotion in the yard; and some hives would get more than their share of bees, while now all is quiet after an hour or two." •'What are these machines with these great tin drays? They are something new to me." •■ Well. Manum, this is where I feed in the spring. You see. I have these great boxes made with a small door at the side, where I put in a lamp, and these trays are set over to close the top, and I pour my sugar syrup into them. They hold about 10 gallons each. Then I put in these wooden plates, made by tacking to- gether narrow strips in the form of a I'ack. My lamps keep the syrup warm, and the bees come here in swarms to take the feed." " Well, but are you not feeding your neigh- bors' bees also, as well as bees in the woods?" "Well, I presume so; but I find this the best way foi" me to feed in spring, as it stimulates breeding better than any other way of feeding that I have tried: but the feed should be very thin. Let us be off." On the way to ]\Ir. Hallegas' place, Mr. Bar- ber says: "There, Manum, you see all those fields are covered with clover; and how far should you say it is across that meadow there on the left?" ■' Oh! I should say three-fourths of a mile."' •' Yon are wild. It is all of a mile and a half, and this one on the right is all of one mile, so you see I have a large range near by." " So I was right, Mr. Barbej', when I said your bees must have plenty of forage within sight of their hives. Now, if I had such a loca- tion as this I could get rich in two years — two good seasons. I mean. How long have you kept bees, Mr. B.?" "Since 18.5?. My brother and I started with four colonies in box hives: and I had since, at one time, 500 colonies, but now I have only 140." "During these 38 years have you ever had as many poor seasons in succession as the past four or five years have been ?" " No, Manum, I never have. Two poor years running is the most; but this terrible setback- does not discourage me in tlie least; and, don't let it discourage you, for there is surely a good time coming, and I feel very sure that next year will make us all happy. Why! just look at the growth clover has made this fall; see how rank it is; and, furthermore, next year is our basswood year. So, then, my advice? to you is, be hopeful, and ready for a large honey crop." " Well, Mr. Barber, your talk encourages me very much indeed. I had been of the same opinion; but to hear it from an old bee-keeper, one with such an extensive experience as you have had, is surely very pleasing." " There, Manum, the next house is where Mr. Hallegas lives." Approaching the house I saw two men stand- ing in the yard, and I heard the older one ask, " Who is that with Barber?" " Well, father, that is Manum that you have heard me speak of." I jump from the carriage, and Mr. Hallegas takes me by the hand, and says: " Well, Manum, when I met you at the con- vention at Albany I never expected to see you here; but I am very glad to greet you." "You see, Mr. H., I am everywhere, like a poor season. Whei'e are your bees ?" " Right out here, back of the house. Have you come prepared to make a picture?" "Y^es, sir, if you would like one." " Y^'es, I should; but step into the honey- house here, and see my new clamp. There, what do you think of it ?" " It is a very good clamp, though quite simi- lar to Crane's, Wright's, and several others, only yours is not complete. For me to vise, 1 would either use a screw or wedge to hold the sections in place; and I should want a groove here and one there, and insert a tongue to rest the separators on. How many bees have you, and what are they?" "I have 9(5 colonies, nearly all blacks; and I find the blacks do better in a poor season than the Italians — at least, mine do." After a short but enjoyable visit we return where Mr. Barber serves up a tine supper. I will say here that he does his own housework, having" buried his wife four years ago. He has done his own cooking since; and I assure you, Mr. Root, that the ladies are not plentiful who can outdo Mr. B. in the kitchen. The evening was spent in talking on various topics pertain- ing to bee-keeping, such as chaff' hives, single hives, strips, and full sheets of foundation, as well as the much-talked-of thick top-bars and broad-end frames, p'inally the subject of lo- cating out-apiaries was brought up by Mr. B. asking: " Manum, how far apart do you think out- apiaries should be located so they will not en- croach on each other's tenitory? and do you have them all strung along in one direction, or do you locate them all around your home api- ary ?" "Well, Mr. Barber, owing to the fact that there is a higli range of mountains on the east of me I am obliged to locale my apiaries north- west and south; and now if you will get me a piece of paper I will make a pencil sketch of my apiaries and the surrounding country; then you can see for yourself how I am hedged in by hills and mountains." " See here, Manum, did you know it is after 11 o'clock? It is time w(^ were in bed. You can make your map in the morning while I cook our bi'eakfast." Bristol, Vt., Nov. 38. A. E. Manum. (To be eoiithuied.) IS GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Jan. 1 ERNEST'S NOTES OF TRAVEL. OVEK THE MOrXTAIXS AGAIN. I promised, some time ago. to s^ive you a view of O. R. Coe's liotel and mountain surroundings at Windliam. In response to tliis. you see he lias loaned me an electrotype showing his place. The engraving hardly does justice to it. In fact, no effort of man can adequately represent, on paper, mountain scenery as it is. Windham is a very pretty mountain town, tree from ma- laria, as a matter of course. At the lime of our visit, one or two parties from Florida were stopping here to get the malaria out of their systems: and it was coming out. too. with a ven- geance. as well as the apiary, are in the rear, just back of the buildings, and therefore they do not show in the picture. You will remember that this is the apiary where the bees die every win- ter, although box-hive bee-keepers all round about are successful in wintering. ]Mr. H. H. Harrington, otherwise known as " Neighboi- H.."' told me he thought he could solve th<" trouble. Said he. " In box hives you will notice that the combs always radiate from a common center, something like the spokes of a wheel: and there is a central passageway through the mass. In thisopeningthe bees clusterand radiate from the center to the outer edges of the hives, as they run short of stores. In the movable- frame hive, the modern bee-keejjer spoils all this: and in Mr. Coe's case the bees were ]!. (OE S MOrXTAIX HOME. I should have been glad to spend a week at this delightful place: but I iiad to hurry away after I had been there a couple of days. Ilong- ed for the privilege of climbing up the moun- tain in the rear of the hotel. While I was there, several ladies, unbeknown to anybody, had made the climb, and. for a wonder, had got back safely without getting lost. It is hardly wise for strangers to attempt to go up the mountains unless accompanied by a guide, es- pecially if there be no footpath or roadway. Indeed, our friend Coe, just the day before we arrived, had himself, after a residence of many years in this region, got lost on the mountains. He had taken a party of tonrists up sightsee- ing: and after directing them to go up a famil- iar pathway, he himself concluded to take a short cut across through the woods. He lost his bearings, and for two or three hours he wandered about not knowing which way was north. He climbed a tall tree, looked over, and then learned where he was. On reaching the company they were much alarmed because of his long absence: and. not daring to attempt to go home without a guide, they began to feel themselves in a predicament indeed. May be they feared the bears. THE MOUXTAIX BEAKS. Yes. there are bears on these mountains, but they are harmless, and will run from the genus homo before the latter can even recover his consternation. They are I'arely seen except during winter, when they are kind enough to come down and carry oft a sheep or a pig or two for the farmer — a kindness which th(^ latter for some reason or other does not appreciate. WHY BOX HIVES AVIEE WIXTER BEES SOME- TIMES AVHEN FRAME HIVES WIEL XOT. Mr. Coe's honey-house and winter repository. obliged to pass up and over the combs, and consequently the bees in box hives would sur- vive while "those in his modern hives would die." This same matter has been brought up before. I believe. I am glad to give it here, as it sug- gests a very probable cause of Mr. Coe's winter troubles. I myself have never dissected box hives enough to know just how combs are built: but Mr. Coe can tell if this be true. My im- pression is that they are built just about as Mr. H. says. A VISIT TO THE DADAXTS. Well. now. I am going to jump from the east- <'rn part of York State clear over to the valley of the Mississippi, and I can do it on paper, I am happy to say. in a good d(^al less time than I can do it wheeling it across the real territory. At the close of the convention at Keokuk, we were invited by the business men to ride over and visit the Dadants. ample conveyances be- ing pi'ovided for the occasion. We crossed the immense railroad bridge at this point, some- thing over— I don't dare tell now: and after crossing we reached the suburbs of Hamilton, a town of 1.500 inhabitants. The p(>culiarity of it is. that it is a very long town. I think you can ride on one road for a couple of miles without getting out of its suburbs. After a very pleas- ant drive over beautiful roads we finally reach- ed the home of the Dadauts. At several points along the route I wished for the Kodak, which I did not have on this trip. With this little in- strument I could have shown you a line extend- ing perhaps a mile long (it might have been only half that), of teams carrying bee-keepers to the largest foundation-factory in the world. On arriving at the Dadants" we hopped out and were freely invited to go anywhere and 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTTRE. 19 everywhere we pleased. I\Ir. C. P. Dadant told me that they had no "secrets;" and although 1 believe I represented their most formidable ri- val in a business way, he very freely and kindly showed me all their kinks of the trade; and be- fore I forget it I want to say they have got the business down fo a fine art and a most perfect system. Every operation or method seems to have been wrought out by careful study, both as to economy of time and labor — a condition in which employes and employei's are intei'ested. When we went into the shops the workmen (a nice set of people they were) were turning out foundation in full blast. They are paid so much a day; and then, as an additional stimu- lus, they are given a bonus on the amount of foundation they turn out: that is, they work on the co-operative plan. This is so arranged that it is to the interest of the employes to turn out not only qjiantity but qiialitij. Although the men worked rapidly, yet there was painstaking care exercised through it all. If there was a doubt as to whether a sheet would be suitable, it was east into the waste, to be remelted and made anew; and 1 do not much wonder that every inch of the Dadants' foundation is equal to the sample sent out. I was surprised, how- ever, to see that they should turn their mills by hand power, when steam is so much more ex- peditious. ]iut then, for all that they manage to turn out SO tons a year. The rooms were crowded with bee-keepers, to witness all the different operations. In one corner I noticed quite a circle of people; and peering over their shoulders I noticed that a couple of Mr. C. P. Dadant's little girls were what we call "papering " foundation: that is, they were putting a sheet of paper between the sheets of wax. I took out my Waterbury and began to time them, for their hands moved so rapidly it was a difficult matter to follow their movements. If my memory serves me rightly, they papered about forty sheets a minute; and if a big crowd had not been looking on. they might have averaged a sheet a second. These two do not do this during the busy rush, but they know how. After we had wandered all through the dif- ferent apartments we were invited to the honey- house, and there took lunch, after which quite a number of us could not refrain from going out and looking at those large Dadant hives. No doubt for their locality, and for extracted hon- ey, these big hives are decidedly an advantage, and it would be hard to concludes otherwise, in view of the tons of honey obtained. As it was beginning to be train time, the teams were commencing to load, and oflf the long train of conveyances started. It was my pleasure to be of the party with C. P. Dadant. Just before getting into the buggy, an old negro brought the horses and hitched them in. I could not help noting in particular the frank, honest look on liis face. He seemed to know of the different bee-keepers, and Mr. Dadant in- troduced him to me as " John." He has been with them a good many years, and is on(^ of those faithful, trusty employes whom it is a pleasure to have. After Dr. Miller and I got into the buggy, the venerable Charles Dadant (and it's a genuine pleasure to look into his genial fac(») came forward and pressed us hard to stay over: nothing would have furnished me more enjoyment p(>rsonally; but as usual I had to make time. He is indeed one of the veterans in tlu^ busi- ness; and now at an advanced age (73) he seems to retain all his bodily vigor and strength of mind. We finally bade our old friend good- by and started oflf for Keokuk, where we all took our several ways. ftTJEEN-REARING. Dli. MILLER TELLS IIIS EXPElilENfE Wmi THE DOOLITTLE AND ALLEY .METHODS. I tried Doolittle's artificial cups for (jueen- cells last summer. I made perhaps ;.'00 of them. I tried to follow his instructions to the vei'v let- ter; but after leaving them in the cai'e of the bees for :.'4 hours my spirits wei'i> saddened to find the bees had emptied every cup and clean- ed it out bone dry. There were a few excep- tions in which the grubs were kept a day or two. but only two that continued to maturity. Th<'se two were. I thought, the nicest 1 ever saw — th(> cells so perfect, so easily detached, no daubing in cutting them out, no extra comb about the base, I'd like to know what the trou- ble was. Possibly the very poor season had something to do with my failures. With tlae x\l ley plan t had less troubk': but even with that there were more failures than in former years. A great advantage of the Alley or Doolittle plan over that of simply tak- ing away a queen and letting the bees have all the brood to start queen - cells, is that you know something about, and have some control over, th(> grubs used. With several frames from which to select, the bees )/if/;/ use lai'vje too old to nuake good queens. Still. I must say that my own experience in this respect hardly corresponds with the impressions I had gained from reading. As a general rule, where a queen has been taken away and the bees left to their own devices, no queen has hatched until 12 days aftei- the queen's removal — in some cases II days after, and in rare cases 10 days after. I don't like, however, to run the risk of these rare cases, and there is another factor which enters into the problem. Suppose a queen hatches 12 days after the old queen's removal; are we sure that the bees started the queen- cell just 4 days after the egg was laid — in other words, just as soon as the queen was removed '? You see, they may not have discovered their queenlessness for some little time. At any rate, if they have brood in all stages you don't know what they're using. With the Doolittle cups you may know to the hour just how old your grubs are, i-f you get the bees to respect them. With the Alley plan you can also know to the hour the age of the grubs given. Suppose at noon, on Monday, you give to your best queen a brood-comb without eggs or brood where you think she will lay in it. On Friday, at noon, take away that comb and you know to a certainty that there is nothing in it older than four days from the laying of the egg. Take some of it and use it for starting cells on the Alley plan, and you may look for queens to hatch In 12 days. What chance can there be for failure ? Well, by that plan I have raised some of the finest queens, and also a few of the very poorest. Suppose that the bees start cells as soon as the material is given them, and that all are of the same age, I should expect very few poor queens. But queenless bees do not always start all the cells into queen-cells as soon as given. Some of the grubs are likely to be con- tinued as workers for two, thi'ee, or four days. Then, having got their queen-cells fairly under headway, they conclude they want to start some more: and if they have nothing but grubs four days old — or seven days from the laying of the egg— these will be used. So they may use grubs so old that there is not time to feed them up into good queens. A remedy in this case lies in destroying all grubs that are not started as queens within 24 hours, perhaps giving younger brood in their places. 20 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Jan. 1. I feol sure of good cells if they are started in strong colonies; but after the cell is sealed, is it any better off in a sti'ong colony than in a nu- cleus, if it is kept just as warm in the nucleus? There may be a difference. At any I'ate, I look for a queen to lay a little sooner in a full colony. If, however, two nuclei be in a double hive, and a thin partition between them. I do not see why a queen may not be raised just as well in either as if the partition were taiven away and the two thrown into on(\ And if that partition is no detriment, may not more than one parti- tion or division-boai'd be used without hurt. thus increasing the number of nuclei in the hive? GETTING RID OF LAYING WOKKEKS. Very often it isn't worth while to fuss much with a colony having laying workers. It's likely to be a weak thing at best, the bees most- ly old: and if honey is yielding well. I've had no trouble in distributing the combs and bees to colonies needing them. Lately I have found a way to get rid of lay- ing workers in a very easy manner. I take a young queen just hatched, or one that I have just pulled out of a cell; drop her right among the bees, and in the usual course of time I find her laying, and the laying-worker business is stopped. I have not had a single failure; but I have not tried enough cases to say that it will always succeed. C. C. Miller. Marengo, 111., Dec. 6. [Friend M., your italic if, when speaking about putting cells in a nucleus or in a strong colony, is just where the point is, especially if you have cells started very early in the spring. The nucleus may seem all-sufficient to cover and keep the cell warm, until a heavy frost or a cold storm comes along. Then I think the queen is oftentimes injured by the cell being chilled or partly chilled. I am sure your plan of getting rid of fertile workers will not always work. When we first got our queens hatched in the lamp-nursery, we fondly hoped that it would help us to get rid of fertile workej-s. But on several occasions we saw the bees cling to their fertile-worker queen, and refuse to ac- knowledge the one newly hatched. She would get out around the entrance and '■ go dead," sooner or later.] HOW TO BE YOUR OWN CARPENTER AND JOINER. SOME PRACTICAL HINTS TO THE YOUN(i WOOD- WOKKEi:. The above sounds sometliing like the title of a book, doesit not? Well, I am not going to write a book on carpentry and joinei-y — just yet, at least, although I have often thought that I should like to do it. Several things have re- minded me of the importance of such a work just lately. By the way, did you ever have a carpenter or a joiner work for you? and did you ever feel disgusted because he took a great amount of time, and made a botch of his work after all? If you have not, pci'haps your »'//<; has had some such experience. Yes, very likely you have at some time in your life tried your own hand at carpentry: and may be your wife has tried the same thing. Pt and so many inches, it seems as if snch a one (iluytyfi makes a mistake, especial- ly when I am around. Oftentimes the dimen- sions are given to somebody else, and the sec- ond man does not understand. If you are sending for a pane of glass to fit some place, give the boy two sticks to take to the hardware store. Tell him the glass is to be as wide as one stick, and as long as the other: and if you cut your sticks exactly right, your glass will be exact, and the same way in taking the dimensions of any thing. It is quicker, and absolutely safe. Many mechanics seem to think cutting things wrong, and sending boys for the wrong thing, f.hould be counted on as a matter of course in every day's progi-am. Do not be in hasie to saw oft' everything. Many times people waste their time and strength in sawing off sticks or boards that do not need to be sawed off at all. They do it on the same principle that the girls did who were wasting their time in scraping and peeling la- bels from some glass jars. When I asked them why they wished to get the labels off. they said they wanted to put on some new. fresh- looking ones. " Well." said I, " why not put the new labels right over the old ones, letting them be where they are? " Nobody could answer or give any reason, and yet they were consuming valuable time. A great part of carpenter work is simply to please the eye. It does not matter how your boards look where the work conceals it. By the skillful use of cheap slender molding you may make a botched job look artistic. Let the mold ing cover the joints and general unsightliness. I saw a very pretty ceiling, made of boards one foot wide, dressed on one side. These boards were not even sawed oft' at the ends, and the cracks between them were, some of tliem, an „ ., , , inch wide; vet strips of molding, put on skill- my father taught me was to avoid pounding up fully, covered all the cracks and joints, and d - nice soft lumber. Strike your last blows so the vided the ceiling into pretty oblong squares. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Jan. L THAT DARK HONEY FROM ARIZONA. pp:ace axi) good will comixt out of some OF our tkoubles. Peril aps eveiy reader of Gi-eaxixgs took a deep interest in Onr Neighbors in oiir issue for Dec. 1; and I am very glad to see that all parties concerned have "taken hold «ith a will to straighten up. so far as may be. the damage done by letting honey go out on the market labeled as a betti'r grade than it really ought to have been. The first letter comes ' from the brother who inspected the honey wh<'n it was loaded on the car. Datr Brother:^! call you " brother" because I think you are a brother in Christ, from the acquaintance I have had with you through Gleaxings. I do not know when I liav<' felt as bad as I did last night when I read in Gleaxixgs of Dec. 1 about the honey that G. E. 8helton received from you that came from Phcjenix, Arizona. I can't see how there could be any honey in the car like that repre- sented by Mr. 8. I am inspector of the Bee- keepers" Association of Salt Run Valley, and I tried to be honest in the matter; for if there is any thing that I do love it is justice. This is a great honey-producing country, and we have more honey than the local market demands: and we are compelled to find a market in the East for our honey, and it behooves us to sell it only as represented, if only from a business standpoint, leaving out the honesty and justice of the matter. We load a car in two days when we ship. All the bee-keepers of Phoenix load the first day. and then the car is run to Tempe and finished up. I take oflp the screw cap on th(^ can, and examine the honey as to flavor and color. I use a pocket-knife with a blade about tiii'ee inch- es long. I had others, who Avould not be inter- ested in the pei'son's honey that I was inspect- ing, examine the honey as to color and flavor. I confess that I did not look at every can: but wheii 1 looked at most of the honey, if it was of a uniform grade I would ask the party whether the lot was of the same extracting, and he would answei- yes. Then I would grade it 1. 2. or 3, as the case might be. I fought against any honey being shipped in old cfinx. but was ruled out for this year. If the cans were badly rusted inside it would make the honey darker, and give it a bad flavor, if it had become granulated and was melted in the can. Some one of the shippers may have been mean enough to put bad honey in the bottom and good on to|j: but I trust not. I want you to find out. if you can. whom the honey belonged to. and let the association know all about it. W. L. Osuoisx. Phoenix, A, T.. Dec. 15. Here is another, written in an equally kind and fair spirit, from out- friend Shelton. who is, perhaps, the pi-incipal sufferer: De(tr Friend:— Yonv very kind letter of the l:>th inst., requesting me to make out my bill for damages, was received in due time, and I siiould have answered stxjnei', but 1 have been very b\isy. Now. my kind friend. I do not see how I can make out a bill for the damages on this dark honey, for I can not tell just what my actual loss is. I do know, however, that I care very much more for the injury done my reputa- tion in the honey-business than I do for the actual loss in money. I will try to make all satisfactory with the" men I sold the honey to. but I feel sure that I shall never be able to fully satisfy them and regain their confidence. I must in turn tlumk you for your very kind and Christianlike letter, and 1 do try to be. and hope that I am, worthy to be called your brother in Christian love. Brownsville, Pa.. Dec. 22. G. B. Siieltox. The following is from the corresponding sec- retary of the association in Arizona: Friend Root: — I have been a reader of Gleax- ixgs for three years, and have not written a line intended for publication in its pages: but now the time has come for me to have my say. which will be principally in defense of Arizona honey, and of the Bee-keepers" Association of Mari- copa County. I have read a short letter writ- ten by you to our recording secretary, after the receipt of the second car of honey from us. I have read carefully, three thnex. your sermon in Gleaxixgs of Dec. 1st — to be sure that I comprehended fully the gist of the mattei' there set forth. I am fi'ee to say that I consider that sermon one of your best, in the way it connects religion with business, and pleads for fair treat- ment of customei's in trade. I think I can com- prehend why you should seem to write under a fit of "the blues,"" after receiving those dis- couraging letters from (r. B. Shelton and the firm at Cleveland. (). When a man's honor is at stake, it is something to be woi'ried about. I must confess that I have felt some satisfaction in the reflection that " misfortune loves com- pany." I knew you were having some trouble with the first car of honey fi'om Arizona: and when T learnt^d that you had received a whole car of comb honey from one man, friend Ball, of Nevada. I thought to myself, "Now Bro. Root will have clear sailing. This car is uniformly of even grade and high quality, and it will go off without trouble, at a high price, and the buyer will be well pleased with his goods."" Imagine my surprise to find that some of friend BidVs goods were rejected and returned, which goes to show that some of us who are compelled to combine for shipment, in order to get our honey on to the market, do not have aU the trouble that comes from dissatisfied custom- ers. I must say, too. that, when I I'ead your ser- mon the flrst time. I thought. " Bro. Root is wrong in making public through (Jleaxixgs that which could have been better settled by private correspondence.'" I conclude that you thought it well to give the matter a thorough ventilation foi' the good of the shippers in par- ticular, and the honey-trade in general. If so, the thing is ont. we are all in for it. and here goes. In the first place, no complaint can lie against the Arizona siiippers of comb honey in either car on the ground of willful dishonesty in put- ting the white sections on the outside to show off, while the dark were put in the middle of the crate. Noglass crates have been used. We had to use such crates as we could make or got made here, without glass. If any mistake was made it came from imperfect grading nHthoiit intent to defraud. There was no inspection by our association inspector. Each man crated his honey to suit himself as to his own notions of what would best suit the case. exi)ecting the honey would be sold on its merits. Some ship- l)ers "in the last car mai'ked their ci'ates with •' light"" and "dark." as an indication to A.I. Roofs men whei'e they might look for the light- est honey and where for the darker shades, ex- pecting, however, that such care would be taken at your end of the lini' as would enable you to know just what kind of honey you were sending to a customer. I am quite .sure that I said in my letter accompanying the invoice of the last car, that we expected the lioney to go on its merits, and any expense necessary to ]jut the honey on the market in a fair and square way would be cheerfully boiiie by tiie shipper: and I 1891 GLEANJJ^GS IN BEE CULTURE. 23 say now again, grade, assort, inspect, and sample at o»re.rpeji.sT. sufficiently to give every buyer as nearly what he buys and pays for as human diligence can provide. In I'egard to extracted honey. 1 am free to say that 1 believe no one of our shippers attempted any fraud oi- sharp practice on anybody. Every thing was left to the insi)ector to grade accord- ing to his best judgment. One customer says our inspector must have " an elastic conscience." In defense of W. L. Osborn, 1 want to say that those who best know him will, to a man, re- sent this charge. I believe there is not a more honestor conscientious man in Maricopa County. He desires to do the square thing every time. Furthermore, we do not claim that the in- spection was faultless. We admit its defects. It is quite impossible to examine 500 cans of honey fi'om 20difFereiit shippers, and pass upon its merits as to color and flavor, critically; load and invoice it in one day. the inspection to be made by one man. Yet this is what we at- tempted to do. Of course, there was force enough at hand to do the nailing. Iiandling. and mark- ing: but the rub comes in on the tdstUuj. to de- termine flavor. 1 know of no way of determin- ing flavor except by tasting. By the time a man has tasted honey two or three hours his tongue becomes so demoralized that all samples taste alike. It is not necessary to go into details further as to what might happen and possibly did happen between the carelessness of the shipper on the one hand and the exacting demands made upon the inspector on the other. Suffice it to say, that every can went from liere with the inspect- or's certificate pasted upon it, which was su])- posed to show what kind and grade of honey it contained. Most of it went as first-class, some second, some third. Now let us come to the real gist of this honey trouble. We desire to know whether Bro. Shelton really got that bad honey that he com- plains of out of the first carload from Arizona. If he ordered honey by sample, why did he not get that which was as good as the sample? Furthermore, we want to know whose honey Mr. Shelton got, if it came out of our carload. We want to know \\hose honey it was that created advei'se criticism from oihey customers, if any. This thing should be fathomed to the bottom. If you kept track on your shipping- book, of the marks on the cases as they were sent out. you can. by comparing with the; in- voice sent from here, determine the name of the owner. We have a copy here which can be used in an emergency. . Follow it up and report. We desire it for two reasons. On(> is. to do equity in case any one has been wronged to the advantage of the shipper: secondly, to teach a lesson to him who has erred, for the benefit of his future work as a bee-keeper. And now as to the future. Our bee-keepers' association has come to stay. We can not af- ford to do without it. Owing to our situation we are com])elled to market oiu' surplus product in carload lots. Not many of us are large enough producers to load a car alone: but by combining we can ship out of this valley sever- al carloads diu'ing the season. If there are de- fects and objections in our i)lan. we i)i'opose to go to work to overcome them so far as human ingenuity can avail. In one letter some time ago you said we could succeed best to market our goods tlirough commission houses in large cities, where the buyers could inspect person- ally the goods they bought. While there may be some force in this point, 1 will say that we desire to encourage and foster that kind of trade made by samples. We believe it can be done to the satisfaction of both buye^- and sell- er, in most cases. At our bee-keepers" meeting on Satui'day I said that our association had now reached a critical point in its history. We commenced shipping late this year, under some- wliat difticult conditions. We did the best we could, learned some lessons, struck some siuigs. and are now getting the ebb from the first tide of success. 1 made the point, that it would prove to be wise to commence now and lay plans for our work for the year 1891. The sub- ject was referred to our boai'd of five directors, to be assisted by an advisory committee of three from stockholders. The committe(> will get to work soon and do their level best to lay plans for the benefit of our members, and for the con- sumers of Arizona honey everywhere. 1 can not suggest all that will be done, but will indi- cate something which I believe* will be as fol- lows: Require the universal use of new cans, each can to have upon it the name of the ship- per or producer: also the Inspector's certificate, stating kind and grade: similar marking as to kind of honey on the outside of the case: sten- cils to be used for marking cases and crates: comb honey to be marked with pi'oducer's name, and probably graded as to color, etc. Neatness of package, care in straining honey, accuracy of weight of extracted honey, nota- tion on crates of gross, tare, and net weight of comb honey will be insisted on; also some plan for promoting more thorough inspection. Any suggestions from A. I. Root will be glad- ly received. J. H. Bkoomelu Coh. Sec. Phtenix. Arizona, Dec, 18TO. [Many thanks, dear friends, for your fair, kind, and frank letters. There certainly can be no trouble in adjusting every thing pleas- antly where a disposition of this kind is shown. We did have the name of the producer on the label of those cans; but perhaps we have had publicity enough so that all may see the lesson that it so plainly teaches. Light-colored hon- ey is almost always pleasant-flavored honey, unless there is something so extraordinary as to give it a bad taste; and I fear these rusty sec- ond-hand oil-cans may have something to do with it. The trouble is, somebody will let a can go that has not been perfectly freed from the taint of oil. Tliere is a difficulty, as we have 'found here, in tasting such a large number of samples of honey: but I do not believe it is nec- essary to taste it nil. If poured into a little vial, or even into a saucer, the color and trans- parency will show pretty plainly the quality: and if the honey is nearly all good, when a sample of bad taste shall present itself it will be readily thrown out. The white-sage honey from Califoi'uia is so perfectly alike all through that there is no need of tasting or sampling. You may take any can you choose, and it is ex- actly like the rest of the carload. This is cer- tainly a great advantage when such a state of affairs can be secured, and I do not know why alfalfa honey should not run as i-egular — that is. if a locality can be found ^^ilere nothing else is mixed with it. Hei'e is something further in regard to the matter:] IS AI,FAI,FA HONEY EVER DAKK. Friend Root: — I notice that F. A. Salisbury, page 89.5. speaks of having received some of that dark extracted alfdlfa honey, and you speak of it in your foot-notes in the same way. Now. I wish to say that there is no dark ex- tracted alfalfa honey. While it is possible for it to become dark in appearance while in the comb, if left on the hive too long, when extract- ed, if gathered from alfalfa.it is bound to be white. You might just as well say, '"dark white-clover honey." AVe who are producing alfalfa honey want to get it so understood, that. 24 GLEANINGS LN I3EE (JULTIJIIE. Jan. 1. when we offer alfalfa honey, wo mean white honey, as it invariably is. Th(>re is no danger of real alfalfa honey being called New Orleans molasses. Yon might call it " i)artly" alfalfa, or mixed, as it surely is. if dark. Any one ac- quainted with it would understand what dark alfalfa extracted is, but the majority would not. Chahi.es Adams. Greeley, Col., Dec. 23. [Friend A., I think you are right. The pure extracted alfalfa we have had is just as white as any white-clover honey, and just as uniform. The problem seems to he. then, to avoid having the bees gather honey fi-om otliei' sources that may get mixed with it. We ct)nclude this sub- ject with a letter from friend Ball in regard to the honey that showed best on the outside.] Mr. Moot: — I see in Gleanings there has been some complaint about some of the honey you got fi'ora me being poor — dark in the mid- dle of the cases, and white outside. Now. Mr. Root, I don't know what to say about this, as you say sometimes. There were a few sections that looked yellow, caused by leaving on the hive too long: and I should have put them by themselves: but I find i«'o|)lc sometimes that prefer the yellow cappings to the white. I never could see any difference in the honey. I packed but very little of my honey myself, but I charged the ones who did. to be very careful and not put in any thing that was not nice. Mr. Root, if you have lost by any of my honey, please let me know, and T will try to make it all right. I shall be inore careful about assorting and packing mv honey after this. W. K. Ball. Reno, Nev., Dec, 2.3. [Many thanks, friend B.. for your kind offer. With such a proposition we ceilainly can have nothing to complain of. I know, as you say, that the stained or yellow sections ai'e just as nice honey, and may be a little better, than the white ones: but there are many retailers who would not accept honey if they found the white sections on theputside and the dark or stained ones inside.] CLOSE SPACING. MOKE miOOD AND KEGULAU COxMI! TANCES. FLXED DIS- I wish to add a word on clos(> spacing and fixed distances, as these I regard as very impor- tant matters, and they have been my hobby for a number of years. It is folly to use frames hanging hap-hazard, and hand spacing is a sort of guessing at one of the most needed parts of correct bee-keeping. We may space frames ever so nice at the top. but the bottom is sure to be out of true, and a frame can not be made so but it will warp and twist. If there is more weight of honey or brood on one side it will vary the frame I4 inch. It has long been my belief that we all must come to fixed frames. You may end up a hive of hanging frames enough to see the "bottom-bars below, and you will see them all distances apart (except what are close together). One cause for so many drones is those wide gaps; and I feel very sure the cause of bare spots of no brood is caused by two combs so close that the queen can not get thei-e. I have seen a fourth of an L. frame without honey or brood, and the cell not more than half depth: and I am very sure that if they had bee-i spac- ed and fixed at % apart, there would have been no such trouble. These shallow cells may be caused by being cut oft' too close: and if a comb is crooked th(^y should be pressed back into place before shaving oif for close spacing. Thri'o vears ago I made a number of stays of wood, hair the length of. and as wide as the end-bar. and tfe thick. Tiiese I tacked on to the side of the upper half of the end-bars, which made a nice stay: and as I had used a number of hives with ^h spacing, and was so snre it was the best distance, I found those a I could ask. All the now hanging frames can be easily made exact, and it seems to me there should be no stay on the top-bar. as there is no need of it, and it means so much more gum and crushed bees. It is very important that the frames be wedged at each end: that is, on the outside of all. for they all are twisted more or less, and all the little openings will soon be fill- ed with ijropolis. and nice even spacing is out of the question. In fact, there is need of scrap- ing the edges of the stayed frames once in a while. You speak of a follower, to be wedged up. To be sure, they have some good features, yet are (piite a trouble. If there is much space back of it. if the bees can get there they will, and they -aw quite apt to find a way tliere. If a ease happens a little out of place, down goes a lot of bees to play the loafer (I know, for I've had the same thing). If there is a good '^k allowed at the outside, and the combs are kept shaved down, or, rath- er, shaved to start with, and stayed only half way down, there is not much troiible in getting out the first comb. It seems to me not enough to take the i)lace of a follower. lam satisfied there shouldn"t be ()ver'*„ space between combs, and a little less between the bottom of the frames and bottom of the hive; and for losing no bee time there should be only % at the end of the frames. More space than the little bee can reach across is loss to their valuable time, and just so much to us. Don't you remember, friend R., of cutting out chunks of honey from box hives, and what a narrow passage there was between tliem — yes, less than ?^— with the honey scmietitnes ?, inches thick? I would say to those who never use fixed dis- tances and •■*« spacing, just try one hive: and when you get the combs shaved down and all in order, see what sheets of brood you will have, and how the honey will go (upstairs), and. too, whei-e you used ttui combs seven or eight will suffice." E. P. Chukchill. Hallowell. Me., Dec. 25. [You have given us some e.xcellent reasons for close spacing: but .^s inch between comb sur- faces—isn't that rather close? Why, that is only II4 inches from center to center. At the National Association, Dr. A. B. Mason and some one else argued for that spacing, if the spaces were exact. But the majority seem to prefer \% inch. Your spacers amount virtually to a modified Hoffman frame, or the same as was suggested by J. F. Mclntyre. See Glean- ings, page 780, last year.] MIGRATORY BEE-KEEPING. 43 COLONIES GIVE AN AVERAGE OF 47 LBS. PER COLONY IN ONLY 8 DAYS. Friend Root: — This is a subject that is cer- tainly worthy of the consideration of that por- tion of our bee-keeping brethren who are not so favorably situated as to reap the benefit of both summer and fall harvest. Situated as I am, on the verge of large areas of land subject to over- 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTITRE. 25 flow from the Illinois River, thereby rendering it useless for agricultural purposes, and a large per cent of the territoi'y a swampy waste, yet it never fails in the fall of the year to yield up a world of bloom, and hundreds of acivs become as yellow as gold, chief among which is the golden coreopsis: and it is here that 1 have become conscious of the fact that tons and probably hundreds of tons of honey of the very best quality are "lost upon the desert air"' for the want of enterprising bee-keepers who will accept of the golden opportunity and place their bees where they will gatlier and stoi'e the precious nectar: and I will just state, that the "golden coreopsis." or S|)anisli needle, stands at the head of all the honey-producing plants with which I have had any experience. It is not only the richest in nectar, but the quality is par excellence, and sells in my home market equal to, if not better, than clover honey. Its weight is fully 13 lbs. to the gallon, and it seems to need little if any curing by the bees when gathered. I have never yet seeii any crude or unripe Spanish-needle honey, notwithstanding I have extracted it from the same supers three times in two weeks, and on one occasion twice in Ave and six days. One colony netted 73 lbs. in 5 days, and the apiary of 43 producing colo- nies, in 8 day,sproduced 2033 lbs., being upward of 47 lbs. per colony: and this is not true of that particular year only, but it has proven the surest honey-producing plant we have in this locality. Nothing short of cold rainy weather will spoil the harvest from this plant. But to return. Having occasion to establish out-apiaries I found it impossible to locate them so as to get the benefit of both clover and coreopsis range, and it was no pleasant feature in the trade to see my home apiary outstrip the apiaries is- olated from the reach of the coreopsis 2 lbs. to one. if not more, when there wei'e thousands of acres as yellow as gold, and tons of honey going to waste. This seemed to me to be not in keep- ing with a progressive age; and I reasoned that, could I btit successf\illy move my bees at the close of the clover harvest into the region of the fall-blooming plants, I certainly would add a new impetus to the business, and make the trade more lucrative. I communicated my ideas to some of my bee- keeping fi'iends, and received oold comfort in- deed. "It is a practical impossibility.'" said one bee-keeper of no light reputation: "and you will be but too glad to give up the under- taking, should your experience be any thing like ours," he further added. Some three or four years have elapsed since this conversation, and 1 now stand ready to prove that the mov- ing of bees at any time in the year is a practical possibility. In vindication of the above I will state that I have moved from 100 to 190 colonies fi'om one to eleven miles, twice, and three tiiu(>s a year, for the last three years, without the loss of one single colony from the transit. Four years ago 1 lost 13 of my best colonies, which gave me a pointer that led to my complete success. It is indeed an evil wind that blows no man good, you know: and should your many readers be interested in this subject 1 may give you my modtis operandi in a future letter. Soring. 111.. Dec. 24. .1. M. H.\mhaugh. [Friend H., we are exceedingly obliged to you for the facts you give us above. I have thought of it a good deal since our talk with you on the cars wiien we wei'e at Keokuk. Your sugges- tion just now comes like an oasis in the desert, for it indicates that we need not go to Arizona, nor California either, to find undevelop(^d fields for the apiarist. Hy all means give us the fur- ther particulars.] A NEW IDEA. GIVING BEEi^ A FLY IN A WIHE-CLOTII CAGE IN THE WINTER TIME. Being an apiarian, a subscriber, and a corres- pondent of the bee-journals, I would suggest that, for the advancement and general progress of bee culture, there ought to be a premiiuu offered of small amount, say $.500 or flOOO, to any one who would present a new idea upon this subject. You see, I am of quite an inven- tive turn, and want to be among the " premium - seekers." However, I am very liberal, and 1 presume I want to "quack'' about as bad as some others, and think that I have a new idea, and .so for this time I will offer it and not charge a cent. In order to hit upon a new idea, I have always found that we have to look where no other person has already been hunting the ground over. That is the reason why that, when the new idea is first presented, it usually gets so ridiculed, and all the folks think that somebody is going crazy. But as it will not do to ask you to read an acre of introduction, I will proceed to ofl'er the new idea, and see how many "knowed it all the time." Much discussion has been had on wintering, and there are very diversified opinions as to the best way. I conclude (naturally) that my way is the best, but as yet I have not seen it advo- cated. Prepare a room, large enough for your bees; make it very light, also very warm; have it so you can keep it warm with a stove or heater or furnace, as your convenience will best pei'mit. My room is 30x24 feet, and is just above my store, where it keeps quite warm during day and night. When your room is ready you will want my licit' Idea — to place at the front en- trance of each hive (which will cost about 20 cents to the hive), which allows each colony a space to fly in. of about 10 square feet. In this you can feed them, give them water, and sit near and enjoy them in their flight as long as you pjease. I tell you. it is delightful. The way to tell whether they are doing well is to notice whether they are dying oft' faster than those in the cellar. I have 74 colonies in all, some in the cellar; in fact, almost all; but from what I now see, I wish I had almost all in my bee summer-i'oom. I have a cellar 30x40 feet, expressly for my bees, as dry as a powder- house, and probably not surpassed by any in the State: but my summer-room, with the iiew idea, from the present outlook, is decidedly the best, and I feel quite certain that I will' adopt it in the future, whether anybody else does or not. Y'ou will vei-y naturally ask whether it is necessary to keep a fire all night. By no means; for if it freezes in the I'oom ev(>ry night, as long as you have a fire every day it will not hurt the bees at all; neither will it hurt them if it freezes in the cellar, if the cellar is dry; but if it is damp, and it freezes much, you are going to lose your bees. When your tsees begin to look shiny with moistui-e, then look out. Nirvana, Mich., Dec. 23. F. D. Lacy. [It is just as you say, friend L. The thing you describe is very old. While some colonies have doubtless been .saved by giving them a fly in the manner you describe. I beli(>ve that all who have used it finally discarded it as being more bother than the bees were worth; and as a rule, the bees that are given a fly in this way for any considerable length of time dwindle down woi'se than those that are left in the cel- lar, or outdoois without being meddled with at all. I congi';;tulate you on your pleasant, genial way of presenting the matter; and this, in fact, was the principal I'eason why your coiumuni- cation on a discard(>d idea found a place in oui- columns.! 2f) GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE. Jan. 1. 0a^ QaEg3Fi6N-B6^, With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees. Question 175. 1. Atthc rlosr afthc irJiitc-hoii- cy harvest, /.s It better to tuluuiff (tU srrtions uv- poses should be wiiite, and all dark honey sho\ild he extracted. Tlie latter can always be sold, but not so with dark comb honey, which often can not he disposed of at any price, and is of no other value tinin strained honey. In the south- ern part of Ohio there is hardly ever more fall honey raised than is necessary for winter stores. Ohio. S. W. ' C. F. MrTH. 1. 1 would not advise raising comb and ex- tracted honey from the same colonies— not in a locality like my own. It is a question of econ- omy of labor. 2. After clover and basswood we have pleurisy-root, buekwlieat, goldeni-od. and boneset. any and all of which may and usually do give us a surjilus croj). and usually we exjx'ct to get from one-half to two-thirds the amount of honey from these plants that we do from clover and buckwheat. Michigan. S. W. James Heddon. Here there is usually a fall yield from hearts- eas(\ lasting until fi'ost kills the plants. <»r cold W(>ath(M' keeps the bees in the hives. This is sometimes moic almndant than tlie early honey harvest. The uest yield I (iver knew came in the fall. I prefer to "taper off" by giving ex- tracting combs to as many colonies as possible, so as to reduce the number of unfinished sec- tions to the minimum. Illinois. N. C. .1. A. Green. 1. This is a (iu<'Stion for the comb-honey man to answei-; but it occurs to me, that, if rigged up for comb honey. I should prefer to run the entire season in that line rather than be at the expense and bother of providing myself with the two outfits. 2. Fall flowers, and occasion- ally mint and buckwheat: probably the propor- tion would be one-fourth as much as compared with white honey. Wisconsin. S. W. S. I. Freeborn. I always take oft' sections of white honey be- fore the advent of dark honey, for a very thin border of dark honey in a section spoils the whole for sale as a No. 1 grade. If my fall yield was usually large I would run for comb honey until the close of the season. In my locality I have a trace of buckwheat, but in a favorable season I have a bountiful yield of " bug-juice" for a sei'ies of years. Probably fall honey is five per cent of tiie whole yield. New York. E. Rambler. [As I expected, most of the friends say. " Let the bees finish up what surplus they are going to give, in the sections." Friend Heddon sug- gests, however, that it is a question of economy in labor; and Rambler breaks over our rules, and speaks of " bug-juice,'" when it was agreed, as I had supposed, that no one was ever to use the disagreeable words any more. But when the brethren were talking about taking their chances of having their white honey spoiled by a streak of dark all around the outside, I began to wonder whether a good many of them had not forgotten the dark, disagreeable honey-dew that ijestered us so, only five or six yeai'S ago. For my part, whenevei' I find this dark, cheap, molasses-looking stutt' dotting the combs all through the hives, I would pull off the sections of white honey as fast as possible, even if some of them were not more than half filled. Friend Muth hits it exactly when he says that dark comb hon(>y oftentimes can not be disposed of at any price. We have got a good lot on our hands now; and if there is anybody who wants to make us an offer he can have it very cheap.] 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 27 SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT. AND HIS FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS. A Vl.r.X FOI! OUI! SEKDSMKX. AND OUR CATA- r.oGCEs AS THEY ai!e: bv one who HAS HAD YEARS OF EXPEKIEXf'E IX MARKET -GAI!1>EX SEED- STORES. Frioid Root: — Having been a reader of Gleaxixos for several years, I, of course, take some interest in its make-up. and particularly so in regard to cutting down the varieties iii seed catalogues: but at the same time I can not indorse all you and Mr. Green say on that subject, \yhile I agree with you. that we have too many kinds, yet the seedsman has points to look after that INIr. Green loses sight of entirely. From his standpoint he would Jiave nothing in a seed catalogue except the kinds lie had tested and found to be the best — losing sight of the fact that a seed establish- ment is not a local concern. It is national. Catalogues are going from Maine to California, and all the isles of the sea. Now. while the kinds he would catalogue may be the best for his particular locality, how is it with his neigh- bor in California? The climate there is very different: the varieties that do best here may be and often are entirely worthless thei-e. while the very kinds Mr. Green condemns will be jtist what he must have to make a success. The seedsman is constantly getting reports from his customers from different parts of the country, and knows this to be a fact: ajid as long as he has tlie financial, end of this problem to handle, it is safe to say that he knows what he is doing. Now. if the seed establishment is to be a nation- al concern, the seedsman must carry varieties adapted to all parts of the country; but if he is just going to keep a countiy store, the case is very different. Which is it to be — shall we adopt Mr. Green's policy, and thereby reduce all the big seed establishments down to the same footing with the country store, or shall we consider that seedsmen know their business. and conclude to let them run it as their experi- ence has taught them is best? I believe there is not a seedsman in the woild who would not gladly cut very materially, if he could do so, and satisfy his customers. Suppose we come right down to the local as- pect of the case — the local market. If Mr. G. had followed gai'dening and attending market for a living for. say. ten years, as I have done, he would begin to talk like this, perhai)S: •' Yes. in thcnnj it's all right: but as a ?*/T'»(?-tr(/i/K'r it is nat a success."' The man who attempts to make a living on marketing very soon discovers that there are different tastes to consult be- sides his own: and a customer who wants a head lettuce, for instance, will have a head let- tuce, if ifs on the market, while probably the very next customer would not have that kind if you gave it to him. You may rest assured, the market-gardener knows better than to cut down his list to the extent I\Ir. Green recom- mends: and if his seedsman doesn't keep the seeds he has found to be the most profitable, he will send to some other part of the country and get them. It is not theory the market-gardener is after: it's hard, solid facts in the shape of dollars and cents: and he knows what brings them in, better than any outsider can tell him. One more point and I will close: but in that one point I beg leave to differ with Mr. Green. from the word go. He says, in Gleanings of Oct. 1.5. "The new kinds and sorts are mostly made by the seedsman in order to have a novel- ty to introduce."' Shades of Moses I Did he ever stop to consider how long it takes a seeds- man to get up a reputation, and that the repu- tation represents just that much capital? The better it is. the more it is worth. It certainlv takes more than tirn years. Now. I ask you in all candor. Do you think that, after a seedsman has gotten up a pretty good reputation, he is going to be either knave or fool enough to throw it away for the few paltry dollars he would get out of it as a novelty ? Oh. no! it's worth too niHch nionei/ for tliat. even if he were inclined to be dishonest, and I believe very few are. I think if Mr. Gi'een had. say. two years' expei'ience now in some good reputa- ble seed-house it would modify his views con- siderably as to the honesty of seedsmen, and also as to the cutting-down process. Study this question over on both sides, friend Root, before you make up your catalogue: and I think that, if you expect to lun any thing more than a lo- cal store you will not cut down so severely. Yours respectfully. . :My good friend, I am very glad indeed to get the above communication, especiallv because it enjoins the very virtue (charity) that I have been exhorting to. I am glad to liave somebody sp(>ak well of the seedsman, who is in noway interested, and j-et one who knows all about the inside machinery of the establishment of a seedsman who issues a nice catalogue. Rut. my good friend, your experience has been most- ly with one of the best and most honorable seedhouses in the United States. Our Experi- ment Station, represented by our good friend (Jreen. knows very well that all you sav is true of the seeds where you work. If vou take all the seed catalogues that are put out. as friend Green and I have done, you will see a good deal that sadly needs the very work that friend Green and myself are trying to do. The same thing is over and over again catalogued undei- different names: and no attempt is made, seem- ingly, to reduce the number. Many times there is only a shade of difference in varieties, and yet year after year the two are catalogued! Again, there is the greatest misrepresentation. Let me give you an illustration. It will come in very well, for I have been thinking to-dav it devolved (m the bee-papers to show up affahi this fraud in regard to the Rocky :Mountain bee-plant: viz.. calling it byanew'and flashv name: repi'esenting it as heretofore unknown, and telling most preposterous falsehoods in re- gard to the amount of honey it yields. We ex- posed it a year oi- two ago. and I wrote to the proprietor of the seed catalogue. It is true. I got a reply fiom him. but he neither seemed to want to be set I'ight nor did he make anv nrom- ise of correcting his false statements when thev were plainly pt)inted out to him. A TRIIUTE TO " WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO BE IIAPI'Y WHILE DOING IT."" I send you si.oo for your excellent Gleanings. It is as good as the liible in manv respects. I can just cry with joy over a great" part of vour talk, of the garden as well as the Home talk. From experience 1 know just how dear Mother Earth fills you with joy and wonder. Oh how wonderful those berries are ! I had a crop last year that surprised the people about here, and also with my early and late work in the garden. God smiles over me with love when in the field. I always feel like shouting when I .see the way you get at it. which is the true way to be happv. May you live long to encourage all. Hallowell. Me., Dec. 2.5. E. P. Chukchill. Why. bless your heart, dear brother. I did not know before that the world contained another man who loves (rod and nature so exactly as I do. And then your wonderfully graphic way of 28' GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Jax. 1. telling it—" God smiles overiiic in love /'' There is inspiration in the very thonght. If I ever get away down in Maine, won't we have a visit ? A KIND REPOUT FOE GLEANINGS, AND A GOOD KEPOKT FKOM WASHINGTON. I can't do without Gleanings. Why, do you know the Dec. 1st issue was worth- to me more than ten years' subscription '? I have had cel- ery on the brain for the last year. We have sold over flOCKJ worth so far this season, and find ourselves with 12,000 plants on hand, and no place to store it, when here comes Glean- ings and tells us to take the pigpen. Good for you! W^e have just got the pigpen, 30x25 feet: but who but A. I. Root would have thought to make use of it ? The boys are at it now. The floor came handy to line the sides with, leaving a 6-inch space all around, which we till with earth from ground underneath: and now with three or four loads of manure on top of the roof, we are fixed with a celery-house that will hold at least (5000. Celery here in our moist cool climate grows wonderfully large and tine. We have thousands that will weigh 4 or ,5 lbs. to the single stalk — Golden Self-bleaching, 2}4 feet tall, with leaves that are two inches at the base, and as brittle as an icicle. Fidalgo, Wash., Dec. 12. H. A. March. FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS, OB.JECTIONS TO THE 60-LB. SQUARE CANS, FROM A IIONEY-DEALER. I notice considerable discussion in Gleanings about the 60-lb. tin cans for extracted honey. My observations are, that they are not the best, for they are very tender, and easily made to leak, especially if out of the cases, and nails are so apt to be driven into the tin through the cases. They are too frail, and not solid enough for the weight put in them. When they are leaky it is difficult to tell where the leak is, and you can not stop it without the tinsmith. The pine fish-kegs holding 7.5 and 1.50 lbs. each are the cheapest and most sensible packages for extracted honey: for, if leaky, the hooi)S can be driven and quickly coopered. Another objec- tionable feature of the tins is. that buyers get the impression that all honey in those cans is California honey, and are more or less preju- diced. What say other honey-dealers ? Albany, N. Y., Dec. 2.5. H. R. Wright. [We should be glad to hear from the other dealers.] THICK AND thin TOP-BARS. — ONE WHO HAS USED AND DISCARDED CLOSED-END FRAMES. The new catalogue is at hand. It is a very neat one, and quite an improvement over for- mer editions. I have used top-bars varying from J^ Inch to 1 inch in depth, and from ,^1 inch to 1^ inches wide: but I have always had more or less burr-combs after the second season. I have some of Roofs S. frames that have been in use two seasons, and have never had burr-combs built above them, though I have had sections filled over them each season; but, judging from experience, I am sure that burr-combs will come, in time. Exact spacing, by using fixed distances, can be maintained only by having every comb perfectly straight, and the septum exactly in the center of the frame: in fact, each comb must be perfect and an exact counterpart of all the others; if not. you will very likely change the spacing every time you change a frame. Fixed distances have advantages for those who move their bees often. They also have disadvantages: and the point for each one to decide is, whether th(^ advantages will out- weigh the disadvantages. I used two thou- sand closed-end frames two seasons, and have decided in favor of hanging-frames. Robert E. Ashcraft. Brookside, Mich., Dec. 8. [That's right; let's have both sides of the question. You do not tell us what sort of bee- space you had when you made your experiments with tap-bars. In Elwood's apiaries I saw no burr-combs, or almost none, and he used a J4- inch bee-space, scant if any thing. The same condition of things I saw in other apiaries where the i^-inch bee-space and fixed distances were in use. There are several things that go to prevent brace-combs; and not the least im- portant is the right bee-sp him tried by the delay of his horse and buggy. I did not want him to have trouble, but I wanted to see how far his native grace would bear him out in the hour of trial. I do not know whether he ever lets his temper come out. and scolds like fun. or not. I am sorry to say. that, with the amount of busi- ness we had on hand when I was there — that is. one kind of business. I did not find out whether he was a Christian or not. It may be I asked him the question— I hope I did: but if I did, I have forgotten what he said. It has occurred to me since, though, that this good friend of mine would have a wonderful power in bringing souls to Christ Jesus if this special gift of his 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 31 were enlisted in the cause, ami if his quaint smile and vein of pleasantly could all be laid (it the ftiot of the Master. \Vhen I see a man with this gift I often wonder how he will "Stand tire." When Satan bringsall his artillery to bear, how long will he stand unflinching, and without being demoralized? Dr. Miller has a wonderful gift in this line. 1 asked him a few days ago whetlier he could go into busi- ness, real liard work, and keep that steady good nature constantly about him. I wanted to know how big a reserve he held back for cases of emei'gency. ^[rs. Root lias a great mania for large cisterns. When the masons and others ask her what in the world she wants a cis- tern so big for. she says she not only wants one that will hold water enough for oxr use during a dry time, but one that will bear drawing on for the neighbors. She says she never wants to tell a neighbor that they can't have all the crit- ter they have a mind to come after. Now. friends, it is not th(' cistern water I need, but it is grace from on high. I want a great big lot of grace— not only enough to keep A. I. Root go- ing, but enough to give the neighbors all around — enough to give the children at home. Yes. if my good wife should ever be worn out by many care.s. so that she needs a little help in that line. I am earnestly praying that God may give me this reserve force of grace to help her. Nay. further: May (rod give me grace in such unstinted supply that I can pour it out to yon. dear readers, and not bi' impoverished. And what is it we want tinally but the gift of the Holy Spirit? And have we not the promise? And this brings us to that verse I have loved to read over and over again: If ye. then, being' evil, know how to give good g'lfts unto your children, how much more sliallyour heav- enly Father give the Holy Spirit to theni that ass him? I wish to refer again to this matter of scold- ing before folks. Your children need exhort- ing: and they often need, perhaps, a severe reprimand: but do not do it on the impulse of the moment: do not do it from impulse at all. Do it from cool, steady princijjle. from a sense of duty. Only yesterday a man was slicing off wooden separators. One boy picked them from the machine, and laid them in piles of 2.") each. Two more boys took these packages of 3.5 in long baskets to the dry-house, and piled them up with sticks between them, so they would dry out smooth and straight. The boys who were carrying them to the dry-house got a lit- tle ahead of the slicing. While they were wait- ing for a basketful they amused themselves by throwing splinters and spoiled separators on the large driving-belt. It was funny to see them whip around the pulley. The man who ran the machine was called away for a few minutes: and when he got back, some of these refuse pieces of wood were in the gearing, or large iron cog-wheels, throwing the belt off. and spring- ing the main shaft. The boys said they were cleaning off the machine, and a handful of splinters fell into the gearing. They had been instructed, before going to work near the ma- chine, in regard to the danger of being around such machinery, and had been cautioned to be very careful. They were certainly very much out of place in even throwing shavings on the belt — still more in cleaning off the chips and shavings while it was in motion. I reprimand- ed them pretty severely, but I did not feel quite satisfied that the whole truth had come out. The next morning, the smallest of the three boys came to me. saying that his conscience troubled him. and confessing that he not only put pieces on the belt, but he also put some in the heavy c^g-wheels. to see it "chaw them up.'" This, you see, threw considerable additional light on the matter. Had I yielded to imimlse I should have made the boys pay all damage caused by getting the machine started again. It seemed pretty hard, however, to ask the one who so frankly confessed his fault to do this. I decid- ed to let the whole matter rest until I could see each one of the boys alone. I am now very, very glad that I did'so. I am glad that, when I had time to think the matter over, I could .see very clearly that the loss of time and money was but a small matter compared with the falsehood that seemed connected with it. I have been anxious to bring these boys to Jesus Christ: and after I had waited half a day I could keep this thought in mind far better than if I had spoken about it when I was pro- voked. I do not know even yet just where the truth does lie — that is, it "is not very clear whether the shavings ran from the belt into the gearing, whether they dropped from the ma- chine into the gearing, or whether some one of the boys put in so large a handful as to stop the machinery with a sudden shock, and spring the shaft. Many of you will doubtless say. " Mr. Root. I would not have such boys (iin/iv'hcre on the premises-" Gently, gently, dear fritMul. I have tried boys by the "hundreds, and these boys will certainly average as well as any of them. It is boy nature to try experiments.' and have fun, especially when he has to wait for some- thing. If I should turn them off and try oth- ers. I should have to go through the same ex- perience in teaching others: and these boys iiave been with me for some time, and are get- ting pretty well taught. I don't think they will play with dangerous machinery any more. Some years ago, when I had a store on the street up town, I came home from prayer-meet- ing and found several customers in the store, and nobody there to wait on them. The two clerks whose business it was to take charge had each left, presuming the other was there. One of them was a professor of religion, and tlie oth- er was becoming quite a young skeptic. He claimed that church-members and professing Christians do not do any better — perhaps not quite as well — as those who make no profession. I was anxious that he should have plenty of proof to the contrary. But I was so vexed to find the clerks so indifferent to the plain de- mands of business, especially in the middle of Saturday afternoon, that I scolded— well, more than I knew, till I came to think it over after- ward. It was the young skeptic I found first. He took it very meekly, and did not offer a word of apology": and when I afterward begged his pardon he said he did not try to make any exi)lanation then, because he thought it would be better to keep perfectly still until I had " cooled off.'" I presume there was wisdom in what he said. He. a non-professor, showed more wisdom than his employer, who had just returned from pr ? Weil. I should say it is the publisher's loss if he continues t\)send his pai)er to anvbody who never orderi'd it at all. The principal reason why we have been induced to send (tLeanincis longer than the time paid for is this: A great part of oui' readers mean to have Gi>EAXiX(iS kei)t going; but they neglect, and put it off. and then in the same way neglect and put off having it started after it Ims been stopped. vSuch people always thank us very kindly for having it kept going without orders — that is, they do when they get around to it, say when they are ordering bee-hives or some- tliing of that sort. The world is full of people who neglect and put off things they meant to have done. Now, this weakness of humanity is a large and prevailing element in all kinds of business. Please note: If we stop the paper for everybody at the time paid for, this weakness harms the publisher and harms the subscriber; but by keeping th(> paper going until we have orders to stop it, this same unfortunate ele- ment is then on the other side of the scale. It then operates to the advantage of both publish- er and readei'. The only trouble about it is. the man who does not want the paper any long- er must say so. If he continues to take it out of the office, and does not say so. the law, and it seems to me good common sense, dictates that he must pay for it. I omitted to say. in the proper i)lace. that he does not even need to take the trouble to write a postal card. Let him just leave his journal in the office, and in- form tiie postmaster that he does not wish to take it any more. The postmaster is then re- quired by law to inform tlie publisher that so and so does not want the periodical any longer. So in reality no one is obliged to pay for a peri- odical unless he takes it out of the postoffice regularly; and exactly the same way you would be required to pay for any kind of goods you take regularly of the common carrier. If you or any of your family take a pint of milk of the milkman every day when he comes past your house, you are bound to jiay him for it; and I believe'it does not matter whether you ordered it or not. If you receive it out of his hands, you are responsible for its value. I have several times thought of mailing a postal card to each of our 10,000 subscribers, this postal card to be plainly addressed to us. On the opposite side we would have printed in large letters. "Do you want Gi>EANiNGS continued?'' All that bur negligent friends will have to do in that case will be to write "yes" or "no" opposite the (luestion: then we could go ahead with a fair understanding all around, and we should have all orders in black and white. The difficulties are that it would cost over siOO for the postal cards. Then it would cost over another hun- dred to place them in the hands of our readers, besides the large amount of laborious work on the part of our clerks and book-keepers, and very likely nearly half of our postals would never get dropped into the postoffice at all. But we do this, which is the next best thing to it: In every expired journal is put a circular letter, together with an order-blank and an en- velope addressed to ourselves. Th(> circular letter gives notice of expiration of subscription, and says, if you want the journal continued, till out the blank and inclose it with one dollar in the addressed envelope. If you desire to have till' journal stopped, write on the blank. " I'lcase discontinue." If no notice is taken, the journal is continued, and in thr(>e months' time another notice is sent. If that doesn't " fetch 'em," another, in the course of time, is sent; and if still no response, we stop the journal, and send another notice to that effect, with a request to remit for the time not paid lor. If our dropped subscribe]- still won't pay any at- tention, we don't trouble him further, as we do not care to waste more time. If we can afford to dro)) it there, he surely can. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 41 productive, aud an excellent pea In every respect, except that the pods look ready to pick before the peas inside are large enough to amount to any thing. It you pick them when they LOOK plump and full you will disappoint your fu-itomers, and have trouble. Get careful pickers; tell them not to pick a pod until they know bv squeezing it that there are good-sized peas inside, and you will then call it. as we do, ahead in q0alitt of anj' other early pea in the world. American Wonder. M pt- 10c; pk. S1.75. This is a cross between the Champion and the Little Gem. The vine grows from 6 to 8 inches high. It is the first to rip- en among the gi'cen wrinkled sorts. On account of its dwarf habits it can be grown very easily under glass. Stratagem. Vi pt. 10c; qt. 35c; pk, $3.00. This has made its way rapidly in public favor. It is not on- ly of rare excellence in quality, but the pods and peas are so large and fine looking the.v call attention at once from any thing else in the market. It has given us excellent satisfac- tion. Champion of England. Pint, 15c; pk. fl.OO: bushel, S3.50. So well known as to need no recommend here. Peas hy mail will be at same rate as beans for postage. PEPPERS. Spanish Pepper. Oz. 2.5c. ; lb. $3..50. -•V new variety, so large that the natives of warm climates slice them up and fry, as an article of food. BnllAiose. Oz. 25c; lb. $3.60. A larger variety than the above, but in every other respect the same. Cayenne Pepper. Oz. 35c; lb. $2..50. Much calle or, for seasoning soups, pickles, etc. POTATOES. Early Ohio. The Experiment Station, Columbus, O., says therejis noth- ing earlier. Early Puritan. Nearly as early as Early Ohio, and much more productive. Highlj- recommended by our Ohio Experiment Station. Prices: 1 lb. by mail, 25c; 3 lbs. 60c; 1 peck by express or freight. 50c; 1 bushel, 81.50. ^ Lee's Favorite. This is a few days later than the foregoing, but jields better still. In our locality during 1889 It gave us over 100 bushels, from one-fourth of an acre. Beauty of Hebron. This is preferred by Terry because it gives as good, or bet- ter yield than any other, and comes off early enough to admit of getting in wheat in good time. It is a standard early sort. Monroe Seedling;. Here is what T. B. Terry says in regard to them: Last season we had more perfect tubers in a bushel than I think I ever saw in any other variety of potatoes. They are strong growers, and do not spr.jut early: better quality than most late potatoes. I have returned 42 orders in one d.ay since thev were all sold. T. B. Terry. Hudson". O.. Oct. 22. 1890. Prices of any of the above : 1 lb., by mail, 18 cts. ; 3 lbs., .50 cts.; 1 lb., by express or freight, 7c; 1 peck by express or freig-ht, 60 cts.; 1 bushel, $3.(X). Bar- rel, $5 00. If potatoes are ordered in the winter, we will do our best to protect them from frost, but purchaser must take all risk. Potato-eyes. Any of the above varieties by mall postpaid, 1.5c for 10; or 61.t0 per 100. PUMPKIIV. Early Sugar Pumpkin. Oz. 5c; lb. 50c. This was selected from 13 different kindsof pumpkins. They aro specially designed for the first i)umpkin pies of the season. Our strain rif seed has been heretofore a good deal mixed. Last fall we had. however, a patch of many hundred, without a single large pumpkin in the lot. They are much earlier than the ordinary pumpkin, sweeter for pies, and so small in size that we sold them all along in the fall at the rate of two for a nickel. In many places people will pay more for earlj' pumpkins for pies than they will for any kind of squashes. ' Connecticut Field. M pint,.5c; quart, 15c; peck, 75c; bushel, §3.00. If wanted by mail, add at the rate of 16c per quart for postage. RHUBARB. tt's Victoria. Oz., 10c; lb., $1.50. KADISHES. Early Scarlet Globe. Pkt. 5c; oz. 10c; lb $1.00. This is the radish that Vick gives such a beautiful chromo of in his catalogue for 1888; and for forcing in the green- house, it is ahead of any other in the way of forcing rad- ishes. They begin to form a bulb almost as soon as the second leaves come out. They are very hardy, and of exceedingly rapid growth. "Wood's Early Frame. Oz. 5c; lb. 50c. The very best long radish for raising under glass, or for extra early. Beckert's Chartier Radish. Oz. 5c. ; lb. 50c. A novelty, and one that has given us the greatest satisfac- tion; of rapid growth and good size, both at the bottom and top. In favorable soil it will grow to a large size, and still be excellent in quality. They are remai-kably certain to make a good bulb. Chinese Rose Winter. Oz. .5c; lb. 50c. These not only stand cold weather until toward Christmas, but we consider them really a most delicious radish, and the most free from being corky, of any ratlish known. They are not as strong as radishes ordinarily are, but are of a sweet turnip flavor. Usually sown at the time we sow turnips. SALSIFY, OR OYSTER PLANT. New^ mamniotli. From Sandwich Islands. Oz. 10c ; lb., §1..50. We have grown this side by side with the common salsify, and we find the roots larger, better shaped, and equally good in other respects; they are, therefore, without ques- tion an improvement. Finely grown specimens are almost .Ts large and smooth as parsnips. SPINACH. Bloomsdale Extra Curled. Oz. .5c; lb. 2.5c. It combines as many of the good qualities as any other. SQUASH. SUMMER VARIETIES. Golden Summer Crookneck. Oz. 5c; lb. 50c. Giant Summer Crookneek. Oz. 10c; lb. fl.OO. This squash is as early as the ordinary crooknecks, and in every way equal; but are of such size that one squash will make a dinner, even when soft and tender; and one good thrifty plant will almost supply a family. WINTER VARIETIES. Hnbhard. Oz. 5c; lb. 60c. Too well known to need comment. We have tried nearly all the new squashes, but have not yet found a better one. TOMATO. Golden Queen Tomato. Pkt., 5c; oz., 35c; lb., 13.00. This is no special novelty, that 1 know of. over other to- matoes, e.xcept its beautiful golden yellow color; but at the same time the tomato is good-sized, and remarkably smooth and regular. The quality is equal to any. Many specimens of the fruit have a rosy tint toward the blossom end, giving it something the appearance of a beautiful yellow peach with a slight blush of red. Ignotum Tomato. H oz. 10c; oz. 30c; lb. $3.50. During the year 1889 we sent out about 3000 sample pack- ages of the Ignotum tomato; and the general testimony of those who have grown it corroborates the decision of the Michigan Agricultural College, that it is, all things consid- ered, the best, and they gave it a test side by side with over 100 different v.arieties. It has no rival that I know of in size, except the Mikado. There are, however, several kinds (among them Livingston's Beauty) that are rather hand- somer in shape, but they are behind in size and earliness. In solidity the Ignotum is behind none: and for slicing up for the talile we have never found any thing better. Livingston's Beauty. Oz. 20c; lb. $2.00. This is a production of the same Livingston who brought out the .\cme, Trophj-, Favorite, and Perfection; but he pro- nounces this superior to them all. They are better shaped and smoother than the Mikado, but not so large. Pear-Sliaped Tomatoes. Oz. 30c: lb. $3.50. These are handsome for pickles and preserves. They are immense bearers, and of good quality. TURNIP. Extra-Early Turnips. We have tested some of these which are advertised in the different seed catalogues; and while we find them some earlier than the staple turnips, they are, so far as we have tested them, inferior in quality, very strong in trste, and sometimes bitter. Purple-top W^hite-g lobe Turnip. Oz. 5 c.; lb. 40 c. This turnip has given us the best results of any thing we tried; the quality seems to be unusually fine for table use, es- pecially when they are about as large as fair-sized apples. They gi'ow nearly as quick as any other turnip known, and aie very handsome. When washed they are almost as white as an egg. with a beautiful purple around the top. They are smooth and round. Yellow Aberdeen. Oz. .5c; lb. 40c. We consider this one the best table turnip grown. When cook- ed it is so yellow that it will sometimes be mistaken for squash. Rreadstone. Oz. 10c: lb. $1.40. During the past season this turnip was so much superior to any of the Swede turnips for table use, that those who ate them at our lunch-room came to me not only for turnips, but for seed to sow next year. The fiesh is yellow, and tne quality exceedingly rich and delicious. White Egg. Oz. 5c; lb. 40c. Verv showv and handsome, as well as quite early, and fine quality. In "1890 they sold for lOe more a peck than the Purple-top Globe. Southern Prize. Oz. 5c; lb. 50c. For many years I have wondered if it were not possible to get a real turnip as strong growing and as hardy as the Seven-top. This we have finally secured, in the " South- ern Prize." It stands all winter, even in Ohio, without pro- tection: and, in fact, it seems to grow all winter; and, best of all, it has a good-sized bulb (of fair quality) that winters over as completely as a pai-snip. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Jan. 15. Contents of this Number. Alfalfa for Sore Throat 70 Bees and Fruit 55 Beekeepers' Union 71 Builtling-paper 59 Cans, To Clean 71 Cell-hatcher. Golden's 54 Columbian Fair 58 Detroit Convention 61 Disease, Nameless Bee 64 Ernest at Marengo 56 Experim't Stations.. (Q.B.). 63 Extractor, Boardman's 50 Ferry's Seed-house 62 Foundation, Use of 61 Frame, Hoffman 49 Fruit and Bees 55 Hives, Painting 51 Hives, Single-walled 59 Hive, Heddon 49 Honey, Adulterated 61 Honey, Grading 64 Lettuce Disease 68 Market, A Home 55 Muslin, Painted, for Covers. 69 New Things, Adopting 71 Out-apiaries, Dadant's 60 Paint V. Whitewash 51 Queens to Australia 73 Queen-rearing — 48 Kegister-Boards 64 Repositories. Winter .54 Saw-tables. Home made -53 Seeds, To Get Good 67 Sports in Vegetables 68 Sugar, Beet, How Made .52 Ventilation, Bottom 64 Weather. Foretelling the. . . 59 Wliitewash on Hives 51 gPEci^L piewicEg. BROOD FRAMES WITH TOP-BAB DIVIDED. Instead of fastening' comb t'oundation to the wood comb-g-uide. s )me prefer to have the top-bar divided vertically, and place the sheet of foundation be- tween the two sections; drive three ov four one-inch nails through, and the foundation is secure. We can furnish i hick-top Hoffman or closed-end frames, witli divided tops, without extra charge, if mention- ed in the order. Of course, no comb guide will be included with these frames. REMNANT PIPICES. Some six months ag-o we advertised some remnant pieces. 11 inches long by 'Z% wide by H tbicli, planed on one side, at 3.ic per 100. They went off like " hot cakes," and were soon gone. We have since accu- mulated quite a good many more, which we offer, as long as they last, at the same price. If any of our readers have use for such pieces, here is a chance to g-et them cheap. DISCOUNT FOR EARLY ORDERS. A discount of 3 per cent is being allowed on all or- ders for g-oods listed on papes U) to 37 of our new catalogue, received ln^fore Frb. 1st. During- Febru- ary, 3 per cent is allowed; after that date, no dis- count. Quite a number are iivailing- themselves of the discount; others would do well to do so also. If any of our readers in Southern California intend to take advantage of carload rates of f reig-ht they mu.st send their order at once, as the car we are now mak- ing up will start about Feb. 1. 5% DISCOUNT ON WIRE NETTING TILL FEB. 20. By advice just received from the manufacturers of wire netting and fencing we are able to offer you a special discount of 5 '' on the new prices in our Jan. 1st catalogue, until Feb, 2i)th. This is an inducement offered to get as many orders filled as possible before the rush of spring orders begins, and many should avail themselves of it. Send f'<;r our 3n-page netting and fencing catalogue, and remember that on all orders received by Feb. 3.ith, an additional discount of 5 % may be deducted as well as those given on the discount sheet sent with the catalogue. This special b% may be deducted also from the list of remnants on another page, for orders before Feb. 20th. A NEW EXPRESS COMPANY IN MEDINA. Trains have been running on the P., A. & W. from Medina west since Jan. 1. and the rnited States Ex- press Co. has been d( ini;- business since the lOch. Connection has not yet been made from here east to Akron, but it will SOI )n he eonipleteil. We are now able to send your exi)ress shipments by either the American or United Slates Exp. Co's; and if you have a preference, plea.se .state it in your oi'der, or ttU out the blank on the order sheet, telling what ex- press eomiiaiiy does business at your ottice, and we can decide which one to give tlie business to in order to secure you the best rates. WIRE CLOTH FOR PROTECTING FRUIT-TREES. One of the men in our packing-room, Mr. H. A. Horn, who has a little place of his own, and raises fruit, tells me that young trees can be pterfeetly pio- tected from rabbits, etc., by the use of our cheap wire cloth, so that the wlole expense, including labor and material, will not cost over a cent and a quarter per tree. Get the cheapest green wire cloth— even remnants will do. Cut it into strips 3 inches by 3 ft., or as near it as you can without much waste. Take one of these strips and wind it spirally around the tree from the ground up. No sti'ing, wire, nor anj- thing of the kind, will be needed to make it keep its place. Wind it on snug, and saueeze the last end closel.v around the tree with your hand, and it will stay. As the ti'ce grows, the wire cloth will stretch as long as the protection is needed. He says he pro- tected 3.50 trees in ,iust two hours and a half. The cheap remnants ottered in our table are .lust as good as any for the purpose. SUGAR -MAKERS' SUPPLIES. Maple-sugar-making time IS at hand, and some are inquiring the price of supplies. First, you should supply yourself with that excellent book by Prof. Cook, "Maple Sugar and the Sugai'-Bush;" price 36 cents; by mail, 3Sc. By studying this you may save many times the price of it. Notwithstanding the ad- vance in the .cost of tin, we are able to offer you sap- buckets and spiles and cans at last year's prices, as below: Above cut shows a bucket hung on wire loop, with hinged tin cover, and manner of emptying. IMPROVED RECORD SAP-SPUUT. Record sa])-spouts. f 1.00 per lOO; S8.0 ' per 1000. 10-(|t. buckets, I(^ tin, fl.'i.OO per 100; IX tin, $17.00. 12-( t. buckets. IC tin, *16.on per IfO; IX tin. SIS.CO. Patent hinged covers. $6.00 jier lOil .Hcversible wood covers. MSM per 100. Wire loops for wood pails. 30e per 100: for tin pails. 2.ic per 10;). 1 g-al. square cans. 50 or lOO in a crate, $13.00 per 100. Boxed 10 in a box, for re-shipment when filled, $1.50 per box; $14.00 for 10 boxes. BACK NUMBERS OF GLEANINGS CHEAP. We have quitealargequantity of old back numbers of Gleanings, containing much valuable reading- matter. As our list of readers is constantly growing larger, there are no doubt a good many who have been readers but a comparatively sliort time. It any of these desire to use these long winter evenings by reading up on the sub.iect covered by Gleanings, here is an opportunity to get a good deal of leading- matter for a small amount. We can send you a large variety of back numbers, no two alike (unless you are not particular, and want to use them foi- distrilm- 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 43 tion), at one cent each, in lots of 10 iiumbersor more, by mail postpaid, or by freight witli udvt rti^eiiK-nt mention GLKANING8. NOV^ SKK HERE! Friends, I have tliree neiv varieties of Pota- toes, orig-inated by me. wliich were liighly reeom- meiided by the Michigan Agricultuial College in 1889; and to every persi)n oidcring tlieii' queens now, either Five-Banded CJolden or Imported Ital- ians, and sending- cash with order, I will give .5 eyes, my choice of variety, for an order for a war- ranted queen at f 1.00, or 3 eyes of each variety, on an order tor a tested queen at $1.75; and to those who send cash or mone.y order I will include one or more packets of seeds free. Queens are to be sent In June or Julj'; potato-eyes and seeds in April; and to the person growing- the largest potato, I will give one 3-frame nucleus on each variety, with a 3S.5.00 queen; and to the person suggesting the most ac- ceptable names I will g-ive a 3-frann' niuleus for each variety of either strain of bees, with a $.').IIU queen. Suggestions for names are to be here bj- Aug. 15, and premium bees will be sent in time for tlie fairs. Only a limited number will be given free, and first come first served. Send stamp for catalogue, ready Peb. 15. JACOB T. TIMPE, Grand Ledge, Mich. l^"In responding: to tliis ad\ If nitiiiiun Glkanings. Western Bee-Keepers' Supply House Root's Goods can be liad ,at PesMoiu Iowa, at Root's Prices. Tlie largest supply busintss in the West. Established 18!-5 Dovetailed Hives, Sec- tions, Foundation, Ex- tractors, Smokers. Veils, Orates, Feeders, Clover ' Seeds, etc. Imported Italian Queens. Queens Bees. Sample copy of our Bee Jonrnal, "The West- ' ern Bee - Keeper." and Latest Catalogue mailed Free to Bee-keepers. JOSEPH NYSEWANDEE, DES MOINES, IOWA. I^"ln responding to this advertisement mention Glkaning.s. SFSCZAIi CROPS. For 75 cts, we will furnish the above paper with either of the following, both for full year: Boston Globe, weekly; Golden Censer, weekly; Family Herald and Weekly Star; or for f 1.00, Balloirs Magazine or American Agriculturist; or for 90 cts. any dollar paper in U. S. To secure these rates cut this ad. out and send to SPECIAli CROPS, Nkaneateles, N. Y. \7In responding to this advertisement mention OLBAKIMOa. DR. TINKER'S SPECIALTIES! The Nonpareil Bee-hive and Winter case. White Poplar Sections, Wood-zinc Queen-Excluders, and the finest and best Perforated Zinc now made. Send for catalogue of pi'ices, and inclose 25 cts. for the new book. Bee-keeping for Protit. Address DR. G. 1^. TI]NK«hR. 21tfdb New Philadelphia, O. BARRED |^"In responil PLYMOUTH ROCKS. Birds and eggs in their season. Cockerels $3 to $5; choice hens |3each; eggs f3per setting; 2 set- tings, S5. MRS. r. P. HISH, TOWEE HILL, SHELBY CO., ILL. tisement menliun rSi.KANINfJS. 7n^ AMERICAN Beejour 32 pages— $1.00 a year— Sample Free. The oldest, largest and cheapest Weekly bee-paper THOMAS G. NEWMAN & SON. 246 East Madison Street, - CHICAGO. ILL. COMB FOUNDATION. I will work Beeswax, when sent to me. Into founda- tion at tiie lowest price in the world. Send for samples and price to Jacob IWolier^heini, 3d Kaukauna, Wis. DISCOUNTS FOB, EARLY OHDEHS. As is our usual custom, ive are allotoing a liberal discount on orders sent in now for goods to be used next season. After the vexatious delays last spring, it is needless to explain the many advantages secured by those trho order early. Not only do you gain by having your goods to put together and get ready for use during leisure time in the winter moiiths all readij for business ir^ the spring, but you secure a sufficietd discount to make the investmetit a py-ofitable one. You also run the chance of getting better goods, made lohen tve etre not so rushed, than some iceivere obliged to se7id out last spring, made by unskilled workmen on the night force during the " great rush'' ' for supplies, nith the increetsed capacity that our new two-story brick building, 37 x 100 feet, gives us we hope to be better prepared than ever for such an umisual irtcrease of business asice have had. the past season. Still, the experience of the past tw<> years has taught that it is not seife to rest with too much confidence on this reasoneibly good prospt-ct. It is much safer for you to OBDEB EARL Y. We have secured from Michigan over ino.OOOfeet of bassivood, out of 'which we are making the whitest and nicest .sections we ever turned out. To verify our word., send 5 cents to pay postage on a sam.ple. With a demand equal to leist year, the sections made from this lot will he gone by April 1. We may get more equally good, but the chances are in favor of those who order early. Our new revised catalogue is ready to mail on application. DISCOUNTS. The discounts xoill apply to every thing m our catalogue ordered for next season's use. They can not, of course, apply to large orders for counter goods or honey -packages; but if only a few of them are included with an order for hii'es, etc., then the d.iscount may be taken from the whole bill. Up to Dec. 1st, discount will be 5 per cent. After that date, one per cent a month for each month before March; i. e., 4 per cent in December, 3 per cent in January, and 2 per cent in Feb- ruary. A. I. BOOT, Medina, O. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 45 NE\Sr FACTORY- On oraV)Out Feb. 10. 1891, we will move into our new factory, built exclusively for the manufacture and sale of APIARIAN SUPPLIES, located in Ottuniwa. Wapello Co.. Iowa, where we will manufacture and sell all kinds of Apiarian Sup- plies at the lowest po^^sible prices, after tlie above date. Write tor illustiated catalogue, to Itfd GREaORY BROS. Si SON, Farragut, Fremont Co., la. Wants or Exchange Department. WANTED.— To e.xchang-e apiary of 150 colonies of bees. Will take any kind of farm stock, goods or groceries. Anthony Opp, Helena, Ark. WANTED.— To correspond with parties having potatoes, onions, api^les, and honey for sale. Prompt attention given to correspondence. Con- signments solicited, l^romijf returns made. Earle Clickenoek, 121 So. 4th St., Columbus, O. WANTED.— To exchange a new foot-power saw for honey. Send f6r a descriptive ciicular. W. S. Wright, Battle Creek, Mich. WANTED.— To exchange my home apiary near Letts, la. 180colonies, everythingcomi)leteand in readiness for coming season. Location first-class —no apiary nearer than 4 miles— for clear city or country property, merchandise, or offers. Address until Feb. 15, H. L. Graham, San Diego, Cal. WANTED.— To exchange one Gauge lathe, and 1 lathe for turning handles; want sawmill (port- able) or engines. W. S. Ammon, Reading, Pa. l-2d WANTED.— Four men that can give good I'eference to take entire charge of 1.5ii colonies of bees each. Will have to run bachelors' camp, and keep sober. Address Wheeler & Hunt, l-2d Redlai]ds, Cal. WANTED.— A man 28 to 30 years old. who is used to working with bees, one whounderstands run- ning for comb or extracted honey; also understands queen-raising; a man who knows the business. An American and church-member pieferred. C. S. Lewis, Temecula, San Diego Co.. Cal. WANTED.— To exchange for extracted honey, one World typewriter. 1 Crystal creamer, 4 Cooley milk-cans, 1 No. 8 Buckeye churn. 2d S. H. Musselman, Blue Ball, Pa. WANTED.— To exchange 1 lb. thin Vandervort fdn. for 2 of wax. Samples and testimonials free. 2-7db C. W. Dayton, Clinton, Wis. WANTED.— A situation by a smart boy nearly six- teen years of age. Address John R. Jones, 2d Duquoin, Perry Co., III. WANTED. — To exchange brown bees in frame hives, for a first-class Safety bicycle, or offers. 2d J. M. Ove nshire, D. D. S.. Dundee. N. Y. WANTED.— To exchange 2 trios of fine Wyandotts for 414x4^4 sections. Address L. Werner. 2d Edwardsville. III. WANTED.— To exchange Acme harrow, swell-body cutter, and Planet ,Ir. horse hoe and cultivator, for Barnes saw, bees, honey, or otters. 2-tfdb M(JDEL Stamp-works, Shenandoah, la. WANTED.— To exchange Excelsior hand-inking press, 25 fonts tj-pe, material, etc., also 5 vols. American Encyclopaedia, for honey (crop 1891). A rare chance for smart boy to make money. Write for par- ticulars. S. S. L AWING. 2-3d ■ Henderson, Webster Co., Mo. WANTED.— An active Christian who understands the management of bees, etc., to take one-third less or more, interest. Location better than— well, I will not say; write any way. P. O. Lock B. N, 2-tfdb Williamson, N.Y. W ANTED.— To exchange, 1 saw, with counter- shaft and belt. Will exchange for wax. 2-3d L. L. Esenhower. Reading, Pa. WANTED.-At "Chatsworth Apiary," one hundred and fifty pounds of bees, and fifty tested Italian or Albino queens, to be delivered on or before May 20tli. 2d Horace Banks, 2103 Oak Ave., ' Baltimore, Md. Job Lot of Wire Netting. CUT PIECES AT A LOWER PRICE THAN FULL ROLLS. Having bought from the factory, at our own price, five or six hundred remnants, as listed below, we are able to give you the choice of a great variety of piecesat the price of a full roll or lower. Full rolls of netting are 150 ft. long, and when they are cut we have to charge nearly double the full-roll rate, be- cause it is so much tiouble to unroll, measure, and cut, and run the risk of having a lot of remnants on hand. No doubt it is in this way that the following remnants have accumulated. It costs a good deal to get all this in shape so we can easily pick out from the lot the piece you want. But to move it off quick- ly, we put the price down so you can all have a chance at it. Remember, first come, first served. In ordering, therefore, name a second or third choice, or say that we may send the nearest we can if the piece selected is gone. On 5 pieces deduct 5 per cent, on 10 pieces 10 per cent. These remnants are shipped only fr(jm here. If any of you want to secure some, and don't want them shipped till later, when you will order something else, so as to save freight, pick out the jiieces you want, send remittance with the order, with request to lay by till called for, and we will mark them as belonging to jou. We prefer to ship them right out, however. LIST OF POULTRY-NETTING REMNANTS. ^ c X u u. g & 73 £ ^ <*-! 0 •s a ■a g X 0 0 Length of each piece. Multiply by the width in feet to get the number of square feet m each piece. Then multiply by the price per foot for the price per piece. 2 20 1 VI 2 20 1 vl 2 20 1 V 2 1» ^ 2 19 1 2 Itfl % la 19 i X 24 2 18 1 ;« 2 18 1 4« 2 18 1 V2 2 18 1 36 2 17 ivr 48 2 17 iM 12 2 16 IV. 36 2 16 w. 72 2 16 w. IX 2 l.S 9. 24 2 1.") 2 ») 2 l.'i 2 :«i 2 1.5 2 42 2 l.i 2 4X 2 1.5 !i 1 ;« 2 14 3 1 24 W. 20 1 i 42 30 W. 19 48 M lU 18 W 18 1'/ 48 IH 18 m 30 W, 16 2V, 36 IH 20 w 36 1'4 19 I'^ 36 1'4 18 2 48 1 20 l-i< 24 1 19 2 32 1 IS 9M 36 1 18 2V, 9 M 20 •i-X 9 % 19 3 24 3 16 1 36 3 1.5 1!^ 24 3 li^ 14 3 22 4 30 iV, 34 *S 42 h 46 4 ■M 18 8 13 •i Four and ei pr ce p ert oot 30; 18 in., 60; 72 in., 95, 27. 144, 66, 60. .54. 70, .59, 55. 49, 47, 43, 25, 25, 6; 60 in., 47, 42 32 24 43, 38, 22, 19. . . , . .50. 48 44 42 38 32 28 11 134, 130, i20,'l08', 103. 103. 100, 94, 88, 81 73 72 68 67, 60, .50, 50, 48, 26. 25, 24, 20, 19. ' 23, 15. 144, 122, 50, 43, 35, 17; 30 Inches wide, 63, 25. 105, 100, 44, .S9. 29, 23; 42 inches wide, 60. 61. .53, 48, 47, 37, 35, 22, 22; 60 in. wide, 67, 20. 42.23 15; 24 in. wide, 77. 78,53,32; 60 in. wide, 25. 78, 59, 11; 18 in. wide, 72, 72, 40; 24 in. wide, 94 8 36, 34, 32, 23, 14; 30 in. wide. 46, 44, 24. 60, 58, 56; 48 in. wide, 70. 48, 46, 40, 26, 19; 60 in. 6 87, 61,30; 12 in. wide. 100. 120, 100, 90, 69. 52, 33, 33, 13, 12. 127, 21, 6; 60 in. wide, 21, 20. 17,13.7,7,7,6,5. 125, 121, X), 26. 23. 20. 8; 72 in. wide, 36, 33 9. . 72. 49, 48, 4.5. 38, 37, 30, 29, 26, 22, 14. I 29; 42 in., 71 39; 18 in. wide, 14; 30 in., 14. 85, 59. 33, a3, 30; 36 in. wide, 47, 47, 45, 30. 56; 72 in., 64, 63, 10. 40; 30 in., 110. 60 in., 65, 34, 19; .54 in., 12. 79; 36 in., 14, 7; 42 in., 34; 48 in., 92. 22. 48,12,10; 24 in.. 86,42; 30 in., 75; 48 in. 78 15, 11, 10; 30 in., 6; 42 in.. 80; 48 in., 22; 72 in 8 ■53; 72 in.. 51; 30 in., 96; 9 in.. 40. 26; 9 in., 24; 42 in., 50, 34; 48 in., 100, 40, 25; 60 In 26; 18 in., 82. .50. 8.5,32; 9 in.. 32; 10 in., 20; 24 in., 23; 30 in., 69, 5 37; 48 in., 30; 60 in., 59. 33,7; 36 in., 75,55. 46.' 19: 36 in.. 86; 42 in., 14. 63; 48 in.. 60. 1.50, 18K; 48 in., 45; 72 in., 100, 70. 166, .52, 35, 23 107. 68. 35, 17. 15. W. 52. 47, 36, 33, 30 29 19, 18, 13, 9. 43, 37, .34. 25. 24 23.18. 144, 117. 68, 62, 62, 60, 23, 22, 22, 15, 12, 12, 12, 8, 6. 68'ft.'; 36 in'.. 200 ft. at 4c; 45 in., 247 ft. at 5c. ght inch fencing.. Price in fourth column is tl in length. A. I. ROOT, l^^ediaa, O. 4() GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE [y]MEY 0@MMN. Jax. i:> CITT MARKETS. Albany.— Honey.— We liave received up to date 2144 cases of comb and 23~' packages of extracted lumey. The demand is moderate ;it present, but we look "for a good trade in extracted during February. Prices remain unchanged. White clover, 1-lb. boxes, 16@18; same, 2-lb. boxes, 14Sil6; buckwheat, Mb. boxes, 12@13c; same, 2-lb. boxes, llfT' 12c. Extracted, light, 9@10: dark,7@8. Chas. McCulloch & Co., Jan. 13. 339 Broadway, Albany, N. Y. Cincinnati.— flonei/. — There is a good demand for all kinds of exti-acted lioney, with a full supply on the market of all but t^outhern, which is scarce. It brings 6@8e a lb. on arrival. Demand is fair for choice comb lioney, which we hold at 16@30c in the jobbing way. Becswaa;.- There is a good demand at 24@26 for good to choice yellow on arrival. Jan. 8. Chas. F. Muth & Son, Cincinnati, O. Kansas City.- Honey.— Comb or extracted not selling as fast as we should like to see it. Market quiet. We quote white 1-lb. comb at 16@]8; dark, 13 (0,13; white, 2 lbs., 14(a).1.5; dark, 11@12. Extracted, 6 ®1. Beeswax, 25. Clemons, Mason & Co., Jan. 9. Kansas City, Mo. St. Louis.— Honey.- The situation Is unchanged. Extracted and strained honey are in good inquiry at from &H@6X. Comb, 15@16 for medium light; 17@18 for whit«. Beeswax, prime, 25i4c. Jan. 8. D. G. Tutt Gbo. Co., St. Louis, Mo. Boston.— Honey.— While honey is selling slowly it is well for us that it is so, for we have the smallest stock on hand that we have had for years. Prices are being well maintained, and the supply will be entirely exhausted before the first day of March. Best 1-ib. comb selling at 19@30c; fair to good, 18@19. No 2 lb. in stock. Extracted, T/2®9. No beeswax. Blake & Ripley, Jan. 9. Boston, Mass. New York. — Honey.— We have nearly sold out all of our comb honey. Market very quiet. We quote extracted basswood at from 8@9c; Pla., at 8@8Vic; California, 7@7V4c. Beeswax scarce; 28@3Cc, accord- ing to quality and color. P. G. Strohmeyeu & Co., Jan. 8. New York City, N. Y. Fob Sale.— 1200 lbs. extracted white-clover lionej' in barrels or 60-lb. cans, as desired. Itfdb E. J. Baxter, Nauvoo, 111. Albany. — Honey.— The hone.v market is quiet and steady, with light stocks of any kind or grade. Comb honey is selling at— white, ltj®18c; mixed, 14@15e; dark, 12@14c. Extracted honey— white, 9(a>Wc; mixed, 7@8c; dark, 6@.7. Beeswax. 28(ffi33c. We just sold what extracted honey we had from Iowa at 9;^c. This seems to be the most staple honey nowadays. Jan. 2. H. R. Wright, Albany, N. Y. Chicago.— Ho«ey —Trade is slow at this date, which is usually the case so soon after the holidays. Prices are easier on anything falling sl.ort of choice. Ccmib, 17®18c; off color, 13®1.5c. Extracted, 7@8c. Beeswax, 27c for prime. Receipts are moderate, yet quite up to this time last year. R. A. Burnktt, Jan. 7. 161 So. Water St., Chicago. 111. Detroit.- Honey.— Comb honey is in better sup- ply, and selling at ]5@17c; first quality white clover scarce. Extracted, 7@9c. Beeswax in good demand at 27@28. Bell Branch, Mich., Jan. 9. M. H. Hunt. For Sale.— 500 lbs. white-clover extracted honey. Price 9 cts. in 1-gallon tin cans. G. L. Jones, Grand Ridge, La Salle Co., 111. Wanted. — One or two thousand pounds of nice comb honey. Write, giving amount on hand and price wanted. A. D. Ellingwood, Berlin Palls, N. H. • ITfdb For Sale.— Choice honey in sections, cans, and C. pails. Send for price list to Oliver Foster, 13-tfdb. Mt. Vernon, la. PoR Sale.— 3000 lbs. comb honey in 12 and 24 lb. crates. 2d L. Werner, Edwardsville, 111. CONVENTION NOTICES. The Vermont Bee-keepers' Association Avill hold their annu- al meeting in the parlors of the Adflison House, Middlebury. Vt., Jan. 28. 1891. J. H. Larrabee, See'y. Larrabee's Point, Vt. The 8th semi-annual meeting o( the Susquehanna County Bee-keepers' Association will be held at Montrose, Pa., Thurs- day, May 7. 1891. H. M. Seeley, See'y. Harford, Pa. The annual meeting <>t the Ohio State Bee-keepers' Associa- tion will be held in Toledo, Ohio, on Tuesday and Wednesday. Feb. in and 11, 1891. Full particulars as to railroad and hotel rates, and place of meeting, will be giyen later. Let all inter- ested in bee-keeping make an e.xtra effort to be present. Bedford, O. Miss Dema Bennett, See'y. The Eastern Iowa Bee keepers' Association will meet Feb. 11 and 12, 1891, in Maquoketa, Iowa, at the Dobson Town-clock Building, to commence punctually at 10 a.m. There will be a large turn-out of the prominent bee-keepers of the State. There will be a question-Dox, free to all, in which any question that you wish discussed can be presented and answered. Let all be on hand, and bring in your report for 1890, spring count, or from May 1. The people of Maquoketa kindly furmsh us a free hall. ' Frank Covbrdale, Sec. PROGRAM OF THE NEW YORK STATE BEE-KEEPERS' CONVENTION. First day. January 22, 2 P.M. Call to order. Reports of secretary, treasurer, and stand- ing committees. Reception of new members, and payment of dues. ■■ Exhibits of bees and honey at fairs."— Thomas G. Newman, Chicago, 111. MISCELLANEOUS. 7 p. M. " Outdoor wintering of bees."— J. E. Crane, Middle bury, Vt. TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION. '• The proper thickness of comb foundation." " Is it advisable to use full sheets oi- starters in brood frames'" QUESTION-BOX. Second day, Friday. January 23, 9 a.m. Appointment of committees. •'Shallow vs. deep brood-chambers; narrow spacing and fixed distances."— N. U. West. Middleburgh, N. Y. TOPIC FOR DISCUSSION. " Are we ready to adopt a standard for the American Italian bee! and if so, what are the dsirable characteristics?" QURSTION-BOX. 1 : 30 P.M. Receiving new members. Election of officers. PRESIDENT'^, ADDRESS. "What constitutes a good l)ee-journal?"—W. F. Clarke, Gu- elph. Canada. " Queen excluders for comb and extracted honey. "—J. H. Martin, Hartford, N. Y. MISCELLANEOUS. 7 P.M. " How has the new tariff .affected our branch of agri- culture? Free sugar vs. extracted honey for manufacturers." — F. B. Thurber, New York. " What our market demands."— Henry Segelken, New York. QUESTION-BOX. " Saturday, January 24, 9 a.m. MISCELLANEOUS. "Artificial heat to prevent brood-rearing. "—Samuel Cush- maii, Pawtucket, R. I. " New uses of queen-excluding zinc boards."— F. H. Cyrenius, Oswego, N.Y. QUESTION-BOX. 1:30 P.M. "Bee-escapes: their uses and advantages."— C. H. Dibbern, Milan, 111. Reports of committees. Miscellaneous business. P. H. ELWOOD, Pres. G. H. Knickerbocker, Sec. i^^The Eastern New York Bee-keepers' Association will meet conjointly with the above— same time and place. THOS. PIERCE, Pres. W. S. Ward, Sec. PRICE LISTS RECEIVED. Since our last issue we have received hives, and apiarian supplies in general, parties: Geo. E. Hilton. Newago, Mich. M. H. Hunt, Bell Branch. Mich. M. S. Roop, Council Bluff's, Iowa. The U. B. Lewis Co.. Watertown, Wis. The following are from our press: F. W. Lamm, Somerville, O. Miller Bros., Bluffton. Mo. G. W. Cook. Spring Hill, Kansas, price troni lists of bees oni the following Alil- YOU who are in want of Sei't ions. Bee-hives, etc., berry- baskets, or crates, set up or in the Hat, please give us a trial order. 2d J. B. MURREY, Ada, O. Vol. XIX. JAN. 15. 1»91. No. 2. TERMS: $1.00 Per ANNUM. IN ADVANCE;! T? t^+ n T\l n t'Tt n rl -i n/i 7 i? '7 ? T Clubs to different postofflces, not les 2Coi)ies forjl.90; 3for$2.75; 5forM.OO; I JjJO VU/Uvl/O fl/fyU/ VfV J. O I O . I than 90 cts. each. Sent postpaid, in th PUBLISHED SEMI-MONTHLY BY 10 or more, 75 tts. each. Single num- i ber, 6 cts. Additions to clubs may be j rs'e'nftS'o\Vl'o^TOK^E*iSE:''"^'^^^*°J>?. /. /PO^r. MEDINA, OHIO. J U. S. and Canadas. To all other coun- I tries of the Universal Postal Union, 18 cts. per year extra. To all countries L NOT of the U. P. U.. 42 cts. per year extra FROM DR. C. C. MILLER. HoAV are your bees wintering? Neav-Yi:ak"s day — rain; very unusual. The American Bee J(>urnai>. in its new form, is very neat. Newman is calling the roll of the dead or missing bee-journals. Honey has 13 to 33 per cent — normally 18 to 21 per cent— of water: the rest is sugar. My intkoducino - cage beats Mclntyre's when you get a queen from abroad, or take a queen to an out-apiary. The British Bee Journal is a rather loose affair. It is nev^er stitched together. It's not loose in its views, though. McIntyre's inthoducing-cage is ahead of mine for changing a queen from one hive to another in the same apiary. Cyprians and Hoey-Lands are not much talked about nowadays. Does any large honey- producer use them exclusively ? Tea-eeaves kept in pans of water are rec- ommended for drinking-places for bees, by W. Woodley. in British Bee Journal. The index of the Aincrican Bee Journal deserves commendation for giving with each subject the name of the author. Dooi.iTTLE says. **If you wish a large yield of section honey, keep prolific queens, and let the brood-combs alone, after they are once filled with brood in the spring." QuEENLEssNEss. according to Doolittle, in the American Bee Journal, can never be detected from the outside, if the bees have the means of raising a queen. Thus the few things I thought I knew about bees are diminishing in number. Bees in celears are always quieter — at least mine are — just after a windy time, whether cold or warm. A still, muggy time is worst. Don't tell me cellars need no ventilation. Outside cases for wintering are among the things that I meant to have tried this winter. I'm " drefful "' anxious to know how those 28 at Medina pull through the winter, if we have any winter. "Stkay swarms'" is what "'Observer,'' in Canadian Bee Journal, calls this page. He says, "I venture the opinion that it will be an interesting page." I always did think "Ob- server" was venturesome, and lacking in judg- ment. Bees hanging out can be made to '' go in and attend to business, simply by the use of a smo- ker," according to the A B C. I don't believe a word of it. I tried it lots of times. They'll go in, of course; but does it make any difference in their work? Adulteration in Australia was deprecated at a meeting of bee-keepers there, where it was declared, ■• Large quantities of an article labeled 'honey' are manufactured here, in which there is not a fractional part of real hon- ey— in some ca.ses none at all." British aveather has been unusually severe. In England. Nov. 28, the thermometer 'marked 5 above zero — "twenty-seven degrees of frost," as they call it — a very rare thing, and snow covered the ground from two inches to two feet. Tlie BritisJi Bee Journal says, "Indications everywhere point to the probabilities of an ex- ceptionally severe winter." Binders for Gleanings and other papers I've thrown aside. When the year is up, I put the numbers straight together and get some one to hold them so, while I drive in, and entire- ly through, three two-inch wire nails, at the right place to stitch them together. Each nail is drawn out just as I want to .>*ew the cord through the hole ra ade by the nail. 48 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Jax. ir». A kp:cokd-i?c)ok Is a thing I shouldn't like to be without. I've started mine for 1S91 already. 1 keep in it all sorts of niemoianda of interest. Mine's about 1.3 by (i, costs 25 cents, and lasts a year for 300 or 400 colonies. Each colony has Its place in numerical order, three colonies on a page. ••Obsekver," in Cauddlun Bee Jourmtl. thinks too much time was taken up at Keokuk with "tlowery nothings." I always did think "Observer" was a person of good judgment. But, "Observer." it isn't pretty to say. -Ameri- cans pay but little heed to any thing Canadians want." What do you want? Incorpokation of the North American under State laws, troubles the Canadian Bee Journal. It thinks incorporation by Congress would make it more what its name signifies. Why, bless you, Mac. the point of incorpoi-ation doesn't limit its field of occupation. Washing- ton isn't as near Canada as Springfield. A GOOD OXE on A. I. Root! Cheshire says, '•My own bee-house long since came under the chopper: but Mr. Root thinks well of the house- apiary." and then quotes about a page in its favor" from the A B C. Friend Root. I don't pity you one bit. You've no business to let such misleading things stand in a standard work. Bee-jovrnals at cost is what the Review hints every bee-paper but the Review is. Some have undoubtedly been issued at less than cost, but the standard journals, at least part of them, either lie egregiously or they make a good thing of it, independently of the supply-trade. I'm sure they give us both sides of every question too. Look here, W. Z.. you keep on making a good paper, and let the others alone. If you don't, I'll tell on you about advertising " cream " for sale, and then not even furnishing skim- milk. The others furnish the supplies they ad- vertise. MocNTAiN laurei., Kalmla latifulia. is the plant that yields poisonous honey. Cheshire says it grows in "damp places.'' and adds, •'Hapj)ily, our American cousins are now never likely thus to suffer, thanks to drainage, the plow, and the bee-farm." For a man who is so exacting as to other authors, isn't that a bit reckless"? If he were to see it growing among the rocks of my native hills in Western Penn- sylvania, he'd' change his views. "Damp places." where the ground runs ncnirly straight up ! Some of those pebbles 6 feet through would hinder a plow. Temperature ix cellars is higher at top than at bottom. Macpherson, of Canadian Bee Journal, reports a visit to Allen Pringle's cellar, wh(>re two thermometers are kept, one at top. the other at bottom. At top it was 48°: at bottom. 42°: a diffcj'ence of 0°. I never found so much difference as this and othei- reports make. I have just been trying my cellar. I put in two thermometers. Each showed 4()°. Then the thermometers changed places. Top, 48°: bottom. 44°— a difference, you see, of 2° be- tween the top and bottom of cellar, and a dif- ference of 2° in the thermometers. [Now, look here, doctor. You have been thus far verv quiet and peaceable, and, as a rule, re- spectful, bundling around among your "straws;" but when you say that you do not believe a word of something I tell you. and which has been told for years in the ABC book, I think it time to stir a little myself. A good many times a new swarm will hang on the outside of the hive, and not go to work. In such a case I would put a comb with a little unsealed brood inside, then with a smoker make them crawl in: and when they find the brood, and find what a nice place they have, they usually pitch in and behave as the orthodox have always done with the "shining" hour. Another thing, our good friend Cheshire made a mistake and you tui'ned right in with him. If both of you will read the opening i-emarks in regard to the honse-apiary, you will find a string of objections, and some- thing like the following: "Most apiarists pre- fer to woi'k in the open air, to being cramped up in a building." Again, "In a building we are obliged to get the bees out of the room every time we open a hive, and bees are very untidy when crushed by careless footsteps," etc. What rickety thermometers you must keep in your cellarl I hope yon did not buy them of any respectable su])ply-dealer.] gENER^Ii 0©RREgP©NDE]^CE. SEVERAL QUESTIONS IN ftUEEN-REARING ANS'WERED. doolittle reviews the matter. The following questions have been sent in for answers; and to simplify matters I will number the questions and answers. 1. Why does not all the progeny of a black queen, mated with an Italian drone, or an Italian queen mated with a black drone, show the same marking's? 2. Will the e^ga and larvae of a queen two inouths old produce as g-ood queens as if she were one or two years old ? If not, why not V 3. If we make a colony queenless. removing- all the egg's and brood, and g-ive this ped brood will be found on the tenth day as we gave eggs. What becomes of the eggs? If destroyed, why? If used in the .ielly given the queen larva, would the eggs of a black queen affect the coloring of the young queen reared from Italian larva ? ■4. What is the least number of days after hatching, the weather lieing favorable, required before a young queen will leave the hive for fertilization ? .5. Will there be any difference in the time of leaving the hive for fertilization, between ;i queen hatched in 10 and one hatched in 16 days? 6. How manj- days after hatching, before the worker-bee leaves for labor ? 7. In what does their tlrst outdoor labor consist- gathering honey, pollen, water, or propolis ? 8. Will a (jueen reared from an old queen about to be superseded be as good as when reared f lom the same queen in her piime? 1. For the satue reason that no "blood " of two different colorings can be mixed and have the progeny of the mixture show a uniform coloring. Take any of our animals, the sheep, the hog, the cattle, horse, dog, cat. etc.: birds of all colors as to feathering: or the vegetable kingdom, and we find the same laws governing them in this matter of coloring, just t lie same as w(> find regarding the bees. Plant Marble- head and Hubbard squashes side by side, so that the bees can mix the pollen in the blossoms of each, and see what a mixture of color you will get as a result. If the progeny of a mis- mated queen should show a uniformity of col- oring, bees would be an exception to the laws governing the most of animated creation. 2. According to the prevailing opinions of others, no: but according to the most careful observation on my part, yes. After years of careful watching along this line, I fail to see any difference between a queen raised from the very first eggs laid by any queen, and those laid by the same queen two years later: and I do not believe there is any difference. Will those who doubt this fact tell us wherein the 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 49 difference lies, giving facts to support tlieir ideas? Has any one noticed tliat the first worlcers hatciied from any queen were in the least inferior to those produced by the same queen later on in life, every thing other- wise being in a normal condition? The size of the cradle and the amount of food given govern this matter, it seems to me. rather than the age of the queen. 3. Some of the eggs are removed to give place to tl'.e larger and more commodious queen-cells. Why more than these are remov- ed I do not know, unless it is because the colo- ny is thrown into an abnormal condition. As to what becomes of the eggs. I have no hesita- tion in saying that the bees eat thetu; fori have repeatedly seen bees eating eggs as they came from the queen. Because the bees eat eggs, it does not necessarily follow that they in any way enter into the food given to the young queen larva, for, according to my observations, thousands of eggs are eaten by the bees when they have no idea of rearing queens. And if they did enter into the royal jelly they conld only form so small a part of the whole that lit- tle or no chance as to coloring could b(^ given. But if. as nearly all claim, this royal .jelly is an animal secretion, how could it po-^sibly affect the color of the young queens, even if the royal jelly was formed wholly fi'oiu a diet of eggs from black queens? 1 had supposed the old Kii'by theory was exploded long ago. From many years of experience, I iiave failed to find that black nurses, or eggs or larv;e from a black queen, in a hive froTii which Italian queens were being reared, had any thing to do with the coloring of such queens. 4. Five days after maturity is the least num- ber that I ever knew to elapse before the queen went out to meet the drones. But a queen does not always hatch on her maturity, for very many are held in their cells from one to five days by the worker bees, after they would have gnawed off the capping to tlii'ir cell and come out, could they have had tlieirown way. Queens are more often held in their cells in this way than is generally supposed. In one instance I opened a hiv<' and found a young queen piping away wltii a vehemence I had never known be- fore. After looking th<' hive over I found a queen-cell with a queen in it which I had over- looked when cutting out cells from this hive some tim(> bt^fore. As there was plenty of bees in this iiive I took the frame having this cell upon it. bees and all. and set it in an empty hive, together with a fraiue of honey, thus forming a nucleus. The queen fi'om this cell took her wedding-tlight successfully the next day: and in two days more, or three days in all frotu the time I set the sealed cell in the hive, she was laying worker eggs regularly in the comb which her cradle was on. This is a fact, and is as I have it down in one of my diaries. I told it at a bee-convention once, not explain- ing the aforesaid maturity part, and no one would believe it. Thus it will be .seen that the days froiu Imtchiitii are not a safe guide to go by. ."). Yes: the queen hatched in 10 days will, as a rule, be slower in going out. In round num- bers. 3 days in the egg fortu. (J days in the larva form, and 7 days in the sealed state, is the rule for all queens from a colony in a nor- mal condition. Thus it will be seen that the queen which hatches in 10 days must have been from a larva at least 3 days old, when the bees commenced to change it from a worker to a queen. Nine-day queens are very slow in be- ing fertilized, while, out of a batch of (jueens which once hatched in 8^j days, only two be- came fertile at all: one being fertilized after she was 20 days old. These queens could scarcely be told from a worker, and neither lived to be over three months old. 6. They can be forced out at three to four days old; but when the colony is in a normal condition. K) days is the rule. For observations along this line, proving the saiue to be facts, see back volumes of the different bee- papers. 7. Either or all. just according to the wants of the colony, and according to the supply to be had froiii the fields. 8. Yes: and I would add, that some of the best queens I ever had in my apiary W(M-e I'ear- Qd by this superseding process, the old queen living from one day to one y(>ai- after the young queen, or the queen-cell for her. was started. The answer to question 2 will hold good here. I have never seen any difference in queens or workers reared from queens about to cease life, as compared with the same from the same queen when in her prime. Has any one else ? If so, will he please tell us about it? Borodino. N. Y., Jan. 1. G. M. Doolittle. [In regard to Qu. 3, where queenless colonies aregivenacomb full of eggs, the latter are surply not (lUvays destroyed; for at one time we prac- ticed this plan for getting cells, nearly a whole season: and I did not particularly notice the disappearance at the time, although I have noticed something of the kind since. Will oth- ers who have experimented particularly in this line let us know about it?] THE HOFFMAN FRAME. thp: new heddox hive. Friend Root: — According to my promise to you at-the Keokuk convention. I will give you my experience for the last 8 years with the "Hoffman frame." My first bees were hived on Root's metal -cornered frames, in Simplicity hives. I soon found, however, that they were too light and frail. They would sag down when well filled with brood or honey, and I soon replaced them with the Hoff'man frame, of which I ijrocured a sample to work by, from friend Hoffman himself, or friend Nellis, I have forgotten which. I found them far superior to the metal-cornered frame — no sagging, and, what was of decided advantage to me then, as I was engaged in migratory bee-keeping, was the ease and dispatch with which I could pre- pare full colonies for transportation; and, later on, when engaged largely in raising and ship- ping queens and nuclei, I found nothing to equal them for safety and convenience in shipping; and at the present, while I am engaged in rais- ing comb and extracted honey in out-apiaries, they fill the bill to my satisfaction, though they are not quite so convenient as the closed-end frames in the horizontally divisible brood- chamber, as used by friend Heddon in his new hive, of which I have 50 or more in use at present. While using the Hoffman frame for the past eight years, as stated above, 1 have used all- wood dovetailed frames of diffei'ent thickness and width, some sawed for wiring, some piei'ced for wiring, and some without wire, and none have given the satisfaction the Hoff'man frame has. Why. th(>n, not adopt it exclusively ? For this reason; Their cost. My principal business for the last six years has been that of raising and selling queens, three-frame nuclei, and full colonies of Liees: and the prices I have been compelled to sell at have prohibited the use of so costly a frame as the Hoffman. Now, however, :is I am raising honey on the out-apiary plan, I shall use the Hoffman frame and Dovetailed hive, in connection with the new stvle of Heddon hive, with its fixed frames: 50 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. ,)AX. lo. and I may say here. that, with specialists who make handling bees their sole vocation, the new Heddon hive is one of the best, if not the best, ever devised, so far as my limited experi- ence goes. Why not adopt and use it exclusive- ly, then, instead of the Hoffman frame and 8- frame Dovetailed liive? Same reason— cost. Another is. the new Heddon hive and frame are not standai'd, and the Hoffman frame and Dovetailed hive are, and you can not till orders for nuclei or full colonies as readily as you can with the Hoffman frame. This may look like advertising the divisibie-brood-chamber hive; but I do not mean it so; but fricMid Root can strike it out. if he thinks best, though, as friend B. Taylor, of Forestville, Minn., has used for 20 years such a hive, and demonstrated by great crops of honey its advantages, its merits should be more generally known. Another and great advantage of the Hoffman frame is the ease and certainty of correct spac- ing: and this, to one who handles many frames (and especially at out-apiaries, where the time to work with the bees is limited, if you return home the same day, and the distance is great), is of great advantage, as I have proven to my complete satisfaction, as one can do more than double the work in a given time, and do it far more coi'rectly. I think I have said enough on this subject to convince any one of the advantages of a fixed frame that is a standard L. fi'ame also, and I am sure none who gives it a fair trial will reject it. The only objection is their first cost; but they are well worth all they cost, to one who expends to make a living by raising honey, and espe- cially those situated as I am, who. in order to get a fair crop of honey, lutve to run out- apiaries. E. T. Flanaciax. Belleville, 111., Dec. 2(i. [The Hoffman frame used to cost anywhere from S3.00 to $3..30 per 100; but now they can be obtained for §2.(X) per 100 almost anywhere, or, in quantity, for less money yet. The matter of cost, then, does not figure as largely as it did. I would rather use a (/oof7 frame at double the cost than a poor frajne that costs half the money. That's all right about the new Heddon hive. We want the truth. If it has merit, let it be sung.] THE SOLAR WAX-EXTRACTOR AND HONEY- EVAPORATOR. at an inclination to the sun. for its heat. The combs are thrown into this box, when the wax is melted and runs down the inclined bottom, leaving the residue. The wax can be drawn off or allowed to cool, when it can be removed. The lower end of the extractor is covered, so that it leaves it in the shape of A. I. Roofs bread-pan feeders with sloping sides, so that it really combines the wax-pan with the extract- or. II. E. BOAi;i)MA.N S DEVIfK. In Gleanings of Oct. 1, Mr. S. F. Newman notices. In a very complimentary way, my "im- proved solar wa^x-extractor." 1 almost think I ought to apologize foi' not resijonding sooner to your request to tell all about it in Gleanings; but I have been delaying in hopes of being able to send a picture of it or a model. I made a mammoth solai' extractor about two years ago, that was illustrated and described iii Glean- ings. This did the work well, but had no veiy easy means of adjustment. It was imperfect, heavy, and clumsy to handle. I was satisfied with the principle, but not with the manner of its construction. After s])ending considerable time in dre'&ming and experimenting I wrought out the "invention"' to which Mr. Newman calls your attention. The improvement consists in mounting upon rockers instead of wheels, by which means it can be adjusted, or tui-ned. with perfect ease. It also dispenses with tlie (•haml)er at the lower end. for holding the wax-pan. In fact, it is lit- tle more than a plain shallow box with a few modifications, covered with glass, and adjusted H0AKDMAN"S solar WAX-EXTRAf'TOi:. KM - PKOVEl). There are ventilatorsin each end covered with wire cloth, that can be opened or closed at ■pleasure, when used as an evaporator. I am sure that Mr. Newman does not over- rate its merits. It has been a success witli me. not only as a wax-exti-actor, but for evaporat- ing and melting honey. It is an old ciiestnut. that granulating is the test of purity in honey. I am using honey on my table now tiuit is clear and limpid, tiiat lias been treated only by being placed in this evap- orator for a wiiiie at the close of the lioney sea- son. This is the only extracted honey I have evei- been willing to say I thought equal to comb honey. Isn't this "the secret of some of the California honey not candying? I suspect it is. No. I have not got them to sell, but I could make them on short notice, if wanted. lean not say definitely what they would cost, but they would not be expensive. I think they would cost some less in propoi'tion to their size than the small ones now in use. Of course.it is not patented. I have had some difficulty in finding just the right material for tbe inside, or lining. AVood seems to do as well as any thing I have tried. It must be of narrow stuff, matched, and well painted a drab color. The only objection I have found to wood is, it shi'inks. from the con- stant heat it is subject to. Tin does nicely, but does not absorb ln'at as does something of dark color. I have tried paint on tin and iron lin- ings, but they do not hold paint as well as woodi The hot wax dissolves or softens the puiiit. and it scrap(s loose in cleaning out th(> residue, or •'slum gum," as our California frienils say. Mr. Doolittle advise^ the use of Russia iion: but iron will not do. I have I'ejected a lining of Russia iron, after giving it a thorough trial, on account of its discoloring the wax. It won't do to use iron when it comes in contact with melti^d wax. H. R. Boakdman. East Townsend, Ohio, Dec. 5. [You have no doubt presented the bee-keeping fraternity with a valuable implement: and al- 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 51 though the idea is not now. you have simplified its manner of construction. As a soktr wax- extractor and honey-evaporatoi'. it is probably ahead of any thing else before the public, in the way of cheapness, utility, and convenience. For a small solar wax-extractor alone, we like the Doolittle style the best: but for wholesale melting, youi's is perhaps the better. We shall probably get ordeis for them: but if friend Hoardm'an has any idea of making them, and will make them and offer them for sale, we shall be glad to leave the field entirely open to him. so far as we aie concerned.] PAINTED VS. UNPAINTED HIVES. WHITEWASH AS A SIBSTITUTE: WHY THE DOVETAIT.ED JOIXT IS SUPERIOR TO EVEIIY THING P:I.SE IX CAMFORXIA. In March 1.5th (tleaxixgs, 1889, Mr. Doo- li.ttle has an article advocating unpainted hives, saying that, as the paint prevents evap- oration of moisture. ])ainted hives are much more damp and cold, and that bees in the un- painted ones will swarm from one to two weeks earlier in the spring. A. I. Root, in his foot- notes, recalls the fact that he had often seen water running out of painted hives, and says he is pretty sure there would have been no such ice and condensation luid the hive been un- painted. Thinking over tin' matter I I'enicm- bered that, in my painted hives. I had had many combs rotted by mildew. I was increas- ing my apiary rapidly at that time, and had many "hives to build. I decided not to paint theni. The interior valleys of California are hot. Wliei'e my apiary is. the niercui-y often registers in the "shade 110° Fahrenheit for eight hours a day and eight days at a time. Well, this heat on my black unpainted hives causes the combs to melt down en in(isfss- ing to the bottom of the vess(d of water, mak- ing a flat bottom to the little ti'ay. \Vhen put- ting them into the compartments, warm them, and press them in plac'\ They will seldom get loose, and will not leak or get out of shape. The wire cap is fastened at the back side of the frame by a small wire, which answers as a liing(\ The cap protects the cell from the bees, and, whena hatched, the young queens are oft- en fed through the meshes, by the bees. The hole with tiie cork in is used to drop honey into the litth^ trays, and to dampen the Good candy when it becomes di-y. To liberate a queen, thi'ow back the wire cap: lay your cage over the hole, and the queen will immediately ascend thereto. The device is easily constructed, is always ready, and is adapted to all stages of a q\ieen, from" the egg by the Doolittle plan to its matu- rity, and may be kept an indefinite time in any colony. The device answers most admirably in feed- ing sugar candy, or stimulating for early brood. For feeding, place squares of soft candy in each comiiartment. and tack on a one-inch strip of a wood separator in place of the glass front. The wood is warmer than zinc, and the bees have better access to the candy. Some one may say that the bees will build comb in the spaces above and below the cages. I answer, they might do so: but in two seasons' practice I have never had a partich; of comb built or even started. ,1. A. Goo)p;x. Reiuersville. O. [Your device is very similar to one used by Henry Alley and also by A. E. Maiuim. You will tind the latter described and illusti'at(>d ou page (WU, Aug. 1, 188it. Instead of using the lit- tle wax-tray. Mr. Manum takes bits of combs and cuts one side clear down to its base. This rests horizontally on the bottom of the cage, the sliced-otf sidi' down. It is more convenient to get the queen out of one of your cages, and also. I think, to insert a queen-cell. All these devices liave been used for years, and are on the same general plan. They answer their jjurpose very well.] E. R. GOLiDEN'S IIATCHEI!. To make, take a brood- frame: remove the bottom-bar. Fasten horizontally, as above, 4 bars ^ inch wider than the end-bars, spaced two inches, the Ift inch protecting on one side, or front of the frame. The upright division pieces are the same width as the end-bars. and spaced, also, two inches apart. A strip of tin is tacked on each lower bar, and forms a sort of groove, or rabbet, for the glass fi-ont to rest in. held in place by a small button at each upper corner. A wood separator is tacked on OUTSIDE WINTER REPOSITORIES. IIDW TO I'KKVKXT TIIK liOOF-liOAUDS FROM HE- CO.MING .MOIST, AXD SO KOTTIXfi. I wish to thank Mr. Doolittle for his kind comments, in Gi-e.vxixgs of Dec. 15. page 870. I desire to sav to Bro. D.. that I believe our cel- lar will last longer than he apprehends, for two reasons: 1. Because thei'e is no dampness as yet. noticeable on the sides and top: :.'. Be- cause I used very heavy oak timbers for cover- ing. There are four 4x6 stringers laid on edge lengthwise on the top, and across these I laid two thicknesses of oak slabs, that are from two to three inches thick. On these I placed a layer of rye straw, to keep the dirt from rattl- ing through. Up to date the bees are wintering nicelv in it. The roof timbers are dry. as I proved by scratching matches on them. W\^ keep the temperature at 40° by opening or clos- ing some of the doors. Our eight-inch ventila- tor seems to draw out the moist air. Perhaps the fact that Mr. Doolittle's cellar was two feet lower in the ceiling than ours, and that he did not have as much ventilation, will account 1891 (iEEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 55 for its being so moist as to rot the timbers. It may be that, wJien very cold weather comes, and we shall be obliged" to close our ventilator, the moisture may then collect as it did in his. I think the discussion of such repositories is profitable, for the reason there are so many bee- keepers who need something of this kind. I am ashamed to tell it. but it is true, that I have lost in the past what I believe would have amounted to hundreds of dollars in bees and honey by trying to shift along without proper facilities for wintering. In the futuic I expect to place about two-thirds of my stock in out- cellars, and winter one-tiiird outside in Kristol- Langstroth hives. I am trying twelve of them this winter. Now, Mr. Root, every once in a while some bee-journal gives Gleanings a dig, or criti- cises some of your methods. With all its faults I would not give up Gi-EANiNGS for the whole of them. (Ji.KANiNGS is the friend and helper of all bei!-keei)ers, old and young, big and little. All such Squibs remind me of a fly attacking an elephant. The best thing they can do is to let ■• that corner " alone. Harry Latiirop. Browntown, Wis., Dee. 35. [The reason that moisture condenses upon a surface is because the latter is colder than the surrounding air. We find evidences of this al- most every day on the windows in winter. If these surfaces can be keijt as warm as the air in- side, no moisture will condense. The lioards form- ing tiie I'oof. or support 1o the dirt, of Mr. Doo- little"s r(^positoi'y. wei'e leather thin compared with the great mass of dirt above. This con- veyed its lower t(Hnperature through the boards, and caused them to be colder than the air in- side, and conseqiuMitly ll•. The llagging-stones, sul)sequently adopted by Mr. Doolittle, being a better conductor of heat or cold, were little if any bettei- — in fact, I think worse, on account of the moisture, al- though, of course, they would not rot. Your roof, being f) inches through to the dirt, would form a good non-conductor, and henc(> would collect no moisture, even without the ventila- tor. At any rate, it would be interesting for you to try it and I'cpoi i.! DEVELOPING A HOME MARKET. THK EFFECT OF A ]Io\EY ADVERTISEMENT IN <; LEANINGS. While some advocate building up home mar- kets for honey, I should like to tell my experi- luice. Several years ago I undertook to increase the demand for lioiu'y by leaving some with nearly eveiy mcrcliant in tlie towns around me. so as to bring it before the eyes of everybody. 1 wa:^ delighted at the ju'ospect of selling large cr()i)s in the fiitui'e. But what was my sur- |)ris(' wiu'u. one year ago last Septemlier. I found evei'y one of those merchants well sup- plied with lioncy before there was a demand for it. Evidently I built up a market for others which left me out in liie cold, with a large crop on hand. Von see, the year was a good one, and the farmer had honey, and sold it for what he could get. But 1 learn<'d through Glean- ings that the croi) was short in the; East, so I told the editor that 1 had honey to sell. Before hjug ] had impiiries and offers fi'om 7or>< ditfer- ad bees. The hives can be tiered up by sliding the next back three or four inches. I have three cellars tiered that way, and they never need looking after. I hav<> practiced it several years. .1. Handle. Savanna, 111., .Jan. 2. BEES AND FRUIT. A'AH'ABLE TESTIMONY OF A FKl'IT-GROWER. De(ir Bro. Root: — The question was recently asked me by a neighbor of my friend Dj'. N. Q. Higbie, "Do i^ees injure fruit?" Now, Bro. Higbie keeps sonu^ 60 swarms of bees, while the neighbor in question keeps none; and there seems to be a very prevalent idea among those who are unfamiliar with honey-bees and their nature that their presenci". in large numbers at least, works an injury to fi'uit-blossoms which very materially lessens the following ci'op of fruit. My answei' to the gentleman was a very emphatic " No. d of the calyx, or outer coveiing of the b\ul: immediately inside of this comes the cor- olla, with its several petals of white. Now, when this flower is opened and spread out in all its beauty and natural perfection before us, we shall notice, in the center of this, numerous small haii'like projections, called stamens; and, exactly in the center, the pistil, which termi- nates in a small bulb at the bottom, which is to SC) GLEAI^^INGS IN BEE CULTUIIE. .lAX. 15 become the fruit. Now, the inimerons stamens produce pollen, which is inclosed in minute an- thers at the head of the stamens, and is the fertilizing matter which must be brought in contact with the stigma, or top of the pistil. Thus the ovules, or seed-vessels, are fertilized, or impregnated, and develop into perfect fruit. One of the agencies for the proper distribution of pollen is the wind; but sometimes if we hap- pen to have a few still days during the blos- soming period this would be inadequate to the designed purpose: so nature has ])lacid a little drop of sweet deep down in the flower, at the base of the stamen; and our little friend the bee comes flitting about in search of nectar for his future winter store, and, discovering the tempting morsel, he literally stands on his head in an effort to reach it, and in so doing his back becomes dusted with pollen from the stamens; and as he reaches down into the flower his back is brought in direct contact with the pistil of the flower, thus i)erfoi'ming a very important work in nature's gicat i)aii()i'ama. Who has not noticed bees coming into their hives, in the season of fruit-bloom, with their backs so covered with pollen from the flowers that they had the appearance of being adifferent race? Truly there are wonderful things in na- ture, and it seems as though no individual can fail to see the agency of a higher po\A'er in the design of these things. Verily, "All things work together for good to them that love God." Elsie, Mich., Jan. 3. I. A. Wooll, Proprietor of the Oak Grove Fruit-Farm. [Friend W., this is a matter that ought to be strongly emphasized and most emphatically taught. Right in sight of where I am writing is a strawberry-bed of strong, I'ank, thrifty plants. They are Jiubachs; but there has not been a decent berry in the whole patch for two years, just because there are no perfect-flower- ing plants near them that they may be fertiliz- ed. They were red witii berries, but they were all stunted, twisted, poor, insigniticent speci- mens of strawberries. Now, my opinion is, that many of the poor. inii)erfect cherries, plums, apples, etc., that we see in various local- ities is becaus(! there are not bees enough kept to insure perfect fertilization. Market-garden- ers have tested this matter so thoroughly that they now invariably keep one or more hives of bees in every greenhouse where they nndeitakc to raise fruit, cucumbers, or any thing that re- quires the agency of the bees.] ERNEST'S NOTES OF TRAVEL. A VISIT WITH DK. C. f. .MII.I-ER. After leaving the Dadants, Dr. jNIiller and I took the train for Marengo: and such a tiine as we did have visiting! On the sleeper thiit night we talked till the " wee sma' hours" of the morning: and after sleeping for two oi- three hours we again commenced it. We changed cars and then began to argue about some of the new fixings, and the probable out- come of thick top-bars, flxed distances, outside winter cases, and width of sections. Although I was very sleepy, Dr. Miller would, every once in a while, say, " Now, about that width of section. Ai-e you sure that it would be wise to recommend to your trade 1%' instead of 1{-^ next year?" I was so sleepy that I did not know what was wise, and, in fact, I did not care very much. I finally began to revive a little bit under the temporary stimulus of a good crisp apple which the senior Dadant handed me just before we left. Dr. M. would not eat between meals, but I felt a good deal better, whether it was in ac- cordance with the laws of health or not. In response to his question I said. "' Yes, sir: the trade demands a section a little less than a pound; and we, as supply-dealers, are obliged to cater to theii- demands, more or less. Be- sides," said I, "docto)-. don't you see that with IK sections you can use a follower and wedge in a super ISVs wide inside? From what I saw in my trip in the East I am thoroughly satisfied that the sections wc'dged up in supers save a great deal of afterwork in scraping. All the ■ big guns ' in the East do it. Almost all L. supers are 13,V^ wide, and in these you can not wedge up sections l^ii thick with a follower and wedge." The doctor nodded his head with a somewhat doubtful assent. "But, see here, Ernest," said he, "do you think it is right or fair to sell a section, that weighs less than a pound, for a pound section ?" "No, I don't." I replied; "but sections are sold by the piece largely, nowadays." So on we argued. I do not quite remember how we came out. Every once in a while our conversation broke off with, " Oh I by the way, Ernest, I want to know about those Hoffman frames;" or, " You haven't said yet how your bees are wintering in the cellar;" " Say, doctor, you did not tell me how your thick top-bars work, that you • doctored ' up with pieces of separator stuff." Whenever friend M. cornered me in argu- ment it was convenient to change th(> subject. Soon we discussed persons and things until we reached Marengo. I had fixed out in my mind's eye that the to\\'n was so and so; but every thing was just the other end to. As we stepped oft' the train the doctor said, " Y>,s, there's Em with the horse." Most of our readei'S know that " Em " is Dr. Miller's sister-in-huN'. the one who helps him in the bee-yard. Although I felt as if I knew her. of course I had to go through the formality of the usual iiiti'oductiou. We drove for about half a mile, till we arriv- ed at Dr. Millei''s home. It is situated quite a little distance back from the street, upon a con- siderable knoll overlooking quite a stretch of country. The doctoi' had told me that I need not (>xpect to see any thing very orderly; that his hives were such as nobody but himself would tolerate, etc. He evidently did not intend that 1 should raise my expectations vei'y high. Just as I alighted from the buggy I turned about, and there was his apiary, ready to go into the bee-cellar soon. This, if I remember correctly, comprised all of the home yard and a part of an out-apiary. The apiary looked very neat and oiderly, and the hives — why, they did not look bad at all. It is true, they-were not painted, and never have been. They had for- merly been old ten-fratue Langsti'oth portico hives. Gradually the doctor had imbibed the idea of eight inst(»ad of ten frames, like the rest of us. To make them eight-frame he pried oft' one side of the hive, cut olf about two inches of the ends, replaced the side removed, and narrowed the cover of the bottom-board, and it was not such a very long job either. The hives looked veiy much like ordinary Dovetailed hives without the dovetail. At the time of my visit, the; bottom-boards had all been reversed, and sci'(>wed on upside down — that is, in such a way as to leave a two-inch space under the frames for winter. A lai-ge- mesli wire cloth was let down into peri)endicu- lar grooves In the bottom-board, closing the entrance to rats and mice while in the cellar. Bees, of course, could [tass in and out. While the doctor was putting up th(^ horse I 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CrLTURE. was thus engaged in the apiary. It was a little cold out. and so we went in to waj'm. whei-p I had the pleasure of meeting Mis. ^Miller. She, like her sistei'. is a true type of one of those whole - souled. kindl> - faced Scotch women whom it is a genuine pleasure to meet. Both of the wo7nen-folks know liow to handle bees, and Dr. INliller asks for no better assistants in his yards. DK. MILI.EU'S 13EE-SIKU' AND HONEY-HOUSE. If there is anything that gives a fair index to a bee-keejjers notions, and of his methods of work, it is his workshoi).oi'. rather, its contents. Over in one corner you will tiiid things that he has tested and found wanting. And then, there are other conveniences that he could not dispense with. Over on that shelf maybe some- thing new under the sun, for which he has very great hope. Periiaps the shop is orderly, and perhaps it is full of useless truck. Now. I had expected to find Dr. Miller's shop a model of — disorder, and perhaps my expecta- tions might have been realized; but it so hap- pened that the women-folks have a hand in the work in the shop, and the doctor says it is " real handy " to have them around to straighten things up once in a while. Why, no. his shop was very orderly. He did not have a lot of ex- pensive tools, but I noticed that he had good hammers, good saws, and a good assortment of nails arranged in very conventent boxes. These boxes the doctor has promised to describe, and his description will appear in a forthcoming is- sue soon. We fell to arguing on the subject of T supers versus wide frames. He is .still very much pleased with T supers: and the more he uses them, the more he seems to like thcMU. But then, he says he does not know when he will cast them aside for something better. Of course, I argued for the topless wide frame; viz.. the section -holder. " Why," said I. " it i)rotects three sides of the sections from the travel of the bees. I always noticed that the exposed surfaces of sections become a little bit yellow in time. If honey is coming in rapidly, and the sections are removed as soon as capped over, this yellow soiling is not so apparent." The doctor insisted that it was not so bad but that his customers would tolerate it, and. be- sides, he could secur(^ a crop of honey in T su- pers with less work. He had tried a few sec- tion-holders, and did not like them; and in evi- dence lie showed me a few of them that I had sent him to be tried. We pulled over several ])iles of T supers. In all. I noticed the bees had chinked in consider- able propolis between the edges of the sections. "Now. doctor." said I. "I want yon to try wedging them up tight anothei' year, and see if you do not save time in scraping projjolis off. By the way. doctor, did you use thwse thick top-bars I sent you ?" ■'You sent them too late," said he. "audi hadn't time to put them in the hives then." ■• Yes. I remember we were very much be- hindhand, and could scarcely fill our regular orders." •• I will show you the top-bars that I reinforc- ed with separator stuff later, in the apiary."' Then the doctor showed me his double-tier shipping-cases. He used thin veneer boards between the two tiers of sections. This vir- tually made two single-tier cases, and at quite a saving in expen.-;e. Two strips of glass are used to display each tier. Turning from this we went upstairs. "What does all this mean over in this bin?" said I. " That is where we put oui- cast-awav Clark smokers." "That looks bad." I said. " Either you are very hard on smokers or else the Clark smoker is a very poor one." Picking one u[) I observed that it had the old- style small blast-tube. "Yes." said the doctoi'. "they are the ohl style of smokers. They did not last very long, and it was cheaper to get new ones rather than to fix the old ones up. Your new smokers, with large blast-tubes, are a very gi'eat improvement, and they stand hard usage in the apiaiy well." " Do you use them in preference to the Bing- ham ?'' " Yes. on some accounts we like them better. Em is partial to them because she can blow smoke with them at a long range, and she can force it clear through the tall piles of supers on account of the strong blast." The doctor showed me an improvement, which he had made. With a wire nail he had punched 2.5 or 30 small holes in the sliding fire- door of the smoker, and said sliding door was made to shut tight so the sparks could not di'op out. The rear diaft has. to pass through the aforesaid perforated holes, and these are too small to drop fire. This made the smoker al- most faultless. The improvement plea^^ed me so well that I said we would put it on our new smokers. '•What is that hanging up against the ceil- ing?"' said I. "That is a foundation-fastener that some- body kindly sent me. I do not know that I shail ever use it.'" There w(>re other things that had been sent him in the same way, and which he had neither the inclination nor time to try. Among them were some things that I had sent. We then went out into the apiary. As usual, on the matter of covers we could not agree. Dr. M. wanted his cleats nailed without grooving on the cover-board, and he did not want the cover itself to stick over the hive. I insisted that a board is less liable to warp if let into a groove. Besides, in making hives in large quantities, these grooves are an easy thing to make. Some of the doctor"s covers, I noticed, were a little wai'ped. hut then they had been long in use. ■'But there is one thing I must have." said he. ■■and that is end cleats on the hives for handling them. Your handholes are hardly sufficient."" "But those cleats stick out in the way. and are an extra expense." I urged: "and if you would once get used to handhcles I think you would like them."" •'But. see here."" he said; '"in carrying hives into the cellar, all I have to do is to catch an endless roi)e over the ends of the cleats, and. with an assistant, the hives are easily picked up and carried into the cellar: and. when set in their i)laces. the rope is easily removed. Your wii'e bails can't be disengaged so easily." •'Oh. vesl"" said I. forgetting all about the handholes. ••let me be your assistant in this job."' Dr. ^Miller went down into the cellar and |)ro- duced a large soft rope. Lest some of our read- ers have forgotten how he picks up his hives and carries them into the cellar. I will here re- produce the engraving we made a year or so ago. He quickly slipped the rope over one of the ends of a hive, and "' There," said he, '•get hold of the other side." I did so. It was certainly very handy. We carried in a few colonies, and put them in the cellar. •■That's fun."" said I, ■■but don't yon like those bails which I sent you. for lifting up bot- tom-board and all?" 58 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Jan. 15. •' No, I don't tliink they are nearly as conven- ient." "And now," said I, "'if I could have you at Medina, as you have me here at Marengo, I be- lieve I conld make you think they ai'e at least good, but perhaps not quite eqnal to your ropes, with cleats on tiie ends of the hives to carry." THE WORLD'S COLUMBIAN EXHIBIT. DK. MILLER S METHOD OF CAISKYIXG HIVES INTO THE CELLAK. He has two bee-cellars — one Under the house, and one inidei' his workslujp. Both are good- sized— about 15x15x7 feet, each capable of hold- ing from 1,50 to 200 colonies, I should think. Neither was grouted, and tlie bottom was sim- ply i)ounded clay. It had a hard diy surface, and could easily be swept. Th<' walls had just been whitewashed — not so much for appearance" sake as for a puriliei-. It is well known, that whitewash is a puriiier of walls. After a cellar has had bees in it over winter, it needs not only good airing but cleansing. After we had stepped from the cellar I asked to see his thick top-bars. He did not know ex- actly where the hives were; but by a little hunting we found them. There was no burr- comb on top of them, and so far he regarded them as a success; but he was not so positive as I that they would take the place of honey- boards entirely. Dr. Miller, you know, is never positive about any thing. He is always open to conviction. We then went into the house, for it was a lit- tle cold outside. After we sat down we talked queens. I was quite interested in his experi- ments in raising queens. He had not been suc- cessful with the Doolittle method, but Alley's plan had worked very nicely. " Doolittle," I said. " makes it work to perfec- tion. Why can't you?" '■ I can not tell."' said he; "and we were very careful to follow his instructions to the letter." Dr. iVIillHr now produced his recoi'd-book. His hives are all numbered, and each number corresponds to a s])ace in the book. As we sat there that evening looking the book over, I was very much interested in reading over the mem- oranda of the several colonies. Having been up late for several nights, I re- ti red early. I sjjent a delightful Sabbath with Dr. Miller and his family, and had the pleasure of seeing him ohiciate as supciinlcndeut of their .Sunday-school. The doctor is considerably in- terested in Sunday-school work. As most of oiH' readers may know, who have attended con- ventions, he has a big talent '"along that line." 7'o he (■(intlniicd. SUGGESTIONS IN KEGAKD TO THE APIAIUAN DIS- PLAY, FROM 1>I!. A. 15. MASON. Friend Root:— My " noddle " has done lots of thinking about the apiarian exhibit at the World's Columbian Exposition for 1893; and yestei'day, Dec. ;.*9. I thought of this plan for State work: Let each State bee-keepers' society appoint a committee to look after the sectu'ing of an ap- propriation by the State legislatures or assem- blies, for the making of a suitable exhibit. Also another committee to see that the honey, bees, beeswax, foundation, and every thing relating to our industry in their vState. is collected and made ready for exhibition; also choose the best man or woman they may be able to secure, to go to Chicago and put every thing in the best possible shape and position for the best possi- ble display, and look after the State's exhibit during the exposition, and then repack every thing and return to the owners. " Now, this all looks easy enough on paper.'' some will say, " but how are we to be paid for otu' trouble and expense?" Well, that is just what has bothered me, and is what I have been trying to " grasp by the hoi-ns." This very subject helped to get me 5(10 miles from home to attend the convention at Keokuk, in the hope that some one I might meet would solve the dit'ticulty for me. Vain hope I No one I consulted knew more than I did about it. They were all like the mischiev- ous boy .John, in school. ^Ve have all heai'd of him. if we've nofseen him. When the teacher asked .Mm what he was doing, he replied. " nawtliin'.'" The teacher then asked .Tohn what he was doing. The reply came promptly." Help- ing .Tim." Till yesterday I've not been able to think of a plan, and found no one who could give me any " aid or comfort." I've thought over and over the offering of premiitms in some shape, but nothing satisfactory presented itself. With the prcMuium plan, somebody (and probably several somebodies) would " get left." By the plan 1 suggest, each would get just tin? amount he will be entitled to. The plan is this; Let each one who is will- ing to help make his own State exhibit what it ought to be, notify the committee above sjioken of as to what and how much he will exhibit, making an itemiz(Hl bill of what he is willing to furnish. For example, some one says. " I will furnish — 500 lbs. comb honev (basswood) in 1-lb. sections, 2.5c per lb.. 100 lbs S'LS 00 100 lbs. comb honey (buckwheat) in 1-lb. sections. .500 lbs. extracted honey (white-clover) in 2-lb. Muth honey - jais; single. 35c ; dozen 3 75 1 straw bee-hive, 50 years old. 1 smoker (Bingliaiu's) 1 75 1 colony bees^ (Italian) in Langstroth portico hive 8 00 1 colonv bees (Carniolans) in Simpllcitv hive...., <3 00 Ever]] juiclutfje. or article of every kind, to be dlstmrtly marked with the owner's name and postofiice; and if for sale, have the price also nuirked on it. Then let the committee say what they think best to have ])laced cm exhibi- tion, and then the owner can prepare and ship all to Chicago, with all charges paid, directed to the party having charge of the arranging and caring for the exhibit. The reason I suggest that the connnittee say what should be sent is this; Perhaps ten or twenty might be willing to send one or more 1S91 (jLEANiNiis IN iip:E cn/rrRE. 59 bee-hivps. colonies of bees, etc., when but one of a kind would be needed: but the more honey and beeswax sent, the better. Now foi' the most important part — the ixiy for all this work, risk, and expense. From the amount appropriated by the State, l)ay all expenses inenn-ed at Chicago, including the pay of the party having charge of the ex- hibit, unless otherwise provided for by the State.. Then divide the lemainder among the exhibitors according to what they have on ex- hil)ition. so that one exhibiting a colony of bees (jr a crate of honey or other articles, will get the share to which he may be (Mititled. A i)erson sending :.'()0() lbs. of honey would be entitled to twice as much pay as (me sending 1000 lbs., jjrovidi'd other things ar(! equal: for certainly no reasonable person who S(mds a thousand pounds in tin cans conld expect as much pay as one who sends th(^ same amount nicely i)ut up in glass receptacles of diffeivnt styles, lint there are unreasonable peoi)le in all pursuits, and ours is not an exception. When the exposition is over, the person in charge should i-ej^ack. without cluu'ge, and I'e- turn to the owners every thing not sold. With such an arrangement, all things would be in common for the display from each State. The honey belonging to A, B. and C, would be used just as though itall came from one person, so as to make the best possible disi^lay: and each package being marked with the owner's name would tell to whom it belonged. It is more than probable that parties placed in charge of some of the State exhibits will know but little about ari'anging things so as to make the best display, and perhaps have less taste than knowledge. In such cases, some one who Jids the taste will have to be hired to do the ari'anging. Perhaps the next N. A. B. K. A. meeting will formulate some plan for general adoption: but in the mean time, woi'king and planning should go foi-ward. A. B. INIason. Anburndale. ().. .Jan.. 1891. I..\TEK. The secretaries of some of the State bee- keepers' societies have written me for sugges- tions to be submitted to their societies at their coming conventions: and yesterday, Jan. 5, I answered three of them, giving the above plan in brief, because their societies meet before this will appear in Gleaxings. Since writing the above I have attended the Michigan State bee-keepers' convention at De- troit, and suggested tlie above plan to them, and they have started " the ball rolling." and appointed the needed committees. Another suggestion might perhaps not be out of place. Some States have no bee-keepers' so- cieties to organize the work. Would it not be a good plan for the leading bee-keepers of such States to get together and organize, oi'. by cor- respondence, agree upon some plan, and ap- point suitable persons to look after the needed legislation and appropriation, and fordoing all other needed work"? fof if tliis mattei' is left ovei- till next winter it inav be too late. A. B. M. MAKING SINGLE-"WALLED HIVES OUTDOOR WINTER HIVES BY THE USE OF mTILDIXG-l'Al'El!. Apropos of the discussion concerning double or single walled hives, I suggest a simple, in- expensive, and practical plan for the construc- tion of hives. Tack one or two thicknesses of building pa- per all around the inside of the hives, which is to b(^ kept in place by tacking on narrow' strips of wood or tin. Put a layer or two on the bot- tom-board, and over that nail half-inch lum- ber the size of your bottom-board. It will cost but 1.5 oi' :.'0 cents extra. To pre])are youi' bees for winter, all that is necessary is to put on the upper story, [ilace over the brood-frames some cobs or a llill device: lill a small gunny sack with leaves, press it down tightly so as to pre- vent h(>at escaping upward, and your bees are in the best possii)le shape for outdoor wintei'ing. The sacks can be stored in a dry plac(^ when not in use, and used for years without replen- ishing. I have found that there is no necessity whatever for dead-air spaces and great bungle- some hives. This I have demonstrated by act- ual expeiiment. Paper Is a non-conductor of heat and cold. Wrap your feet in a piece of strong paper, and you can ride all day in the coldest weather with warm feet. Put a news- papei- around your body and you can withstand the most intense cold. I put paper covering ovei' my bees to keep them warm till I pnt them in the cellar, and for a number of seasons I did not remove it until I plac(^d them on the summer stands. A. C. Tyukel. Madison. Neb.. .Jan.. 1891. [Very possibly the bujlding-paper will answer. If you mean tarred paper, it would be rather distasteful to the bees. Paper itself is very warm; and when Mr. Danzenbaker was here a year ago he was continually advocating layers of paper instead of chaff packing. He argued that it was just exactly as good, and a great deal cheaper. It is hard to say just yet what will answer for our northern localities; but (mough has been suggested to set us to experi- menting in earnest.] [In addition to what Ernest has said. I will say that paper lining for hives is a very old idea, and has been taken up and dropped sever- al times within the last :i'> years. One great objection is. that it gets damp and wet. The hives become soggy, and they can not be dried out as can a chaff-packed hive. I should like to have Doolittle and otliers. who once used paper, to tell us why they gav(^ it up. Our house-apiai'y was made with several thick- nesses of building-paper, with air-spaces be- tween them; and although it is above ground, it is a cold, damp, soggy structure, even in the summer time. Perhaps a very loose, porous paper might be found that could be pnt on in such a wav as to let it drv out as chaff does.] FORETELLING THE 'WEATHER, ETC. Pt)I'UI.AK SU]'EI{STITIONS Mr. S. Morrett. Akron, Ind.. wishes me to an- swer through Gleanings the following ques- tions: 1. "Would killing chickens by a mink make them in any way unlit for table use?" I see no possible reason why it should. 2. "■ Do any of our animals, like the insects or higher animals, by their preparation for winter or otherwise, show that they are in some way forewarned as to whether the winter will be severe or mild ?" I have no idea that there is a grain of truth in such views, although I know that they are current among many, especially of the last generation. The same people plant in the moon, think Hreweed grows spontaneously, that chess turns to wheat, and that patent medicines have startling virtues. I believe a better education dispels such views. 3. "Many claim, that, when the muskrat 60 (J LEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Jan. 15. builds high, there will be severe winter or high water." Very likely: this is just as likely to occur as though the little rodent built low. Happily the muskrat does not make the weather. 4. " Some bee-keepers say, if the drones are killed early, the winter will be severe, and vice versa. Is there any truth in it?" The past season, di-ones were killed in early summer, and yet the wc^athei- is and has beeii remarkably mild. The same was true a year ago. The weather at the time, in affecting the harvest, leads to this premature destruction. There is, howevei', no pi)ssil>le I'clation lietween such events and the future. When men knew little of nature they were ripe for such super- stitions. With the development of science, such beliefs will become wholly a thing of the past. A. J. Cook. Agricultural College, Mich., Jan. 3. [I want to say amen to Prof. Cook's replies: Our nation is full of rural people, especially those well along in yeai'S, who insist that ani- mals have foreknowledge of the weather; and the amount of time spent watching these sense- less movements, if turned in the line of scientif- ic investigation, would enrich the world. Let us do away with superstition, and tuin our brains to the solution of real problems.] ARRANGEMENT OF OUT-APIARIES. dadant's systf:.m along the Mississippi lilVER. Friend Rijot:— The very interesting article of Mr. France, on out-apiaries, page 88.3, has in- duced US to give you our own experience in this matter, not because we can throw any more light on the question, but because our practice, which extends back to 1871, in the mattei- of In the accompanying diagram you will per- ceive that these apiaries are all located on land sloping toward tlie Mississijjpi River, and are sepai'ated from one another by creeks and groves of timbei- land. The Gr'ubb apiary is owned by D. W. McDaniel, who has had chai'ge of our apiaries also for a few years past. Of all these apiaries, the Sherwood is the best in the product of both spring and fall crops, although there are seasons like the past when the fall croj) fails there altogether. The Villemain apiary has the poorest location, to all appearances; but it is located near the only basswood grove there is in the counti-y, and has also quite a fall pasture from blossoms that grow on the islands near it. But what will you think of the Sack apiary, which is lo- cated a little over two miles south of the La- met apiary, with another apiary close to the latter, and not shown on the diagram, and only one mile and a quarter north of another apiary of <)() colonies, owned by A. Dougherty? Yet this Sack ajnary gives us the best average of honey of all, excepting the Sherwood apiary. The reason of it is, that the pasturage is all west of it on the river bottoms, and very abun- dant. It is probable that the bees in this apiary go as far west as the river, about three miles, while they perhaps do not travel over a mile <>ast on the bluffs. Their course north and south, in the direction of those other apiaries, is over a hilly country covered more or less with timber, which makes their flight more difficult. The two small circles in the north ])art of the diagram show spots on which we have had apiaries formerly, and which, you will perceive, were furtlier away from home than the present. At that time the Sherwood apiary did not ex- ist, nor did the (Jrubb apiary; and yet we must say that we can see no difference in the yield of the home apiary. We are satisfied that the Grubb bees go east, the Sherwood bees and the home bees northeast, for their crop. When we HorrpffX o c "i 3 THE DADANT SYSTEM OF OUT-APIAKIES ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI IJIVER. out-apiaries, confirms the views of both ]\Ir. France and Dr. Miller, and will add weight to their statements. Under ordinary circumstances it is not advis- able to place apiaries nearer than four miles apart; but Dr. Miller is undoubtedly right when he says that the configuration of t^he land has a great deal to do with the greater or lesser distance tiiat the bees will travel in certain di- rections. say the bees go in a certain direction, we do not mean all the bees, but the greater part of them. We can give you one convincing instance of the correctness of this opinion. By glancing at the diagram you will notice that the home apiary is just about a mile and a half from the north point of an island in the river. In certain seasons these islands are cov- ered with water in June; and after th(! waters recede they become covered with a luxuriant 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE GULEURE. 61 vegetation, and the yield of honey from them is very larg(\ In one of these seasons \vi\ found a colony, belonging to a neighbor, located half way between us and the river, hai'vesting a large yield of honey from this source, while our bees harvested nothing. Is it not evident that our bees had not gone that far? Yet we have seen them two miles and more from home in another direction. Had we kept as careful records as Mr. France did, we should probably also be able to derive some good lessons from these records; but we are soi'ry to say, that, although we have har- vested enormous crops of honey from our bees, we have been I'ather careless about keeping a record. If we had things exactly as we ought to have them, in the matter of location, we should spread all the upland apiaries a little more, and place them, say four or five miles apart: but ther(> ai'e lands like those Mississip- pi bottom-lands which can support apiaries very close to one another, and make money for their owners. C. P. Dad.^nt. Hamilton, 111., Dec. 23. [Thanks. These drawings are exceedingly heli)ful and valuable. The Sack apiary, in the diagram, is a remarkable illustration of the fact that the lay of the land has sometimes a de- cided influence upon the bee forage, and that we can not always lay down rules that an apia- ry should be just exactly three or four mile" from each otliei' in all cases. These exceptions are interesting, and there is no way that we can decide where we can locate apiaries profit- ably except by trial. Of course, we can be guided to a large extent by swamps, ranges of hills, proximity to water, etc. You do not give the size of the circles in miles; but from reading your description I can gather pretty nearly that they are about 2}:^ miles in diame- ter. P^rom this the reader can gauge pretty fairly the relative distances. A great many interesting facts are being developed. A. E. Manum has sent in a diagram which we will present to our readers in the next issue.] THE MICHIGAN STATE CONVENTION AT DETROIT. HELD JAN. 1 AND 2. While this convention was not largely attend- ed, those present were perhaps among the best and brightest bee-keepers, not only to be found in Michigan, but I think they compared well in intelligence with any we have in the world. One who is accustomed to attend conventions will very readily pick out those who are in the habit of attending either bee-conventions or conventions of any kind. It seems to be some- thing like this: The man who has never attended conven- tions, or who has not done so for a great while, is the more apt to be hasty in coming to conclu- sions. He is also, as a rule, more ready to think evil. He imagines that the world is full of cor- ruption, and that even bee-keepers are more intent on finding a chance to steal and not get caught than they ai'e to find some way whereby they can be helpful to their fellow-men. The worthy president. Prof. Cook, has, perhaps, done much to bring about this better state of affairs. How natural it sounds, to hear him say, when some absent member is violently at- tacked, "'Oh, no, my friend! If you knew the brother as well as I'do, you would not think of charging him with such a thing."' Sometimes, it is true, he is obliged to admit- that some brother has done a very foolish and possibly a very wicked thing. In such a case he repi-oves the guilty on(> in such a gentle, kindly way. and in a way that stirs him to a ti'emendous resolution to do better n(>xt time, that the sjjirit is really contagious. Please do not imagine that he ignores and smooths over all the wrongs that exist in society, or in bee culture, if you clioose. He will sometimes speak right out in the convention, something like tliis: '• Now. Bro. , since this matter has come up right befoi'e us as it has lo-day. will you just let me say that I have felt greatly pained, many times, to see you go to such extremes in this direction? Here are all these good friends of yours who disagi'ee with you. Now, will you not, foi' tiieir sak(>s, and out of respect to their opinions, withdraw a little from your vehement views, or, at least, put it a little milder?" The kindly look in liis face, at the time he speaks, prevents anybody from taking offense: and, in fact, jangles or hard words at bee-con- ventions are unknown when Prof. Cook is ores- ent. During our last convention we discussed many matters where there was pretty strong disagreement; but it was from first lo last char- acterized by a spirit of brotherly love that I am sure every one of us carried home: and I feel, too, that its influence is going to make us better men for a long time to come. DOES IT PAY TO USE SUCH LAIJGE QUANTITIES OF f'OMH FOUNDATION? You will I'emembei' that this subject has Deen up in the bee-journals, and there has been some intimation that editors interested in the sale of the article may, at least unwittingly, have kept purchasers in the dark. Our good friend R. L. Taylor was called upon to open the subject; and by some means it fell upon myself to ask him some questions. I was somewhat surprised, and a good deal amused, to hear him insist so emphatically that we can not afford to have combs built without foundation. He said that, inasmuch as combs would last us a great num- ber of years, the first cost is but a small consid- eration. He would have the sheets fill the frames. When it came to a I'ising vote, the bee-keepers were almost unanimous in indors- ing his view. Foundation for section boxes brought forth much the same decision. The number present who had out-apiaries showed very conclusively that there is a wide difference in the honey-yield in localities only two or three miles distant. A man may have a good yield of honey, while his neighbor three miles away gets almost nothing. This indicates the importance of testing different points in your locality, say three or four miles away. When you strike a point where bees seem to do best, gradually increase the number of colonies until you ascertain how many can be profitably located at a certain point. This will also help us to avoid the disaster of bad seasons. It is a little on the plan of not putting (ill your eggs in one basket. ADUI-TEKATEl) LIQUID HONEY. It is a sad fact, that there is once more con- siderable spurious honey offered for sale. Sam- ples were on the table, brought from some of the Detroit groceries. One could readily judge by the taste that both cane sugar and glucose were used in getting up the mixture. It was labeled "Michigan Honey." but. of course, the name and address of the party putting it up were not to be found on the label. This alone is a plain violation of the laws of the State of Michigan: and some of us were vehement in demanding that the guilty parties be prosecuted at once. As friend Taylor, however, sat in a thoughtful attitude with his head down upon his hands. I suggested that we hear from him. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. J AX. 15 As he did not scom inclined to say any thing, we bantered him somewhat; and in response to a question of mine he said lie would cheerfully answer any questions I might wish to aslv. Now, as there is mueh wisdom in his reply, es- pecially as he is a lawyer of experience, and a member of the State Legislature, I will try to give his replies here. •'Friend Taylor, have we not ample proof riglit here before us, so that it will be an easy matter to bring tliese guilty parties to justice?'' "Well, the proof is i)hiin enough, friend Root: but I am sorry to say that it will not probalily be an easy matter to deal with the otf(>nders. They have plainly violated the laws of Mich- igan, it is true, in putting honey on the market without the name of the producer, yjroviding we can prove that which we all hnoiv very well — that this honey is not the product of the bees. Unfortunately, our cheiuists are at fault. Our good worthy president, Prof. Cook, took some honey out of his own hives, at the college apia- ry, and sent it to Prof. Wiley, at Washington, who pronounced it, aft<'r a chemical analysis, adultcnited." This raised quite a btizz. and I guess there was some indignation in the buzz. I turned to Prof. Cooli. and asked him if it was the same Wiley who started the story about manufactur- ed comb honey. He assented, and then J com- menced to boil over. Now, here is a sample of Prof. Cook's gentleness, and, I think I may say, wisdom. He replied something as follows: ■' Friend Root, Prof. Wiley hly. let us remember that the best cheiuists we have in the country have made the same blunder. Per- haps we had better acknowledge that cheiuistry is not to be trusted with absolute certainty a+. the present tiiue, between manufactured glu- cose and the glucose, or grape sugar, that is found in flowers. Before we condemn friend Wiley too severely, let us bear in luind that he is an excellent man. and one who has done ex- cellent service in many departments of science for our country." Friend Taylor added further, that he presum- ed if we, as a body of bee-keepers, were to take oath that, according to the best of our knowl- edge and belief, the samples of honey before tis were cotuposed largely of cane sugar and glu- cose, something might be done. The otfenders, however, were said to be a rich manufacturing institution, who put up pickles, jellies, and other things, in glass ttimblers. One man would stand a rather poor chance in opposing them: and I believe our best advi.sers incline to the idea that tlie Bee-keepers' Union had best take the luatter in hand. I tell you. friends, the great reform ^ of the present day are conducted by those who work slowly and carefully. Instead of boiling over, and condemning those who have capital, as a whole, shall we not bottle our indignation for the present, and send Bro. Newman a dollar to make us a member of the Bee-keepers' Union, and let liiin manage these matters? Now I fear I lunst dir(>ct you to other bee- journals for fuller reports of the proceedings of this convention. For the present I want to tell you about my visit to D. M. FERKY & CO.'s GKEAT SEEDIIOUSE, DETKOIT, MICH. I started to get up as usual, somewhere about six o'clock. Somebody in the next rooiu called out to know whether myself and friend Hilton (my room-mate) were starting out for green- houses. I answered eagerly, " Why, to be sure, we are. Get on your duds quick, and go with us.'' ''But, may be when you find out who it is you won't want him along." "Yes, I do want you to go along. There is not anybody in the world, who wants to go, whom i do not want to go along." After I had said this I began wondering whether I told the truth. Oh how glad I felt, as I searched my heart, that I had told the full plain truth I If I ^Hrve an enemy in the world, he is just the man I should like to take by the hand and show him the greenho-us(!S in the early morning. (Yes, I should rejoice to take, on such a trip, even our poor mistaken friend Hill, of the Bee-keepers'' Oiikle, who has labored .so long and hard to hold up before the world both my fancied and real weaknesses and im- perfections.) I thought the voices in the next room sounded somewhat familiar, but I could not quite make them ottt, and they had a good deal of meiTiment at luy expense. Well, they were no other than two of my best friends, M. H. Hunt and R. F. Holtermann. It was friend Hunt who suggested going to Ferry's new seed- house instead of to the greenhouses. I owe him a big debt of gratitude for a lot of other similar deeds of kindness. This wonderful structure has been built only about two years, on the site of the one previous- ly burned. It is 300 feet long and !:.'() feet wide^ and has between seven and evjht acres of floor space. Now, when I tell you tiiat it is sev- en stories high, and every floor occupied, you may wonder as I did, that so little has been said about such a tremendous enterprise. Like our own establishment, this one is. a great part of it. in charge of women. A woman gave us a pin'niit to go through the rooms. Crowds of t)right, intelligent-looking women, passed up the stairs with us, put their cloaks and hats nicely away in cupboards made especially for them (a separate cupboard for each cloak), and then took their places in the handsome offices that filled a part of one of the great rooius. These offices are finished ofl' iii the handsomest style of present office architecture, and it was a great study for me. Decorated wire cloth separates the clerks from each other, so each one has really a little room of his own, as it were, where they can not be annoyed by visit- ors or by each other. The bins, drawers, pig- eon-holes, and other arrangeiuents for the rap- id classifying and mailing of seeds, showed wonderful skill and ingenuity: and, further on, the rapid movements of the girls as they took up their woj'k put to shame any sleight- of-hand performance I ever saw. One of the girls worked so rapidly in pasting up packets of the seeds that I asked her to please go slow enough so I could see what she was doing. She smiled as she did so. The paste they use is about the con.sistency of butter, only not quite the color. A little bit is taken on the end of the finger. In their rapid movements this finger is stuck straight out when not needed, so as to be out of the way; and one is astonished to see that the paste gels just where it is wanted, and nowhere else. At another table dozens of girls were dipping npseeds with teaspoons, and put- ting them into the open tnouths of printed paclvets. It looked for all the world like feed- ing ducks with a spoon. Each duck, however, got only one spoonful. A luan sat at a raised desk in the center of the room. By the way, where there are so many hundreds of young people, it is not any wonder that an elderly one is needed for a boss. A good many of the young eyes sintrkled with fun and mischief, especially if they could catch sight of any glimpse of a smile lurking around the corners of the mouths of the visitors. And I tell you, there does not want to be very much fun or "cutting up" when you are putting up seeds. Remember what 1 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. (J3 said about 20 cents' wortli of cabbage seed, on another page. Tliere are between 8(X) and 900 people employed in this one building. They have the same Grinnell system of sprinklers we have. The rooms are wanned by steam, as ours are, and lighted by KXX) incandescent lamps. Surplus seeds are stacked, tons upon tons, in bags piled up in neat square tidy piles. I won- dered whether rats and mice ever found a har- lioring-place in this immense institution. My kecni olfactories did not advise me of the prox- imity of any of these mischievous rodents. Ferry's specialty is, as you may know, fur- nishing the groceries and country stores of the United States, and perhaps the world, with garden-seeds. In order to do this the boxes are sent out on commission, and called in before Jan. 1. Our visit was just in the nick of time. Their plan of giving their customeis the best seeds is something like the one I have indicat- ed elsewhere. Old seeds are not (lUvays infe- rior. But they protect their reputation by a careful t<^sting, winter and summer. I was pleased to notice how they manage to keep tlieir seed-cases clean and bright, after taking their chances in transportation, and lieing kept during spring and summer in the average show window of the village store. Their boxes and cases are all dovetailed, like the Dovetailed hive. The bottoms are put on with a nailing-machine, or with screws. These lat- ter are also driven liome with macliinery. All nails and screws are sunk below the sur- face of the wood: then when the box comes back it can be run thrungh a suitable plan- er or sandpapering - machine, and made new all over quicker than you could wash it all oflf with bru.sh and soapsuds. New labels are then put on: new seeds (or old ones that stood satisfactorily the test) are theu put in new packets, and the cases tilled up with such an assortment as the great world demands, and sent otf to do duty. Now, do not find fault, or complain of .sending seeds out on commission. If they did not do their business honestly and well. th(!y would never have built up such an immense institution. If nearly KMX) are em- ployed in this building, how many people do you supijose D. M. Ferry & Co. keep at work during the .summer time? Here we have illus- trated the wonderful way in which nice work and accurate work can be done at a compara- tively small expense. Those girls could never acquire that wonderful swiftness did they not put up thousands upon thousands of packages: neither could the other enormous machinery of such a business be used with so little expense in any other way. I should like to tell you more, but space forbids. ju,st at this time. 6a^ QaEg3Fi0]\[.B@^, With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees. Question' 170. Do you thhi}; hee-kecpen< }uiv• it desirable to nuikc (in\i effort to 'nidnccthe (jovernment to do any t}ilne-keepiiig? Illinois. N. ' C. C. Miller. Yes: the experiments to test whether bees will puncture sound grapes was a good move in the right dii'ection. and ought to remove much prejudice. 3. Most certainly, get the govern- ment to do all it will for us. There is not much danger of our getting too much. Wisconsin. S. W. S. I. Freeroiix. Prof. Cook lias been much more valuable to our specialty than the experimental station, but it was 'a good "backer." 3. Yes. if the work can l)e put in tirst-class hands. A thor- ough, practical, and scientific bee-keeper should hav(! charge of such work. Ohio. N. W. A. B. Masox. Yes. The government analysis- of honey shows us that some of the best chemists are not able to recognize pure honey. 3. If you have any surplus energy you want to work off. here is a chance. You will probably earn more than vou get. New York. C. P. H. Elwood. I think not. 3. The less the government has to do with our industry, the better off we are. The more we induce, the more lies we stir up. Smart professors and clerks imagine wonderful things wlien bees are mentioned to them, and something funny must tie said aliout the "busy bee." The government is doing very well by us now. Let us let well enough alone. New York. E. Ramrler. I have not seen any yet: have you? 3. I think likely, if it were done in the right way, but I doubt'whether it can be. The first thing the government will do will be to plac(^ it in the hands of somebody who does not know any thing about practical apiculture, and who, either through favoritism or ignorance, will place it in the hands of one just as ignorant as he is. That is all it will ever amount to, I guess. Michigan. S. W. James Heddox. Perhaps: as. for instance, from the report of experiments on bees vs. grapes. The position gives authority, in the minds of many people, , to statements which, coming from a more care- ful experimenter in another position, would not have so much weight. They have also received 64 GLEANINGS IN liEP] CULTURE. Jan. ir. harm from it. as. t'oi' instance^, in the "siu'p cure " for foul brood emanating therefrom. :i. Yes. the right man might do a great deal of good. Illinois. N. C. J. A. Green. [I suppose the question has no reference *o any reflection on our experiment stations that belong to the different States, for these have certainly given us some gi-eat -helps; and I heartily indorse Prof. Cook's ])Osition, that every Stat should help its bee-keepers. I be- lieve the Government Experimen . Station will doubtless do much for all our industries.] FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS, honey taken by robbt'r bees from colonies affect- ed by said disease will carry it home, and soon it will break out in their hive. At any rate, it has with me. I expect to try taking all the combs of honey away from the colony so affect- ed next year, and give them empty combs, and see if that will cure it. I have tried taking away queens, and failed nearly every time. JosiAii Eastburn. Fallsington, Pa., Dec. 22, 18C(0. [Friend E., this matter came up at our recent Detroit convention. Almost every one present claimed that changing the queen was a perfect cure: and Prof. Cook said he had recommended this remedy to great numbers, and had never yet heard of a failure. If the disease you have is carried from on(» hive to another, as you de- scribe, I think it must be something else.] BUYING AND SELI.IN(i HONEY: (JRADING A NECESSITY. Allow me to extend my sympathy. Your troubles in regard to buying and selling honey are the common troubles of all bee-keepers. I would suggest, as a remedy, that all honey be graded as other products are; and I think that, if A. I. Root or some other prominent bee-keeper would bring it n\) at the convention at Albany, something coukl be done. I would suggest, as a starting-point, something like the following grades: No. 1. Extra pure white, in No. 1 sections or cartons, no candied honey, capping free from stains. No. 2. Pure white; slightly stained cappings should be admitted to this grade. No. 3. Slightly shaded and stained honey not good enough foi" No. 1. No. 4. Dark honey, partly tilled sections, and badly stained. No. .i. Leaky sections, wormy and broken. Exti'acted honey could be graded in about the same way. These grades could be printed on slips; and bee-keepei's could inclose one to their customers, when shipping, and so establish a uniform grade to buy and sell hy. Saratoga, Wis.. Dec. 7. Thomas Em.iott. [Y"ou are right. If honey were properly and honestly graded and honestly named it would do away with half the trotible in buying and selling. When a buyer receives honey of a poorer quality than lie c.rpcctcd. h(> has some grounds for c()ni])laints. Pcc-kceijers are dis- posed to be honest: but a little self-interest (the kind that puts the best out) sometimes slips in. Carelessness in grading, or, what is worse, no grading at all. meets its reward, and a mighty poor rewai'd it is sometimes. Those producers, as. for instance. Manum. Crane, and a good many others, who grade their honey, get a good price.] nameless bee-disease not cured by removai. of the queen. I agree with friend Doolittle, in what he states in Gleanings, Dec. 1. page 855, of the nameless disease. I have removed the queen several times through the summer, and it did no good. Those that were badly affected with it last summei'. ISS'i. showed no signs of the dis- ease after cold weather, nor did they show any signs of it until hot weathei' came in earnest; then the disease broke out again in some of those that were affected last year, but not all, but started in some healthy ones, and kept with them until freezing weather c;imc: but I have not seen any signs of it since, although the bees have been flying freely. I believe yet. that THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF BOTTOM VEN- TILATION IN HIVES. Will my bees winter in dry cellar with per- manent bottom-boards on. with top ventilation? My bf)ttoms are all fastened, and I have a gable roof with a H-i'ich hole at each end, with a piece of burlap over the brood-nest. I have only ten swarms. Why is it necessary to have the" bottom open? Hiram B. Winslow. Mahopac, N. Y., Dec. 8. [Your bees may winter with the top open, but the tendency of the times is emphatically against top ventilation of the hive in the cellar. It should come from the bottom, either through a good-sized entrance kept cleared of dead bees, or, better, from the whole lower part of the hive, the bottom -board being removed. The reason is this: If the top is open, all the heat rises and escapes. On the other hand, if the top is closed the heat rises and is contined near the top. and the surplus, if any. " overflows " at the bottom. Bees need plenty of ventilation in the hive, but they must not have it at the expense of heat.] those register - boards of mutii-rasmus- sen"s, again. In your foot-note to my article, page 850, you proi)ose printing numbers on the date-cards, running from 1 to 100. I must strongly object to this. How many bee-keepers have exactly KM) colonies? If one buys a package of 100 num- bered date cards, but has less than that num- ber of colonies, what is he going to do with the rest of the cards? Or if his number of colonies exceeds 100. what then? No: i)lease leave the l)lace for the number blank, and let the pur- chaser himself write the number as it may be wanted. Print the cards just as the sample, only )>mhe the . HARRISON INDORSES THE STRAWBERRY- BOOK. I was slightly ill of late: and. casting about for something to alleviate my aches and pains, my eye fell upon your strawberry-book; presto I they were soon forgotten. How I dug. raked, and planted, and delighted in seeing them bud and blossom, and gathered tlu^ luscious fruiti It is a grand panacea for an invalid. Let him have a small straw berry -bed, and he will soon 1891 GREANIXGS IN BEE CULTURE. 65 take a new lease of life. If he can not walk, roll him out in a whed-chair and put a light tool in his hands. If he can not dig and plant, do this for him. and let him cultivate them. The blood will soon be bounding through his veins, and he will be a boy again. Peoria. III.. Dec. ."i. "Mk.s. L. Hakrlsox. 0U^ P0MEg. But one tiling' is needful;, and Mary hath chosen that g-oodpart, vrhich shall not be taken awaj- from her.— Luke lU:t:i. Bunyan. in the Pilgrim's Progress, gives us a picture which he calls "The Man with the Muck-rake. ■■ A poor, needy old man. poorly clothed, and bent with age. stands stooping over with a poor, miserable, rickety rake, with which he continues to pull up toward him the straws and the leaves, and the dust and the rubbish: and while he is thus busily engaged, an angel of light holds tpiiove his head a celes- tial crown. The old man. however, is too busy with his sticks and straws to pay any attention to the celestial crown: in fact, he "won't even look up toward it. He is too busy. The straws and the sticks, the dust and the rubbish, are of too much importance, in his poor feeble judg- ment, to take the time to cast even one glimpse toward the crown of gold. The angel even tries to make a trade with the poor old man. and offers to swap the crown of gold, "even up." for the poor, miserable, dilapidated old rake. But the man stubbornly refuses to trade. Did you ever think, my friend, what a wonderful il- lustration that is? I hai'dly need tell you that the man with the muck-rake is ourselves— you and I — and our neighbors. Bunyan, by his fig- ure, means to remind us that there is a shining crown just above our heads, and that it is held there by an angel of light. This angel is plead- ing for attention. He is calling us to look up from our busy cai'es. and to see the golden crown. 1 wish I could look into the faces of the readers of Gleaxixos this new year, and see how they receive the picture I have tried to place before them. Some of them. I know, will say it is true: others will admit that it is a very pretty fable, but will rather conclude that it is mostty fable. Still others, who are dissatisfied and disgusted with the straws and leaves — yes, and perhaps with the miserable old muck-rake too — will admit the fore part of the illustration, but will deny that there is a crown — a celestial crown, for each one of us: and I am afraid that we are all, in fact.moreor lesslackingin faithin regard to the crown of glory that awaits us. The question is. " Is Bunyan's figure a truthful one?"' Is it too extravagant? Is it real? Let us turn 'to God's holy word, and see what au- thority good old John Bunyan had for his won- derful figure. He was a student of the Bible, and his wonderful illustrations came right home from the Bible itself. In fact, he had nothing to work with except the word of God. and the inspiration of God"s Holy Spirit. May that Holy .Spirit be with you. friends, in my talk to you this morning, and enable me to un- fold the Bible promises in this very line. We will first turn to Proverbs, fourth chap- ter, where it speaks of Wisdom. We read: " She shall give to thy head an ornament of grace: wi crown of glory shall she deliver to thee." These are the words of Solomon. He knew what it was to wear a crown. He had wisdom beyond the average of humanity, and he says that this wisdom shall give us an" orna- ment of grace — an ornament for the head, mind 3'ou. We like to see grand meia and beautiful women. It is the duty of all of us to look well before our friends. Our wives and daughters give considerable attention to ornaments, es- pecially for the head; and they do well, provid- ing they forget not this ornament of grace which Wisdom gives. Wisdom is used in the Bible sense as tin- opposite of folly. One who listens to Satan, and gives way totemptation, has forgotten wisdom. Wisdom directs us to be pure in heart: and it also directs us to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and in-omises that the sticks and straws, and the things that we need, shall be added: and the Bible promise goes further, and says. ''A crown of glory shall she deliver unto thee." Let us now turn to first Corinthians. 9th chap- ter. Paul, in exhorting us to godliness, uses the figure of the races, and says, " Know ye not that they which run in a race run all ? but one receivetii the prize." You see. they had prizes in those days, as they do now. In their con- tests of skill and phy.sical strength, but one re- ceived the prize. It is not so in God"s service, however. There are cro.wns enough for all, and there is no partiality and no respecting of per- sons. Paul conliimes : " So run that ye may obtain: and every man that striveth.for the mastery is temperate in all things."' In those days, as well as now, they had discovered that a man must be temperate to obtain a prize in a physical contest. No drinking man can expect to excel. Now comes the point of our lesson: " Now. they do it to obtain a corruptible crown: but we an incorruptible." Paul tells us that the crown held out to tis by the angel of light is an incorruptible one, "which fadeth not away.'" Let usnow turn to James, first chapter. We read: "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall re- ceive a crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.'" Bunyan calls it a celestial crown. In the text atjove it is called a crown of life. It also tells us that it is given to the one that endureth temptation: and it comes, too. whim he is tried. We sometimes think it is hard to meet trials. Some of tis have prayed, perhaps, that God would remove these temptations that beset us and pester us contin- tially. Our last text, however, seems to indi- cate" that it is a good thing to be tested and tried. In fact, we could not have a crown of life otherwise. I sometimes think that it can not be possible that others are called upon to meet temptation so continually as I am. As I look out upon the world, it seems to me that nobody ever had such terribly hard work in trying to be good as I have had. I once heard a minister of the gospel say in his sermon that Satan himself, the prince of the powers of darkness, could be in only one place at the same time. I was tempted to question this theology. Yei'y likely the lu'eacher gave it as his own opinion, in an off-hand sort of way. Why could I not accept such a doctrine? Well, it did not seem to be possible that the prince of evil should leave all mankind, and turn so much of his attention to my poor self: and then came a helping thought: If it were true. I might feel glad that the rest of humanity had a respite a good deal of the time. I used to think that Revelatiou was a dry book: but of late I have learned to turn to it and get much comfort and consolation. Espe- cially do I like that second chapter that has so many promises to him that overcometh. For instance: "He that overcometh and keepeth my works to the end, to him will I give power over the nations."' And again: "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written which no man 66 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Jan. 1.- knoweth save him that receiveth it.'' Well, in that same chapter, about tlie middle, we read: " Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." You see this crown is promised to those wlio ai-e faithful. It is Jiot enough that we he faithful a little while; we want to be faitliful unto death, and then have we the promise of a crown of life. Did our friend Bunyan put it too strongly ? Let us turn to First Peter, tifth chapter: ""And when the chief Shepherd shall ai)pear. ye shall receive a crown of glorv that fadeth not away." By reading the hrst part of the chapter we find this wonderful promise is to those who " feed the flock of (Jod, not by constraint, but willingly; not for tilthy lucre, but of a ready mind." The promise of a crown of glory is to those who are trying to make the world better; who " rejoice not in iniquity;" who "think no evil." Fur- ther along we read. "Be sober; be vigilant; for your adversary the Devil as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." The " adversary" will most surely entrap you into wasting the" precious moments in fussing with straws, leaves, and the dust of the earth, if he can do so. He will leave no stone un- turned in his schemes to get you to look doivn and notrup, if it can be done. If your face, like that of the man in the fable, looks constantly downward toward the earth, you will never see the shining crown nor hear the angel voices. Now, my friends, during this coming new year let us see to it that we look out for him who comes "as a roaring lion." Did you ever feel yourself in a bright, cheerful mood, ready to work for the good of humanity, ready to lis- ten for the angel voices, when all of a sudden something drove out the good spirit and pulled you down to earth? Perhai)S it was some little trouble with a neighbor. May be he borrowed something and did not return it. May be he showed a greedy, overbearing, and unfeeling spirit. Away go thoughts of union meetings, good resolutions to keep bright and hopeful, and, before you know it, you are led away, down amid the I'ubbish once more. I know what it is, dear friends. I have wondered whether there were anybody else who felt the truth of two lines in one of good old Dr. Watts' hymns as I have felt them— Prone to wander— Lord, I feel it; Prone to leave the Lord 1 love. At such a time it does me good to repeat men- tally, " Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which satisHeth not?" I say to myself, " Well, how is it, old fellow? Is this thing that is just now stirring you up, and that seems to demand your immediate attention, whether any thing else is attended to or not— is thdt the 'bread' that the prophet Isaiah speaks of? and is it the kind of labor that •.s((t(.s'/!Ct7(,"f" Sometimes I think for a while it is; but after a few hours have passed by, when the turbulent sea of my turbulent nature has calmed down, then I think, with oh so much remorse and regret ! " No, no; it does not satisfy." There is only one thing in this whole wide universe that does satisfy, and that is told in our opening text. '• Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her." Now, to wind up my short Home, talk to-day I want to turn to PauTs second letter to Timo- thy. The veteran saint says, when near his end, " I have fought a good fight. I have finish- ed my course; I have kept the faith." Has any one lived since the time of Paul who could con- sistently take such words upon his lips? And then he adds: " Henceforth then; is laid ui) for me a croivn of rinlttomsitcss, which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day; and' not to me only, tnit unto (tU tliern oIko tlutt hrve /lis appearing." SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT, AND HIS FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS. STAKTING ONIONS IN THE GREENHOUSE. We first commenced this in 1886. Landreth's people had an onion called the Bloomsdalc Pearl, which they said was specially adapted to the South. I was so anxious to see some of them that we sowed them in the greenhouse some time in January. We had beautiful pearly-white onions long before any were seen in the markets. They sold so readily we let them all go when they were about the size of hens' eggs. Next year we planted more, and some of them got so large that we sold them by the pound for 10 cts. apiece. Finally our Ex- periment Station at Columbus took hold of it, and last season they tested almost all the new large foreign onions offered in the catalogues. Like myself, they decided it was a wonderful success. The point is something lik(^ this : With ground very mellow, enriched, and brought up to its highest state of fertility, it is exceedingly inii)Oi'tant*that we have a full even stand of any kind of crop. Now, it is very hard to manage this where we depend on sowing the seed and thinning out. By transplanting you can have exactly as many onions as you need on the ground, and no more; and it can be done cheaper than to sow the seed. Secoitilln, where you sow the seed and weed by hand (for weeds will grow as fast or a little faster than onions), there is an immense amount of labor involved. If there were no little onions mixed in with the weeds, we could with the rake, or by horse l)Ower. destroy as many weeds in an hour as we can pull out from between the onions in a whole day. or may be several days. By the trans- planting i)rocess this may be done as follows; Work the ground up nicely, and let it stand until the weeds germinate. Just before you set out youi- plants, rake the whole surface thor- oughly, so as to kill every weed. Now plant your big onions — that is, onions that have pass- ed the weedy stage. They may have bulbs the size of beans', and be perhaps from 3 to 5 inches high. Stretch a string over your fine mellow- ground — or, better still, a clothes-line. Run a roller over the line, so it will make the cord leave its print in the soft soil. Now make holes two or three inches apart along this line, and put in your onions. For making the holes, we take a hoe that has been broken from the han- dle, or. rather, we take the handle part with the shank attached. We grind this shank to a sharp point, and then we have a dibble that can be used standing up. A man can make holes with it on the mark almost as fast as he can walk. A boy goes over with a basket of onions, and puts an onion in each hole. Onions are so easy to transplant that they will grow almost any way. They should be taken up from the greenhouse or seed-bed, as we do cabbage, celery, and tomato plants. Saturate the ground with water, and dig out the onions with a fork so as to get every one of the fine fibrous roots. We have done trans- planting with only smrdf boys, and had every onion grow. In fact, the boys get along so fast that thev have the ground all covered before I know it. You can plant t,hese onions even quicker than you can plant sets. Of course, you want nice onion gi'ound- sott, mel- low, and rich. I do not know how many onions can be grown on an acre. Our ExiJeriment Station suggests that, with these large varieties, you may get over 1000 bushels. Our friend 'Joseph,'* who writes for many of the agricul- tural papers, has been working in the same line. Be careful about planting mayiy of the large 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 67 foreign onions, for they are not, suitable for keeping: and with much wet weather they may rot on your hands, or even while in the ground. Our Experiment Station gives the preference to the Spanish King, or Prize-taker, onion. Tliese will grow as large as the oniuns that are im- ported in fancy crateS. I notice in the agricultural papers there have been several claims as to the originator of this new method of raising onions. Like most of these new (?) things, however, it often trans- pires they are not new at all. The Oliio Farmer gives an article from some one who has been for many years doing this same thing by start- ing onion seed in an ordinary hot-bed. If you are going into the business you had better arrange to commence selUng the onions as soon as you can pick out one here and there the size of a hen's egg. Peel them, cut off the roots, tie them in neat bunches, and deliver them around to the houses before they have a chance to get dry. If you get them real early you can commence by putting- only half a pound in a bunch. In almost any neighborhood they will go off at a nickel a bunch — that is, if nobody is ahead of you. When they begin to go slow, give three-fourths, and then a whole pound for a nickel; and finally, if you get a nickel for a 2-lb. bunch you are not doing a very bad busi- ness, especially if you have a yield of any thing like a tlionsand bushels per acre. tSnch onions will sell almost every month in the year. The Experiment Station lias tested this plan for rais- ing ordinary onions, to be sold by the bushel or barrel in the dry state, and think it a suc- cess. You can have your rows absolutely straight, and you can have just enough onions in your row without any thinning, and you get rid entirely of han (l-ircrding I am inclined to think they are right about it. It will, however, necessitate some sort of hot-beds, cold-frames, or greenhouses: and if you are going to use the onions green, you ought to be near a town or city. HOW TO BE SUKE OF GOOD SEEDS. When our good friend Landreth inaugtu-ated the plan of cremation, or burning up all the seeds before the 1st of January, I thought it was going to be a wonderfnl advance; but I have changed my mind somewhat. There are a few sorts of seeds that had better be burned up — parsnip, salsify, and perhaps onion. All the rest are nearly if not quite as good for an- other year. Instead of burning up the onion, however, I would use th(un to raise onion-sets, or so\\' them thick in the greenhouse, as men- tioned above. We have sowed onion seed two years old for several years, for the above pur- poses. I have been surprised to find that, many times, thev grew just about as well as new seed. Parsnip seed you can not use in this way. Beans and corn rarely germinate as fully when two years old; but by sowing them thicker you may get a very tolerable stand. Tiiere is a dif- ficulty, however. If they should all happen to grow, we should have to thin them out; and thinning out corn where it is a good deal too thick is very expensive business. In fact. I have found it to take more time than all the hoeing and cultivating. On the other hand, if only half the seeds grow, and we have many vacancies, that is bad. It-is true, we can i)lant in some more: but if you do this, unless you have vei'y careful hands to gather your ears for market they will be all the while giving cus- tomers some that is too hard or some that is not mature enough. By the way, I have practiced transplanting corn, and have sometimes thought that, for extra early corn, it paid verv well. You can get rid of tlie weeds, get rid" of the frosts, and get a perfect f^tand. Now, then, I want to say something in favor of 0/(7 seeds. Almost every season we have more or less seed that pleases better than any other we ever had before. We had the finest White Plume celery this last season that I ever saw or heard of. The seed was purchased of Livingston, of Columbus. I almost quarreled with him because he charged me so much. I even talked of sending it back. vVhen he as- sured me, however, that the seed was extra, I consented to keep it. Well, we have now about 4 lbs. of that seed left. What do you suppose I would take for it? Why, I should hate to sell it for twice the regular price, and take my chances on something I had not tested. Peter Henderson said, a good many years ago, that he did not dare to offer celery seed for sale until he had first tested it one season, and I am be- ginning to agree with him exactly. Some years ago we were greatly pleased with a nice lot of White Egg turnips. I Ixiutrht a bagful of the seed, and put it in our catalogue. We sold it three years. But our turnips were always bad shaped, tough, and stringy. I kept trying these on different land, thinking the soil was not suitable. Last fall, however, we sent to Liv- ingston for some White Egg turnip seed, and were rejoiced to find beautiful bulbs, tender and sweet. In fact, they were sweeter than the Purple-top Globe. But right here comes in an- other trouble. These last were sown on that beautiful piece of ground where I turned under the Sharpless strawberries (and put on so many ashes) — the ground that gave such beautiful radishes in just thirty days. Now. I did not .sow any of my old White Egg turnip seed on this nice ground. I became disgusted, and tried only the n(nv. So you see we are all at sea. I do know this, liow'ever, that Livingston's seed is good with nice ground. Under the circumstances I do not dare to use the old seed again until I have tried a row side by side with the new. I have been afraid that some of our large seedsmen (especially where they offer seeds at a very low price) save their seed indiscriminately from every plant that produces seed. Suppose they should save seed from a turnip that jM-oduced scarcely any bulb at all: or from radishes that just ran up to seed the first thing they did. Last season we sowed a lot of carrots very early. Well, in the fall a great lot of them ran up to seed. Our celery does this more or less every season. Suppose somebody should save seed and offer it for sale, from celery that shot right up to a seed -stalk the first thing. I do not know positively, but I presume such .seed would not be worth much if any thing. We want to be slow, however, in drawing conclusions. I will tell you why. I once condemned some radishes because they all ran up to seed without making any bulbs at all. I called the seed -giower a fjvMfc/. Well, I was so much disgusted that I let them go and ripen their pods. The seed fell out and dropped on the ground, during the cool fall weather, which seemed to be just suitable, and brought forth a great quantity of most beautiful radishes. I judged it was the dry hot weather that made the radishes behave so badly in the spring, and that it was the cool fall weather that made the seed from these same radishes do so nicely afterward. Still, it will surely pay to be very careful about the seeds you sow. Let me give you an illustration. About the first of J)me we received an order for 20 cents' worth of Fottler's Brunswick cab- bage seed. Our friend sowed the seed, and I guess about every one grew. He put out the plants and raised a fine field of cabbages. He says, however, that the cabbages made nice hard heads of Jersey Wakefield. He wanted large cabbages to put away for winter. Nobody ()8 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Jax. 15. wanted those little ones in the fall, so be fed them to his cows, and they were probably worth .?!5.00 to him. Had they been the real Fottler's Brunswick, he would i)rohably have received S2.5.00 or .?30.(X) for them. I think his estimate of only .?.5.00 on a tine ci-op of Jersey Wakefield cabbage, even in the fall, was very low, for we often raise them for winter cabbages, and nev- er had any to keep better, or give better satis- faction to our customers. But,, of course, we did not get as many pounds of cabbage to the acre. Did our clerk n^ally make a mistake and go to the wrong bag? Well. .s7)r thinks it next to impossible, and I do not see how it /•».• possi- ble. An ounce of seed costs just 20 cents, and the ounce packages are all put up, a lot of them at once. What is to be done? Candidly, I do not know. If I am to pay §<~'5.00 damages to a man who bought only ;iO cents" worth of seed. I think I should prefer to give up the seed busi- ness entirely. I would buy seeds to plant, of course, but 1 should be afraid to offer seeds for sale. I mention this little incident to illustrate why it is that most seedsmen decline to be re- sponsible for the crop. If it were possible that a peculiar state of thi^ soil and weathei- should make Fottler's Brunswick look like Jersey Wakefield. I should say this was the explana- tion of it. I have not had experience enough to know. OUR I>IST OF SEEDS FOR 1891. You will remember how determined I was to cut the list down. Well. I have cut it down some. I have cut off all our long string of to- matoes but three, and some other things in pro- portion. But the correspondence tliat was brought out in regard to the subject rather dis- couraged me. For instance, I was going to drop Louisville Drumhead cabbage: but this brought a wail from a good friend who had been buying of us for years, who said there was nothing like it for his locality. Last sea- son we tried dropping Early Summer, in order to get rid of so many varieties: but we had more Early Summer plants ordered than al- most any other kind. The biggest and finest cabbages on our grounds were from a few Early Summer plants left ov^er after filling orders. They looked so fine that we just put in a couple of rows, and so it has transpired with other things. We also dropped the White Egg tur- nip in our 18ttO catalogue: but the White Egg was, during this past season, called for all over town, and was the best early turnip we ever raised. Our Experiment Stations have certain- ly done a very wonderful work in weeding out duplicates. Friend Green, in this issue, says that Shoepeg corn is the same thing as Ne IMus Ultra and Banana: and we had some on our grounds that was called, I think. Sugar Cream.* We compared it in looks, and put it on the ta- ble, and it was so near like Shoepeg that cer- tainly there is no reason for cataloguing the two under different names. This makes live different names for one kind of sweet corn. The Osage melon was introduced with quite a flourish, and it is really worthy of adoption; but it is now pronounced the same thing as Miller's Cream, which came with an equally great flotirish. and some of the catalogues have described both without any intimation that they are even alike. Where are we going to get our seeds the com- ing season ? Well, this also becomes complicat- ed and complex. It would save us a good deal in freight and express if we could buy all or nearly all of one seedsman; but we can't do it. *Burpee's catalog-ue is just at hand, and he grives stUl another name to the Shoepeg-; namely, Quaker Sweet. He also pronounces tlie much-lauded Polaris potato the same thing- as the Puritan— u^Ticii;.' As I get acquainted with our various seedsmen. I rejoice to see that they are, for the greater part, good, honest, faithful, hard-working men. We find excellent reasons for getting a certain line of one man and a certain line of another, and so on. There are certain seeds we greatly prefer to raise our.selves. Others come from men who. we know by past experience, raise exactly what we want. Some might happen to come from one and some from another. If you wish to intrust your ordeis to me, I will do "the very best I can for you: but I can not, under any consideration, undertake to guarantee that the seeds we furnish will (ilwans give a crop. RAISINCi I^ETXrCE IX A (JREEXHOUSE, AXD THE LETTUCE DISEASE. I built a small greenhouse, llj<$'x48 feet, last fall, to grow lettuce in, but my first crop is nearly all gone by damping off. I understood that the Grand Rapids lettuce was proof against that fault. There must be something wrong with the treatment I give them. What do you suppose is the matter? Jxo. Major. Cokeville. Pa.. Dec. 24. [Friend M., for several years back there has been universal trouble in raising lettuce in greenhouses, in just the line you mention. But the Grand Rapids lettuce is so little affected in this way that it has been called rot-]jroof. My opinion is. that it is mainly caused by imper- fect drainage, and too much dampness in the atmosphere. The trouble occurs mostly in De- cember or January, when we have the least sunshine. Sudden drafts of chilly air also — at least at times — have something to do with it. Opening the ventilators so that frosty air may strike directly on the plants will cause them to begin to damj) off', say the next day or two, or three days afterward. Taking the sash off en- tirely when we have a spell of warm \veather seems to do the plants a great deal of good. One kind of dampening off is often caused, evi- dently, by having the plants too close together —say where they are crowded in the seed-bed. I have had the opinion that plenty of air, so as to dry the plants and the soil out, just as they will get dried out between showers outdoors in summei'. might remedy it, and I have wondered whether warming the greenhouse by a blast of heated air might not help to get rid of damp- ness in the winter time. Now, if some of the veterans in growing winter lettuce will tell us more about it, I shall be glad to give them space. When I last visited Peter Henderson he said his neighbor John Hudson, who built six large greenhouses, mostly for lettuce-growing, had been obliged to give it up on account of the dampening-oft' and rot. He could grow rad- ishes, without any trouble: but he could get lettuce only by making hot-beds in the old- fashioned way, in the open air, stripping off sash to give them sun and rain when the weather permitted. You can get a glimpse from the above of what I expect to do with my new-fashioned greenhouse when I get it figur- ed out. I have already ever so many plans, but they cost too much money for theordinary mar- ket-gardener.] WHAT IS THE CAUSE OR ORIGIN OF A " SI'ORT " IX VEGETABLES? For the last five years I planted but one kind of pumpkin. In 1889 one vine had an entirely different kind from the parent stock, and, being better. I saved seed from the best one to plant in 1890. This year I had at least six or seven distinct varieties from the seed of that one pumpkin, and only one vine from 80 or 90 had fruit like the one "saved from. If I plant seed 1891 GLEANIN(J.S IN BEE CULTURE. ri9 from only one kind the coming season, will it be the same, or go on increasing? Was it a sport or not? I thought they produced the same as the sport. I liave some of tliem yet, just as sound as when picked from the vines. They are a sweet pumpkin. Ben.t. Passage. Stark, Mich.. Dec. 25. [Friend P., you have struck upon something of great interest to me. and perhaps to others. You can. without question, by careful selection, get a distinct variety of pumpkins from the sport you mention: but. if I am correct, a sport is always inclined, more or less, to sport still further": thei'efore your pumpkins will sport still further unless you by selection hold them down, as it were, to something you have decid- ed on. I wish Prof. Cook would tell me wheth- er I am correct.] EDITOl^I^Ii. Wherefore do 3-e spend mone3' for that which is not bread ! and vour labor for that which satisfleth not;— Isaiah 55:2. Reduced rates to the Ohio State Bee-keep- ei-s' Association (to be held at Toledo, Feb. 10 and 11), will be given on all the roads — at least IK fare, and possibly better. Dr. Mason has the matter in charge. XEW CATALOGUES. What is the matter with the new catalogues? If you want them noticed, send them in: and if perchance we overlook it. please jog our mem- ory. GAKDEXING AND BEES. E. L. Pratt says, in the ApiejtltKrist. that there is no pursuit that can hv worked with bee-keeping to such advantage as gardening under glass. THOSE OUTSIDE WINTER CASES. These seem to be doing nicely so far in our apiary. The bees seem to be in just as nice condition as those in large chaff hives. So far we feel very much encouraged as to their ulti- mate success. THE SLATTED HONEY-BOARD. The slatted honey-board is now scarcely or- dered, and we havi^ almost ceased making them. Fixed distances and thick top-bars are running it out entirely. Of course, queen-excluding honey-boards are as popular as ever. HOFFMAN frames. These are growing exceedingly popular, judg- ing by the way orders are coming in for them. It fans E. R.'s conceit mightily to think that he helped to call attention this fall to something so manifestly good and useful in the bee-hives. Mr. Julius Hoffman is a benefactor. SILO and silage, by pbof. cook. The third edition is now out, and more than 25,000 copies have been sold in less than two years. The book will be worth many times its cost to any of our readers who have even a small interest in this wonderful invention in agriculture. Mailed from our office for 25 cts. We will send Gleanings and the silo book to- gether for $1.15. the new dress of the AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. The Jan. 1st number of the '' old reliable,"" always-on-time bee-publication is before us. While its pages have been reduced to a size slightly smaller than these, the number has been increased to 32 instead of 1(5 as formerly. Its general appearance and make-up. as usual, are good, and it is printed wholly Irom new type. With this number the Anicrlcdn Bee Journal celebrates its 30th year of existence, and we wish it many more happy New Years. A NEW BOOK BY FRIEND COWAN. •'The Honey-Bee" is the title of a new book by Thomas William Cowan, editor of the British Bee Jcniriidl. It contains over 200 pages, detailing the natural history, anatony. and physiology of the bee. Some handsome origi- nal engravings adorn the pages of the book. We have not had time to review it. but we will do so a little later, reproducing a sample of one of the enlarged engravings of the honey-bee, showing the internal organs. PRINTING PRICE LISTS. Our facilities for printing apiarian price lists were never better than now. We have an enormous selection of electrotypes from which to choose; and having put in another new press, we are enabled to do work cheaper and more expeditiously than ever before. A cata- logue is now before us which was evidently printed at some local printing-office. A cut of the one-piece section is upside down, and the size of the sections is given at 4K,x4i4. We tind other errors that would have been corrected by any one who knows any thing about bees. PAINTED MUSLIN VS. PAINTED TIN FOR COVERS TO HIVES. Some one has said, we do not know where, that painted muslin answers excellently in place of tin for covers to hives. Muslin or com- mon cloth is stretched over the board cover, and nailed around the edges. It is then given two or three good coats of paint. Of course, it can not be quite as durable as tin: but if it can be made to answer for several years, we could afford to re-cover the hives. Who has had lots of experience in this matter ? If outside winter cases can be covered with painted cloth instead of tin it will make them cheaper still. queen-excluders, AND WHEN TO USE AND WHEN NOT TO USE THEM. Our best bee-keepers seem to think that perforated zinc queen-excluders are not a ne- cessity in the production of cotnb honey. The instances in which queens enter the supers are so rare that it is not worth the expense and time in putting them on the hives. For extract- ed honey, excluders are fast being regarded a necessity. Queens are much more apt to enter extracting-combs than the sections. The rea- son is, because the foimer are more nearly of a natural thickness; and in the latter, the cells are so deep that the queen is quite discouraged. THE AMATEUR PH0T<>GRAPHER"S HANDBOOK. We have had a call at various times for a good book on amateur photography; but here- tofore we have not been able to furnish some- thing that was up with the times, simple in style, and reliable in instruction. ]Most of the books are too complex, and suited onlv for the professionals. Recently our attention "has been called to the Amateur Photographer"s Hand- book, by that very fascinating author, Arthur Hope. It is easy to see that he has been through all the "experiences." His style is so captivating, and so simple and plain, that al- most any boy will be enabled to turn out good work. In fact, if he is inclined to run into hob- bies he will be carried clear away with the book, and with the subject with whic h t deals (JLEANIXGS IX BEE CULTURE. Jan. 1.1. The work is so excellonl that we liave decided to place it on our booli-list. and can furnish it postpaid by mail, in paper cover, for 7.5 cts. THE C'.VPPIXGS DEPAKTMEXT Of the Canndinn Bee Journal is interesting and well edited. It gives the best thoughts of bee-keepei'S. no matter whei-e uttered, with substantial credit, not only of the writer, but of the bee-journal as well. YELLOW CAKXIOLAXS. A GOOiJ deal is said in the Ainculturist about yellow Carniolans. If they resemble the Ital- ians at all, how are we to distinguish them from the bees from sunny Italy? The typical Carniolans we have tested seem dift(n-ent from Italians only in color. Make the color the same, and we could not tell which from t'other. Who will be the lucky man to inti-oduce yellow black bees'? A VISIT FKOM A VEKMOXT BEE-KEEPEK. Our friend and correspondent. J. H. Larra- bee, of Larrabee"s Point. Vt., and secretary of the Vermont Bee-keepers" Association, made us a pleasant call last week. He is one of the parties w ho helped to get up the bee-keepers' camp on Lake George last summer. He is a wide-awake and i^rogressive bee-keeper; and the name "Genial .John."' as given him by Rambler, seems to tit him well. Perhaps we shall hear more of him later. THE BRITISH BEE JOUKXAL TO SUBSCRIBERS TO GLEANINGS. Until further notice we will furnish the British Bee Journal, published weekly, at the same price as Gleanixgs— fl.OO a year. The regular price of the British Bee Journal is $1.50. We are enabled to do this by exchanging a cer- tain number of Gleaxixgs for the same num- ber of the B. B. J. After the number to be exchanged is taken up. the price will be as heretofore— *'3.40 for both. THE NEW YORK STATE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. This meets Jan. 2:1. ;i3. and 24. The charac- ter of the discussions and essays, together with the prominent bee-keepers whose names ai-e attached, bespeak a si)lendid meeting. This three days' session, together with its prominent bee-keepers, will make this convention rank in importance next to one of the N. A. B. K. A. See published program elsewhere. Ernest or A. I. R. expects to be present. QUEEN - EXCLUDING HONEY- BOARDS MADE OF WOOD. These have been made before with the slots parallel to the grain, but they were discai'ded because of the shrinkage of the wood and con- sequent moisture of the hive. But the G. B. Lewis Co. are now making them with the slots to go across the grain, and they predict their success. By the way. this firm has lately made a dovetailed hive out of ;'« lumber, and th(^y sell it at a very moderate price. The testimony of all apiarists has been against any thing less than % inch for the walls of the hive; but here will be a chance for somebody to test the mat- ter. TWO NEW BEE-JOURNALS. Two more new bee-journals were issued Jan. 1. this year. The first that comes to our table is the American Bcc-Kceper, edited and pub- lished by tiie W. T. Falconer Co.. Jamestown. X. Y. It is nicely printed, 16 pages, with a nc^at arid attractive tinted cover. Such bee-keepers as Dr. Miller, Dr. Tinker. Mrs. Harrison. E. L. Pratt. Mr. Holterniann. and others, have writ- ten for it. The othci' jouinal is the Bee World, edited and published by our old friend and cor- respondent, W. S. Vandruff. Waynesburg. Pa. The latter is a 16-page monthly. Price 50 cts. per year. It starts out well. Success to the new publications, is the wish of Gleanings. THE PROJECT TO MOVE A AVHOLE APIARY IX WINTER TO COLORADO. Our friend O. R. Coe, still at Windham, X. Y.. who, it will be I'emembcred. was proposing to go to some alfalfa tields with his apiary, has settled upon his location, which is Fort Collins, Col. He has ascertained that it is in the midst of the Rocky Mountain bee-plant and alfalfa bloom, and proposes to get his bees into the field early, and be ready for the honey-tlo^-. He is going to move a carload of bees to his new location this winter. In a letter just re- ceived he expresses a fear that he may not be able to move the bees as soon as he desires, on account of the almost impassable condition of the roads to the railway station, by reason of th(^ great depth of snow, and the consequent drifts. He writes, under date of Dec. 21: Never, since I can remember, have we been so completely blocked in by snow early hi the winter, as now. Our roads, many of them, are utterly im- passable from drifts— as much so as they were in tlie great blizzard of three years ago next March. BALL S ALFALFA AND SOIiE THROAT. A MEMBER of the Root family was suddenly taken in the night with a distressing sore throat, followed by coughing, and difficult and painful breathing. Trask's ointment and gargling of salt water had no effect. Xow. there happened to be in .the house about half a tumblerful of Ball's alfalfa. This honey was liquid, and of beautiful body and color. Without much faith, this was given to the patient. Almost instantly came relief. That rich and beautiful honey acted like a soothing oil upon a throat raw with coughing. After a little the distressing symp- toms returned, and again the honey was ad- ministered, with like results, and so we kept up the program until it was gone. Then we trapsed around the house until we found a bottle of white clover. We tried this, but it had no ef- fect. We next gave the patient the scrapings of the alfalfa jar. and, like oil to a hot box, it went to the spot. T(»mporary though it was, it relieved a great deal of suffering and no little " scare." It seemed to cut the mucus, and pro- tect the raw sores in the throat. [The above from Ernest sounds pretty strong for alfalfa honey: and although I confess I do not understand why alfalfa honey should have any particular virtues over other clover honey, the facts in the case given seem to decide that there must be a difference somewhere. If this be true, then may it not reasonably be presum- ed that honey from other plants may have special virtues for paiticular ailments.] , STATISTICS. The other day a correspondent, having in view the preparation of an essay to be read at a farmers's institute, desired us to furnish him with statistics as to the number of colonies in the I'niti'd States, the number of pounds of honey and wax produced, etc. There have been no reliable statistics made, although some pret- tv good guesses have been given. It was esti- mated, two or three years ago, that there were ,3()0.()()0 bee-keepers in the land, and that the number of colonics, if each owned not less than ten, would be :}.(KK).()tX). Allowing 10 lbs. per colony, the annual product would he 30.{X)().(K)0 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. n lbs. But the probabilities are. at this date, that the number of bee-keepers has Increased to 500.000, and that the annual product of their hives has increa.sed at least in proportion. The government statistics as touching honey which we have had so far would be too unreliable to quote. DISCAKDINC; Or,D TIIIXGS AXD TAKING UP NEW OXES. FoK a good many years Gleaxixgs has been slow in adopting improvements in bee culture. One reason of this is, that, more than a dozen years ago. there was quite a protest against in- troducing so many new fixtures. The pro- test was just, and I confess I feel now a good deal of anxiety when so many new things are coming up, being illustrated and offered for sale: and I do believe that we should always be slow in bringing to our apiaries different ar- rangements. It is well to present these things and discuss them: but l)efore adopting them I would let our Question-box corps give their opinions. If a change is to be made, let us have the reasons in full for demanding the change. Let us take the Hoffman frame as an example. It is by no means a new thing, but its revival is new. While I feel somewhat doubtful as to whether it is going to obtain a permanent place in our hives, there are two reasons just now for its adoption. Out-apia- ries are taking a place in our industry that they never did befoic: and there is also a strong demand for something to do away with the buiT-comb nuisance. If the bees wilJ build combs, have them build them where they are worth money instead of where they are a" nui- sance. To do this we want fixed distances: and if we want fixed distances, perhaps nothing bet- ter presents itself than the Hoffman frame. Please remember, friends, that A. I. Root, while he lives, is going to protest and hold back against the introducMon of any thing new un- til there is some very good and ijlain reason for burdening the brotherhood with new and ad- ditional expenses. THE XATIOXAI. BEE-KEEPEIiS" T'XIOX. The <)th annual report of the General Man- ager. Mr. Thomas G. Newman, Chicago, 111., is before us. Mr. Newman says: •• When attorneys are defending cases in courts, they often cite the suits previously de- cided, which favor their argument, or are anal- ogous to it. * * * * AVhen bee-keepers are their clients, they should be able to point to de- cisions or points of law in favor of the pursuit. * * * * In the first case defended by the Union. Judge Clemen tson remarked: "This case involves new points of law upon which there are no rulings of the Supreme Court. We have no law upon which to instruct a jury.' That was in the Freeborn case, in Wisconsin, which the L^nion had defended so vigorously that the complainant lost his grip in the first round, and it was literally kicked out of court. We have now secured several decisions, notably the one in the Supreme Court of Arkansas. These not only save trouble and annoyance to bee-keepers, but also expense to the Union, by the prevention of petty lawsuits. '• Now. if city councils or town boards are any- where troubled by a complainant, and asked to pass an ordinance declai'ing l)ee-keeping a nuisance, and to prohibit it within the corpor- ate limits, etc., every member, together with the mayor, the city attorney, and the one mak- ing the complaint." are all dosed with copies of the Supreme Court decision, that 'bee-keeping is not a nuisance" perse, and the matter is at once dropped— killed by the decision of the Su- preme Court of Arkansas! "" In the one point of establishing precedents, the Union has performed a grand work: and even should it now be disbanded, these prece- dents will go on. having their infiuence just the same: but there is no likelihood of the Union being disbanded so long as T. G. Newman re- mains back of it: and under his efficient man- agement we have no doubt that it will continue its good work. It has two more cases on hand, and the General Manager is in hopes that they will be landed in the Supreme Court of their respective States on account of the valuable decisions that will be. without question, ren- dered in favor of the bees. The Union has a balance on hand in the treasury of .*(yi.l8. It has engaged attorneys for the defense of the several cases above mentioned: but Mr. New- man says we shall have use fo*- all the money on hand, and the dues for the next year, as the cases are reached on the docket. To become a member, send ^^l.oo to the General Manager, as above. OI-D SQUARE CAXS FOH CALIFOKXIA HOXEY : HOW CALIFOKXIAXS ARE BREAKIXG DOWX THEIR MARKET. It is a well-known fact, that square cans are used almost exclusively for shipping kerosene from the East to the Pacific coast. After being emptied they are filled with other liquids, and shipped back again. The worst part of it is. they are being used largely for extracted hon- ey. It is true, they are scalded out, and then the first quality of extracted honey is put in and sent by the carload to the East. Some cans that our men have examined leave us in doubt as to whether they were ever scalded. Some- times the flavor of the hon^n- is seriously deteri- orated, and at other times it is scarcely per- ceptible. Our friend and correspondent. J. F. Mclntyre. a Californian. it will be remembered, has written against the use of oil-cans for packages for honey. The great difficulty in the way is, that the California markets, at present, will not pay the difference between honey put up in new square cans, and that put up inthose formerly used for kerosene. And still another thing is. that these oil-cans can be had for 50 cts. per case less than the new ones; and some of our Western bee- keepers, looking to immediate gains, buy the cheaper packages. If they will reflect a mo- ment, they will see that, in time, they will ruin the Eastern markets for all California honey, or, at least, make it so it will drop a cent or two — a thing that California bee-keepers can not afford to have happen. Now. if you Californians must use coal-oiJ cans, use some alkali to cut the residue of grease that clings to the inside of the cans. Hot water will not remove it: but a very little weak ammonia \\ill. Yesterday we cut the top off from one of those oil-cans in which had been shipped us some first quality of honey. We were suspicious of the flavor, arid hence de- cided to investigate. The top being removed, we found that a thin deposit of black grease clung to all the six sides of the can. Hot water would not budge it. I then told one of the boys to get one of our 20-cent bottles, holding nearly a quart of ammonia. It is rather weaker than the ordinary commercial article, and is used for washing purposes. Two taplespoonfuis of this were thrown into the topless can. After shak- ing it around for a minute, the black grease came off entirely, and the sides of the can were as bright and clean as a dollar. I am not sure but that a single tablespoonful of commercial ammonia, mixed with about half a cup of wa- ter, would do the same. Remove tlie cap. pour in the liquid, screw the cap down, and then give the can a good shaking. If this does not re- GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. .Tax. 15. move a lot of black, greasy, inky-looking sub- stance, then it will not do as it has done for us here at the Home of the Honey-bees. I should like to have some of our iViends in California try this, and then scaUl out with hot water, and let the cans stand upside down to drain. It may be argued, that, on a carload of cans, it would make the amnu)nia rather expensive. A day's time, and about a dollar's worth of am- monia, according to onr market;*, in its original form, will make enough to renovate a whole carload of cans. This expense is small in com- parison with the ultimate reduction of a cent a pound on California extracted honey. Unless old cans are renovated by an alkali, like ammo- nia, or new cans are used, the bee-keepers of California will be doing liiemselves irreparable damage. E- R- SUCCESS IX MAILIXG A QUEEX TO AUSTRALIA; THE BENTOX MAIIJXG-CAGE AXD GOOD CANDY PUT TO A SEVEUE TEST. About a year ago, one of our customers, Mr. .Eneas Walker, of Queensland, Aas., sent us an order for two tested queers. We put them up in the regular Benton cage, and provisioned them the best we knew how. but with very little hopes, however, of even the cages ever getting through to their destination, to say nothing aboiU the queens arriving alive in the event they did. There are some restrictions in the Australian mails, and we feared the mag- nates over there would hold them when they got into their jurisdiction. The cages went through all right, however, but the queens were dead. Our customer. Mr. Walker, wrote to us that the bees had, by their general looks, died within only a day or two — starved to death— their food having been entirely used up. We regarded this at the time as a success, in so far that we delivered two queens in ordinary Benton cages, clear into the country of Aus- tralia, alive, and that, if we had just put in a little more candy to have lasted them two or three days more, we could have reported entire success. " On the 10th of last October we replac- ed the two queens, sending them this time in larger Benton cages. One was a tested honey queen, and the other an untested. You will see by the letter below that the tested honey queen arrived in safety, after a journey of 37 days. The untested, for some unaccountable reason, with her attendants, died. Mr. Walker writes: My Dear Mr. Rnot:—l am very much pleased in- deed to be able to report that the tested honey queen and lier atteiidauts arrived here in safety on the 15th inst., having- thus had a journey of 37 days. Tliey liad consumed only about lialf of their candy, so that either the nuiiil)er of lieos sent with tlie queen must have been considerably less than in the first in- stance, or the weather must have been cooler; but any way, it is now satisfactdrily denidnstratert that queens can be sent safely by mail from America to Australia. The untesled (lueen and hei- acfompany- i ng- bees, I resret to say. were dead ; and they must have died early in the jouiney, as less than a quar- ter of their candy had been eaten. ^NEAS Walker. Queensland, Redland Bay, Nov. 24.; DBoth queens were put into'jthe same kind of cages, and the candy was made from the same batch. It is one of those things that we can not explain, why. under precisely the same con- ditions, one lot of bees should die, and that the other should live. It is very possible (a fact which our correspondent may have failed to observe) that^a single bee might have stuck to the candy, directly in front of the opening, and thus prevented the others from obtaining the food. The journey through the mails may in time have aislodg(^d the bee from the candy, and, of course, all apparently died from some unknown cause. This has, in fact, happened seveial times, as the returned cages showed. The more I think of it. the more I am inclined to be- lieve that this must have been the causeof death: for c(n-tainly an untested queen is supposed to stand more in the mails than an older tested one. IVIr. Walker has ordered four more queens, all to be s(mt in Benton cages. The size of cage to which we are limited in the mails is .ixiixlji' inches, and it is to be covered with a wire screen, protected by a movable wire lid. The Benton cage which we sent conformed exactly to that size. The number of bees whic?! we put in ea,ch cage was 35. It is well known that the Benton cage proper has three holes. In the center one we put a thin wooden partition. We filled one of the end holes and half of the cen- ter partition with candy, the bees occupying the rest of the space. I am explicit in all these details, in order that ail queen -breeders may accomplish the same thing if they desire, or, at least, attempt it. By way of a feat, I hope that some of our ex- tensive queen-breeders will ti-y the same ex- periment. They can afTord to throw away at least one queen to see what they can do. and Mr. Walker certainly will not complain if he receives a nice Italian queen-bee from America, in good order, especially if no charge is made. The Benton cage is capable of wonderful re- sults: and if others are equally successful, or more so, it will be a great boon to Australians, and to bee - keepers living in other remote parts of the world from us. I omitted to say, that we are obliged to put on h'ttcr postage— that is, 13 cents per half- ounce, or fraction thereof. This will make the postage on a package such as we sent, 11.04 per queen. Queen-bees in the size of packages indicated above are not admitted to all coun- tries; but the Postal Guide says that we can send them to the Argentine Republic, Belgium, Bulgaria. Chili, Columbia, Cougp, Dutch West Indies (Curacoa, etc.). Egypt. Guatemala, Hay- ti, the Hawaiian Kingdom (Sandwich Islands), British India. Italy, Liberia, Mexico, Paraguay, Portugal and the Portuguese Colonies, Rou- mania. Siam, vSpain, and Switzerland, as " sam- ples of m(>rchandise;" and to Austria, Hungary, France. Germany, Greece. Luxemburg, the Netherlands and Netherlands Guiana, and Sweden, provided postage is fully prepaid thereon at the letter rate: viz., 5 cents per half- ounce or a fraction thereof. You will observe that Australia and her prov- inces are not included: but I think there will be no trouble when full letter postage is put on. Later.— Hince the' above was written, a letter comes to hand, from Mr. John Sench, under date of Dec. 18, acknowledging the safe arrival of two queens at Port Morant, Jamaica, West Indies. Nov. 25, last year, we sent two select tested queens, put uj) in Benton cages, the same size as above given, and put on letter postage: namely. 5 cts. per half-ounce in this case. Our customer does not say just when the queens arrived: but presuming that he wrote imme- diately, or soon after their receipt, the bees must "have been nearly a month on the way. We have tried sending queens several times be- fore in Peet cages, with Good candy, but there was a failure in every instance. We must at- tribute the secret of this success to the Benton cage, for the candy, namely, powdered sugar and honey, mixed to a stiff j dough was used in the Peet cages before. Perhaps I should add. that the queens were first;sent to a forwarding house in New York, and from there they were sent direct to the address as above. E. R. 1881 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. EXCELSIOR INCUBATOR simple, Perfect nnd Self-Keeulntlne< Hundreds in successful operation. Guar- anteed to hatch a larger percentage of fertile eggs at less cost than any other hatcher. Send 6c. for Dlus. Catalogue. «&™ GEO. H. STAHL, Quincy, III. ll^"ln resiiontlin^' to tlii.. itidll (iLKANINUS. IMPORTED QUEENS. Ill May and .Tune, eacli Ill July and August, each — In September and October, e;i Money must be sent in g'uaranteed. Queens that di in the letter, will be replaced order for less than 8 queens /» ed. €I1A>*. 1-lld |t^"Iii responrllnsr to tliis advt'iti.-€llM, Boloi;na, Italy. rileill IllrllljOU GLKANINIiS. 1891. 12th Year. HEADQUARTERS IN THE SOUTH For the manufacture and sale of BEE-HIYES AND BEE-KEEPERS' SUPPLIES, Early Nuch'i, and Italian Queens. Send for Price List. P. L. VIALLOIT, Itfd EsLyoiA Go-u-la, La.. t^"In responding to this adveitifement mention Gleanings. PATENT WIRED COMB FOUNDATION HAS NO SAG IN BROOD-FKAMES. THIN FLAT - BOTTOM FOUNDATION Has No Fisli-boiie in Siiri»lus Honey. Being the cleanest is usually worked the quickest of any Foundation made. J. VAN i»KUSEN & SONS, Sole Maoufacturers, 5tfd Sprout Brook, Montgomery Co., N. Y. ^"In responding to this advfiusement mention Gleaninos. Bee-Keepers' Supplies. WHY SEND : LONG > DISTANCES ? SEND YOUR ADDRESS (DON'T FORGET THE COI'NTY) FOR MY NEW PRICE LIST FOR 1891. C. p. BISH, Grove City, Mercer Co.,Pennsyra. ESTABLISHED IN 1884. 7tfd Please mention this paper. HIVES AND FRAMES- 8-lrame hive, with two supeis, iWc; 10, .fS.UO. Thick- top brood-frames, with top-iiar split to"reeeive I'du. guide, per 100, 9Uc; other styles, $1.00 per 100. No. 1 sections, $3.00 per M. ParKer fdn-fasteneVs, 30c, this month only. Circular free. 19-17d SPECIAL RATES TO DEALERS. Write us. \W. D. SOPER A: CO., 118-130 Washington St. E., Jackson, Rlicli. Please mention this paper. lOni EARLY ITALIAN QUEENS from bees I QH I bred for business. Try my strain of 7 yrs. **" breeding. The extra honey stored will nil, re than pay her cost. Each $1.00: six, $4,50. Ready in May. If you prefer, order now and pay when (lueens arrive. W. H. LAWS, 3tfdb Lavaca, Sebastian Co., Ark. I^"ln responding to tliis advertisement mention GLKAunfas. STORE AND APIARY FOR SALE. store hnely situated for doing good business. First-class apiar.\- of 1.^0 colonies of choice Italians. Every thing neccssaiy for getting the best results in extracted honey— -bees in self-spacing hanging frame hives. Also two Bee- Wagons, Honey-Extractors, Wax-Extractors, Honey-Kegs, one Given Foundation- Press with two sets of cUes, one large Store-House near bee-yard. Two good boats, with interest in boat-house on lake. For particulars apply to C. G. FERRIS, Miller's Mills, N. Y. 2tfdb Please mention this paper. rRRQI Brown Leghorn, White Leghorn, $1.35. bUU0. Black Minorca, Plymouth Rock, Pekin Duck, $1.50. Light Brahma, Langshan, Game, $3 per 13 eggs. Strictly pure-bred. Ship safely anywliere. Illustrated circular free. GEER BR«»S., Itfdb St. Jnarys, IWo. t#"lu responding to this advertisement mention f. LKyiNiNOH 189i NEW BEE-HIYE FACTORY, m. Root's Dovetailed Hive a specialty. Price List free. Save your freight, and order early of Itfdb GEO. W. COOK, Spring Hill, Johnson Co., Kan. I^rin responding to this ,1'lveitise.. lent mention GLEANINGa, The Bee World is published monthly at 50c per year. It is devoted THE BEE tions, and discover- to collecting the lat- ,„-___ ies thro\igliout the est NEWS, invcn- WURLC. bee-keeping world. If you want to keep posted, you cannot afford to do without it. Subscribe now. Sample copies free. 3 7d Address AV. S. VANDRUFF, Waynesburg, Pa, t^f In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings, Western Bee-Keepers' Supply House Root's Goods can be had at Des Moines Iowa, at Root's Prices. The largest supply business in the West. Established 1886 Dovetailed Hives, Sec- tions, Foundation, Ex- tractors, Smokers, Veils, Crates, Feeders, Clover Seeds, etc. Imported Italian Queens. Queens and Bees. Sample ropy of our Bee Jonrnai, "The West- ern Bee - Keeper." and Latest Catalogue mailed Free to Bee-keepers. JOSEPH NYSEWANDEE, DES MOINES, IOWA. tS"In responding to this advertisement mention Glkaning.s. Barnes' Foot-Power Machinery. Read what J. I. Parent, of ChakliTon, N. Y., says — "We cut with one of your Combined Machines last winter 50 chaff hives with 7-inch cap, 100 honey- racks, 500 broad frames, 3,000 noney-boxes, and a great deal of other work. This winter we have double the amount of bee- hives, etc., to make, and we ex- pect to do it all with th s Saw. It will do all you say it will." Catalogue and Price List Free. Address W. F. & JOHN BARNES, 545 Ruby St., Rockford, 111. When more convenient, orders for Barnes' Foot- Power Machinery may be sent to me. A. I. Root. 23tfd VANDERVORT COMB FOUNDATIOIT MILLS. Send for samples and reduced price list. Itfd JNO. VANDERVORT Laceyville. Pa. ^"In responding to this adverti: nent mention Gleanings. 80 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Feb. 1. Contents of this Number Alfalfa-roots 101 Ants. Black 101 Apiaries. Manum's 86 Bees Roaring 85 Boards or Quilts 98 Bricks on Hives 89 Carp 90 Cellars, Temperature 108 Combs Dark 98 Comb Honey and Propolis.. 99 Dove'd Hive in Oregon loi Ernest at Dr. Miller's 91 Foundation, Full Sheets.... 91 Frame, Against Hotfman... 96 Frame. Hoffman 100 Frame to Adopt ICO Frames Lengthwise 99 Garden-seeds. Reducing list. 106 Garden. Making it Pay 109 Gleanings and Trusts 92 Gloves in Apiarv 88 Hair Packing 99 Heat in Cellar (Q. B.).102 Hive, Dovetailed 87 Hives, Double-walled 99 Hoffman Frame 99 Honey like wet Sugar 100 Idea, The Kew 101 Indiana Paint Co 107 Japanese Buckwheat 100 Kegs vs. Cans 96 Manum at Barber's 85 Moth.Tmeid 88 Nails, Bejit-point 100 ()il-l■an^ for honey 101 Onion Culture 1I19 Outer Case for Wintering.. 97 Outside Show in Goods 98 Queens (rum Cell-cups 84 Rambler at Dr. Merchant's. 91 Record on Hives 89 Rent for Apiary 101 Road-making 98 Sections Sold by the Piece.. 97 Spacing. Close 100 Spanish Needle 100 Sjiring Dwindling 99 Tunis, Letter from 95 Pl^NBY GeMJIN. CITY MARKETS. Milwaukee.— Ho (try. —Tlio demand for honey, both comb and e.\ti;icteo(2'9i4; amber, 6>^@, 8. Beeswax, 2."@28. A. V Bishop. « Jan. 17. 142 W. Water St.. Milwaukee, Wis. Cincinnati.— i?o?icj/. — There is a fair demand for comb honey at lP(ajl8c a lb. in the jobbing way for choice white. Demand is good for extracted honey at 6(Sj8c a lb. on arrival. There is a good supply of all but Southern honey, which is scaice. Beeswax. —Demand is good toi- beeswax at 24@.26c a lb. for good to choice yellow on arrival. Jan. 16. Chas. F. Muth & Son, Cincinnati, O. New York.— Honey.— Market quiet and unchang- ed. We quote extracted light Fla. at from 8@8V2 ets. per lb., and California from TOTVjc per lb. Beeswax from 27@29 cts. per lb. F. G. Strohmeyer & Co.. Jan. 2d. New York City. Albany. — Honey.— We have received up to date 21.50 cases of comb and 234 packages of extracted honey. As we expected, there is an increased de- mand for dark extracted honey, and we are nearly out of stock. Comb honey is moving otf slowly with no change in prices. White, 16@18c; mixed, lifffloc; buckwiieat, llSiac. Extracted light, 9@10: dark, 7@8. Chas. McCulloch & Co., Jan. 21. 339 Broadway, Albany, N. Y. St. Louis.— Wo/icy.— We quote to-day's honey-mar- ket: Choice white-clover comb, 1-lb. sections, l8c; good, 17c; fair, IStSuB: broken comb, l(i(gil2. Ex- tracted, white clo\er, in cans, 9@lUt; dark, "©"'c; Southern, in barrels. Ti^gitii^. /Jecsu'air.— Se ecied, 25X@2H; prime. 25@2.5>^ ; dark and hui-aed, less. Jan. 10. W. B. VVestcott & Co.. St. Louis, Mo. San FHANCisco.—Honcy.— Extracted honey firm 5%@6>^. Comb honey scarce; :Mb.. 12@14c; 1-lb., 14 @16. Beeswax in demaml a. '24 't.24i«c. SCHACHT, LeMCKE & StEINEK, Jan. 12. San F'rancisco, Cal. Detroit.- Ho?ietf.— Comb honey is selling slowly at ]5@lBc; white clover and ha.sswood scarce. Ex- tracted, 7@8c. Hei.-wed?— M. M. Rice, Marion. 9. Which will produce more honey — a colon.v allowed to swarm, counting in the work of the swarm, or one kept from swarming?- Delos Ricks, Boscobel. 10. Which is the most profitable way for increase— by artifi- cial swarming or by natural swarming?— M. M. Rice. 11. Robbing, cause and cure— H. Gilmore, Georgetown. 12. Is it profitable for a farmer to keep bees!— E. S. Morse,. Fennimore. 13. Location of apiary and stands, tools, etc.— B. E. Rice. 14. Other occupations for bee-keepers, that pay well to com- bine with apiculture— Mr. Prideaux, Bloomingion. E. Pike, Pies. B. E. RiCE. Sec'y. 1801 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 81 PfllCE LISTS RECEIVED. Since our Iftst issue we have reeeivecl price lists of bees, hives, and apiariau supplies in general, from the following J. B. LiMontigne. Winter Park, Fia. S. F. & 1. Trepro. Swedona. HI. Gresorj- Brothers, Ottumua. la, M, Richardson & Son, Port Colborne, Ont. W. D. S >per & Co.. Jack this lit Ulfriliiill (i BEE-KEEPERS' SUPPLY CO. f)FFlCES: 65 CLARK ST., ROOM 14, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, and TOPEKA, KANSAS. Manufacturers of and dealers in liee-keepers' sup- plies. For prices of bee-hives, sections, shipping- crates, frames, foundation, smokers, etc., write for circular and special prices before placing your order. ./, H. Ji-LUSJH, Sec. Itfdb Please mention this paper. ALLEY'S IMPROVED AUTOMATIC SV^ARM-HIYER. Tlioronghly tested, and guaranteed to SELF- HIVE every swarm that passes through it. Sample mailed for $1.0(1 AMERICAN APICULTURIST one year and Swarmer by mail, $1..50. Sample APICULTURIST with full description of SWARMER, illustrated, free. l-4db H. ALLEY, Wenham, Mass. lyin responding to this sulveitiKenient mention Glkanings. NEV/ -*- FACTORY. Bee-Hives, Sections, Frames, Etc. We have mi ved into our new fiictory, which is the largest and most complete in the world, we make the be.st goods, and sell them at the lowest prices. Write for free illnstratcd catalogue. G. B. LEWIS CO., ntfdb WATERTOWN, WIS. |3f In responding to this aUveiiiaeiiieia liieniiun Glkakings. ^i^THE CANADIAN^^ Bee Journal Edited by I). A. ,tt>nvH 75c. Per Year. Poultry Journal Kditidby W. C.G.Peter. 75c. Per Year. These are publislied separately, alternate weeks, and are edited by live pi'actical nien, and contribut- ed to by the best writers. Both Journals are inter- esting, and are alike valuable to the e.xpert and amateur. Sample copies free. Both Journals one year to one address $1. Until June 1st we will send either Journal on trial trip for 6 months for 2.5 cts. 77?^ D. A. Jones Co., Ld., Beeton, Ont. tS"Please mention Glbaninos. '''•You press the button , ive do the rest.'''' SEVEN NEW STILES AND SIZES. A1.T, LOADKD WITH TRANSTARENT EIL31S. For sale by all Photo. Stock Dealers. 123-id THE EASTMAN COMPANY, Send for Catalogue. ROCHESTER. N. Y. |t^"ln responding to this advertisement mention Gleaningsl The SEE- KEEPEI^S' l^EVIEW has been enlarged, a covep added and th ppiee raised to $1.00. fJeveP mind i you have seen copies of iopmetf in responding to this issues, send fof a copy of the last number, sent fpee, fead it, adniire it, and then subse f ibe. Rddness W. Z. jlatehinson> piint, ^ieh advertisement mention Gleanings. E H ii n G E D NEW FACTORY. LOW PRICES. Eight-frame C'liaff Hives. Closed-end, oi' Hoffman- Frame.s, a specialty. One and Ftmr piece Sections,, etc. Send for circular. Tinn. BURDSAL., l-4db liebauuu, Oliio. rt^"lu responding to tin'" ■"' •" fimiu ]...-iiii.,ii cji.kanings. FOUNDATION & SECTIONS are my specialties. No. 1 V-g-roove Sections at f 3.00 per lOCO. Special Prices to dealers. Setid foi' free- price list of every thinji' needed in the apiary. ITI. H. Hll^T. Itfdb Bell Brsiiieli, Midi. lS"In responding to this advertisenii-nt niHiiticn <;i ].,.m.-^i.-. JUST OUT. SOMETHING ENTIUELV NEW IN HIVE ST Address JAMES HEDDON, DOWAGIflC, ^VIICH. l^lease mention this paper. Vol. XIX. FEB. 1, 1»91. No. 3. TERMS: 81.00 PekAnntjm. IN ADVANCE; 1 TT'c'+rt'hI-i oil />/l Vin 1 Q 'V Q f Clubs to different postoffices, not LE88 aCopies tor$1.90; 3for«2.75:5forM.OO; I HiOlUjU VLO iLt/U/ L fV J. O lO. | than 90 cts. each. Sent postpaid, in the 10 or more, 75 cts. each. Single num- i, ptjblishkd SEia-MONTHLT et \ ^■. ^- ^^^ Canadas. To all other coun- ber. 6 ( Additions to club!* may made at club rates. Above are all to be sent to ONE postoffick. es of the Universal Postal Union. 18 n. I. nUU I , m bulNA, UHlU. I no^t of the^U.'^p!^U.y42 cts^per yearex"ra FROM DR. C. C. MILLER. Bees had best be broodless yet. The Apiculturist for Jaiiuarj' is a souvenir number with a nobby cover. If Aixev doesn't stop fooling with that self- liiver he may make a success of it. The Ramblei: thinks there is a bonanza be- fore us in developing a bee that will work on red clover. " To SELECT WELL among old things.'" says Aineriatn Bee Journal, "is almost equal to in- venting new ones.'" Bait .sections in supers are strongly recom- mended, in Apl.. by A. C. Tyrrel, as a partial preventive of swarming. Axothek in the dairy business. The Bee World is going to give, "as it were, the cream of apicultural literature." Dziehzox, at the age of SO. is living a quiet life, at Brieg, Silesia— just the age of Lang- stroth. who was 80 last Christmas. UxiTixG bees by spraying with cold water is recommended by C. B. J. It cautions against the use of flour if the bees should get wet. An Austrian bee-keeper has invented an ar- tificial comb made of tin, having cells the nat- ural size. Didn"t Quinbv do that long ago ? The Xatioxal Bee-keepehs" Uxiox is in good shape financially — •?621.18 in the treasury. It's a power, for all it" has only 331 members. The Amekicax Bee-keeper is beautifully gotten up. Let's see. We've had A. B. J., B. B. J., C. B. J., and now we have A. B. K. The C. B. J. has started opposition to the Review in the dairy business. It's going to give "the cream of all apicultural literature." Wide spacixg in the super, to keep the queen from laying there, R. M. Reynolds says, is all bosh. He has tried it 14 years with 275 closed -end frames. In the month of January, Likewise the month of February, The busy bees they store nary A drop. " Ix Cuba."' says A. W. Osborn, in A. B. K.. ".500 colonies can be kept in one apiary anv time of the year, but they must be hybrids, not pure blacks or Italians."' Artificial comb is one of the just-going-to- be things in Cincinnati this time. Allen Prin- gle, who tells about it in C. B. J., doesn't en- thuse over it to an alarming extent. The '• Heddox pollex - theory," Heddon thinks, "is now a practical, settled science." May be: but sometimes he calls a thing settled just because it agrees with his opinion. Mrs. L. Harrisox, in A. B. J., resolves to "endeavor to have one-pound sections weigh one pound." When you get 'em all to weigh exactly a pound, Lucinda, tell us just how you do it. The Bee World is the name of a new 16- page monthly. .50 cents a year, published at Waynesburg, Pa., by W. S. Vandruff. A paper of the same name was published years ago, wasn't it ? DziERZox says: "The want of air fit for breathing, and perhaps also of water, is the cause of bees becoming restless, which ignorant and superficially informed people attribute to excessive heat." Number Two. in Canadian Bee Journal. wants to know about "close-framed friends," in Gleaxixgs, page 891. It's " closed-frame friends," Number Two. There is no such thing as " close-framed friends." Some say ventilation of the callar is not needed: that upward ventilation of the hive 84 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Feb. 1. will koep the air pure. Now look here: how much ' upward ventilation will make the air pare in a cellar tilled with rotten cabbage? Mouse poison, as prepared by P. Lattner (American Bee Journal), is a tempting dish. Make dough for a sweet cake, mix in it pow- dered strychnine, and bake. Must be capital: but, my! if the children should, get hold of a piece! Cold, according to Heddon, is the prime cause of bees consuming pollen, and tlie consumption of pollen in winter the sole and direct cause of diarrhea. Wouldn't it be shorter to say that cold is the prime cause of diarrhea? The C. B. J. is going to have, after Feb. 1, •'machines whieirwill cast every line of type as it is set, and will do about three times as much work as an ordinary compositor." Say, Mac, will it have an automatic proof-reading attachment? The Manager of the Bee-Keepers' Union says, "It will take money to do it, but it is the Supreme Court decisions that we need, for they will do more to guarantee to bee-keepers their rights and privileges, than any thing else!" Wouldn't it cost less to get some good laws made? Dibbern's Hive-carrier is much the same as my rope. Instead of being all rope, it is •• two square hard-wood sticks, a little longer than the hives, with pieces of stout cloth tacked between the ends." Carry by the cloth. His will be fitted on the hives more readily. Mine Avill stir up the bees less. The Nebraska Bee - keeper is making trouble. American Bee Journal inquires if it has met its death, and Gleanings announces' its birth on the anniversary of the same. It's too good looking to die unregretted. Nearly every one of those which died had a look as if somebody made it himself. Germany is ahead of us. Instead of try- ing to secure for bee - keepers their rights through a series of tedious decisions, they have got a square law: '" We, the king, decree: The privilege of bee-keeping to all inhabitants on their own property:" and. '"Apiaries will be protected by civil right and law." How much of that Union's $600 would it take to get us such a law ? Tapeworm Remedy.— The Medical Brief says: The most successful pumpkin-seed rem- dy is made as follows: Peeled pumpkin seeds, - 3 ounces. Honey, 2 ounces. Water, • - - - - 8 ounces. Make an emulsion. Take half, fasting, in the morning, remainder half an hour later. In three hours' time two ounces castor oil should be administered. Used with great success. gENEJ^^Ii C0RREgP0NDENCE. QTJEEN-REARING, ETC. about those ceee-cups, and why dr. miller failed avith them. On page 19 I see that our friend Dr. Miller made nearly an entire failure in using my plan of rearing queens in artificial cups during the past year, and says: "I'd like to know what the trouble was." Beside me, also, lies a letter from another person, residing in Bloomington, 111., in which he says that he has "utterly failed in getting a single cell built out from the cups,"' and closes his letter by saying. "Could you not give us an article in Gleanings that "would throw some light on the subject?" I am very much surprised at these failures, for I have letters from Texas to Canada, and from Maine to California, telling of the success the different individuals have had in rearing line queens by this artiticial-cup plan, used over queen-excluders. If the complaint had been about getting the queens fertilized when tried out of the honey season, I should not have been surprised : for I find that success can generally be obtained only during a heavy honey yield, in getting tiueens thus fertilized, although some colonics will keep laying queens in botlij^tories through the whole season.. r.^j uNow, not knowing all of the circumstances connected with these failures reported above, I do not know that I can give the reason why. I have never had less than three cells built from a single trial of from twelve to twenty cups, in all of my seven years' trial of the plan ; and ■ during the last tive years I have reared all of my queens by this plan at all times, except very early in the season and late in the fall, at which times there will not be bees enough above to make a success of queen -rearing. While I have never had less than three cells completed, I have, time and time again, had the whole twelve oi- twenty, according to the number of cups put on a stick, completed, and the average number for the tive years could not have been less than two-thirds of all the cups started. I think that Erntst will bear me out in this last, as he saw an average of the work done, he selecting the hives he wished opened. To those who do not meet with success when trying the plans given in Chapter VII. of my book, I would suggest that they try the plan, using a colony made queenless and broodless, as given in Chap. VI., only using the artificial cups instead of the queen-cups, as there spoken of, and put royal jelly in these as I directed in Chap. VII. If they fail then, I shall not know how to account for it unless they are not able to handle the little larva carefully enough so as not to injure it. After being successful with the queenless colony, next try it over the queen-ex- cluder, always remembering that unsealed brood should be above when the prepared cups are given, and that the bees should be liberally fed if no supplies are coming from the fields. It is also well to allow these two frames of brood to stay "upstairs" 24 hours before the prepared cups are given to the colony. Now, dear reader (any one who should hap- pen to fail in using the plan ), don't think hard things of Doolittle. for I have no more interest in "scientific queen-rearing" than I have in the A B C or any of the other bee-books, except that it is my " baby." I let the manuscript for the book go for less price than I get for this manuscript which I am at this moment writ- ing, giving the whole thing to the world free, except the compensation for my time in writing the manuscript, and sent out the matter with the only wish that it might bless the bee-keep- ers of the world, many of whom are being blessed, if their words are a criterion to go by. Some seem to think that the size of the per- forations in the zinc excluder has something to do with the success or failure of raising queens in an upper story ; but I think this is a mis- take. The larger part of that in use in my apiary is the old Jones make, which is large enough to let many smallish queens through, while the rest in use is that sent out by Dr. Tinker. The Tinker make is the; finest of any thing I have ever seen, and is simply perfect : but, so far as I can see, it gives no better re- sults in queens than do the old uneven perfora- tions of former years. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 85 BEES KOAKING. Another correspondent writes: "It has been cold of late, and has now warmed up to quite an extent. Upon passing about among the bees I tind some colonies which are roaring in a way similar to what they do in the summer. Can you tell me what the trouble is? and is it a sign of diarrhea?" Bees having the diarrhea to an extent suffi- cient to spot the hives on the inside, generally give forth th(» roaring sound spoken of by the correspondent; but it is a rare thing that any single colony becomes thus uneasy so early in the" season, much less a large number of colo- nies. From former experience along this line I should say That, during the cold spell preced- ing this roaring, the bees consumed nearly all of the luisealed honey inside of the cluster ; and when the warmer weather occurred, tlie cluster broke up and the bees went out around on the sealed honey, uncapping it and taking more honey into the cluster, or what will be the clus- ter when re-formed again. This always causes a merry hum to be heard ; and, if 1 am right in the matter, it could be no sign of diarrhea. .Should the roaring be long continued with but slight abatement, the bees will gorge them- selves with honey, and diarrhea will very likely result. Should itcontinue, Iwould look into the matter some warm day to see whether I could tind out what the trouble is, experimenting on only one or two at a time, to see if matters could not be improved. It may po.ssibly be that a mouse has got inside of these hives, and, by his running about, the bees are disturbed. If so. get him out and fix the entrances so that none can possibly get in again. G. M. DoOI>ITTI>E. Borodino, N. Y., Jan. 13. [As I have said before, I repeat again, that the artificial cell-cups that I saw at Doolittle's were accepted and built out by the bees to per- fection. In our own apiary we did not have en- tire success with the cups, but some were com- pleted, and hatched queens.] E. R. MANUM'S VISIT CONTINUED. OVEBSTOCKIXG ; HOW TO I>Of'ATE OUT-APIAEIES; IMPORTANCE OF WIXD-BKEAKS: MOUX- TAINS AND HILLS, AXD THEIR P:FFEC'T ox APIARIES. •'Good morning, Mr. Barber; this is a beauti- ful morning." •■ Good morning. Why. Manum, you came near getting the start of me. I am not accus- tomed to sitting up so late as we did last night, and I overslept this morning. Well, here is the paper you called for last night; and while you are mapping out your apiaries I Avill get break- fast.'" Breakfast over — and a good one too — Mr. B. takes the map, and, after looking it over care- fully, asks a few questions. •• Manum. how high is that range of moun- tains east of you, that appears so very near?" •• I believe, Mr. B., that they are 1300 feet high." •• I suppose the whole side of that mountain is covered, more or less, with basswood. is it not?" " No, not by any means. If it were, I should not care to exchange locations with you. There are, liowever, a few basswoods scattei-ed here and there on. the mo>intain-side, and at the base they are more plentiful; but the hills, as we call them, that you see scattered over the country, have a good many basswoods on them; and as my apiaries are nearly all located near such hills, I have a fair basswood range." ■' What do these double circles indicate, where there is a circle within a circle ?" asks Mr. B. "Those indicate apiaries belonging to other parties. For instance, Nos. 1 and 3 are owned by Mr. Charles McGee, who, by the way, is one of my boys, or was a few years ago, and he is the Charles I was talking to in Gleaxixgs of Dec. 1. Nos. 3 and 6 ai'e Mr. H. Stilson's apia- ries. No. 4 is Mr. Fi-ed Dean's; No. .5, E. Cox'; No. 7, T. Fish's; No. 8, E. A. Hasseltine's; and Nos. 9 and 10, Mr. L. O. Thompson's. The sin- gle circles indicate my own apiaries." ■' Well, Manum, it seems to me that your territory is pi'otty well occupied, and, I should think, ovei'stockcd." " Yes, Mr. B., I think there are bees enough on this little territory, especially in a poor sea- son. When I started in the business there were none within 30 miles of me, except a few box hives here and there." " What are all these marks, zigzagging from one apiary to another?" asks Mr. B. " Those are the highways which I travel over in going to my apiaries." " How far from your home are vour apiaries. Mr. M.?" '■ They are from 3 to 15 miles from home. These little squares on the diagram represent square miles; hence by counting the squares between each apiary you get the distance they are apart; and the circles, as you see, represent a radius of two miles from the center." "I notice that your Meach yard is nearly surrounded by hills. Do you consider the hills of any advantage ?" " Yes. most certainly. In the spring the hills are a protection from winds; and as there are many basswoods on them they ai'e an advan- tage in that respect, as they afford good forage all around and near by. I consider this my best basswood i-ange and my poorest cloveV range. This year in August. I had 7 colonies starve in this apiary before 1 was aware they were so short of stores." " How happened you to locate two apiaries so far from home; viz., the Ferrisburgh and Var- ney yards ?" "I was obliged to go that far to get beyond and out of the range of my neighbors, as you see I was completely hedged in." " I notice, Mr. M.. that some of your apiaries are so near each other that they overlap each other's territory. Do you think they do as well where they are so near together ?" "No, sir. I do not, especially in a poor season: but in a good season I see no difference, all things being equal. I should prefer to have my yards five miles apart if I could so locate them: but owing to the formation of the hills, and the difticulty in finding just the right spot, and also permission to set an apiary, I was obliged to locate some yards nearer and some fui'ther apart than I really wished tc. Bee-keepers who have never located out-apiaries can not fully comprehend the difHculties one has to con- tend with in selecting a suitable location. When selecting one I aim to acquaint myself with the surrounding country, after securing the spot for the yard. I go out prospecting through the fields and woods, to satisfy myself whether the location is a suitable one or not; and by the aid of a strong field-glass I am able to determine whether I am in a good basswood range with- out very much traveling, if I do this prospect- ing during or soon after the basswoods bloom, as then the blossoms and blossom-leaves ena- ble me to see a basswood-tree at a distance." "Do you always select a sheltered spot for your yads?" asks Mr. B. 86 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Feb. 1. " I always aim to. that my hives may be pro- tected from cold winds in the spring: for I no- tice that, where my yards are most protected, the colonies in them are the strongest when the honey season opens; hence from these I get the best results, especially in poor seasons. To il- lustrate: My Williams apiary is on a sidehill. the upper half being well protected from the southeast and north wind. The lower half is protected only from the south Wind, and that not fully. Now, it is a fact that the upper half always winters better, and the colonies are al- ways strong at the approach of clover bloom; hence I always get much more honey from the upper half of that apiary. It is very seldom that I lose a, colony in winter or spring from the upper half: and another feature that is very noticeable is, I very rarely have to feed those colonie.s in the upper half, as they usually have enough honey for winter, or nearly so; hence, from my experience with this apiary, I am sat- isfied that protection is very essential, and I am building high tight board fences, as fast up the moisture. He aims to keep the temper- ature up to 50. and at no time does he allow it to get below 45. Mr. Barber tells me that his loss in wintering very rarely reaches 3 per cent. He is a very careful manager, and has made bee-keeping' a success, and, I understand, is quite forehanded, having made the most of his money in the bee-business. In order that we might have a longer time to visit, and a better opportunity to view the country. ISIr. Barber took me to Canton, a dis- tance of six miles from liis house, where I took the cars; and, as I bade him adieu, I did so with the feeling that from him I had received a vast amount of knowledge which well repaid me for my iourney. A. E. jNIaxum. Bristol, Vermont, Jan., 1891. [Your map. Mr. Manum. is suggestive and interesting — the more so because it shows the mountains, hills, and roadways, and how you have to drive to reach each one. The first thing that attracted my attention, when I ar- \N E b T -- ^ ^ ~~^ -- ^ ri! T*t- -^^ ^ — — J 9 — —\ (f 10 . - — l\ i^ \y ^ .1- 7^ -= ■^ -^ ±. — — — ^ v^ — ^ ^ \\ ; ' ^ ^ V % HK ^ ,. // 1 / " '/ ^ vCJ \ >- ■•-- -^--^ o ! ^ f c ,„s ,._,.'■■ . . (( ^ 2 /( \ / 3 -■■ ^ ^' t-;. ^t ■^Hl -A t. ■M '■■ i;; ^ - — ^ ^ x^ J -^ j) ■^ ::::: ^ / \ 'M ^"^■| X cp: ^' , / NEW HOV URO r4 < '/ Vc' J,,' /;' •X TTy u -f "\ 4 r\ j— .. -^i ^ m fri 1 lln -<( 1/ f ■V'-> "':, ^i:^: ?■"■ 7 ^ ii i^ s. \ -y- 1 ' 'i ^ A7, JOi FB iRa ■„• -J Jt. vN HO P *r Vj /i <■ ,;'.:y. M£ cjh <^ jL ^. "•u V -+ ^ P ^ ■i_* r^ >, th ^ ^JSii; ■^ '^ t*^ AT Yar 3NN 0 tn r^o':^, ^ ^'' l> '■- ■ %'^ \ N s. Mil •^0 . ^ ( " '"/ ^ 4- ^ pt :;J- J BBB ^ i— -^ •^ .r 7/ 8 \ N n v^ !f^^ m 5 y r \~~ \ V y Tv -^ f m ^ \ ^ -^ 'Ti ^^ *^ ^ ^ -4 ^^ Jl \ \ ,, [ ■^ v^ 4 \ s. y. ::^' V G 1 1^^ W- ^ =->* K ',-, _.,. -.!„ -■>! '^ k^ TO ^\ ^y, /■ ">V, ■|iL i-^^iL'^ ?^ — y> 5^ ^ '•)? ^'v, -^'.'.-1 .rr- -'- ■:'■,- I " - l''~' ". ■'■i-'C ,'s- ■^- ':'l'^"\^'t^- K^ S. |4' ' r .;„„, :w -ft. ■ e- ■^?^ "v- -^1^.' "" .^...T'te- Ir'^^K OUT-APIARIES AMONG THE MOUNTAINS IN THE VICINITY OF BRISTOL, VERMONT. as I can get to it, around such of my yards as are not well protected by nature; and, Mr. Barber. I am more thoroughly convinced than ever, since we have had these five poor seasons in succession, that, in order to be successful, we must have our colonies strong at the com- mencement of the honey season.'' " Manum, do you ever move your bees from one yard to another in the fall, to have them fill up for winter?-' " No, I do not, because there is not much dif- ference in one of my locations from the others, so far as fall honey is concerned." At this point we ai'rive at Mr. Barber's bee- cellar, where I find 80 colonies already stored for winter. This cellar, if I remember correct- ly, is 20 x 30 feet. It is not a dry cellar: and as the bottom is often very wet, the hives are set on plank, which are set on hive-caps some 15 inches high, and are packed in as closely as they can be conveniently, and four hives high. Mi'. B. removes the honey-board, and spreads a piece of heavy ducking over the frames, and over this a cushion three inches thick to take rived at Bristol, was those mountains on the east. '■ Oh!"' said I, '," Mr. Crane" (with whom I was riding), "that is where Mr. Manum gets his basswood honey." But I was a little surprised to learn that there was little or no basswood on those mountains, and that his reliance for honey from this source is from certain hills; but those mountains furnish that beautiful Ver- mont white poplar for sections, so i)opular with the Eastern bee-keepers. I am doubly sorry now that I could not. or. rather, did not. steal the time to drive around with you over those zigzag roadways, and visit some of those yards. I leai'ued a good many things when I went around the country with Mr. Elwood, and I have no doubt at all but that I could have picked up many a valuable item from you in a similar drive. Overstocking must be a rather complicated problem with you. Why, what a lot of other bee-keepers thei'e are around you! I should think you'd quarrel, so close together as you are in some cases; but 1 am reliably informed that there is the best of feeling among all of you. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 87 even though the proximity of your several apiaries must cut otf. to a certain' extent, your earnings from each apiary. When we get our apiaries down on a map we find out for the first time, perhaps, iiow close we ai'e together. Say, Dr. Miller, what would you do in such a locality '? Would you preach bee legislation. prioritV claim of "localitv. or would vou move out?] ■ " E. R. R. THE DOVETAILED HIVE. SUGGESTIONS AXD CI5ITICISMS. Friend Root: — I have studied your Dove- tailed hive well. I think, especially in connec- tion with the subject of frames, i. e., thick top- bars, closed ends, etc.: and since you ask for criticisms and suggestions, and I have some to give, here goes: I am thoroughly dissatisfied with the hive I have been using. I think, after nine seasons' experience, together with my study of hives through the medium of books, journals, etc., I have a pretty good idea as to what kind of hive I do want. Your Dovetailed hive comes nearer to that idea than any other now on the market, so far as I know. I have had a few in use the last year similar to it. and, after a year's trial, I am sure I have not miscalculated my prefer- ence, unless it may be in the matter of a brood- frame. But I do not like your iiive in the fol- lowing particulars: 1. I think that, although I have never used a closed-end frame, it is. nevertheless, the style of frame I want. But in two i"espects tlie com- bination of that fram(> with the Dovetailed hive is faulty. {a) If I understand your description of the hive, the frame is of the same length as the "swinging" frame, having a bee-space at the end. I don't know what anybody wants of a bee-space back of closed -end frames. To me it would be a most prodigious nuisance. The frame should be about j^^ of an inch shorter than the brood-chamber inside, leaving ^v of a" inch play at each end. This would insure ease in manipulation where there is apt to be slight irregularity in length. 2. When you have a hive and frame so nearly adapted to reversing, either in part or en- tirely, why not have them quite so? The hive would be made with the ends rabbeted so that, if any one wanted to hang a frame in the hive he could do so. but have a stick of the right size to fill it up if desired. A single wire nail would hold it in place, and it could thus be eas- ily removed. I would not make the frame to hang, but to sit on rests fixed on the bottom- board. Either one of two devices would do well for rests. One would be a tin T. % of an inch high, tacked on to the bottom-board, front and rear. The one in front would have to sit back about an inch flora the entrance. The other device would be a metal strip at each end, ,V inch thick, by ?^' wide, set its thickness in notches in theside cleats of the bottom-board, and just inside the ends of the brood-chamber. If there should be any danger of these strii)S bending from the weight of the combs, about two small blocks could be placed under each for props. We should thus have a brood-cham- ber and a frame, either one of which could be easily reversed. To reverse the entire hive we could simply turn it upside down, loosen the wedge or screw, press the frames to their place, and then key up again. Top and bottom bars should, of course, be the same thickness, and that not more than -^ of an inch, perhaps less. Secondly, you make your top-bar 1^ inches wide, leaving only I4 inch between them. Is not that rather close? I should think one would frequently want to take out a fi'ame without moving other frames or wedges. There would be a poor chance to g<'t a finger-hold. I know the object of such a top-bar is to pievent burr- combs. This brings nie to my '" thirdly." I am not pr(> pared to give up the honey- board. I have worked several years without it and a few vears with it. and I am quite in love with it. That, you know, will go fai' toward preventing burr-combs. But, aside from that, the honey-boai'd has three valuable features: {(() I would have it queen-excluding always. It is comparatively seldom, it is true, that a queen will go into section boxes. Still, she is liable to go with a cluster anywhere when the brood-chamber is crowded, especially when there is a paucity of drone comb below in swarming time, as I desire there should be. I have known it to happen half a dozen or more times a year, and that is often enough to spoil considerable honey. When working for ex- tracted honey especially, the queen will always go into the upper story unless prohibited, and I do not want her there. (5) When hiving in contracted brood-cham- bers, much pollen is carried into the sections unless something is done to prevent it. A queen-excluder reduces the quantity to such a minimum as to;amount to practical preven- tion. (c) Bees will often gather up the cappings of honey or brood as tliey are gnawed off the combs below, and work them into the combs above, which mars the honey greatly. I have never heard any complaint of this from others, but I have often noticed it. But I have never known it to happen above a queen-excluder. The young bees are also less prone to travel over and stain the lower part of the sections. Wide and thick top-bars, of course, will have the same effect to some extent, but I think the honey-board is better, (d) I would have the depth of the frame re- duced at least two inches. This would be too great an innovation to urge upon you; but I wish the standard frame were not more than seven inches deep. There, you Jhave my idea before you. Intro- duce the modifications I have given, and I be- lieve yon will have the model hive for comb and extracted honey. Geo. F. Robbixs. Mechanicsburg, 111., Jan. 10. [If yon will refer again to our description and engravings of the improved Dovetailed hive, shown on page 74.i, Oct. 1.5, last year, you will see that, where the closed-end frames are to be used, the ends are to be enough thicker to take up the extra space, but leaving a playjsufficient to remove the frames. Note carefully the sec- tional drawings on 74.5. No, it would not do to leave the usual ^4 inch between the closed ends and the end of the hive. As we construct them for the Dovetailed hive, they can be used eith- er to stand or to hang. A hanging closed-end is a little better for the ordinary hives in use. It will not topple over, and will kill fewer bees. Of course, if it is desired to make it reversible, all you have to do is to draw the nails, or. bet- ter, leave them out and use instead the bottom- rests. In regard to queen-excluding honey-boards for comb honey, you are against the great ma- jority of comb-honey producers, who say they do not want the excluders. For extracted hon- ey they are a good thing. Are you sure you are right about the exclud- ers keeping pollen from the sections? Of the great representative^ bee-keepers that I visited last summer, not one, if I remember correctly, used excluding honev-boards for comb honey. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Feb. 1. Pollen ill the sections Is usually the result of too much contraction in the brood-nest: and the tendency of the times is against contraction to less than 8 L. frames. It is far better to have a big. rousing colony on 8 frames than a medi- um one on 4 or (5 frames. If perforated zinc will keep pollen out of the sections, it ought to out of the brood-nest when drone-guards are on. r^ What you say regarding cappings from old brood-combs is.to a certain extent, true; but I don"t quite see how perforated metal will make much difference, unless it be the slight obstruc- tion f]-om the perforations. Some of the pretti- est and « hitest comb honey I evei- saw was pro- duced in Vermont and York vState. without perforat<»d zinc houey-boards. As supi)ly deal- ers, and the largest manufacturer, of "perfor- ated zinc, we ought to boom that article, whether for comb or extracted honey: but we don't want bee-keepers to buy it for comh-hon- ey ])roduction if it is not needed. I know that top-bars l^V inches wide leave ratli- er scant room for the fingers. With a follower and fixed distances, either closed-end or Hoff- man, it gives no trouble. After you hiiVe used closed-end frames for a wliile. you may modify your views somewhat in regard to the plain, slatted honey-board. Fixed distances will ixMniit of narrower and thinner top-bars in the riddance of burr-combs.j E. R. THE TINEID MOTH. PROF. COOK TEI.T.S I^S ABOUT THE LITTLE EGG- SHAPED COCOONS ON THE APPLE-TKEES. Mr. Chester Olmstead, East. Blooihfield, N. Y.. desires to hear through Gle.^nings of the eggs (?) which "'literally cover"" the twigs of his apple-trees. These are not eggs, though they look so much like them that it is not strange that ^Ir. O. mistook them for eggs. He, however, seems in doubt, for he adds, •" I take them to be eggs." These are the cocoons-of a beautiful little moth. Bucciilatrix pomifoUelln, Clem. As we see by the cut below (the single one is shown natural size), they rest side by side on the twig, often as many as eight together. Sometimes they are so abundant that they do "literally coveJ- the twig," as Mr. Olmstead states. They are a quarter of an inch long, white in color, and elongated, as seen in the figure. The cocoon is ribbed, and firmly attach- ed to the twigs. Next spring a beautiful tiny moth will come from each of these cocoons, un- less the pupa has been destroyed. This moth is less than an eighth of an inch long, and measures but litth; more than a fourth of an inch from tip to tip of the wings when the lat- er are spread. The fore wings are white, with yellowish reflection. There are three brown ^pots on each wing— one a mere dot at the tip of the wing — as seen in the figure. The posterior wings are triangular, and beautifully fringed. as is generally the case with the Tincid moths. The moths lay their eggs early in tlie spring. In June the caterpillars may be seen eating the leaves. If disturbed they fall from the leaf, letting themselves down by a thread of silk which they spin for the pur])ose. They are nearly half an inch long when full grown; are dark yellowish green, reddish toward the head, which is brown. This first brood — the insect is double-brooded — spins its cocoons on the twigs, but among the leaves they are not so conspicu- ous as are the winter cocoons. The second moths come forth in late snmmei-; the second larvte feed in autumn, and the brown pupie pass the winter in the elongated cocoons. Thus we have the life-history of this beautiful and interesting little Tincid moXh. The^e moths are so called because they belong to the family Tiiicida'. As we should supijose. the moths of this family are very small. Thus they are sometimes calh'd Micrnlcpidopteni. Our common clothes-moths, some of the worst grain insecis. and leaf-miners also, belong to this family. In looking at these cocoons I find many with holes either at the end oi- on the side. These holes show that some parasite has eaten up the insects, matured, and gone forth to destroy other of our insect enemies. Again, on the buds of the twigs, and crowded in between the co- coons, many plant-lice eggs are to be seen. These are minute black eggs. They will hatch in the spring just as the leaves unfold: and the plant-lice which come from them multiply so rapidly that, unless checked by other insects — which is usually their fate— or the orchardist. they will do much harm. These tineids are so small that they usually do little harm! If so abundant in June as to seriously damage the trees they would quickly succumb to the ar.senites — the' same that so speedily destroy the codling-moth and the can- ker-worms. A. J. Cook. Agricultual College, Mich., Dec. 22. WEARING GLOVES. DUESS FOi: LADIES AVHEN AMONG BEES In working with bees I always wear gloves. I think Dr. Miller has mentioned it in some of his articles, also, that he thought I would give them up some day. You need not tell him that I said so, but I don"t believe I ever shall. Aside from the saving of stings (and gloves have sav- ed me a good many stings), it doesn't seem to me as if I could ever fendure the sticky propolis on my fingers. I sew a pair of white sleeves securely to the top of my gloves, leaving no opening for the bees to enter. I use white, because the bees seldom, if ever, sting white. I used to fasten the sleeves to the shoulder with a safety-pin, but I found that very cross hybrids managed to get in a good many stings on my shoulders above the sleeves, as the sleeves did not reach (juite far enough. I now make the sleeves very long, so they will reach well up on the shoul- ders, and fasten them together in the back with a little strap, buttoning them together in front with a similar strap. It takes much less time to put them on in this way. One objection to wearing gloves is the time it takes to get rigged up for work. But I really be- lieve I can work faster and better with than with- out them, for I do not feel so nervous about stings. Another advantage is, that they materially help to keep your dress clean — or, rather, the sleeves do. 1S91 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 89 There is one thing I decidedly do not like to do with glove* on: and that is. to clip a queen. I ahvays draw a long breath when the opera- tion is over; and 1 confess tliat. if Dr. Miller is witliin reach. I always carry them to him to clip. I have never been able to get a glove that quite suited me. I have never tried rubber, as I imagined I shonld not like them, for the smell of rubber is vei y disagreeable to me. For some time I have used buckskin: but they are very heavy and warm, and decidedly uncomfortable, and. when well stuck up with propolis, are not very handsome, to say the least. I wish some one who has had some experience with rubbtT gloves would tell how he likes them, or any other kind of glove, for that matter. The sub- ject is a very interesting one to me. Perhaps if oui' bees were all pure Italians it might make some dirtVrence in my views. We have requeened all our colonies, giving them all Italian queens, so next summer I may have a chance to see how much difference it will make. Anothei' thing that bothers me is, to know what to make my aprons of. I have tried ging- ham, calico, and oil cloth. I don't like any of them. I want something that honey will not Soak through readily, as I should like to keep my dress clean. By wearing two aprons at a time, and changing them very often. I have managed pretty well. Hut that is troublesome, and makes lots of washing, and 1 should like something better. I dislike the oil cloth, for it has such a disagreeable smell. I am thinking of trying bed-ticking this summer. It doesn't seem to me that honey ought to soak through very easily. I am afraid the objection will be, that it is so heavy and clumsy. Have any of the ladies ever tried it? If so. please tell us how you liked it. Emma Wii.sox. Marengo. III., Jan. 13. [My good friend, you are striking on real practical matters in your suggestions, and this is just what we want. By tiae way, why not have paper aprons, and burn them up as fast as they become soiled — something like the Japa- nese paper handkerchiefs? Honey and prop- olis, to say nothing of beeswax, are very trying on one's clothes. Like yourself. I always feel nervous when my hands are daubed with "either honey or propolis. Our remedy is a clieap wash-basin and a towel. If it were not for the looks of the thing, some sort of apron would be a very convenient thing for men as well as for women, during the honey season. Can we not not iiear from more of the women-folks who have lieen helping among the bee-hives?] KEEPING EECORD. HOW IT CAX BE DONE HY MEANS OF A BRIfK ox THE HIVE-COVEK. Friend Root: — Allow me to offer a few sug- gestions, in line with ^\m. Muth-Rasmussen's article in Dec. 1 Gleanings. The general crit- icism to all such plans is, that they are too elaborate, taking too much time to iearn the system, and then the chances of the stones or bricks being moved out of their position by vis- itors or children: and even dogs and cats jump- ing on the liive might do it. l-'or the bee-keep- er who has but few colonies, some such ijlan might be best: but for him who numbeis his hives by the fifties or hundreds it is too cum- bersome. I have been thinking of a plan adapted to such by using bricks, which I think are much to be preferred to either stones or number cards, for the reason they can be turned in three positions, each of which can have its meaning. These three positions in which a brick may be laid. viz.. side. end. and flat down: by dividing the hive cover into three positions — front, rear, and centei-. would give nine points: and by dividing each of these positions into three parts, we have in all 18 points. Nor is this all. The brick may be placed on any one of these divisions in two ways — lengthwise of the hive or crosswise of the same, making in all over lifty different arrangements of the brick on a hive, which would certainly satisfy all the requirennnits of the most exacting. The information needed or desirable in re- gard to the contents of a hive may be grouped under three general heads: 1. Of bees. This would include brood, eggs, and larviB in all stages: also quality and quan- tity. 2. Stores, referring to both honey, pollen, and wax. 3. Queen, referring to quality, age. condition, etc. Those for these three natural divisions of top- ics correspond with the three divisions or gen- eral places on the hive-cover: and. for conven- ience, say we call the front third the bee divi- sion: the central third the stores division, and the i-ear pait the queen division. Then a biick placed anywhere on the rear third of a hive would mean something about the queen: on the central third, always something in regard to the stores: and one on the front third, always something in regard to bees or brood: and the absence of a brick from any of these places would signify that all is right, "and no particular attention is needed. Again, we might generalize and simplify our system by having the brick standing on end always mean immediate attention, and its posi- tion on the hive indicate in what particular point the attention is needed. Each bee-keep- er can elaborate the system to suit his or her special needs. Here is a figure of a hive-cover and its sug- gested divisions, which will make it clearer. BEES __i. quEE^ ' quEEHCELL^^ &,<" 1^^ HATCH S SYSTEM OF HIVE - REC()H1> BY BRICKS. It might seem, at first glance, that one would need three bricks for every hive: but in prac- tice it is not so: we have used a plan something like the above for years, although not so com- prehensive, and find that one brick for each hive is usually ample. For keeping track of 90 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Feb. 1. queens, our plan is to mark the date of her birth at the time of clipping, which is done only in the spring of each year, usually in May, on the front of the hive, in small figui-es; thus, •' 89" would indicate that the queen in the hive thus marked is clipped, and that she was raised in 1889. Next year, when time to clip comes around, and I find a clipped queen in a hive, I simply make a dash under the old" mark. This shows that the queen has been found, and al- ways shows how old she is. If a queen with undipped wings is found, this shows she was raised after the spring clipping was done the year befoi'e. and therefore must be of last sum- mer's raising. The old date is rubbed out. and the new one substituted, leaving off the 18, as that is always understood. When the clipped queen comes out with a swarm, the date is rubbed off the old hive and put on the hive in which the queen is put. The fact that the date is erased from a hive shows it has swarmed. If one wishes to know which the swarms are, some othiu' mark is necessary. I have used this queen-record for years, and lind it better than any other I have tried or seen in use. As to keeping a record of each hive as to times of extracting. I have never found it prac- tical, preferi'ing rather to go ovei- the hives with supers on. and removing some frames from those which are full, and substituting empty frames from those not full, putting the full ones in their places, thus getting all or nearly all ready to extiact at once, which means economy of time and labor, and usually the honey is none the worse for the longer time on the hive. I speak from an extracted-honey producer's standpoint, for I have never done much with comb honey, twenty colonies in one season be- ing the most I;have ever run for comb. Ithaca. Wis., Dec. 1.3. C. A. Hatch. [Friend H., I like'the idea of bricks, for sev- eral reasons. They are clean-looking, are not affected by the weather, uniform in size and shai)e. and stay securely where you ])lace them. SdUK'tlung a little lighter, say half of an ordi- nary brick, would perhaps do as well; but as we have not got it, perhaps we had better use the brick. I have always felt that stones, from their awkward, ungainly shape, give the apia- ry a disorderly appearance; then when you lift off the cover they'are almost sure to roll off. Thanks for your suggestion.] EXPERIENCE IN CARP CULTURE. ONE OF OUlt BEE-FKIENDS TELI.S OF HIS StX'- CESS. Friend Root: — When you first began to pub- lish notes on carp culture I at once became in- terested, having a line site for a small pond. I had long contemplated building a pond for rais- ing some common fish, cat or perch; but now I turned to the carp. I built a pond by making a dam across the valley, and another at the upper end 100 ft. distant, thus turning the brook, which is kept running by a spring, around the pond; but a second and smaller one is pouring into the pond, just strong enough to keep it full, or nearly so. When full of water it was 3K feet deep; but I soon learned that this was not suf- ficiently deep. In November. 188(1. I introduced 10 carp, 18 months old. Shortly after this a severe winter set in. and I cut the ice to save the fish from suffocation: but I learned after- ward that this was not necessary. The spring of 1887 opened, and I kept a close watch upon my breeders, as I was anxious to have them lay; but I determined not to feed them, and that they should shift for themselves. just as I would have treated common fish. I would notice the fish only on rare occasions; but I found out that they were all alive later in the summer, as some boys while in bathing kicked up so much dirt that all came to the sur- face, and appeared to gasp for breath. liiit no sight of eggs or young fish could be found. Not draining the pond, I can not tell absolutely whether any fish were hatched in 1887, but I be- lieve not. The winter of 1887 was very severe, and I kept cutting th(; ice as before; but the pond began to leak. Fortunately the leak was stopped; and when the spring opened, the pond was fnll of water. This time I decided to feed them, and coax them to lay. I accordingly fed about 3 qts. of corn at one time. I would di'op it down in a certain place, and every day I rolled up my sleeves and felt down to the mess, and it would disappear in tu'o or three days; but I could never see the carp play about the feeding-place: but when it was all gone I w ould replenish it. Thus I fed them for nearly four weeks, when I saw them spawn. May 11, 1888, and in a few days the ])ond was just thick with eggs. I had tlirown some willow branches into the water, and these wvrt' all covered with eggs. I then discontinued leeding tliem. and have not fed any thing since. I began to think that these eggs might not be fertilized, and failed to hatch, so 1 broke off' some of the branches with the eggs adhering, about enough to make a button- hole bouquet, and placi'd them in a fiat-shaped gallon jar filled with water, and set them out in the garden. In two days I found them all hatched. I counted about 40 fish: but they were so small, and had so much of a water color, that it was difficult to see them. I left them in the jai'. and in a few days they were all dead; but I had the satisfaction of knowing that the eggs in tln^ pond weie nearly all hatched, and no doubt the whole water was full of little fish. The cattle and hogs had ac- cess to the pond, and the latter would wallow in it to their hearts' content. I felt satisfied, for I wanted to test the carp in this way. The cows would stand in the water, and I was obliged to fence them off. as the water gave them soi-e legs. In August we began to notice young fish. I had tlie boys catch a few with hooks, and they were from five to six inches in length. Late in October, 1888, we made an attempt *o seine out some fish: but the seine was not long enough, and we happened to land a few oj the spring hatch, (i to 7 inches in length, and some of those I introduced in 1887. These fisli (intro- duced in 1887). in the month of August, were stunted by their pond drying out. There were about 30 carp 5 inches in length, from the pre- vious year's hatch. We also caught 5 of the larger ones, which we prepared for the table, and we thought them very palatable. Also a few very small perch were found. The winter of 1888 was very mild, and 1 watched for more eggs in May, but I did not lind one. During these three years the pond had filled up with sediment so that but 18 inches of water re- mained, and I concluded that it was unsafe to let them winter in so shallow a water. I con- tracted with a neighbor to take all the carp that we might find. Dec. 4. 1889, we seined the pond, and landed, to our sui'prise, 180 young carp, of the 1888 hatch, measuring 10 to 1~ inches in length, being very uniform in size. Also o of the old breeders, introduced in 188(1, were caught. ;.'::.' inches in length, and weighing from 4 to 5 lbs.; and :*4 of those introduced in 1887, weigh- ing from l'._. to 3 lbs., and measuring from 14 to r.'o inches, and a solitary one of the 1889 hatch, about 3 inches in length, thus showing that some eggs were laid and hatched. Six perch. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 91 •about f) inches in length, with 200 young, about ■.' inches in length, were also landed. Those six perch. I think, found their way to the pond by accident. They weri' only about 1 inch long in October. 18S8. It is these in company witli the carp that no doubt ate all the eggs or young carp if any hatched. But why did the 2(X)"perch survive ? I think they are somewhat more spry, and dodge the larger lish, and thus escape from the cannibals. Not feeding the breeders, and the chilly weather during May. may also have caused the shortage of eggs. You will notice that the growth of the carp does not approach that of luany other breeders who take extra pains in feeding them and weeding out other tish. The neighbor's ponds were very low during the latter part of ISIK). Dec. 24 we seined one pond, which was too shallow to risk any fish in, and transferred them to another: and we find that the year's growth with all the different sizes is even smallei' than it was with me. Along witii the carp\\(' found Imndreds of jjerch and cat-Hsh. but could not tind a single carp of this year's hatch. I believe if tiiey had been undisturbed for yeai'stocome. with 270 breeders, no young carp would svn-vive. even though some might hatch. Another ni'ighbor introduced 30 cai'p 7 inches in length. In 1887 the pond was flooded. Later, and when we seined it in No- vember. 18SI0. we found only 4 left. They weighed 7 lbs. each. Also sevei'al thousand oommon fish were found, hut not a siugle young carp. No doubt these four cai'p lived on the wild fish, which accounts for theii' weight. Mr. Root, I do wish you could have seen these four fish. They were as fat as hogs. After these careful observations I have come to the conclusion that the safest way for an ordi- nary farmer is to make a pond deep (7 feet or more), and proof against overflows. Then stock the pond with young fry in September. I think thisbyfar thesafest way to go into cai'p culture. I shotild be glad to hear fi'om others who have •experimented with carp. L. F. Dixtelmaxx. Belleville, 111., Jan., 1891. [Friend D.. we should also be glad to hear from others: but inasmuch as tluuv is a jouiiuil devoted to carp cult inc. we think it best not to give very much space to it here. You biing out in your communication a fact of great interest to me: nanu'ly. that if the eggs be removed from the pond, and [ilaced in a glass jai- out in the sun, young carp nuiy be hatched out by the million, perfectly secun^ from their voracious foes. My impression is. that the principal diffl- oulty with carp-ponds in general is that com- mon fish get in and eat the eggs and young fry. Our own pond lias no communication with any other body of water; and yet common fish make their appearance as fast as we can get them out. They ai'e probably brought in by the eggs adhei'ing to the feet of wild water-fowl. Of course, di'awing the pond off and soi'ting them out from time to time will keep these enemies in check. But it needs stimebody with a good deal of enthusiasm in the l)usin<'ss to follow it up.] ERNEST'S NOTES OF TRAVEL. AT DK. MII-I>EK S, COXTIXUED; liEVEKSIBI.E BOT- TO.M-B()ARDS; MICE IX BEE-CELLARS, ETC. The next morning. Monday. I arose, fully re- freshed. The doctor wanted me to stop another day: but I told him I must take the train at noon. ■■ Well, then, we can not afford to waste any time,"' said the doctoi'. I had a curiosity to know more about those deep bottom-boards he is using, and so down into the cellar we went. He had already put in some 2.5 or 30 colonies, and tiie rest were still out. The doctor had told me, if he could only get me into his cellar he could convince me that his revei'sible bottom -boards were a good thing, and when there I had to assent that they were: although, of course, I insisted that Boardman's plan of leaving bottom-boards off entirely was just as good, and cheaper. "But,"' said the doctor, " / can not caiTy hives of bees into the cellar with no bottora- boai-ds. without the bees dropping out and fly- ing all over."' " If you select a rather cool day, I do not think you will have vny much trouble: at least. Tdo not liave. Still, I admit that there is a little trouble, occasionally, esiiecially with the hybrids. Latterly we have cairied tiu' bees into the cellar with tiu^ bottom-boards on the hives. Our carrying - bail catches under the bottom-board, and hive and all is carried in. When there tiie hive is lift(>d off its bottom, and placed in i)Osition. and so we bring in each hive. The bottom-boards are piled up in one corner of the cellar, and the bodies of the hives are stacked uj). (( la Boardman. So you see, doctor, we liave no trouble about bees flying out.'" •• Yes." said he. " but don"t you have trouble by a lot of bees clinging to the bottom-board '? " •• We should have,"" I replied, " if we carried the bees in on a warm day. We wait till the temperature goes down to 20 or 2.5. and then the clnsterwill have contracted enough so that, when the hive is lifted off its bottom, there will be no bees adhering. I will make an exception for hybrids. The least disturbance will make them expand their cluster, and boil all over the bottom-board. As we do not keep hybrids to any great extent, and do not propose to. tliis trouble does not figure veiy largely with us. I admit, doctor."" I said, •• that the reverisble boards are a splendid thing. As you do sometimes have a few hyluid colonies, your plan would have that advantage."" •• But it won"t do for me." said the doctor, '"to pile the hives up a hi Boardman. You may say it is not necessary to have mice in the cellar; but I have them, and can't very well keep them out. As I explained to you, I use this coarse- mesh wire cloth to close the entrance to all such vermin. It has a coarse mesh, you see, so the bees can easily pass out."' "• Y"es."' I said, ■■ circumstances do sometimes alter cases. My cellar is made entirely mouse- proof. .Still, there was one little chap that crept in last winter. One Sunday evening while Mrs. Root and I were sitting before the grate fire, over the bee-cellar, we heaid a peculiar sort of noise. The cat picked up her ears, and seemed interested, and cautiously crept to the point whence the noise proceeded. I said that would never do to have a mouse in the bee- cellar, so down I went with the lantern. I ex- amined a number of bees on the floor, and found that the mouse had been eating at them. It was pretty dark in the cellai'. but I ran my hand up. as well as I could, where I had heard the mouse. By holding the lantern up I dis- covered a sort of black hole. I thrust my hand into it. and was somewhat horrified to find that there had been a fire there at sonu? time or oth- er, though it was. evidently, from no fault of the I'odent. This hole was directly under the grate tiling, and it was evident that the heut had been at sonu' time so intense as to burn out the woodwork. I did not care any thing about the mouse; but I made up my mind that our com- foi'table gi'ate should not run any more that winter. Although I was deeply grateful to the mouse for causing me to investigate the prem- 93 GLEANINGS IN TiEE CULTURE. Feb. 1. ises in the cellar. I set a trap and caught him. returning evil for good: so you see. doctor, if it hadn't been for the mouse I might have lost all the bees. No, sir; mice do good sometimes, even to bees." I would say to our readers here, by way of parenthesis, that I had the grate I'epaired.'and now Mrs. Root and I enjoy the comfort of sil- ting before it again evenings. Although open fire is warm and cheerful, we want it piitnaiily for ventilation. It is well known thutagrate is one of the best ventilators in the woiid: and our house, almost at all times, feels as licsh as a spring morning. As the grate is not sulhcient to entirely heat all the rooms, we have inde- pendent heat besides. T di'op this simply as a •nint to some of our reados who may possibly have in mind the building of a new home or the reconstruction of an old one. If the grate is set by an experienced man theie will be no trouble from tire. My fiist grate-setting was veiT jjoorly done: in fact, I might say, put up with criminal cai-elessness. Well, to retuiTi. The doctor and I strolled about the bee-yard, talking about any thing and every thing. Our thoughts finally reverted to bee-conventions. As the air was'chilly, we thought we could discuss this matter a little more comfoi-tably in the house, before Dr. Mil- ler's open -grate stove. I will remark here. that, if I hadn't a grate, I would cei'taiuly have an open-grate stove. You will be suiprised to see how it will freshen up the atmosphere in the house. Well, when we had seated ourselves comfort- bly, I said to the doctor: '"You have a big talent in helping 1o liven up a bee-convention. I have been wondering for some time whether we could not employ this gift in some way in Gleanings. In reading your articles, doctoi-. our readers do not get half a glimpse of your fund of good nature. Now. I have been thinking for some time that it would be a good scheme for you to have a de- partment of short items, where you can give some of yoni' little spurts of fun' and friendlv clips once in a while." The doctor very modestly admitted that he did have a talent in that direction, and that h(^ would be glad to use it if we could devise some way whereby he could. To make a long stO)T short, the upshot was that we started a depart- ment in our journal, entitled. " Strav Straws." You know the rest, and of its meritsand char- acter yon are to judge. As it was approaching the honi- of Train titr.e. after an early dinner I bade adieu to Dr. Miller, and took the train for Chicago. A VISIT TO THE OFFICE OF THE AMEItKAX BEP; .JOUHNAL. By looking at my railway guide I found that I had a little time in the city befoi'e niv westei'u train would take me honu'. On arriving at the city I made direct to the business place of T. G. Newman it Son, 246 Madison St. On reaching the place I took the elevator and foi'thwith was ushered to the top floor: and befoi-e I was hardly aware of it I was in the presence of the editor of the Aincriatn Bee Juiirnitl. xA.s usual he was hard at work at his post, and so like- wise was his son, Alfred IL. in his department. I wonder whether anybody ever found them other than busy. And being in the lieait of tl.e city, I wondei- if they ai'e not more or less ])es- tered by visitors. Evei-y thing had the appear- ance of that clock-work i-cgulai'ity and system that makes the o'd American Bee Jour tutl al- ways on time. They have vei-y pleasant and commodious quartei's. and occupy the whole top floor of a large building. After a pleasant chat with both the Newmans, we W(>nt back to the oflHce. when, whom should I meet butour friend W. F. Clai'ke. of (luelph. Ontario, the former editor of the ^4(iicri>r/}i Bee JouriKtW He was on his way to his liome. Guelph. Out., Can. I was obliged to make my stop shorter than I wished: and after a short visit of perhaps an hour, I took my leave. DOES GLEANINGS UPHOLD TRUSTS, RINGS, AND MONOPOLIES! A REPLY TO A DISSATISFIED SrESCKIBEK. Please discontinue Gleaxtngs. as I do not wish to take a journal that upholds trusts and rings and monopolies, as I see you did in Gleax- iNGS for Dec. 15. Aevix L. Pottek. Milan, N. H., Dec. :.'0. [Friend P.. we will discontinue your journal, of couise: but you surely do not state it fairly or truly. (Jeeaxings strives to avoid unchari- table extremes: and our country is certainly siifferinej because of the extreme views taken by some of our people in regard to this matter of labor and capital. The Bee-keepers' Union, which has been such a piotection to more than one of us, might be called by a certain class a "trust." It is a combination of bee-keepers to maintain our lights, and to protect us from spitt or prejudice. Where men of wealth com- bine together to wrest from any class of people theii- jjist rights. CJleaxixgs" would by no means uphold them: but when the laboring classes make grievous mistakes in I'ushiug to the hasty conclusion that some of theii' best friends are enemies in disguise, Geeaxixgs can not well do otherwise than to utter a voice of warn- ing. One extreme is anaicliy. and the other is plodding along and letting everybody who is so disposed run over you and help themselves to the frnits of your hard laboi", without a protest. The fainiers'who sold their butter for 10 cents a pound when it was justly worth 25. are a fair illustration of this latter exti'eme: and small be(^-keepers who take their honey to town and sell it for what anybody is pleased to offer them, also belong to this extreme. Just let me give you a i)oint right hei'e. Most of the readers of GLEANiX(is are ac- quainted with Dr. A. B. Mason. He is a man who has been largely a sei'vant of the public. He is constantly called upon to i)reside over as- semblies, and. in fact, to manage ci'owdsof peo- ple when nol)ody else can manage them. He lias wonderful ability in that line, as you well know: and yet Dr. Alason is a poor man. He makes his living by keejiing bees, and by his daily toil in his business of dentistry. He is a devoted Christian, and a good man in every way. Well, at our Di'troit convention somebody spoke of the piece of newspaper pleasantry that is going the romids. to the effect tiiat the poor- est crop that America ever raised is her "crop" (?) of millioiKtirex. Almost everybody says amen to this, and seems to think it is true. Why. I myself have often felt sad about it. Well, perliajis we ought to feel sad: but here is Dr. Mason's reply, as nearly as I can remember it. Said he. "I do not agree. I do not believe a word of it. I wish there were ten tUiies more of them." I protested by saying, " Why. Dr. Mason, I am astonished at you.'' He replied. • I repeat it: I wish there were ten tlnieyi as inantj ;/i(»cc of tliein." Now. I presume Dr. Mason means this: That it would be a blessing to America if there were ten times as many men with the brains and ability, judgment and wisdom, the skill and ex- perience, to manage large enterprises so as 1891 GLEANINGS IX BEE CULTURE. 93 to make them successful. It is these large bus- iness enterprises that give our American peo- ple work. Now. a man lacking in brains, or a man lacking in virtue, can not. as a geneial rule, manage such large enterprises. An iii- tcmperdte man may manage people and cap- ital a little while: but it can not be for long. The man who becomes a millionaire must be a temperate man. and. to some degree, it seciiin tn me. a libenil and hdiicst man. or he can not succeed. If men become millionaires by trick- ery and fraud, then ail good men and women ought to combine in a ring, trust, or monopoly, and tight them to the bitter end. The fighting should, however, be done in a legitimate' and orderly way. We must lie law-abiding citizens. and we must have faith in each other, or we shall surely jump from the frying-pan into the fire. Now. if any readtir of Gleanings wishes it stopped because of tlie above position, we will stop it with the kindest and pleasantest feel- ings, and we will refund all money due. It is quite likely that (tI.eanixgs irill lean strongly toward chdrity and faith in mankind, for it does seem to me that our greatest danger lies in too little faith ineach other: and this faith and love should he broad enough to reach from the IMiorcst day laborer to our richest millionaire.] verity. The family supposed it would succumb to the usual remedies, and a little patience on their part. But old and tiied remedies had no effect, and the fever was raging clear beyond THE RAMBLER IN WARREN. ME ENCurNTEKS A SEVEIiE CASE OF UEE-FEVP:)!: MOKE HOFFMAN FRAMES AND NO BVRK-f'OMB.S. Rhode Island hospitality did not end under the roof of Bro. INIiller. We rambled to the thriving town of Warren, and to the residence HARD CASE OF BEE-FEVER. all expectations, and now had developed the alarming stage of running in instead of out. After a tliorough diagnosis of tlie malady we traced the germs tf) that t'uthusiastic Miller over in Barrington. and promptlv advised that the doctor be not allowed to cross the river. This was as promptly decided to be out of the question, as the doctor had a very strong mind DR. MERCHANT S APIARY BY THE B.^PTIST CHl'RCII. of Dr. J. M. Merchant. Mrs. Merchant desired expert counsel in relation to the doctor's mal- ady, the bee-fever. We found that the doctor had for many years been subject to feverish attacks, some longer some shorter, but none severe. For instance, the hen-fever had a very thoi'ough run: but the usual appliances of pills, plasteis. a sweat (or its equivalent, a little curtain admonition), had resulted in an effectual cure. But now the bee-fever had taken him witii the utmost sc;- of his own. From careful observations we should judge that the fever has yet a long time to run. Dr. Merchant is an active physician, with a large and lucrative practice. His apiary is lo- cated in his hack yai'd. and it has a splendid bacising in tlie form of a Baptist churcii. It is in tlie center of th(> town, and is not a nui- sance to liis neigiibois or to the church-going l)eople. Tbe field here will sustain only about twenty colonies, and the doctoi' has accordingly 94 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Fkb. 1. a little less than that number. Like all down- east Yankees. Dr. M. is very ingenious: and every thing in the yard and in the hive is as near perfect in construction as possible. The hives and crates wei'e of the cabinet-shop order in nicety, and many pi'obleins have been patient- ly worked out hei'(>. If the i)rol)lem is found to be a hard one. he just thinks it out or goes over to Barrington and gets another addition to his bee-fever by thinking it out with Bro. JSIillei-. MJ{. MlIXEi: AND DK. MKKCHANT THINKING IT orT. The closed-end Hoffman frame is used with wide top-bars, and hen^ we again saw the crates and honey-boards come off with not a brace- comb between. Aside from the frame, the hive was an invention of his own, and was pi'ovided Avith a side-opening feature, allowing the use of division-boards for contracting the brood- chamber, and allowing spaces on each side for the rork filling, which the doctor found an effective method for wintering. For summer use, the supers are provided with an extra cov- er, and the wintering cover is turned back against a proper support— in this case, a fence. This plan allows storifying to any extent. We find the practice here is to' get one crate of sec- tions nearly filled, then raise them and insert under a half-depth extracting-supei'. The pho- to of the hives by the church shows this plan of woiking, very clearly. Dr. M. was quite enthusiastic over Alley's drone-trap. Being away from home at all hours of the day. dispensing pills and powders, traps ai-e applied to every hive liable to swarm, and thus far they have been a success in pre- venting the loss of valuable queens. Dr. M.'s crate was a little different from any we ever saw, and several points about it struck the Rambler very favorably. We were in hopes to give your leaders a sketch of it in connection with this ramble, and will pi-omise to do so as soon as we receive a sample crate from head- quarters. Prof. Cushman's large exhibit from th(^ Ex- periment Station gave us a desire to visit him at Kingston; and though we weie cordially in- vited to do so, our time was limited, and we had to refuse this and several other invitations. While in Warren the Rambler had the i)lea- sure of visiting with the doctor the town of Swansea, Mass.. and the ancient home of our ancestors. The Rambler's grandfather emi- grated from Swansea to York State about 179;") ; and the old homestead, about 185 years old. where four generations of our ancestors had lived, was still standing. Near by was the family burying-ground, now sadly neglected: and as we tried to decipher the moss-covered inscriptions, how forcibly the following lines came to mind I They died— ah! they died— and we thinjis tliat are now. Who walk on the turf that Lies over tlieir brow, Wlio make in their dwellings a transient abode. Meet the changes they met on their pilgrimage road. Tis the wink of an eye; "lis the draught of a lu-eath From tlie blossom of health to the iialeness of death ;. From the gilded saldon to the liier and the shroud — Oh 1 why sliould the spirit of mortal he proud V RAMIU.EK. FULL SHEETS OF FOUNDATION, ETC. ARE WE USING THEM TO EXCESS? THICK TOI" BAKS. After reading a good deal about the thick (or heavy) top-bar, in which Ernest seemed to- take considerable interest, and after using the light ones for some time and being bothered by their sagging down and getting frames and combs out of shape, I ordered 300 frames in the Hat. ready to nail. The top-bars were to be % inch thick, bottom-bars J-a inch thick, and the ends the same as the last named; and when they were nailed together they made a frame that was strong and durable, and hard to beat, in my estimation. Such a frame, made like the above, with a full sheet of foundation well wir- ed in, when once diawn out by the bees niakes^ a beauty of a comb. I consider foundation in- dispensable to the bee-keeper: and for the last few years I have used full sheets in all of the frames that I use, both for lower hives and sur- plus box (or extracting-box). These are well wired in, so there is no chance for sagging: and I am fully convinced that it well repays the bee-keeper to do so every time, although it costs him considerably more just then. I really believe there is more benefit derived tinanciaily to the bee-keepei-. from the excessive use of coinb foundation, than any other thing^ he can use about the apiary. And I must say. I have not been so surprised in the last five or six years as I was to read what friend Hasty said in regard to foundation, page 33, whei'e he says, " If the truth were generally known, the sale of foundation would be greatly reduced." Now, if such were the case (although I can't see it in that light) I should be very much obliged to friend Hasty if he would explaiii through Gi-E.VNiNGs wherein thei'e can be less used, and at the same time be as much of a benefit, in a financial way. to the bee-keeper, as though it were used still more extensively than at the present time. By using whole sheets of foundation the apiarist can control his brood -rearing mostly to his own liking (for there are not many of us who make it our busi- ness to raise drones), at the same time running for extracted honey. I would ask you all. What is there more perplexing to the bee- keeper, when he is running exclusively for ex- tracted honey, than to now and then find combs filled with brood in the surplus boxes, where he expected them to be filled with honey? Now, if they are drone combs, the space so filled is worse than a dead loss. But, on the other hand. if all are worker combs so filled, th<-y can be taken to some weaker swarm and put in theii" hive, and strengthened. Some titne ago, before I purchased some of A. I. Root's queen-excluding zinc that I used to- keep the queen from going up in the upper sto- ry. I made some fine swarms artificially by having all worker combs in this way: IMy hive^ and surijlus box hold 8 frames each: and when 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 95 I found in tlio siii-plns box fi'oni four to six combs well rilled with brood I would set it oft and remove the old hive to a new stand: then I would take a new hive (empty of course), and transfer the eight frames from the surplus box into it. and place it on the old stand, not caring which one retained the queen, for one had to be queenless. There are very many more good points in favor of the excessive use of comb foundation: and it is a subject that is often brought up at our conventions, and fully discussed, and 1 for one have yet the rirst time to hear any one claim that we can get along just as well with- out it. Ben.i. E. Rice. Boscobel. Wis.. Jan. (>. BEE-KEEPING IN TUNIS. ANOTHER LETTER FROM P. H. HAI.DEXSPERGER. When I first landed in Tunis I had to put aside the impression which I. had always had in regard to '"Afric's sunny fountains." for I had to put on every warm bit of clothing. It is true, it was the beginning of November: still, about the same time in Palestine we are gener- ally suftering for want of rain, which was the case this year again, while in the North of Afii- ca, Tunis'and Algeria have had a great deal too much. Owing to the want of vegetation in the imme- diate vicinity of Tunis (town), very few bees are kept. I have seen only a few flying about the sweetmeats one finds in all Oriental towns, put before the public on large trays, in front of the shoiJS. Always accustomed to see the yel- low Easterns, the' sight of those black ones'ex- cite my curiosity. I had been told to look lor bees on the other side of the gulf of Tunis. A small sailing vessel took me over in a couple of hours. On the point of the cape, and com- manding the entrance, covered by divers de- structions, lies the once mighty rival of Rome, so thoroughly destroyed. Seldom did ruins af- fect me so mightily as those of Carthage. Though in Palestine ruins abound, yet this ruler of the Mediteri'anean makes you feel that we are all but dust. The archbishops of Al- giers and Carthage have built a beautiful ca- thedral on the ruin: and from the ruins in the excavations, beautiful marble statues and col- umns have been brought to daylight, showing- the art of this ancient place.' Thousands of olive-trees on the surrounding mountains make the sceneiT more beautiful. The Tunisians keep numbers of bees out in the country, and they themselves also consume a good deal of honey, as the Mohammedans do not use any alcohol noi' any preserved fruits in tins. They are fond of dark honey, and do not take very much to white oi' light-colored honey. All over Algiers and Tunis the bees are kept in hives made of wickerwork. where willows, pomegranates, and such trees abound. The hives are long and square, made out of fennel- stems where those abound. These fennel-stems are about ten inches long, fastened tog(>ther by passing a stick the whole length of the stems, placed sidewise together, and thus the four sides are again fastened together, the hive being about 3 feet long. They place them on a log of wood to keep them from the immediate damp- ness of the soil. The hives are smeared over with manure and sand, only one i-ow at a time being placed beside another. Th(» hives are again covered with stra\\'. to keep them fi-om the heat and the rain. The next row is placed in front, a few feet apart. They have general- ly one or two swarms from a good hive in April and May. and thev take out the first honev chiefly from wild clover, etc. Later on. in fa- vorable places they have a second cropof carob. thyme, and other ai'omatic plants. In some re- gions the roscMuaiy abounds. There are also orange-groves: but up to this time they know nothing about oi'ange-blossom honey, as the greater pait of the apiarists are Arabs, going on iu their primitive fasiiion. In Algeria they sel- dom or never mov(» their hives expressly for pasture: but as the country people are all no- mads they now and then are obliged to move the hives with the general move of the tribe. The North African bee is about the same in color as the Maltese — black, with yellow fuzz. They seem to be a good honey-gathei'ing bee, very prolific, and less inclined to sting than the Eastern bees. They are great I'obbers. but, as a rule, are not so active as the Easterns in at- tacking, and defending themselves and hives both against men and bees. We were transfer- ring some hives a few days ago fi'om a box hive into the bar frame: but no sooner had the bees smelled the honey than on they came, rushing, robbing away, and beginning to sting a little bit too. We could transfer only two hives at a time. The Palestines. though fierce ix)bbers, would have left us in peace for at least four or five hives, but woukj have then been very ugly toward us too. The queens of this black race are not so easily found as our Easterns, as they differ much less in color. This queen is dark brown, and at this time of the year a good deal smallei- than she is in spring when she is laying away with all lu'r might. Like all the Eastern nations they know very little about queens, drones, and workers. They believe that the bees gather the eggs from the flowers to produce young bees: or. again, that the queen is simply ieigning and giving orders while the workers are really the mothers. They have a great veneration for bees, as the Koran tells tiiem they are holy animals. On this be- lief a certain tradition is current among the Al- gerians. A young barbarian. Joussef Ben- Taschefin. succeeded, in 10.3(). to the throne of the last fatimite khalif of the Maghreb Abu Bekr. This Joussef was the founder of the Al- moravid(^s (European corruption of the word ^?)«o)Y(7>i(?i— the iiriests — now corrupted into French as Marabnt.) The father of Joussef was a potter, and \\ as wandering about in the gorges of the Atlas Mountains to sell his wares. His wife followed him eveiywhere, carrying Joussef on her shoulder, as is the custom. A swarm of bees settled on the head of the boy. Astonished at this, the parents set to counting the bees, and found a hundred. They immedi- ately knew it was some extraordinary event, and asked a d'wim^ (tnlehu) of great renown. The divine now explained to them that the will of God very clearly manifested itself, and that this child would become great, and i-eign from the Occident to the Levant: that he would have a glorious and long reign, and that each bee represented a people, and the swai'm the whole of the nations united into one under his hand to form one large empire. He became lieutenant of Al)u Bekr. who confided to him the command of the Ldinptuncs. a mighty ti'ibe. Joussef took Fez and Mequinaz. the khalifat of the Edrissites. at the head of 80.()0() horsemen, then marched toward Themcen, and subdued all to Beni-Mezegrena. in Algeria. After his return he founded Maraquesh (Mo- rocco), and was thus prince of ^Morocco and the greater part of Algeria: but, unsatisfied with this, lie succe(^ded in subduing all the north of Africa to Egyj)!. He then took the title of •• Prince of the Musselmansand Defender of the Religion. ■■ Arab chroniclers say he built a vast bridge fr.wn Africa to Europe across Gib- raltar, and took Mohammed-ben-Abd, ruler of 96 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Feb. 1. Mohammedan Spain, i)i'isoner. without one singlo lost battle. Jousscf died at the age of a hnndred years, exactly the number of bees that were counted in the swarm. The Arabs are very fond of honey, and this is a great cause why Algeria does not export a great deal. Here. also, they have manure to make the hives. The only time they visit the bees is to take out the honey, which they put in earthenware trays, and then press out the hon- ey, simply by forming a ball out of the honey- combs and squeezing it out as fast as possible. Comb honey is nevei" ke]jt for sale. Some fine comb may be had if oi'dered beforehand. The wax is purified and brought to the market. In the Kabyly Mountains are the Kabyles (a dif- ferent race altogether from the Arabs, for they are fair, and have a different language). They are vei'y likely descendants of the Vandals, and may even have been Christians before Moham- medanism reigned here. The women of this tribe have a cross tatooed on the forehead, some also on the cheeks or chin — an old tradition they have probably carried thi-ough for centu- ries. These Kabyles are a good deal more in- , dustrious than the Arabs: have divers arts, as soap-making, pottery, and others. They live in stone houses in their wild mountains. Their women are unveiled, and they have a kind of shoes or boots made of cloth, resembling very much the old Germanic warrior's or Roman's foot clothing. They move their bees, too, to bett<'r regions when they find a good place of pasturage. Their land is better cultivated than the Arabs', and they raise a good 7nany olive and fig trees. They are as fanatic Mohamme- dans as the Arabs, and in 1871 they w(>re tiie fiercest I'ioters against the French, massacring all Europeans they could get hokl of till the regiments coming back from Prussian captivi- ty immediately checked the insurrection. The punishment has been very severe, but they leai'iied to support the easy French yoke, and are even glad to call themselves French as soon as they are away from home. Ph. J. Baldenspehger. Algiers, Africa, Dec. 18. [Friend B., your legend about the little swarm of bees (just 100) reminds me vividly of my early days in queen-rearing. I had a great number of little hives with three or four combs three or four inches square. Well, when these little nuclei got their hives full they would swarm out; and SAvarms of bees, about as large as a goose-egg, got to be such a common occur- rence during the height of the honey-yield that they were the sport of the neighborhood; and a queen with perhaps a hundred bees was likely to alight almost anywhere or on almost any- body, so that it is quite likely that so much of the legend was absolutely true.] Wisconsin, Ohio, and Illinois. We receive large quantities from these States, and have always received it in kegs or half-barrels, and some- times in barrels, holding 500 lbs. For our mar- ket we favor the use of kegs, half-barrels, or even barrels, because these jiaekages find ready sale, and our trade prefers them. Ucsidcs they are less expensive, and cheaijer for tlie pi'oducer than the tins. We can not advise the use of them when there is absolutely nothing gained. Honey in kegs, half-bari'els, or barrels, will sell just us readily, and at as good a price, as when packed in tins. The same may be said for Southern honey. Kegs, half-barrels, and bar- rels, are the packages our market demands for extracted honey, with the exception of Califor- nia. HiLDKETH Bugs. & Segelkex. New York, Jan. 10. [Square cans miiM be used in California be- cause the climate there will shrink the wooden packages; in fact, kegs would be utterly useless with them. We have always advocated the tin cans for all sections of the country, but perhaps there are good reasons why kegs should be used instead in this part of the U. S. They are easier' handled, and, in some cases, can be ship- ped on a lower classification. While square cans will not shrink they are liable to spring a leak if the boxes in which they are put are too roughly handled. Kegs are stronger, but they also take more storage I'oom, and, worst of all, they are very apt to give the honey a slight taint of the wood, which clean tin cans never do. In fact, the principal ivason why we have abandoned the use of ban-els and kegs is, we have so many times had a very fine article of honey so tainted by the barrel as to make it second or third quality. We should be glad to have bee-keepers and other commission-houses give us a little more light on this subject.] KEGS INSTEAD OF SQUARE CANS. AVHY A COMMISSION HOUSE PKEFEI! MER. TIIE FOR- We note the discussion regarding the (50-lb. can, and the use of the same for extracted hon- ey. As a rule, they are used exclusively in Cal- ifornia: and all the honey we i-eceive from there is put up in these cans, two cans in a case. This fact is generally known among the trade; and when they order California honey they ex- pect to get it in these cans. For basswood, clover, and buckwheat honey, we have always advocated and advised the use of kegs holding about l.nO to 200 lbs., or half-barrels holding about 300 to 3.")0 lbs. We believe these packages q,re generally used in this State, Michigan, CLOSED-END AND HOFFMAN FRAMES. A WORD ON THE OTHER SIDE. Friend Root: — As closed-ends, thick top-bars, and bni'r-combs seem to hold first place in the bee-journals at present, I feel it my duty to add a few words; fii-st, because I fear some articles (written in good faith) are misleading; second, with so much testimony on one side, and little or nothing on the other, it may lead some to dis- card their convenient, well-proportioned frame for something they know little about. Of course, one who has had experience in bee culture will not be easily lead into changes; but the beginner, who is reading, and being guided by the teachings of the various bee-journals, often makes changes which his means will hard- ly allow. I have had six years' experience with closed- end or one-half-closed-end frames (the original Hoffman frame), and have worked them nearly all out of the apiary. When 1 say six years, I mean I used the Hoffman frame exclusively that length of time. Exact spacing, by using a fixed distance or closed end. will work nicely so long as we take pains to have each frame in its orig- inal place and position. But we want our frames all interchangeable; and when we can get every comb perfectly straight and true, then we can use closed <'nds and be well pleased with them. But in our experience, combs will differ. We can not keep evei-y hive exactly level at all times, and that of necessity throws our combs a little out of true; and I find that many combs, when changed from their original position, we have to change the bee-space at the top to get the right distance in the center of the brood- nest. Now, it will often happen that our ends 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. ',•7 are left -/^ of an inch apart, or we can't get them quite close enough. If left apart, the bees inuiiediateh- fill the space with bee-glue: and after repeating this a few times, the apiarist will have tostop manipulations, and scrape bee- glue before his frames will tit and give the propel- bee-space. I have used the hanging frame, made of Js lumber, top, sides, and bottom; and from actual experience I am fully satisfied they are far su- perior to a closed end in many respects. Before discarding (four years ago) the closed ends I ex- l)erimented with colonies of eciual strength and working qualities: also with the two frames in the same colony: and eveiy time the hanging frame gave the best satisfaction. There are many reasons I might write why I favor the hanging frames, small in themselves: but bee- keeping is made upof small things: and he who overlooks the small things will come far short of being successful in this world, whether it be bee-keeping or other business matters. In regard to buri'-conibs. I have used both thick and thin top-bars, and can see no differ- ence. I am of the impi'ession that burr-combs are due largely to the race of bees, and the right bee-space above the frames. I find \\itli me that I4 inch, scant, isabout right, and with that bee-space I should prefer a frame just heavy enough to prevent sagging, as I like to get the sections just as near the brood-nest as possible. A. E. WOODWAKD. Grooms Corners. N. Y., Jan. 1~'. [I am glad to get your testimony, friend W. — not that it proves that the closed-end or Hoff- man frames are impractical for the uiajoritii of bee-keepers, but because it shows that there are some bee-keepers like yourself, who. after try- ing them, would discard them for the hanging frames. Bee-men can not all be induced to use the same kind of frame, by a long way; and. if my judgment is worth any thing. I should say that neither the loose hanging nor fixed-dis- tance frame will be u.sed exclusively. Both will be used, and have their firm adherents. But your testimony, friend W.. is diametrically ojt- Fosed to that of a good many bee-keepers whom know — those who have tested both the fixed and the unfixed, and have finally decided most emphatically in favor of fixed frames. I feel pretty sure that the difficulty you speak of. about combs not being interchangeable, must be due to some fault in your manipulation. Capt. Hetherington,Mr. Elwood.and Mr. Julius Hotf- man. do not experience this trouble— to say nothing of the hosts of the smaller following. While I watched ]\Ir. Ehvood manipulate his frames, he alternated them as much as you and I would the loose hanging frames; and. remem- ber that these gentlemen own something like an aggiegate of 5000 colonies. There is a gieat deal in getting used to a thing. Although your article above shows that you have had consider- able experience with fixed distances, there is possibly some factor that does not appear on the surface, and yet nevertheless is the cause of youi' trouble. Perhaps ]\Ir. El wood will enlight- en us on this point a little, later on. In regard to thick and thin top-bars, your ex- perience is also diametiically opposite to our own. as well as to that of a good many othfrs who have sent in reports. It is one of the >^tr((vge things in bee culture, why good compe- tent bee-keejjers should have (experiences so different, and it is not much wonder tiiat it does confuse beginners. Mr. A. says he has had such and such expei'iences with a certain devic<'. Mr. B. has had just the opposite. But that does not prove that the article in question is value- less. You are correct about the right bee-space. It should be a scant (juarter inch. and. by the by. this may explain why you say you see no differ- ence between the thick and thin top-bars. This small bee-space, I know from experience and observation, makes a good deal of difference in the matter of burr-combs.l E. K. JlETIDg 0F Sl^^I]^ FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS, WHY THE QUEEX.S WEKE CAKIUEI) OUT. I introduced two queens into hives in Octo- ber. In about a month after they had been in- troduced I found them both in front of their i-espective hives, almost lifeless. They were straight and plump, but their bodies were not distended. The colonies had natural stores and granulated-sugar syrup; The queens were reared elsewhere. What cotild have been the trouble? J. C. Atkinsox. Nelsonville, O., Nov. 28. [No one can give the reason, any more than to conjecture: but my impression is, there was a queen already in the hive when you intro- duced one: and if you are only a novice, friend A.. I should not wonder if they were not queens at all. but simply bees with elongated bodies. I once mailed such a bee to father Langstroth, saving that I had lost my twenty-dollar queen. But I was greatly r(>joiced when he wiote back that it was not a quei>n at all. but only the body of a distended bee. I found It outside of the hive, as you did. and warmed it up. and it came to life a little. J SEf'TIOXS SOLD BY THE PIECE; WIDE AXI> THICK TOP-BARS A SUCCESS. I have been back East through York State and Connecticut. I have read about selling sections of honey by the piece. Now I will tell you about what I know. I sent 823 lbs. to Con- necticut. I had one crate of 1.5 boxes, of 12 lbs. each. It was hard work to get rid of them, a.s they wanted about 10 lbs. to 12 sections. I did not find one man that sold honey by net weight, always by the section. I have tried seven different kinds of brood- frames. The best I have tried is with top-bars lis in. wide and K inch thick. They give the best results, for there are no burr-combs be- tween frames. I space just I'^s inches from cen- ter to center. I will take wide and thick top- bars every time. A. N. Whiti.ock. Dovt-r. Mich.. Dec. 15. WIXTERIXG in an OUTKIJ CASE A SUCCESS: A DEAD-AIK SPACE SATISFACTORY'. I never could see wiiy burlap or cushions were better above the brood-nest than a boai'd that the bees could seal down air-light, or why saw- dust-packed hives were better than double- walled hives \\ ith a dead-air space. I winter on summer stands, and still have five different hives for expei'iment. The hive I principally use is the Heddon (for want of a better) with an outer case of K lumber. In these hives I rarelv lose a colonv (I lost one out of twenty in three years). Ifl'should happen to loosen the cover after being glued. I use a paste to make It tight. Mv bees bi'eed up fast in the spring, and are readv for business when the honey-flow comes, and I always get the best-iipened honey from those hives, selling my honey as fast as taken from the hives, in my town. In expei-imenting with double-walled hives, a hive with a one-inch dead-air space all around 98 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Feb. 1. it is warmer inside tlian a liive with si)ace l)acked. The same is cooler in summer. What has become of the veiitihition theory? I settled this theory in a few words. Why do bees seal down the cover air-tight if they should have ventilation? J. T. Fi.ETrnEH. Clarion. Pa.. Dec. 8. DO DAKK COMBS AFFECT TIfE COEOK AM) (^TAEITV OF THE HONEY ? The question, " Do dark combs affect injuri- ously the color of honey they contain?" was. I believe, answered in tlie negative at the Keo- kuk convention. I believe this answer to be correct, if the honey is allowed to remain in thf combs but a short time. But if allowed to re- main in such combs a few months, its color and flavor are both very perceptibly impaired. A year ago last March I warmed up and ex- tracted several gallons of Spanish-needle hon- ey for a neighboi' from combs that he had ta- ken out of upper stoi'ics in the fall and stored away in his hous<^ until he could get some one to extract them, as he had no extractor. The combs were not paiticnlarly dark, yet the hon- ey was decidedly off in flavor and color when compai'ed with my own honey gathered on the same range, but extracted as soon as well ri- pened. T. I'. Anduews. Farina. 111., Dec. :Hk OUTSIDE SHOW, WITH THE INSIDE NOT IN KEEPING. Friend Root: — I have seen a little of the same kind of work you speak of, imtting the best on the outside, or on top. You are doubtless aware that Utah has had a good rei)utation for the quality of j>n^(f((c.s produced, but per- haps you are not aware that her good nanu' has been greatly injured by this outside-show business. Now, I will omit names: but Mr. 1{. being a business man. and in the shlp|)ing busi- ness, and having a reputation foi' square deal- ing, receives numerous applications for those noted potatoes. Mr. B. goes among the (honest) farmers and tells them what he wants, and will pay so much a bushel for them, sacked and loaded on the cars. Now, probably there are half a dozen men loading a couple of cars. A few of the sacks are opened in the hurry, and fine potatoes are seen on top. and very likely five of the six men have been honest, and put just as good ones all the way through: but the sixth one is the Judas; and as the sacks are loaded promiscuously, withotit being marked, all must bear the blame of those small and some frozen and inferior potatoes. The ship- per, of course, is held responsible: and when he has trusted too much to the honesty of the pro- ducer he "gets left."" Can anybody say this is right? I for one am not sorry that friend Root is starting in to let the blame fall on the shoulders where it rightfully belongs, and not on the innocent, notwithstanding it may " cut close."" And I think ninety-nine out of every hundred of your ten thousand subscribers will be willing to stand by you: for when a man oi' woman has labored diligently for a good repu- tation it is not pleasant to have it tarnished by Iscariot. I think you are right Avhen you think each package of honey must have its producer"s name on it. Although we arc a brotherhood of bee-keepers, and could, and perhaps should, work more for each other's interest than we do. still, until we become a little more perfect, we shall have to look to oni'selves for a good name. In fact, that same little individual self is one that we must keep watch of, for he is prol)ably as liable to go wrong as any one. Taylorsville, Utah, Dec. 9. Homeu Hroavn. A KIND WOUD — UOAD-MAKINC, ETC. Mr. Root:— I have read with great a])precia- tion your article under the head of" Myself and My Neighbors." in your Dec. 1.5th issue. In this new country I see so much shiftless manage- ment, and hear so much complaining about railroads and banks and monopolies, and big crops and low prices, and big prices and no crops, to all of which your remarks are so pat. that I feel like responding, as I once heard an earnest listener in a Methodist church. He sat close up undei' the pulpit: and as the min- ister clinched ev(>iy argument he was ready with a response, as* is quite usual in tha,t de- nomination. Finally, as a still more profound truth was utter(>d, he shouted out, "A— men I true as preachingi"" A])ropos of your illustration about the way road work is done, don't you think that people w'lio work, particularly farmers, need, above every tbing, to learn and act up to the old max- im, •' AVhatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well '"? To use a current slang expres- sion, it makes me "tired:"" yes, very tired, to see the way, when a low ]uece of gi'ound is to be piked, they will go into the very lowest spot and plow deep holes on each side of the road in ord(u- to get dirt out of whicli to make the em- bankment. There is an old saying, " Let well enough alone."" I could n(>ver see any sense in it: but too many interpiet it in this fashion — that, when a thing is done so as to answer for the time being, it is done well enough. As you say. what a vast amount of time, labor, and money is wasted by doing things over year aft- er year! Ev(u-y one seems to be striving, not to do as well as he can, but to do as )niich as he can. The other day a man came to me and asked if I knew of a farni to rent. I suggested a place, a good farm containing eighty acres. No. that wouldn"t do— there wasn't land enough. Just think, of iti only himself, no boys to help him. one team of horses, and eighty acres wasn't enough. He must have one hundred and sixty acres to scurry over. Yes. indeed it does make one " tii'ed."" Hok.'Vce N. Jones. Clay Center, Neb., Dec. ;j;J. BOARDS or quiets; WHICH ARE BEST TO COVER SUPERS? Until the present season I have always used quilts placed directly on top of the sections in the super. jNIore and more I became dissatisfied with tluMu. because of the great masses of pro- polis i)ut iK'tween the sections and quilt. Some- times the quilt was shoved up enough to let the bees pass over the sections, and the whole top of the sections «as smeared with glue. This season I handled 12,5 colonies in two apiaries, run for comb honey only, and all in ten-fi-ame Simplicity hives, slatted honey-board, and Miller T super. On about half the colonies we used t he quilt to cover the supers. The rest we covered witli board covers, just a plain ^^ board cleated on top to prevent warping. With tiie sui)er holding :.'8 sections we have on top 3:.» openings, every one of which will be lined with propolis, making 16 ft. of line pro|)o- lized: but with the board we have al^out 1:2 ft. of line propolized; viz., the outline of the super. 5 lines across between row and row, and row and super, and a little at the corners of the sections, where they touch tbc super on the side of the super. The board being rigid, it is simply glued down: but the quilt, being flexible, is crowded up, consequently receives two to four times as much glue, and is stuck right on top of the sections, which, when scraped off, have a streak- ed, motley appearance, while tliose covered with a board will be somewhat discolored all over the top, and have just a small line of glue 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 99 on each upper corner, to knock off. The whole top of the section being sliglitly discolored, it looks better than the spotted oiie. The heat will rise to the board, and equalize much better than with quilt. COMB HOXEV SOII.KD BY PROPOLIS. We seldom had less tiian two supers on each hive, and sometimes foui- and live, and had fre- quent occasion to inteiciiange. putting the top super down, or else putting a new one on top of those already on. Now. those, being covered with quilts, when placed below, must have those great piles of propolis scraped off. which takes up much valuable time, and. when done, will have to be smoothed down by the bees. This extra glue that the bees smooth off' must go somewhere, and much of it goes into thecap- piiigsof the honey near its location in the super. .Some will think it is only travel-stains. Even if it were, we don"t want so much glue tramped in our nice white combs, liut careful observa- tion, in nuiuy instances, showed great spats of this extra glue placed rigiil on the combs. Fort Collins. Col.. Dec. :-4. E. C. Aikin. SPIUXG DWINDLING — A GOOD .SUG(ii:STIOX AS TO ITS CAUSE. I havenotseen thesubject of spring dwindling explained as it has occurred under my observa- tions, which are these: Once in three or four years we liave a late flow of honey, mostly from aster: and the bees that should (and. under or- dinary circumstances, would) live until others appeared on the stage in thespringtiu'u out and wori< early and late after the weather has be- come so cool that one is surprised to see them out. in consequence of wliich many die through the winter, whether wintered in the cellar or outdoors: and when commencing work in the spring they die off like "old sheep" before others can be raised to take their places. The result, many know to their sorrow. Well, what is the remedy? I wish I knew. Feeding to keep up brood -reai'ing after tlie close of the stirplus season would be all u rong when the late honey failed tocome. Some stocks with young queens keep up brood-rearing late, and get through all right, when, if the late flow had not come, they would require heavy feeding sometimes, while the others would be in much the best shape. Bartlett. ()., Dec. 15. E. S. Fowlek. [It is well known that spring dwindling does not come every spring: and as it appears irregu- larly, your suggestion is a good one — as good as any' that have been given. Has any one else observed that a late honey-flow is apt to be fol- lowed by more or less spring dwindling?] AN f:XPEKIMp:NT WITH IIAIK FOB PACKING. I am trying an experiment this winter with four chaff cushions tilled with hair, such as is used for plastering. Our folks run a tannery, and they are troubled with bumble-bees build- ing nests In the hair-house, and I think honey- bees will not be offended if we till their side- walls with good dry hair. Of course, there is some lime in it. but that will absorb some of tiie moisture from the hive, and become dry again without rotting, as chaff' will. I will send you free samples, large enough so you can till four side cushions. \Ve use the Falcon chaff hives. Mits. J. W. Kbodie. Warsaw. N. Y.. Dec. 1. this year, "sXItV- ti'id there was not a s|)Oonful of wax on the top of about 200. I like them much better than the light ones. We used the T super ovei- them without any honey-board — put a strip under each end of the super, and there was no wax nor brace-combs to bother. F. L. Hankins. Blandinsville. 111.. Dec. 8. A good beport fbom the hoffm.xx frame. The past season was entirely too wet to be very favorable to the bee-keepers of New Jer- sey." Mv honev ciop this vear is slightly over 1(500 lbs., all bu"t l.")0 of which is comb, from (50 colonies, spring count. Clover sold at 17 cts., and buckwheat at 1.")— better prices than for some years past. In speaking of the Hoffman frame, when, in 1885. 1 bought the apiary of my brother. John B. Case, now of Poi't Oi'ange. Fla.. he was using both kinds of frames, the Hoffman for experi- ment, with gratifying results. Now. if any one will use both styles. Hoffman and common, not only in the same yard, but in the same hive, as I have done. I think he will very soon discard all but the Hoffman. They can be handled just as rapidly as the common, and spaced in a flasli. A good way to test the matter is to put, in a hive, lialf of each kind of frames. There are but few other kinds of frames used in this .section at present, and they are imported from New York. Ohio, and other foreign parts. I should almost as .soon think of going back to the old box hive as to give up the Hoffman frame. There is a hive manufactured not more than a thousand miles from here, in which the frames are permanently spaced: i. e.. nailed in fast and tight: and some declare, after using them, that they can not see much difference between a frame hive and a box hive. Strange, isn't it? W. W. Case. Baptisttown. N. J.. Dec. -.'ii. [Thanks for your very valuable testimony. Comparative tests are what we want. In only one instance that I know of was the Hoffman frame adopted and afterwai'd discarded. In this case it was not for the hanging frames, but for a frame .still moi'e fixed — the closed-end Quinby. I feel morally certain, that, where a fair comparative test is made, like the one re- ferred to above, the Hoffman will come out ahead in nine cases out of ten. The man who shuts his eyes to these improvements, and won't try them, is the one who will be the loser in the race, in the long run.] E. R. DOVBLE-WALLED AHEAD OF SINGLE-WALLED EIVES: THICK TOP-BaRS A SUCCESS. We got some honey from all of our chaff hives, but there was not a pound of surplus from the single-walled hives, ^^'e used heavy top-bars WHY L. FRAMES AltE PUT LENGTHWISE OF THE HIVE. Friend Root: — Why do you and most of the bee-men, so to speak, advise tlie frames being hung lengthwise instead of across the hive? I ask for information. It can't be so warm in winter, and I should think they would be more difficult to handle. C. H. Peabodv. Providence, R. I., Dec. 18. [This matter has been pretty thoroughly dis- cussed in times past, frif^nd P. The L. frame is always used running from front to I'ear. or pret- ty nearly always. Where the entrance is the whole length of the front, a bee coming in from the field can go between any two frames in the hive, without passing over any. In very hot weather, the air coming in at the entrance can also go between all of the combs. In handling the comijs, the operator naturally stands at one side or the other of the hive, and never in front, so as to cut off bees from getting in any of the entrances. If we wish to divide the hive 100 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTLTRE. Feb. 1. by a division-board, so as to make two or more colonies for quepu-rearing, the entrance Is readily divided, without the necessity of cutting new entrances in any of the hives. Other n^a- sons may. perhaps, be given. Very likely there are other reasons liesides tlie one you mention for having the frames go crosswise.] OB.JECTIOXS TO RENT-POINT AVIKK NAILS FOH WIKING. Last season I tried th(» wire nails in wiring brood-frames. I don't like the plan of bending the points, as they do not make a neat job, and it takes considerable time also. I have a plan that seems good if we can get the nails made that way. It is, one-inch wire nails with eyes punched through about ^ or ^4 inch back from the points. Iron wire nails would do. or nails somewhat flat; or, how would nails with beards cut a little way back from the point do? What would the first-named cost per lb.? Nye, Ind., Dec. 29. C. A. Bunch. [Friend B., the only way to get a nail with an eye in it would be to get up the machinery and make them. The nail companies would not take it unless an immense order were given them. There is no nail in the market with a barb long enough to catch the wire securely. A barb would be much handier than an eye, for the wire could be hooked over it. I am inclined to think that hooking over the point would be the cheapest way at present. If you use a very slender nail, and have the right kind of round- nose pliers, it need not take veiy much time.] in blooiu over a month, and the bees are work- ing on it every day. They are bringing great loads of pollen and some honey. I know they get pollen from the pine bloom'; but do they get the honey from it too? J. H. Hilt.. Venice, Manatee Co., Fla.. Dec. 27. [If you like extemporized Hoffman frames— that is. those made from common frames, you certainly will like the Hotfman made exactlv as the inventor recommends. The regular Hotfmans are easier and more satisfactory than something fixed over.] WHAT FKAME TO ADOPT — THE VAN DEITSEN OR HOFFMAN. I have decided to adopt a fixed frame, and can not decide between the Van Deusen rever- sible and Hoffman. I sui)pose you have thor- oughly tested both by this time, and I should like to know your preference. I think I should prefer the Hoffman if it were reversible. Do you think this much advantage, or enough to adopt the Van Deusen in preference to the Hoffman, regardless of cost? C. E. Layman. Troutville, Va., Dec. IL [Both frames have their points of advantage. For a fixed fi'ame we prefer the Hoffman. If you want the reversing feature this will not do. and you had better select the Van Deusen. The safer way is to try a few of each.] x CLOSE spacing a DECIDED ADVANTAGE. I have read Mr. Board man's suggestions in December 1st Gleanino.s. Our hives are the same kind as those used by Mr. B. Three years ago next spring I put an extra frame in the few hives we then had. and have continued to do so. Our bees have done splendidly, wintered well, and we are scarcely troubled with burr- combs. I think Mr. B. will find tiie extra frame quite a help to him. We had a good yield of surplus honey the past season, and the hives were very heavy when we put them in the cellar for winter, about Dec. 1st. JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT— 50 BUSHELS PEB ACltE. In regard to Japanese buckwheat, here the past season it has shown its superiority over the old black variety. While many pieces of the black were badly blasted by three or four hot windy days, the Japanese was scarcely af- fected at all. We had fifty bushels to the acre. Several of our neighbors who came to look at it said it was the nicest piece they ever saw. B. T. SCOTHAN. Rogersville, Mich.. Dec. 24. [These are the kind of facts we like to get. Close spacing has only to be carefully tried to prove its advantages.] THE modified HOFFMAN FRAME- A GOOD REPORT OF IT. I acted at once on Ernest's suggestion (page 780). and changed th<^ hanging frames of one hive into Hoffman frames. It did not seem to work right. I could not lift even two frames at once, so I pulled the spacers oft' and cut the top ends square, as on page 425: nailed them on, and they did better. I can lift three or four frames easily, and they work nicely so far. I also found thefe has to be a spacer nailed in one corner of the hive, and one on one corner of the follower. My bees have done well this fall, and are in good fix for winter. The spruce pine has been .JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT TOO LARGE TO GO THROUGH ORDINARY SIEVES. What will you give for 30 bushels of Japanese buckwheat? The miller here thinks he can not well grind it, on account of its size. Miss Libbie Williams. Delavan, Wis., Dec. 24. [The above and similar letters indicate unmis- takably that the Japanese buckwheat is larger than the common. Tell your miller, that, if he wants to be up with the limes, he should get a sieve that would accommodate the new buck- wheat.] HONEY LIKE WET SUGAR. Our bees in this settlement this fall made honey like wet sugar. What is the cause? It never was so before. We have had the driest summer and fall we ever had. Aumsville, Or., Dec. 12. W. W. Brooks. [Friend B.. such honey has been several times reported, and it almost always comes during a dry season or fall. We have had several re- ports from candied honey-dew from your local- ity— the kind that makes little balls of candy on the twigs of the fir-trees. As this candies on the trees, it would be nothing strange to see it candied in the combs.] SPANISH NEJ:1)LE. I was visiting in Iowa during August and September, and I saw the large flowering Span- ish needle for the first time. It is different from what we have here. Some of the fiowers are two inches across the petals, and of a beautiful yellow color. I saw tlie bees at work on them. They are a different kind from what we have* in Ohio. W. S. Imi.ay. Zanesville, O.. Dec. 8. [Friend I., we are glad of what you tell us. One of the first things for bee-keepers to do during this coming season is to work up this great field along the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers.] 1S91 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 101 SUCCESS BY THE ABC OF BEP: CII.TURE. I must tell you how well I succeeded with my bees with the help of your A B C book. Last fall I bought thi'ee ordinary hives, and did not know a queen from a di'one. I studied the ABC all winter and thi> sumniei'. I increased my bees to Ki good hives, and extracted 40 lbs. of honey, besides learning a great deal that I wouldn't take money for. I have bought enough to increase my number to 30 hives, and expect to do wonders next year in the bee-busi- ness. We have thousands of acres of alfalfa for pasturage: and although we live at an altitude of 7.500 feet, our bees flourish. Mancos, Colo.. Nov. 10. Mks. A. J. B.akbeis. THE NEW DOVETAILED HniS WITH A FOLEOAV- ER AXD CLOSED-END FRAMES JLLST THE THING FOR OREGON. In the Dovetailed hive you have struck a keynote in adding the " follower and wedge"" to key up the frames and sections. Tiiis key- board (as I have called it) and wedge have been in use in my apiary for ten years, and are considered indispensable. I have used a sec- tion-holder during this time, made by nailing these same ■■ inset slats "" to 34 x 'a -inch strips, the saiue resting on tins as in the dovetailed super, but without the end pieces. This gives a vacant space of an inch or so at one t'ud. which gives easy room for handling sections. t*' and the follower "holds all snug. ? ' The Dovetailed hive, if wide enough to ad- ■>' mitof. say. a half-inch division-board on each "■ 'Bide, with closed-end frames, virtually making I '' a^double-walled hive is just the hive for our . V' Oregon and Washington climate, where it is '• never extremely cold, but where we have damp- ness to contend with. The heat from the bees will drive the moisture througli this half-inch wall to the oi)en-air space, where it will con- dense and run down out of the hive, leaving the bees dry — a most favorable condition for wintering successfully. E. S. Brooks. Silverton, Ore., Jan. 13. FAIR RENTAL FOR AN OLT-APLARY. As I have more bees than I think I should keep at home, I intend starting an out-apiary this season: and having had no experience my- self, and as there is no one here to consult. I write to ask you what is customary or right compensation to pay the parties owning loca- tion, as rent, etc., for privilege. In other words, what arrangement is usual between the bee- keeper and the owner of the land? Florence, Kan.. Jan. 5. T. J. Conry. [Rental for grounds on which out-apiaries stand is usually rated at $10.00 per year. It is just as you can agree. A good many pay no rent: they make gifts of honey.] M<)RE ABOUT THE NEW IDEA. Friend Root:— I see, by the way you headed my article on page 25, that my New Idea was not well understood by you. It is nota wire-cloth cage in front of the hive, for wire is hard for bees to fly against— also a conductor of caloric, therefore not good, besides too expensive and cumbersome: neither is it mosquito-bar, as might be inferred, as the feet of the bees will entangle in it. My bees are doing grandly under this treat- ment, and are less restless than those in the dark cellar. Among those placed upstairs, un- der protection of the new idea, was a colony, robbed on the last of September. I feed them in the New Idea, and every two or three days they have a grand festival and carry some stores into the hive. They well know where to find their rations: but it is wonderful how they assemble to enjoy their festivities. During the month and twenty days that I have had these colonies upstairs, the dwindle is next to nothing, while tliose in the cellar can be gathered up by the quart. P'rom present in- dications I am confident that the New Idea solves the enigma of wintering without loss: and if success attends until they reach the sum- mer stand, upstairs will supplant down cellar, universally, in less than one decade. The character of this device is a riddle not easy to gues^^, and I retain the knowledge to myself until success attends it. at which time I will send you a sample one. whereby the fra- ternity will be made to wonder at its simplicity. Nirvana. Mich.. Jan. l'.». F. D. Lacy. AGAINST INCORPORATING THE Bf;E-KEEPERS' UNION WITH THE N. A. B. K. A. On page 8ii4. Dec. 1.5. Dr. Miller makes a prop- osition to merge the N. A. B. K. A. into the Bee-keepers" Union. I think that sliould not be done without the consent of a majority of the members of the Union: and as a member I wish to hand in " no "" to the plan. I do not see where it would benefit jthe Union in any way, so I object to it. E. D. Hoavell. New Hampton. N. Y.. Dec. 1.5. report of THE YEAR. In the spring of 1889 we set out 80 stands of bees. During the year we increased the num- ber to 200. which w(Me all alive in the spring of 18^)0. but some of them were weak. There were 185 when the fruit - trees blossomed, and we were highly pleased with the prospect for the last year. We received over 7000 lbs. of honey from 80 swarms. For ]8i)0 we received only about 700 lbs., and have onlv about 175 stands left. R. H. Randall. Big Rock. Iowa. Dec. 20. CALIFORNIA HONEY IN OLD OIL-CANS. The honey is very rich, but I don't like it in oil-cans, for it spoils the flavor, for it tastes so strongly of the oil. I would rather pay a cent a pound more to have it in new cans. Frederick Hund. Casco, St. Clair Co.. Mich.. Nov. 30. 150 LBS. OF honey from THE BEST COLONY. My bees have done fairly well this summer, my best colony giving 1.50 lbs. extracted honey. I had 12 colonies, spring count: increased to 22; sold one. and took 400 lbs. comb and 400 lbs. ex- tracted honey from them, and left plenty for winter stores." A. E. Snei^grove. Camborne. Ont.. Can.. Dec. 13. ALFALFA-ROOTS— HOW DEEP DO THEY GO? On page 401. A B C. you intimate that the cut of the alfalfa -root is probably exaggerated. From an extended visit to Kern Co., Cal., this season. I can testify that the statement, that the roots reach a depth of 20 feet, is correct; and for feed for stock, it has no equal. Maroa. 111., Dec. 4. F. D. Lowe. A REMEDY FOP. BLACK ANTS. My hives were covered with ants, and now I don't see them at all. The bottoms of my chaff hives are pail^ted with coal tar. It cost 10 cents a gallon. One quart warmed and spread on quite thick, with a brush-broom, will paint the bottoms of 10 hives. The mice do not trouble them either. It is cheaper than tarred paper: besides, it preserves the wood. R. A. Tobey. Caton, N. Y., Jan. 6. 10'.' GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Feb. 1. eai^ QaEg3Fi0]\[.B0^, With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees. Question 177. 1. When a cellar gets too cold, is artificial heat, such as tlutt from, a stove in the cellar, injurious? 2. If you tliiuk it advis- able to use a stove, wo^ild yoii try to keep a steady heat, or warm up hy spells f Warm up by spells Illinois. N. W. C. Mrs. L. Haimusox. I will let the cellar men answer this. Wisconsin. S. W. E. France. 1. No. 2. Bring the temperature up to 40, or about, and then close the cellar and try to keep it at that. Illinois. N. W. Dadant & Son. 1. Not if you are cai-eful. 2. A steady heat, with facilities for turning it off in warm spells, would probably be best. New York. C. P. H. Emvood. 1. I think that artificial heat may be used to advantage. 2. Warm up by spells, and then let the bees become quiet. Ohio. N. W. H. R. Boardman. It Is claimed by some, I believe, that the tem- perature of a bee-cellar should be between 4.5 and .50. The steadier your temperature, the better. Ohio. S. W. C. F. MuTH. I. No, but I'd try hard not to have it get too cold. 2. I would keep an even temperature: and a cellar that is tit to winter bees in may easily be kept warm enough with an oil-stove. Ohio. N. W. A. B. Mason. 1. No. At least, it won't do as much harm as too much cold. 2. I don't know. I suspect it doesn't make much difference. If you could keep them just right, the steady is probably hof to.- The occasional is (>asier. Illinois. N. C. C. MlIXER. 1. The temperature in a cellar should be maintained at 45°. as nearly as possible. I should prefer a good oil-lamp, rather than a stove, to warm the cellar, by coloring the chim- ney with smoke, or using a tin cliimney, in or- der to exclude the light. 2. Keep up the heat, a steady heat. Vermont. N. W. A. E. Manum. Not if very carefully managed; but great caution is imperative. I should prefer a uni- foi-m heat, so as to ke(>p the cellar just about right; but I have no hesitation, as the temper- ature goes down toward freezing, in putting in a fire; but I carefully watch, and remove as soon as the temperature gets to 45°. or even up to 50°, if the weather is veiy cold. Michigan. C. A. J. Cook. From my practice I can readily answer that stove heat is not injurious; and the best way to do is to warm up by spells, unless you have a very large cellar, say under a building as large as a store. I divided my cellar with -a board partition, putting the bees in the big part and the stove in the small one. The stove heat I'a- diates through the board partition after mak- ing the little room and stone wall around it very hot. In this way I avoid excessive immediate heating of the bees. Michigan. S. W. James Heddox. My bee-cave needs no artificial heat. If I had a cellar which was too cold I would experi- ment with artificial heat to see if I could better it thereby. So much depends on the mo/t, and his thorough or shiftless ways, that what might be a success with one might prove only a fail- ure with others. New York. C. (x. M. Doolittle. 1. While I have never tried warming a bee- cellar by artificial heat, I feel very sure it would do no harm, provided pi-oper care were taken not to excite the bees by too much noise or light in caring for the fire; or if a smoking stove or an uneven temperature were guarded against. 1. By all means keep a steady, uniform heat when heat is needed. Illinois. N. C. J. A. Green. If a cellar had the habit of getting down to the freezing-point, I would first try to remedy the defect in the cellar. If I could not do this I would partition off' an ante-i'oom. and put in a coal-stove. The ante-room, though small, would shield the bees fiom dii'ect heat and light, and secure an even diffusion of heat. I would keep a steady heat during the cold term, or diu'ing zero weather. The rise and fall of temperature would cause uneasiness. New York. E. Rambler. I have had very little experience with indoor wintering. Those who have tried it. I believe, mostly say artificial heat won't work. Not having tried it. it is easy forme to suspect ii might be made to work if one would get at it just right. An uneasy owner might easily im- agine his bees were suffering greatly from cold when a quiet letting-alone would bring them through all I'ight. 2. Nothing succeeds like success; and nothing fails so miserably as fail- ure. I suspect succ(!ss could b(^ had on either line; and failure on eithei' line, I am pretty sure, could be had. Ohio. N. W. E. E. Hasty. 1. Hard to tell. It has not been satisfactorj^ with me. The trouble is to get the heat evenly distributed and keep it so. To do this it would require something in the furnace, steam, or hot- water plan of heating, and would require more of an outlay for fixtures than one would wish to incur, and more skill and patience to tend the plant than most of us possess. 2. I have a stove in my bee-cellar, and I have found it handy to dry out moisture befoi'e putting bees in. and to heat up honey to feed or extract where some is left late in the fall. What we should aim at in the construction of cellars is to construct them so that the heat of the earth and bees will keep them warm enough without resorting to fire heat. Wisconsin. S. W. S. I. Freeborn. [I am glad to see so much of an agreement in regard to the above. In our locality — at least, as our winters have been for a good many years back — I feel certain that it does not pay to winter bees in cellars, all things considered; and if I lived where it is cold enough to war- rant cellar wintering, I think I should follow friend Freeborn's concluding remark. In fact, I did it y(^ars ago, and brought them out in good condition. Now. then, comes the question, '■ Would they not have come out in good condi- tion had they lieen left entirely alone?" I rather think they would, in the majority of cases. There are times, however, say when the bees have poor stores to winter on, when, by warming up the cellar occasionally by the aid of a stove, we get them through until they can be put out in th(> spring, where they would not have come through otherwise.] 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 103 Your adversary the devil, as a roaring- lion, walk- eth about, seeking whom he may devour.— 1. Petek .5:8. We read in the Holy Scriptures, that " the fool saith in his heart, there is no God;" and I believe that all mankind, as a rule, assent to this proposition. It is only the foolish, or those who are stubborn and contrary, who absolutely deny the existence of any overruling power: and the attitude of the leading minds of the present age, if I am correct, is toward a more general belief in God than they ever have had before in any age. I believe the tendency is greater, also, to respect and reverence the Maker of all things in a way the world has nev- er done before. It is true, there are tlio.se who talve God"s name in vain: and one is often pained to hear men of culture and learning use profane oaths. But I believe a reform is com- ing, and tliat speedily, right along in this line. Well, I have been thinking that it is not only wise to accept the Bible statement in regard to God, but that it is also wise and well for us to recognize and believe in one who " goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may de- vour." The world is fully aroused in regard to dangers of different kinds that threaten hu- manity. Societies without number array them- selves against intemperance: and some who de- clare they do not believe in the Scriptures at all ai'e still energetic workers in the cause. It seems to me, however, through it all we should recognize that sin is really the one thing to fight against. The Bible is peculiar, inasmuch as it lumps all sorts of evil and iniquity under the one term — sin — and plainly designates Satan himself as the father of siii. I believe it is a good thing to recognize Satan as the adversary. I believe it is a good thing to recognize at once, when some friend or neighbor has gone to tlie bad, that he has come under the dominion of Satan. Like the rest of you I often hear cer- tain ones vehemently denounced for their vile conduct. S(mieti]nes I try to check those harsh words that come forth: and I then suggest: '• My friend, are you not sorry for this neigh- bor of ours ?" ■•Sorry? Why, no: I am not a bit sorry for him. He did it of his own accord with his eyes open." " But he is under the power of Satan — he is not himself. He has been lead astray, and has yielded. "While he may be greatly to blame, in considering how we may do him most good is it not laest to i-ecognize that it is Sdta )t's work?'' •'Satanl fiddlesticks! When one deliberate- ly acts as he does, I do not think it is worth while to waste pity on him." Now. these friends who reject my way of putting it (that it is just simply Satan's woi'k). it seems to me are not in an attitude to do the most good: and we as Chr'uecond Advent Church since his youth. He has fi)ur sons, two of whom are ship carpenters in South Boston, and two small boys at iiome; also a daughter, Mrs. Lizzie Bray, a widow who is stopping at liome on a visit from Boston. Mrs. Mason is a genial woman, and their home has been a pleasant one. at least until witliin six months ago. Then it was that Cliarles H. Cotton, wife, and two small L-hildren went to board with the Mason family. From that time Mr. Cotton alleges his wife and Mr. Mason were too intimate. About five weeks ago Mr. Mason and his wife went to Bosttm to visit their sons, and Cotton claims that his wife received a letter from Mason, asking her to meet him at the Boston & Maine depot in Boston. On the afternoon of Dec. 22 Mrs. Cotton took her little girl and started for South Paris, telling her husband she was going to visit her sister. Mr. Cotton, being suspicious, harnessed up his team and followed her. only to learn that she had started toward Boston on the"exi>rcss train. The next afternoon, he says, Mason left Boston, and has been heard from since only by a letter post- marked AVhite Hiver Junction, Vt.. addressed to Mrs. Mason in Boston, in which he said she might have his bee business, but that he would never i-eturn until he could pay his debts. Mrs. Mason is now in Boston. The Bee-Keepers' Advance has already ab- sorbed hve other bee-papi^rs, the last one being the Bee-Keepers' Magazine, which was long published in New York. Notwithstanding these consolidations, the paper does not seem to have prospered very well. We have been in frequent communication with friend Mason, and have felt more or less acquainted. He, too, was a church-member, and had been from his youth. However, this does not necessarily re- flect on our churches, even though the world may think it does, more or less. It indicates this: That a man may be a member of a church, and at the same time not be a Chris- tian. He may be a professor, but not a possess- or. The promise is, '• He that endureth to the end shall be saved. In our last issue 'we spoke about the celestial crown that stands just over our heads, as a promised reward to those who tight the good light and overcome all of Satan's allurements. When our poor friend decided to let go of his religion, and to bid adieu to his Savior, to desert his wife and children, to give up his standing among men, his all and every thing, he deliberately agreed to forfeit all pros- pect of gaining that immortal crown. There is an old hymn that reads, Jesus, I my ci o.ss have taken. All to leave and follow thee. This tells us what a Christian must do to fol- low Christ. All the world and all it has to offer must be dropped and given up for Christ. The thought has been an inspiring one to many a poor soul, since old Dr. Watts gave us the hymn. It rings out like the life and drum to the fainting soldier. Now, just for a minute take a glimpse of the awful contrast between one who leaves all for Christ and one who gives up all, as did friend Mason, for what? Yes. let us pause a min- ute. What did the adversary hold out to our poor misguided, infatuated, and crazy bi'other. to induce him to leave friends and home, and all thoughts of eternal life? He probably de- liberated long and earnestly in regard to his bee-friends and his bee-journal. Perhaps he said within himself, more than once, " O my God! I can't doit! I can't c\u \t\ IcAx'xdoit!" Perhaps he added my own little praj-er, " Lord, help! Lord, helpl"' Some of you may ask why the Lord did not help. Alas, my friend. God has made us free agents. While life lasts we have tb(^ power of choosing. Jn talking a few days ago with a prominent minister, a man of large experience, we were lead to speak of a case something like the above: and he added. '■ Perhaps the poor man was suddenly overcome by such terrible temptation that he could not help himself." I stopped and raised my hands in horror. "Why,, Bro. P., you are surely jesting. No man was ever yet, since the days of Adam, overtaken by a temptation that he could not resist. In fact, we have Bible statements to the contrary. See what Paul says:" There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not sulfer you to be tempted above that je are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to es- cape, that ye may be able to bear it.— I. Cor. 10: 13. It is possible, perhav^s. that one who has giv- en way to Satan (as an intemperate man does) again and again, may find his will power so impaired that he can not of himself resist any more. The trouble is, in this casi;. away back. One who prays for help, and then does not help himself, must expect to be lost. It is possible that these words I am dictating may meet the eye of friend Mason, somewhere in the wide world. As the matter now stands, what is to be done? Can any thing be done? O ye of little faith, who ask such aquestioni While there is life something can altvays be done. What shall he do? Why, go back home and take that guilty companion back home. Undo all the evil, so far as human pow- er can undo it, then commence a pure, honest, upright life at the foot of the cross. Satan's greatest hold is in making his victims believe there is neither help nor remedy. Just as soon as he gets one a little way into the meshes of sin, he commences making great capital of the point that there is no turning back. A boy in his teens is now in otir county jail, with the penitentiary before him. He went with a lot of other boys to a neighboring town, and bought a bottle of whisky. Under the influence of the stimulant he stole his employers horse. Before he had got away many miles, however, the effects of the liquor wore off, and he began to suffer the terrible pangs of conscience and i-emorse. It would have been a very simple matter to go back and confc^ss the whole thing to his employer. Satan persuaded him that he would surely be arrested if he did. So he turn- ed the horse loose, and went to his home, qidte a few miles away, and for three or four days he suffered as no one can suffer who has not been through the same trial. Common sense should have told him that he would certainly be ar- rested, unless he went to his employer and con- 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 501 fesspcl at the very eai'liest moment. But he was crazy and foolish. So is every one foolisli and crazy wlio gets into the toils of Satan. Almost every one who commits crime loses his good common sense, and insists that lie can not stay at home and live it down. Although it is the blackest lie that Satan ever gotuj). poor human- ity insists on listening to Satan and not to good common sense. Perhaps friend Mason wcmld not he (illowed to set foot again in his own home. Well, even if this be true he should make the attempt, and do the best he can to undo the mischief. It takes only a little while, com- paratively, for the worst criminal to regain the conlidence of the friends he has lost, and tore- gain the confidence of the whole world. I have sometimes thought that mankind are only too ready to for-get and to forgive, and to take back every truly penitent sinner. The tirst requisite, however, to being thus taken back, is to own np and confess. An attempt to evade or slip out, or to make believe that the thing is not so very bad after all. does not answer. A discriminat- ing public detects the difference between true penitence and make believe, with a keen and unerring judgment. I w(>ll know, however, how loth those who hav<' fallen into crime ar'e to believe what I say. May God in his infinite mercy and goodness bear me out in it. May the Holy Spirit attest the truthfulness of what I say. There are no exceptions: there are no possible conditions that should prevent the prodigal from going back at once. Christ Jesus himself, the Lamb ■of God that taketh away the sin of the world, has left a standing invitation, and the promise of pardon. He says, " Come unto me, all ye that are bowed down by the burden of sin and crime. Come unto me, and I will give you rest. My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Oh that the penitent sinner could know Jtoio light and liow easy, compared to carrying through life those burdens that are not only a sni against (?o(? but a crime against humanity! SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT, AND HIS FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS. GAKDENING FOIJ FEUKUAKY. I presume that many of our readers think there is not much to be done in the month of February; but where the heart is full of love for working in the soil, I tell you there can be found plenty to do. In the tirst place, you can do underdiaining; and it is not often that the market-gardener has nothing to do in that line. Just across the street from where I am writing is an acre of ground newly purchased. It was bought with the view of putting on buildings, and for use as a lumber-yard; but the boys say they are not ready to use it yet, and may not for' a year or more; therefore I am going to make garden on it— yes, even though the land cost me more than |!.3(X)0 an acre. Of course, some may say, "Why, can you make it pay to garden in land that cost so much as that?" My reply is, "How can we afford to let groiuid lie idle that cost so much as that?" Peter Henderson tells us of gardening close to the city of New York, wliere they pay more tlian this amount et'ery year for re7U. This is close to the highway, right where there is a large amount of traffic. Some beautiful beds of cab- bage, tomato, and celery plants, right where crowds of people are obliged to see them, will make a better advertisement of our plants and gardr, and a deep loose soil over them. I do not believe that the water that comes out will be colored by the manure. lam going to watch carefully, how- ever, and see. HEDUCIXG THE NUMBER OF VAKIETIES OF GA1{- DEN SEEDS, ETC. Frl€)ul Root: — In Gleanings for Jan. 15. a person whose name is not given, but who. for convenience" sake, I will call " Seedsman,"' gives the oth(>r side of the question of reducing the number of vegetables in a seed list. I can agree with him in n<'arly all he says; but I think that he has made a mistake as to the ef- fect of cutting down the list or varieties in a seed catalogue. While he does not say so in so many words, yet it is plain to be seeii that he thinks the object in the seedsman in not reduc- ing the number of kinds of seeds in the list is because it will reduce his sales — that is. the ob- ject of the seedsman in cataloguing a large number of varieties is to sell the greatest amount of seed and thereby put the greatest amount of money in his own pocket. I do not think that Seedsman will dispute me in this point: and if he did, a glance at the seed cata- logues would convince one of the fact. Take the point of locality, which Seedsman makes a good point, and look in the catalogues and see whether you can find it mentioned: and yet he says that "seedsmen are constantly receiving reports from different parts of the country, that certain varieties do well there."" But, now. Seedsman, if you"ll look at Gleanings for Aug. 15, 1890, you will see that A, I. Root as a buyer and ni^er of seeds sees the i)rotit and pleasure, the economy and satisfaction, of planting and selling fewer varieties of vegetables; and then, as a seller of seed, he is trying to have his cus- tomers do the same thing, not to increase his sales of seeds, but for the benetit of the custom- er. This, perhaps, may seem to some a rather unbusinesslike way of doing things; but if more business were done on this plan, the world would be better; and it may, and I sincerely hooe will, largely increase the sales of .seeds by Mr. Root. i can see many reasons why a catalogue can not be cut down to the extent that has been suggested, especially for the good of the seller; but for the buyer, the reduction would be a great saving. Now, the objection tiiat Seedsman makes to my saying that "the new kinds and sorts are mostly made by the seedsmen in order to have a novelty to introduce."" I will say that I said what I meant in that, and still hold to it, and hope that during the coming season I shall have proof of my assertion, for the garden de- partment of the Experiment Station will make special tests of varieties, and perhaps issue a bulletin on them. But to think that Seedsman thinks that, foi- a seedsman to send out a novelty that was an old thing, would hurt his n>putation, makes me laugh. Why. bless your soul, that is the very way some of them take to make a reputa- tion, taking for their motto the oft-repeated saying of Barnum, that " Americans like to be humbugged."' If all of the seedsmen who have sent out a novelty that was not a novelty should have their reputation blasted, we should have a sorry set of seedsellers. And it some- times happens that the introduction of an old thing for a novelty is not a bad thing, for some of oiu" older varieties are ovei'looked, and are good things in their place; as, for instanc,e, Henderson"s bush lima bean, or Maule"s Prize- taker onion. E. C. Green. Columbus. (). [Friend G.. the point you nuike. about seeds- men not saying in their catalogues what things are suitable for certain localities, is one that ought to be emphasized. We are continually testing things that may do somewhere, but they will not for us — John Lewis Childs" Pepino. or Melon pear, for instance. Thepicture and de- scription are exceedingly taking, especially when he says it is as easily grown as a tomato. W^hen he first announced it I sent 50 cents at once for a plant. I gave it the very best culti- vation I knew how, but nevei' got even a blos- som. The next year I tried again; and as I got a larger plant I succeeded in getting blossoms, but not a sign of fruit. And now somebody tells us that they do not bear fruit aiiyichere, except in Florkld or some tropical climate! Notwithstanding this, the advertisement in the catalogue reads just as it has for the past three years — "As easily grown as a tomato." Last season we had a watermelon that really " as- tonished the natives." It was so large I could hardly carry it. and it readily found a purchaser at a good figure. When he came to cut it, how- ever, it was so green that it hardly had .seed.v inside, and yet it was growing the whole season, and we covered it with a carpet until after one or two frosts. It was a California watermelon, and not adapted to our season and climate. I won- der how many others have paid out money for the Melon pear. Now, in regard to bringing out old and well-known varieties under a new name; Among the catalogu<'S before us I find seven different names for the Shoepeg corn, and two or three different catalogues i)ictiu-e it and describe it as a wonderful "'novelty."" If the Experiment Stations will tell us just how many of the things advertised in our seed catalogues are veal novelties, and what are old things un- der new names, they will save our people who love gardening, thousands of dollars. Just an- other point: Some new thing is so near like something well known, that nine out of ten people pronounce it exactly the same thing. Where something is brought out with a differ- ence so very trifling from some old well-known vegetable or fruit, is it right to coax people to buy it without telling them that it is almost like the well-known so and so? The Ontario strawberry was advertised and scattered far and wide until the universal decision was that It was just our old well-known Sharpless under a new ncunc. Our real honest and upright seedsmen not only have no objection to allow- ing the Experiment Stations to do this work, but many of them furnish the seeds gladly, and free of charge, and offer them to the public only after the Experiment Stations have given them their recommend. May the Lord be praised for our Experiment Stations, and for the fear- less, faithful, hard-working young men who have these matters in charge.] 1891 GLEANINGS IN 15P:E (TLTrRE. 107 EDI¥0RI^Ii. 1 will arise ami go to my father, and will say unto him. Fa- ther. I have sinneil against heaven and before thee.— Luke 15:18. Renewals are coming in fast. Thanks. EIGHT vs. TEN FKAME HIVES. In the Question-box of the American Bee Journal, page "2, the respondents vote strongly for eight-frame hives, altiiongh a few favor the ten-frame. SI'B.SCKIPTION ItECEIFTS. We never send a receipt for money received for renewals. After you S(^nd the money, watch the little label on the wrai^per of your journal; and if the date has been changed a year ahead, that means that your dollar has been received. At this time of the year, liowever, it sometimes takes a month or more before the dates on the labels are changed. HOPEFri.. GvR subscription clerk informs us that sever- al who have written, requesting Gleanings to stop, have repented of doing so, and asked to have it kept going again. In fact. I have no- ticed quite a few such letters myself. You see, there is a delicate compliment. They began to feel lonesome, even at the proaiieet of bidding adieu to an old friend. Thank you. PKEMIUIMS FOE NEW SUBSCKIBEKS. Any subscriber who will take the pains to se- cure a new name besides his own for Glean- ings may retain 2.5 cents and send us 75, provid- ing he agrees not to take any subscriptions for less than the advertised price, si.OU. If he ob- tains more than one name besides his own, a part may be renewals and part new names; but at least half of the names must be new. LOOK OUT FOi: THEM. OvR friends Miller Bros., of Bluffton, Mo., wish us to caution bee-keepers in regard to the Indiana Paint and Roofing Co. We have writ- ten the above firm at two different times ; and although they replied, they certainly do not seem disposed to make good their waiTant on their rooting. And. by the way. is there any sort of roofing that is really reliable, and worthy of notice, unless they use shingles, slate, tin, or iron? I have seen so much dissatisfaction from all kinds of cement, paint, and paper roofing, that I confess I am a good deal incredulous. DEATH OF MR. ALFRED NEIGHBOUR. We learn from the Britinh Bee Journal, that Mr. Alfred Neighbour, of London, England, died on the I'Jth of last December, after an illness of considerable duration. Mr. Neighbour was a prominent bee-keeper in England, and the old- est of the appliance-makers. He wrote a bee- book, entitled The Apiary. It passed through several editions. The B. B. J. says. *' He was extremely affable, and always ready to assist one in bee-keeping. His strict integrity caused him to be trusted by all who knew him." THE DOVETAILING IN HIVES IN DEMAND. We have just received a letter from a corres- pondent in Utah. Mr. Willard Bishop, of Kays- ville, Davis Co., to the effi'ct that a dovetailed corner on hives will be a great advantage in their climate. He says that ordinary nailed joints are not strong enough to stand their cli- mate: that the nails of an ordinary lap joint do draw because of the drying out and \\ arping of the boards in the sun. The dovetailed joint is not only chi'uper. but there is a demand for it in several of the Western States, where the cli- mate is such as to make the ordinary box joint insufficient. honey FKOJI the sandwich ISLANDS. One of our old acquaintances, Mr. Chauncey N. Pond, of Oberlin, ()., has just returned from a visit to the Sandwich Islands, and has left with us a sample of honey from that part of the world. We expected to tind something dark- colored and poor in fiavor, as the honey from, the islands of the sea usually is. We were agreeably surprised to find, however, that it is not only of a beautiful color but of exquisite flavor. It reminds us very strongly of alfalfa, which is so jioijular at oui' house. We should be very mucli pleased to have one of our sub- scribers in the Sandwich islands tell us more about it, and of the progress of apiculture as^it is on those islands. HOW TO winter bees. On page 3(5 of our catalogue, for the benefit of beginners and others we have given the very latest there is in regard to wintering, in doors and out; how to pack in chalf on summer stands; how to carry bees into the cellar, and how to stack them up there. In fact, they are the same instructions as are given in the A B C book, boiled down. We hjive also given in- structions on how to feed and how to do a great many other things. Our new catalogue is not only a price list and description of implements, but it contains a good deal of instruction for the benefit of bee-keepers. It will be cheerfully sent on application. the number of queens we import from ITALY. I SEE it is reported in one of the bee-journals that we import annually about 300 queens from Italy. If this figiu'e were split in two it would be more nearly correct. We do not kno\V how the mistake occurred, but perhaps thi'ough our fault in some way. In 188.5 we imported 130; and during successive years our importations went down to nearly nothing while we had foul brood. In 188ii we imported 50; in 1890, 98. The fact is, one imported queen can be the mother of hundi'eds of daughters; and as they will live on an average about three years it does not take many queens to supply the prominent breeders, to say nothing of the importations that are made by other parties. WHAT A VISITOR SAYS OF THE HOME OF THE HONEY-BEES. We have just had a very pleasant call from a couple of bee-keepers, one of them an Iowa man and the other a native of our own State. Said Mr. Firman, the gentleman from Iowa, after we had shown him about our premises, " Why, I had no idea you had such an immense plant. We get glimpses, occasionally, of some of the improvements in (Jleanings, but there are few subscribers who lealize the number and size of your buildings." This remark has been uttered so many times by visitors that we thought possibly some of our customers and other subscribers might like to get this bit of news. Our plant has been very much enlarged of late, and we are always glad to welcome our bee-friends; and while we can not always take the time to show them around, we want them to feel perfectly at home, and free to go through all the departments, and ask all the questions they wish. Our establishment is open from 108 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Feb. 1. half-past six in the morning till seven at night, every day in the week except Sunday, and some times it is open and running night and day. Our list of sulisci'ibers now nuTuhers 10.054. SEW YOKK STATE BEE-KEEPEKS ASSOCIATION. E. R. HAS just returned from a meeting of the said association, in Albany. We will tiy to give a report of it in our next issue. Although an off year, there was a good attendance, and tiie discussions were pi'actical and to the point. BEE-KEEPIXG IX DIXIE. We have just printed a 60-page catalogue, with tinted cover, for Jenkins «fc Parker (for- merly J. M. Jenkins), Wetumpka, Ala. This is not only a catalogue of implements, but it is quite a little text-book besides. Over Jialf of it is descriptive, and is especially designed for the instruction of the Southern bee-keeper. Apply to the address as above. THE OHIO STATE BEE-KEEPEIJS' ASSOCIATION. Remember the time and place of the meeting of the association above — Feb. 10, 11, Toledo, at the Merchants' Hotel. It is expected that quite a number of Michigan bee-keepers will be pres- ent, and, altogether, we sluill probably have one of the most ])rolitabl(' mertings ever held in the history of the association. The program is given elsewhere. ^Dr. A. B. Mason will be the presiding officer, and that bespeaks a good time, and lots of fun ^nd profit for all who attend. ADVERTISEMENTS THAT SAVOR OF LOTTERY SCHEMES. We can not accept any advertisement that gives one purchaser any advantage over anoth- er by any scheme of luck or chance. Of course, this would not include special prices to those who made their orders early before the rush of business. But we must refuse to accept any thing that even indirectly encourages a taste for getting money by chance or luck. This sort of craze gets hold of people fast enough with- out any encouragement on the part of respecta- ble journals and periodicals. temperature for cellars. The temperature for our bee-cellar this win- ter has been in the neighborhood of 40. Last year it was from 4.5 to .50. The bees are in very much better condition than they were a year ago. Prof. Cook said, at the late Detroit con- vention, that he now pi'efers from 38 to 40. E. R. believes he is right. The old standard has has been all along about 45. Is it not possible that we have been mistaken? Last winter I noticed that, when the cellar went down to 40, the bees were quieter. Because the books said 45, 1 made efforts to raise it to that point, and keep it so, as nearly as I could. Last year at this time there was about an inch of dead bees on the floor; but now there are not more than 200 or 300. After all, are bees doing well in the cellar when there is an inch or so dead ones on the floor? give your postoffice. When you are renewing, be sure to sign your name and give your postoffice address. Every year, about this "time, we receive a lot of renew- als, with the mere signature, and nothing else. Most of tliem, with a great deal of trouble, we can hunt out on our books, and the rest have to lie until the subscriber "growls." Sometimes a subscriber will write from a postoffice other than the one to which his journal is sent. Another big hunt has to be started to find out where his journal goes. If our friends would be a little more careful it would save us a great deal of work. We have scolded about this so much that it sounds like a mere repetition: but it is one of the things that publishers ai'e oblig- ed to harp about more or less all the time. Re- member, our subscription list is indexed accord- ing to postofflces, and not according to names. REDUCED R.YTES TO TUK OHIO STATE BEE- KEEPERS' CONVEXTION. The following, from Dr. A. B. Mason, will be of interest to Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan bee- keepers: Friend Boot:— Please say in next Gleanings tliat a IH rate of fare has been secured for the rcjiin^ trip on railroads in Ohio and Indiana, to attend tlie Oliio State Bee-keeiiers' convention, to be held in Toledo, at the Mercliants' Hotel, on the Ititli and 11th of Feb. Kates at good hotels vary from one dt)llar up. In order to secure reduced rates of fare, let all buy cer- tificates of their railroad ag'ent, to attend the Ohio Republican League convention and banquet, and I will fix them so they will be good for one-third return fare. Tickets can be bouglit on the Kitli, 11th, and 12th, and will be good for return up tii and imluding the 14th. For parties coming from Michigan, the rate is two cents a mile each way, when parties of ten or more come and return together on one ticket, wliich must be bought as above for the Republican League convention and banquet. Write me for any further information that may be desired. Auburndale, O., Jan. 33. A. B. Mason. I life-membership in the n. a. b. k. a. Since our last mention of the number of names that were already enrolled as life-mem- bers only one has been added. What's the mat- ter? To make the association a power for good we need many more substantial life-members. One of our correspondents writes, that, if we "will merge the Bee-keepers' Union into the N. A. B. K. A., here is $10.00 for life-member- ship." We have scarcely given this matter a thought as yet, and consequently are unable to express any opinion as to the wisdom of such a course. We rather prefer to see what the Gen- eral Manager thinks. If he and the other offi- cers approve, it might be advisable to consider it in convention at the next session of the N. A. B. K. A. in Albany, but Manager Newman should still be at the head of the present Union. The following is the list of life-members: D. A. Jones, Beeton, Ont. Thomas G. Newman. Chicago, 111. A. 1. Root, Medina, O. E. R. Root, Medina. O. J. T. Calvert, Medina. O. Charles Dadant, Hamilton, 111. C. P. Dadant, Hamilton, III. Eugene Secor, Foi'est City, la. Dr. C. C. Miller, Marengo, III. O. R. Coe, Windham, N. Y. C. F. Muth, Cinciimati, Ohio. HOW TO GET gleanings FOR LESS THAN A DOLLAR A YEAR. A LAR(iE part of our subscribers are those who have been with us for years, and who, no doubt, expect to continue with us for years to come. To favor these and others who will lib- erally patronize us we have decided to make them this offer: We will send Gleanings for one year for $1.00; two years for $1.80: three years for f2..50: five years for 13.75; but to do this we must have cash in advance. If you have been so far pleased with it and the im- provements it has inaugurated from time to time, you will probably wish to remain a sub- scriber; and the best thing for you to do, if you want to save money and do away with the bother and machinery of renewing annually, is to send 13.75 and we will make you a subscriber for flve^ years. If your address is right, the journal will go to you uninterruptedly for that 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTL'RE. lOi) length of time. We propose to make this a standing offer. Any subscriber, new or old. can take advantage of it. Now. perchance you have just sent in your dollar for renewal, and you wish to take advantage of this offer. If you will send the balance at once, say -^^.T.i. we will send it four years longer: or^L.^o two years longer: or SU cts. one year longer. IJECESS AT BEE-COXVEXTIONS. We attend conventions to hear the essays and subsequent discussions, it is said: but after a session has been held for a couple of hours, it is a great rest and pleasure to have the president announce a short recess. How pleasant it is to feel the warm grip of one whom we have long kno^^■n through the printed page, and whom, for the first time, we now meet face to face I No. we do uot attend conventions simply to hear the essays and discussions. AVe go to see, hear, and feel'the personality of the good brothers and sisters who attend. Some of the most val- uable ideas gleaned, oftentimes, are in the be- tween sessions; and our presiding officers should give ample opportunity for hand-shak- ing, and this dual exchange of ideas. A VISIT TO THE HOME OF THE HONEY-BEES, FKC>M DR. O. I,. TIXKEK. We had a very pleasant call last week from our genial friend Dr. G. L. Tinker, of New Philadelphia. O. Many of our readers will re- member him as the very tine workman who makes such perfect queen-excluding zinc, and such beautiful four-piece white-poplar sections. He was kind enough to give our saw-filer some hints in filing, to do smooth work I'apidly — a secret he had heretofore kept to himself. He seemed to enjoy his visit very much, being agreeably surprised at the size and equipment of the Home of the Honey-bees, and many times complimented us on our work by the remark that it was much better than we used to do. He was on his way to Ashtabula to visit his brother and bring home a ne\\' zinc-perforating machine by which he would be able to make, sheets of his zinc as large as 24 by 36 inches. MOKE rNCHARITABLEXESS. This time it comes from the Philadelphia Cash fri'ocer. of Jan. 12. This journal purports to be devoted to the best interests of retail mer- chants and country storekeepers: but I do not see how their best interests are subserved by statements like the following: " The profit in teas is simply great. The tea sold by retail tea-dealers at (50 cents costs them 18 cents a pound: and other teas sold at .50 and .5.5 cents per pound cost 20 cents. There is big monev in the tea business, if the trade can be had."' And here is another: "The explanation of the great amount of ma- ple syrup and honey in the market is found in the enormous product of the glucose factories, amounting to a million pounds per day. There are not trees and bees enough to produce the syrup and honey in the hands of the trade." I wonder whether the Grocer folks judge oth- er people by themselves \\ hen they say that the retail dealers charge (30 cents for what costs them only 18, and a staple article besides. They should be ashamed of themselves. In re- gard to honey and maple syrup, there may be some adulteration: but the statement that there are not trees and bees enough is not true. Perhaps it will astonish them somewhat to know that there are bee-keepers nowadays who raise honey by the carload: and I imagine that there are maple-trees enough too. If there is really any adulteration in syrup going on. as well as in honey, which is to some extent true, why not say so in moderate terms, and then let us all join and fight it, without flings like the above, against large classes of honest trades- men? HOW TO MAKE THE GAKDEX PAY. This is the title of a bright new book just published by Wm. Henry Maule, written by T. Greiner. author of the new onion-book, men- tioned just telow. This is certainly the ablest book, clear up to the present time, before the world. The description and comparison of the variety of methods of gardening under glass, commencing with cold-frames, then taking up cold-forcing- houses, next forcing-houses with steam-pipes or flues, and finally discussing the respective merits of steam and hot water, is worth to me a ten-dollar bill, to say nothing about the rest of the book. The engravings are beautiful: the print is second to none: and. best of all. the author is a practical gardener — one who loves the dirt, especially when it is en- riched up to its highest capacity, and who evi- dently loves every tool used in the garden. He is not only conversant with all the new seeds, plants, and fertilizers, but he evidently has read up almost every thing written in the agri- cultural papers on the subject of market-gar- dening. The book is 6 inches wide. 10 inches long, "4 inch thick, and contains 272 pages, and ever so many pictures. I have not had time to count them yet. If you have any notion of building a greenhouse, either for flowers or veg- etables, or even if you want to make a hot-bed or cold-frame, it will pay you to have the book. We can furnish it postpaid for 82.00: or vou can have it with Gleanings for ?;2..50 for the two. THE NEW ONION CULTURE. This is the title of another good book by our good friend T. Greiner. better known through the agricultural papers as "Joseph." It gives almost exactly the plan of raising onions de- scribed in our last issue. The book is finely il- lustrated, and is written in one of Joseph's happiest veins. In fact, the story is so taking that almost anybody might read "it from begin- ning to end without a thought of being weary: and to one who loves gardening it is a gem among books. The only fault or criticism any one could make is. I think, that there is not enough of it. especially for the price. .50 cents. There are only (i2 pages in the book: the tvpe is large, and the work very open. The paper, however, is heavy and fine, and the print beau- tiful. If bound in cloth instead of paper covers, the price would not be an objection. The au- thor admits that the price may seem high, but he thinks the discovery or secret i-eally cheap at the price. This latter is true: but we should remember that the whole thing is given in our Ohio Experiment Station Bulletin for October, 1890. The Bulletin, however, does not go into the minutiaj in legard to everv point of the work that the book does. We can furnish the book postpaid for .50 cents. If wanted bv freight or express with other goods. 5 cents less. Or we will club it with Gleanings for S^l.lO. The Bulletin is furnished free of charge to all Ohio people: and I presume it will be furnished to those outside of this State for a very small sum. I think it will pay many times the cost for every one who sows a paper of onipu seed, to use these helps. Joseph recommends that we start with an ounce of onion seed: and vou may make enough on this single ounce to" pav the cost of the book flfty times over. This s"eems like pretty strong language: but those who have tried starting large onions under glass will. I think, bear me out. 110 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Feb. 1. ,J#,^^^%#,, So Quarto pag-os— 50 cents a year. AN Elegant Monthly for the FAMIIiY and FIRESIDE. Printed in the highest style of the art, and embellished with mag-nificent Engraving-s. Sample FREE. Agents Wanted. tiidlKAS G.Newman rt'5 Zm^ J-i*"-"'** P U B LI S H E R S ""^s 246 East Madison St., - CHICAGO, ILt- li^ln responding to this etdvertlsement mention OLEAMlNoa. DR. TINKER'S SPECIALTIES! The Nonpareil Bee-hive and Winter case, White Poplar Secti(ins, Wood-zinc Queen-Excluders, and tbe finest and be.sl Perforated Zinc now made. Send for catalogue of prices, and inclose 35 cts. for the new book. Bee-keeping lor Prolit. Address DR. ti. I^. TINKKK, 21tfdb IVew^ Pliiladelpliia, O. ELEVEN YEARS WITHOUT A PARALLEL, AND THE STAND- ARD IN EVERY CIVILIZED COUNTRY. Bingham & Hetherington Patent Uncapping-Knife, standard Size. Bingham's Patent Smokers, Six Sizes and Prices. Doctor Smoker, S'A in., postpaid .. .$3.00 Conqueror " 3 " " ... 1.75 Large " 3i4 " " ... 1.50 Extra (wide shield) 3 " " ... 1.25 Plain (narrow " )3 " " ... 100 Little Wonder, 1% " " ... 65 Uncapping Knife 116 Sent promptly on receipt of price. To ''*' sell again, send for dozen and half-dozen rates. Milledgeville, 111., March 8, 1890. Sirs:— Smokers received to-day. and count cor- rectly. Am ready for orders. If others feel as I do your trade will boom. Truly, F. A. Snell.. Vermillion, S. Dak., Feb. 17, 1890. Sirs:— I consider your smokers the best made for any purpose. I have had 15 years' experience with 300 or 400 swarms of bees, and know whereof I speak. Very truly_; R. A. Morgan. Sarahsville, Ohio, March 13,1890. Sirs:— The smoker 1 have has done good service since 1883. Yours truly, Daniel Brothers. Send for descriptive circular and testimonials to itfdb BiNaiAM Si HETHEBmaTOiT, Abronia, Mich. |^"ln respondini? to this advertisement mention Glkanings. SECTIONS! SECTIONS! SECTIONS! On and after Feb. 1, 1890, we will sell our No. 1 V- groove sections, in lots of 500, as follows: Less than 3000, $3.50 per 1000; 3000 to 5000, $3.00 per 1000. Write for special prices or larger quantities. No. 3 sec- tions at $3.00 per 1000. Send for price list on hives, foundation, cases, etc. J. STAITFFER & SONS, 16-tfdb Successors to B. J. Miller & Co., Nappanee, Ind. UR USrCALi ^INSTRUMENTC URRAY Sc HEISO c„ CLEVELAND OHIO. ( OEND FOR CATALOGUE DADANT'S FOUNDATION Is kept for sale by Messrs. T. G. Newman & Son, Chicago, 111.; C. F. Muth, Cincinnati, O.; Jas. Heddon, Dowagiac, Mich.; O. G. Collier, Fairbury, Neb. ; G. L. Tinker, New Philadelphia, O.. E. Kretch- mer. Red Oak, la.; P. L. Viallon, Bayou Goula, La., Jos. Nysewander, Des Moines, la.; C. H. Green, Waukesha, Wis.; G. B. Lewis & Co., Watertown, Wisconsin; J. Mattoon, At water, Ohio, Oliver Foster, Mt. Vernon, Iowa; C. Hertel, Freeburg, Illinois; Geo. E. Hilton, Fremont, Mich.; J. M. Clark & Co., 1517 Blake St., Denver, Colo. ; Goodell & Woodworth Mfg. Co., Rock Falls, 111. ; E. li. Goold & Co., Brantf'ord, Ont.. Can.; R. H. Schmidt & Co., New London, Wis.; J. Stauffer & Sons, Nappa- nee. Ind.; Berlin Fruit-Box Co., Berlin Heights, O.; E. R. Newcomb, Pleasant Valley. N. Y. ; L. Hanssen, Davenport, la.; C. Theilman, Theilmanton. Minn.; G. K. Hubbard, Fort Wayne. Ind.; T. H. Strickler, Solomon City, Kan.; E. C. Eaglesfleld, Berlin, Wis., Walter S. Pouder. Indianapolis, Ind., E.T. Abbott, St. Joseph Mo., I. D. Lewis & Son, Hiawatha, Kan., and numerous other dealers. LANGSTROTH on the HONEY-BEE, Th*' Book for Beginners, the Most Complete Text- Book on the Subject in the English Language. Bee-veils of Imported Material, Smo- kers, Sections, Etc. Circular with advice to beginners, samples of foundation, etc., free. Send your address on a posteito qhas. Dadant & Son, HAMILTON, HANCOCK CO., ILLINOIS. C^In respondintr to tins advertisement mention OT.F.ivrwns. MUTH'S HONEY - EXTB.ACTOII, SQUARE GI4ASS HONEY-JARS, TIN HCJCKETS, BEE-HIVES, HONEY- SECTIONS, &c., &c. PERFECTION COI^D - BLAST SMOKERS. Apply to CHAS. F. MXTTH & SON, Cincinnati, Ohio. P. S.— Send 10-cent stamp for "Practical Hints to Bee-keepers." V^^Mention Oleanings. Itfdb TAKE NOTICE] BEFORE placing your orders for SUPPLIES, write for prices on One-Piece Basswood Sections, Bee- Hives, Shipping-Crates, Frames. Foundation, Smo- kers, etc. PAGE, KEITH & SCHMIDT CO., 31-13db Nevy London, Wis. "HANDLING BEES." Price 8 Cts. A chapter from "The Hive and Honey Bee, Re- vised," treating of taming and handling bees; just the thing for beginners. Circular, with advice to beginners, samples of foundation, etc., free, ittdb CHAS. DADANT & SON, Hamilton, Hancock Co., Illinois. SECTIONS. $2.50 to $3.50 per m. Bee-Hives and Fix- tures clieup. NOVELTY CO., 6tfdb Rock Falls, Illinois. Please mention tliis paper. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 117 p«NEY GeiiajaN. CITY MARKETS. Kansas City.— /7f)neiy.— Tlie demand for comb honey is more liberal. Keceipts and supply are very liglit. We quote 1-lb. comb, white, 16@18; dark, 12® U; 3-lb. California, white, l-t@15: same, dark. 12@1.3. Extracted, 6@7. Beeswax. 23@25. Clemons, Mason & Co., Feb. 11. ' Kansas City, Mo. St. LoTTis.—Honev. -No extracted honey in market. It would bring-, if brig-lit, 6>^@Tc. Comb in lig-ht demand at 13 for dark, 16@1T for bright. Beeswax, prime, 26@2Tc. D. G. Tutt Gko. Co., Feb. 11. St. Louis, Mo. Cincinnati.— Wouey —Demand is good for extract- ed, with a liberal supply on the market of all but Southern honey, which is still scarce. It brings 6@8 cts. a lb. on arrival There is a fair demand for choice comb honey at 16@17calb. In the jobbing way. No sale at all for dark comb honey. Beeswax is in good demand at 24@3«>c a lb. for good to choice yel- low on arrival. Chas. F. Muth & Son, Feb. 14. Cincinnati, O. Chicago.— Honpf/.—Maiket continues to be weak in tone, only small lots beiny- taken by the trade, and that which falls bek)w a choice article is very slow of .sale. Be.st grades bring ITfT' 18c; fair, 1.5(^16c; dark, 12@13c. Extracted, steady at 7@8c, and in fair de- mand. Beeswax is selling at 38c for yellow to mixed. R A. Burnett, 161 S. Water St., Feb. 10. Chicago, HI. Albany.— Honey. — The demand for comb honey is good for this season of the year, and stock on the market is small. Extracted buckwheat in good de- mand. No change in prices. Chas. McCulloch & Co., Feb. 11. Albany, N. Y. New York.— Honey.— Extracted dark in good de- mand at 7@7i/4c per lb. California light amber, 7^4; white, 71/2. Comb honey all sold. Beeswax, 29c; sup- plv small. F. G. STROH^rEYER & Co., Feb. 11. New York City. Boston.— Honey. - Fair demand for honey ; supply very short. Fancy 1-lb. combs. 19@20c; fair to good, 18@19c; 2-lb. combs, I6@17c. Extracted, 8@9c. No heesvmx on hand. Bl.\ke & Ripley, Feb. 11. Boston, Mas. San FR.A.NCISC0.— iJooey remains firm and in good demand, and we quote: Extracted, h}i@,Q}i; comb, 12@15. Beeswax, 25c, and in good demand. Schacht, Lemcke & Steiner, Jan. 22. San Francisco, Cal. Detroit. — Honey.— Comb honey is selling slowly at 14@15c per lb. Extracted, 7@8c. 5ee.su'a2;.27(rt28c. Bell Branch, Mich., Feb. 11. M. H. Hunt. For Sale.— Choice wliite-clover extracted honey, in 120-lb. cases; per case, $12,110. Autumn honev, per case, $9.00. J. A. Green, Dayton," III. For Sale —700 lbs. of clover honey in home-made kegs holding 5-5 lbs., for 8>^ cts., delivered on cai-s at Farley. Can ship by I. C. H. K., or Chicago, St. Paul & Kansas City, or the M. & S. P. R. R. 4d Jas. Scott, Farley, la. For Sale.— Six 60-lb. .5-gallon tin cans of clover extracted lioney, at »;.5 per can, F. O. B. cars at Ot- sego. Calvin Lovett, Otsego, Allegan Co., Mich. For Sale.— 2000 lbs. comb honey in 12 and 24 lb. crates. L. Werner. Edwardsvllle, 111. For Sale.— ."iOO lbs. choice extracted honey, at 10c here, pkg. included. W. H. S. Grout) Kennedy, Chautauqua Co., N. Y. For Sale.— Extracted honey, in 70-lb. tin cans, at 10 cts. per lb. f. o. b. Lewis Haines, 4d Moons, Fay. Co., O. For Sale.— 1200 lbs. extracted white-clover honey in barrels or 60-lb. cans, as desired. Itfdb E. J. Baxter. Nauvoo, 111. For Sale.— Choice honey in sections, cans, and C. pails. Send for price list to Oliver Foster, 12-tfdb. Mt. Vernon, la. PfllCE LISTS RECEIVED. Since our last issue we have received price lists of bees hives, and apiarian supplies in general, from the following Leahy Manufaeturine: Co., Higgiusville, Mo. W. A. Chrysler, Chatham. Ont. D. A. Jones Co., Beeton, t)nt. G. M. Doolittle. Borodino. N. Y. A. A. Byard. West Chesterfield, N. H. J. W. Rouse & Co., Mexico, Mo. Luther & Horton, Redlands, Cal. E. Kretchmer. Red Oak, la. A. L. Kildow, Sheffield, 111. B. Davidson. Uxbridge. Ont. Jacob T. Tiiupe, Grand Ledge. Mich. W. J. Row, Greensburg. Pa. Queens only. Burdsall Apiary & Supply Co., Lebanon, O. The following are from our press: J. D. Goodrich, East Hardwick, Vt. Levering Bros.. Wiota, la. E. J. Shay, Thornton, W. Va. J. F. Michael. German, O. J. E. Stewart, Prophetstown, 111. THROUGH AN ERROR, My advertisement in Gleanings, Feb 1st Inside back cover rwhich please see), failed to say ■ For $2.00 I will send 1 lb. each of Timpe's Seedlings Nos 1,2, and 4, postpaid; or for $2.2.5 1 will send 1 lb each of Nos. 1 and 2, and 2 lbs. of No. 4, prepaid (give your express office). Remember, I am giving one full colony and tteventeen ;}-f rame nuclei of mv five- banded Italians, for largest yields, largest'potato and liest names suggested. And to everv order re^ ceived within 30 days from tills ad't 1 will give from a to 3 packets of choice garden-seeds (nov- elties) free. Order nonr, before the stock is exhausted Po- tatoes and seeds will be sent the last of March or first part of April, all charges paid. If possible send express or postoffice money order. Catalogue now ready, mailed for l-ceut stamp. Jacob T. Tlmpe, Grand Ledge, Mich. ' -"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings. 75 Pine Tested Italian and Albino •» * * * * Queens For Sale at $1.75 Each. Select tested golden Italian queens, $2.50 each Select tested Albinos, $2.00 each. First come first served. Untested by April 15, $1.00 each, or 6 for $5.00, or 12 for $9,00. Orders booked now, and nav for queens when received. I guarantee safe deli-v- ery and satisfaction on every queen by mail. Thanks for last year's patronage. 4^8db J. w. TAYLOR, Ozan, Ark. t3'"In responding to this advertisement mention GLKANWoa. ROOT'S comb-foundatWmillsT We wish to say that we are handling Root mills this sea.son, and can furnish them to the bee-keepers of Canada less than you can buy a single mill from Ohio. All mills warranted. Write us if you want to buy. Tou will save money by doing so. We shall sell comb foundation, brood, at 40 cts. per lb • sec- tion comb at 45 cts. All wax will be bought from Eckermanii & Will, Syracuse, N. Y., and everv pound warranted pure wax. or $5.00 will be given for every pound that is not right. R. E Smif-li Bo^ '2- Tilbnry Cg^g^n. I7OR SALE. The walls and water power of an ■»■ abandoned gristmill, 10 acres land in a good loca- tion for a bee-supply business. No factory near and large apiaries in every direction, or will tairp partner. Address GEO. W. RANDALL ^^ Big Rock, Iowa. POR SAL.E:. Three or four S. C. B. Leghorn *• cockerels, as good stock as can be found in the world. Come and see them. Write for prices with your address on postal, and you will receive bv re- turn mail my new descriptive circular, free. 4-5-6d RoBT. C. Smith, Swlssvale, Pa. ANTED FOR CASH. From .50 to^i^'^^^^^^ of Italians or hybrid bees, to be dehvered about first of May. Langstroth hives preferred 4tfdb E. C. ELVER, Mt. Horeb, Dane Co., Wis. D ARRED PLYMOUTH ROCK COCKERELS $1 00- " hens, 75 c. Also Quinby-hive corner-clasos for sale 20tfdb L. C. AXTELT- Rnc^^^rff r.f*"^ vu'nuj'-iiive corner-ciasDs fo L. C. AXTELL, Roseville, 111 118 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Feb. L"). .eahf in g Co., — ITNIJdUHTKDIjY THE— LARGEST PLANT IN THE WEST, Built exclusively for the manufacture of Api- arian Supplies. One and One-Half Acres Floor Space. We sell as Cheap as the Cheapest, and our goods are as Good as the Best. Parties will do well to write us for estinuites on large orders. We will send viiMiliii_' ti> iliis advertisement int-ntion GLEANINGS. The Bee World is inililislied monthly at 50c pet- year. It is devoted THE BEE tions, and discover- to collecting the lat- ....___. ies tln-oufihout the est NKWS, inven- wURJjD. bee-keeping- world. If you want to keep posted, you cannot afford to do without it. Subscribe now. Sample copies free. 3-7db W. S. VANDRUFF, Waynesburg-, Pa. tSSrin respondint? to tliis aavetT^i.-iemeiit nieiition Blkaning* rpPQI Brown LeglKn-n, White Leghorn, $1.2.5. tUUtf! Black Minoica, Plymouth Rock, Pekin Duck, !|1.50. Light Brahma, Langslian, Game, $3 per 13 eggs. Strictly pure-bred. Sliip safely any wliere. Illustrated circular free. OEEK BROS., Itfdb St. ITlarys, Mo. |t;g'"lii respoiuUiiir to tliis advortispiiieiit iiieiii ic.ii i.., ^i De-wey's Peet Cage. During- the sciison of '91 wc shall ship (jucens from imported stnik dircrt from Italy in our new and SAFE SHIPPING and IHTKODUCmG CASE. Sample and de- scription of tills cage by mail. 10c. F. H. &L E. H. DEWEY, 55 Mechanic St., WestfieU^, Mass. |^"ln respomliriK t'> this ailvfrO.seineiit iiienrwik 4>LEANUIG3. NEW^ FACTORY- On or about Feb. 10. 1891. wc will move into oiu- new factory, built exclusively for the manufacture and '''''"* APIARIAN SUPPLIES, located in Ottumwa, Wapello Co., Iowa, where -we will manufacture and sell all kinds of Apiarian Sup- plies at tlie lowest possible prices, after the above date. Writefor illustrated catalogue, to Itfd GRE&ORY BROS. & SON. Farragut, Fremont Co., la. ^^"111 responding to tliis -. (Jlkanings. JUST OUT. SOMETHING ENTIKELY NEW IN HIVE ST ClKCUliflH FHEE. Address JAMES HEDDON, DOWAGIAC, JWICH- Vlease mention this paper. NEW KODAKS. ^^Yoxi press the Imttov ice do the rest.'''' SEl^EN^ NIJW STILKS AND SIZKS, ALL LOADED AVITH TKANHl'ARENT FIIjMS. For sale by all Photo. Stock Dealers. 123^1 THE EASTMAN COMPANY, Send for Catalogue. ROCHESTER, N. Y. t^ln responding to this adverti.sement mention C-iLEANlNGa. D ON'T FORGET To send for my descriptive catalogue of flLBiP :: BEES. A. L KILDOW, Please mention this paper. Sheffield, III. INCREASE YOUR HONEY-CROP 10% to 2.5% by getting the Five-Banded Golden Ital- ians. Took First Premium at Illinois State Fair in 1890. The judge said: "They were the (luietest bees on exhibition; the drones were almo.st pure yellow." Warranted queens, fl.35; Tested, S3.(X); Selected Tested, f 3.00. Order now, pay when queens arrive. Send stamp for ])rice list. Itfdb BARRED PLYMOUTH ROCK EGGS FOR SALE. Good refeience given. S. F. & I. Treco, Swedona, III. t^m respoiMliiiir t.i 1 .lis .Klviin iiiK-nt mention (ii.KANINGS. RARRED PLYMOUTH ROCKS. Birds and eggs in their season. Cockerels f3 to $5; choice hens $3 each ; egg-s fSper setting; 2 set- tings, S"). MRS. F. P. HISH, TOWEE HILL, SHELBY CO., ILL. ailvertisement mention Gleanings. E^ln responding to iii OHIO-A.C3rO BEE-KEEPERS' SUPPLY CO. OFB'ICES: 65 CLARK ST., ROOM 14, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, and TOPEKA, KANSAS. Manufacturers of and dealers in bee-keepers' sup- plies. For prices of beehives, sections, shipping- crates, frames, foundation, smokers, etc., write for circular and special prices before placing your order. J. li. Ii.JLlNJi\ Svc. Itfdb Please mention this paper. ALLEY'S IMPROVED AUTOMATIC SV\^ARM-HIVER. Thoroughly tested, and guaranteed to SELF- HIVE everv swai'ni that passes tiirough it. Sample mailed for $1.00. AMERICAN APICULTURIST one year and Swarmer by mail, #1..>0. Sample APICULTURIST with full desci-iption of SWARMER, illustrated, free. l-4db H. ALLEY, Wenham, Mass. l^ln responding to this advertisement mention Glkakings. A ^ • DELV0TE.C5; To -Be. ELS." „ •INTEf^ESTvS Published by fl. I. Koot, JVIedina, O. Vol. XIX. FEB. 15, 1891. No. 4. Fi?03f DJ?. C. C. MILLER. A State society is beginning to be tall\ed of in Illinois. HuTcniNsox calls jne a "gossiper." Wait till I catch him away from home. A TKAr)p>MARK for a body of bee-keepei'S is talked of. It might be a good thing. It might be a bad thing. I don't know. Drones. Prof. Cook thinks, depend on the nnrse-bees for their albuminous food — an addi- tional argument against tolerating them. Ii>iJNOis doesn't pi'ojxjse to be left in the rear. She has a bee-keeper in her legislature — J. M. Hambaugh. Spring. 111., a good square man. FiKE IX BEE-f'Ei,LAKs is needed if too cold. I use it oftener for ventilation. Heat the air, and the cold outside pure air will rush in to take its place. Heddon says the black bee is most amiable of all, but stings more, because it takes wing more readily. I'd rather have bees that don't take wing so" readily. The editorial " we " has been banished from the columns of the Review, and Hutchin- son slings around his I's as easily and graceful- ly as if he had (tJirays talked good English. I swept out the shop cellar for the first time, Jan. 13. I got about two quarts dead bees — not many from ll;2 hives after 66 days' confinement; time enougli for bushels, though, befoi'e spring. Painted muslin is not advisalile for hive- covers unless it is better than oil cloth. I tried ;.'00 covej-s of extra good oil cloth, and th(!y lasted so short a time that tin is much cheaper. No FIRE in my bee-cellars this winter tillJan. 10. Then I saw some mold on dead bees on cellar bottom: didn't smell just the best. Tem- perature 42°; raised it to 53°. This was in shop cellar. A SMALL BEE-SPACE between top-bars and sections was considered, at the Northern Illi- nois convention, of as much or more conse- quence, in preventing brace-combs, as thick top- bars. Poison for mice is thus daintily served up by E. C. Eaglestield (A. B. J.). He says, ■'! take a cooky and moisten one side, then place the crystals of strychnine all over it, and lay it where nothing can get at it but rats and mice." " OnsERVEK," in C. B. J., wonders what I'll think when I hear that " steps are being taken to put a stoj) to the im|)ortation of bees by the pound from Uncle Sam's, unless they have passed tlirough quarantine." I think that Canadians will show good .sense to take any steps to make the danger from foul brood less. If I had smallpox at my house. I shouldn't want any of the family to go to a neighbor's. Lamps and oil-stoves have been used to warm cellars, but I never tried any thing of the kind till this winter. Then I piit a gasoline- stove in the shop-cellar. It's better than none, but I don't like it. The combustion fouls the air. " Bees visit only one kind of flower on the same trip." That's old but not always true. When forage is plentiful it may be true; but when scarce they'll change fi'om one kind to another several times on the same trip. I've seen 'em do it. A HONEY house OR SHOP, a number of writers in the Review agree, should be at the.sicZcof the apiary, never in the center. Heddon makes a good point in preferring it at the south side, that you needn't look against the sun in watch- ing for swarms. Taylor's secret is out. The Review says he keeps his honey in a wai'm honey-house, with tire in winter. Of course, it's a good plan. More than that, I suspect if the place is kept hot enough long enough in the fall it will do with little or no tire through the winter. " Do BEES eat EGGS?" That's the question up now, and I hope we'll learn when they do and when they don't. I know I've had bees starve to death, leaving eggs in the hive; and I know if I remove a queen from a hive, I expect nearly all the eggs to disappear within 24 hours. The Review is getting down to business, re- viewing. Hutchinson knows how. Now that I've had my fling at him. I must own up that he has furnished jjlenty of material from which good cream could be liad. He did a good job of skimming, too, on the new books that were published last year. Another idol fallen. I've always had such faith in Prof. Cook, but I've found him out at last. Friend Root tells (p. 61) about a man being hasty, and imagining evil of otliers, and then .says "Pn)f. Cook has done much to bring about this state of affairs. And to think that I had loved the professor as a brother! Manager Newman says: "Suppose now, that in America it were once established by law, that, to wantonly kill bees, were a punish- able ci'ime! How (luickly the owners of the deadly cider-press and sugar-refineries would have to screen out the bees — or the Union would be after them!" Well, " suppose now" the Union gets such laws made. Legislation is coming to the front as one of the needs of bee-keepers. Daniel VVyss. in American Bee Jo«rnat, calls for laws forbid- ding poisonous spraying when trees are in 120 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Feb. 15. bloom. Different States are asking legislative aid to help the honey show at the World's Fair. Prof. Cook, in his president's address at the Michigan convention, urged a law against spraying fruit-trees in bloom. About three- fourths of the convention were with him. They appointed a permanent committee on legisla- tion. SoKE-THKOAT REMEDY, from the Mcdiccil Amm. tinct. guaiac - - - 4 drachms. Comp. tinct. cinchona? - - - 4 " Potass, chlor. ' " " " *^ !! Extracted honey - - - - 4 Powd. acacise - - - - q. s. Water ------ 2^4 ounces. To be used as a gargle, and a teaspoon ful may be swallowed every second hour. gENElR^Ii C01^^EgP0NDE]SICE. RENDERING COMBS WITH SULPHURIC ACID. HOW TO GET THE MOST WAX POSSIBLE OUT OF OLD COMB. After reading E. France's article on render- ing old combs into wax, on page 15, I thought I could give you a better plan, and one which would take that dark-colored wax and make it into as nice wax as any vou ever saw. It will be so clear, that, when melted, you can see to the bottom of a dipperful, looking like wine. By this plan you can take the refuse of cakes of wax, that which is scraped off the bot- tom after cooling, and looks like sand, and make it into as nice wax as can be made. This last season we had a barrel of this dark stuff, which looked like dirt, and you would have said it was not worth the trouble; but I put it through the process, and got from it 60 lbs. of yellow wax, worth at least S15. APPAItATUS FOK RENDEKING REFUSE WAX AVITII SULPHURIC ACID. I know that iron or galvanized iron will turn wax a dark color. I went to quite a little ex- pense rigging up steam-pipes, and tanks of gal- vanized iron for my foundation business. The first melting did not show much, but after melting the scraps over three times I stopped making and tried to find out what was the matter. I knew the wax at first was all right, and concluded, after a while, it was either the galvanized iron or steam of too high pressure. I then went to work, tore down all the fixtures, and went back to melting in a large wooden tub. This wax, whicli was almost a dark green, I put through my pi'ocess of melting, and had yellow wax again. My plan, whereby I can render 100 lbs. of wax from old combs in three hours, is as follows: Get a barrel that is good and strong, and '^s steam-pipe, long enough to reach from a steam-boiler to the bottom of the barrel. Copper pipe would be better, but I l^nd the small surface of the pipe touching the wax does not make any appreciable difference. You want a valve to shut off the steam, four pieces of pipe five inches long, an elbow, a cross, and three caps. In the pieces of pipe five inches long drill three ^V^inch holes, spaced about two inches apart: screw an elbow on the bottom of the pipe coming from the steam-boiler: then one of the short pieces of pipe in the elbow: now screw on the cross, then the three pieces of pipe, and put a cap on the end of each. Turn the pipes until the small holes point all one way, so the steam in issuing will set the water whirling. Now fill the barrel one-fourth full of clear water. Put in one pound of sulphuric acid: turn on the steam, and when boiling put in the old combs. Let all boil until heated thoroughly, and stir with a large stick at the same time. Now you will want a press. Mine is simply a box made lai'ge enough to hold three racks, made of ?g^x3-2-inch square sticks 15 inches long, nailed to two end pieces 15 inches long, so there will be V inch between the slats. In the bot- tom of the box I have a tin dish one inch deep, and it just slips down inside nicely. At one side the tin is turned down, and a hole is made in the bottom of the box for the wax and water to run out. Get a rim two inches wide and twelve inches square made from ,?^-inch stuff, and three pieces of burlap three feet square. Lay one of the racks in the tin dish in the bot- tom of the box: on this the two-inch rim; over this one of the pieces of burlap. Press the bur- laps down in the rim, and dip the melted wax over into it until full to the top of the rim. Bring the burlaps over the top: take out the rim; lay another rack on top of this, and so proceed until you have the three filled: then place a follower on top of all, and a common jack-screw on top of the follower. Make a frame out of 2x4 scantling to go under the box and come to the top of the jack-screw. You will want two bolts to go through the top and bottom pieces of the frame. Have them of 'X round iron, and sci-ew the nuts up tight. Put the top piece of the frame over the jack-screw, and turn the screw slowly so as to give a chance for the wax to run out. After it has stopped running, take out the refuse, and you will find the wax nearly out. You could not get out of a barrel of comb, after pressing, if it wei"e possible to get it out, over a teacupful of wax. We have tried a number of ways, but the above is the best. I tried an arrangement inside of a barrel to continually stir the comb: and over the comb, under water six inches. I had a screen to keep refuse from rising. I thought all the wax would in time rise to the top, but more stayed under the screen than came to the top. I also tried keeping two barrels of comb, that was thoroughly broken u]), moist with water for two years, to see if I could not rot the cocoons and pollen so it would he like dirt. If I could rot it. I could get out all the wax, and not make me a press, but simply melt it in water, and the dirt would settle. This was a failure. The smell 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 121 of the stuff when melting would fairly knock a man down at ten rods. I was very sick with malaria shortly after. Some thought I caught it from that bad-smelling boiling mix- ture. The wax I did get out of it was all right. I had to use the press to iinish up. No more jobs like that for me. I can take cakes of wax that come to me dark, and, after rendering, they will be a nice yellow color. You simply want to melt them in the acidulated water, cover the barrel over tight, and throw an old horse-blanket over the whole: let it stand five Ixours, and then dip out in pans carefully, so as not to disturb the dirt at the bottom. Save all the refuse from scraiMng the bottom of cakes, and put through the same process. F. A. Salisbuisv. Syracuse. N. Y., Dec. 5. 1890. [Thanks for your valuable article. When I visited the Uadants a few weeks ago I learned that they treated their refuse, that would not refine by ordinary methods, with sulphuric acid. I do not remember just exactly the pro- portion of suljjhuric acid they use with the water, but I think their method and plan was very similar to the one you describe. If 1 am wrong they will please correct. Mr. Dadant told me when they first used sulphuric acid, the man who used it earned for them S'Ta the first day. and a smaller amount the second day, un- til all the cast-away wax refuse which could not be refined by ordinary methods was used up. The price at which wax now sells renders this a very important matter. Mr. C. P. Da- dant told me not to throw away old refuse; that a great deal of fii'St quality of wax can be got- ten from it by the use of the solar wax-extract- or and sulphuric acid. The action of the acid seems to be to rot or disintegrate the cocoons and other matter, so as to free the wax.] E. R. MANUM'S VILLAGE APIARY, HOW FHIEND MANUM MANAGES TO AVOID HAV- ING HIS BKES TKOUULE HIS NEIGHBORS. Mr. Editor:— Kaving often been asked by bee-keepers and others whether my bees in the village were ti-oublesome to my neighbors. I will give you a little of my experience in this respect, as related to my friend J. H. Larrabee. in answer to his questions while visiting me. " Manum. do your neighbors ever complain that your bees are troublesome here in the vil- lage'?'" asked Mr. Larrabee. "No. not very much. In fact, nearly all seem to be interested in the success of my business. and they show a very friendly disposition to- ward the bees. There ai"e times, however, when I have to be on my guard to prevent any annoyance to my nearest neighbors. Forim- stance. in the spring of the year, when the bees have their first flight, if it ha])pens to be on a washing-day, the ladies in the vicinity of the apiary scold a little if their clothes get spotted, as they most certainly will if put out to dry when bees are flying: but many of them have learned to wait until the bees have had their flight, before putting out their clothes. especial- ly those who have had their clothes soiled once to the extent that they were obliged to wash over again." •'Suppose they are thoughtless, and do put out their clothes, and they get spotted : how do vou manage an amicable settlement?" asks jSIr. L. "Oh I that is quite a simple matter. When- ever I learn that my bees have soiled my neigh- bors' clothes, or annoyed them in any way. I just present them with a few boxes of honey. which has never as yet failed to sweeten and harmonize their natures." "I notice one of your neighbors has a nice lot of fruit-ti-ees just over the fence from your apiarv. Does he ever complain that the bees annoy him?" "No: he has never complained of being an- noyed; but when I first started in the business, and when an occasional swarm would cluster on some of his fruit-trees, he would watch— from a distance— and request me not to cut limbs unnecessarily: but when he found that I never cut a limb nor branch he became quite interested in the bees; and now. whenever he finds a swarm clustered he notifies me of the fact, but I never fail to present him with honey in such a case." " Do your neighbors ever complain that your bees injure fruit, especially grapes?" " Y^es, a few years ago I had two neighbors who had a nice lot of grapes; and it being a very dry season, the grapes cracked open when ripening: and there being a dearth of honey at the time, the bees visited the grapes in large numbers, and were really a great annoyance. One of these men once spoke to me about it, asking me if I could not fasten my bees in their hives until after his grapes ripened and were gathered; but a few words of explanation convinced him that it would not be best for me to do so. He thought the bees punctured the grapes: and all I could say on that subject failed to convince him that they did not. I final- ly went with him into his grapery, where we watched: and by much watching and experi- menting. I succeeded in convincing him that the bees worked on only such grapes as were already punctured or cracked open, caused by the severe drouth. I told him that if we could only have a shower, the trouble would be ended; and it so happened that it did rain the very next day. and sure enough the bees did not vis- it the grapes any more that season. This man is now a friend of the bees, and has never been troubled that way since, owing to the fact that we have not since happened to have a drought at that season of the year. The other neigh- bor, who. by the way. is of a very difl'erent tem- perament, said nothing to me about the bees working on his grapes, but tried to get even with the bees by destroying them. One morn- ing he called to his nearest neighbor, 'Hill, come over here; I want to show you something! There. See those boards there? Well, now, you just keep quiet and I will show you how I fix Manum's bees that are eating up my grapes.' He had two hoards, each four feet long, arranged fly-trap fashion, the inside of which was covered with syrup to attract the bees: and, slam went the boards: and then with a shingle he scraped off the bees. 'There." he says to Hill. I shall keep that trap at work till I kill every bee Manum has got, unless they let my grapes alone.' It happened that Hill knew something about bees, and he laughed at this good man for his folly, telling him that, instead of doing me an injury, he was doing me a good service; because, as the honey season was over, I had many more bees in each hive than I wanted, and that those he was killing were the old ones that I wanted to get rid of, and. besides, that young bees were hatching much faster than he could kill the old ones. He advised him to talk with me on the subject. That day I chanced to meet Mr. Hill, when he told me what he had witnessed, and we had a good laugh over it. But I called on mv good friend and tried to settle with him for the dam- age the bees had done, but he would take noth- ing. I explained to him as well as I could the condition of things, and related my experiment with the other neighbor that very morning. i:; GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Feb. 1.-5. Tliis good man seemod to have gained new knowledge of things, and adniittiHl tliat he had acted a little hasty. That evening I pre- sented his wife a few bo.xes of honey, and in re- turn he sent me a tine selection of choice grapes. Since then all has been peace and har- mony between the bees and fruit-men in this place, so far as I know." "Do the ladies near you ever complain that the bees trouble th(nn while they are canning fruit, making pickles, etc.?"' "No particular complaints have come to me, and yet some of my neighbors have mentioned that, on such occasions, the bees would enter the house: but, surmising the cause of their in- trusion, they closed the doors. But these in- stances are now very rare, as nearly every house is provided with screens, which prevent the bees from entering, as wfU as flies. Let me tell you, Mr. Larrabee, that I believe that I am in an exceedingly favoi'able locality so far as regards kind and sympathetic neighbors, for I have not, to my knowledge, a neighbor who is not intei'ested in my success, for there is hardly a person of my acquaintance but that, when I meet him. inquires after the bees, and expresses a wish that I may be successful. I will give you the experience of one day with my neighbors, as I noted it down. In the morning I went to the office to mail a few queens, when I met a neighbor, who asked, ' Manum, how are your bees doing this season?' My answer, of course, was, 'Not very well j-et.' 'Well,' says my friend, ' I am sorry. I hope they will yet make you a lot of honey. I have been thinking of you for some time, and wondered whether you were getting much honey.' In a few moments I met another neighbor who ask- ed, ' Manum, are your bees doing any thing this summer?' 'Well, Mr. Wright, they are doing just about nothing.' 'Well, what is the mat- ter? You have had several poor years now in succession, and I did hope they would do well this year. Do you salt them enough? I re- member when I was a boy my grandfather used to salt his bees, and he said they worked better when salted.' The next person who hailed me was a lady. ']\rr. Manum, your bees must be making lots of honey now, for I see so many clover-blossoms everywhere ; and yesterday there was a lot of bees getting honey from the clover on our lawn, and I forbade the children from playing there for fear they might disturb the bees, for I am so anxious that your bees do well for you this year, you have had such bad luck for a few years past." On my return from the office. I harnessed a horse and started for one of my out-apiaries. I had gone but a short distance when I met a farmer who inquired about the bees much as the others had, and asked whether I thought bees would get as much honey from Japanese buckwheat as from the other varieties, and remarked that, if they could, he would sow live acres instead of one, as was his custom, and said that he thought that, inasmuch as my bees were a benefit to buckwheat, farmers ought to sow more and reap the benefit from the bees, and at the same time help me. "I soon met another farmer who asked, like all the others, how the bees were doing, and then asked whether it would be any damage to me if he should cut his alsike clover, which I had induced him to sow, while it was in blos- som. I told him, that undoubtedly it would rob the bees of so much pasturage, and, besides, it would damage him : for, unlike the red va- riety, alsike clover makes better hay if allowed to stand until nearly all the blossoms turn brown, because it is finer than red, and of such a na- ture that it is much hardier when allowed to mature; and, again, that, unlike red clover, it seeds with the first crop; hence, if allowed to nearly mature, the seed furnishes much addi- tional nutriment; whereupon he decided to let it mature. On that day I met 11 persons who manifested a similar interest in my welfare and success, as did those whom I have mentioned. In fact, I do not know of a person of my ac- quaintance who is not friendly to the bee-busi- ness: hence. I say, that, judging from an occa- sional article that appears in the bee-papers regarding the enemies of the business, I feel that I have a favored locality in that respect, for I have most excellent neighbors." Bristol, Vt. A. E. ManUxM. RAMBLE NO. 37. THE BAY STATE APIAliY. We reluctantly bade our Rhode Island friends good -by, and sped on our way toward the Bay State Apiary. Our route conducted us through the city of Boston, and here our patriotic blood became so stirred up that we lost our reckoning. But Boston people have erected a massive stone tower on Bunker Hill, where the traveler can climb up 294 steps and get a wide view. This view enabled us to get our reckoning again in a manner highly satisfactory. We immediately ran downstairs and followed our reckoning, and were safely landed in Wenham, about 11 o'clock. A street-car was standing BUNKER HII>L MONUMENT; THE KAMBI.ER GET- TING HIS EYE ON HENRY' ALLEY. near, and an inquiry elicited the information that Mr. Alley lived half a mile from the depot. We journeyed by street-car until the conductor pointed out the residence of our friend, and we were soon exchanging our identity with Bro. Alley. Our identity seemed to be satisfactory, and we were invited to rest a while in his den, and we gratefully accepted a rocking-chair. We found Bro. A. just giving the finishing touches to the October issue of the Apiciilturist, and his letters and :MSS. were in a i-ather pro- miscuous heap u]X)n the table. We also noticed a large pile of" Thirty Years Among the Bees," ready to mail, besides quite a number of^pi- cultiirlsts. There were also sevei-al crates of 1S91 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 133 fine comb honey and cans of extracted honey which had just been brought from a local fair which Mr. A. had just be(Mi attending. Both quantity and quality showed that Eastern Massachusetts had enjoyed a good honey-yield. A call to dinnci' transferred our talk to the dining-room. While engaged in doing justice to Bay State substantials, who should come to share them with lis but Bro. Pratt, of Beverly, Mass.? After dinner we all felt remarkably well and good-natured, and we adjourned to the bee-yard. Bi'o. A. had just put up his last shipment of queens: and as they were piled up nicely on the cover of a Bay State hive we brought our camera to bear upon them, Bro. A., and the queen-rearing portion of the Bay State I.AST SHIPMENT OF QUEENS FROM THE BAY STATE APIAHY, SEPT., 18tK). apiary. He is manipulating a Bay State hive, and we caught a very good view. Forty full colonies are in the honu^ yard, besides over two hundred queen-reaiing hives. The little hives and tin feeders were scattered promiscuously, with entrances toward all points of the comjjass. We expressed a desire to see, the yellow Car- niolans, and were immediately shown a colony that would ordinarily pass for very good Ital- ians. But these bees, when the hive was opened, showed all the traits of the dark Carniolans. No veil uor smoke was used. Quick motions near the comb or over the hive were not resent- ed. As to honey-gathering qualities, we should think that Eastern Massachusetts is not the lo- cality to test them for prodigious yields: but Bros. Alley and Pi'att both have great confi- dence in the superiority of this strain over all others. We were next shown the colony in which was installed the celebrated siOO queen. This colo- ny had thrown oft a swarm quite early, and during the season sixty frames of brood had been drawn from the parent colony alone for queen-rearing. But whatever prodigies the colony had done, w(^ noticed that they wei-e very active: and though it was during the last days of September, they were busy at work: and. allowing the Rambler to judge, it was the best colony in the Bay State apiary. now Ar,I,EY INTRODUCES A FERTILE QUEEN WITHOUT CAGING. While talking about introducing queens, Hro. A. said he would show us how to do it. Taking a fine large fertile queen from a nucleus he stepped to a full colony, removed the covei', and dropped her. in an unceremonious mannei'. among the bees. We watched her a few mo- ments. The bees were fi'iendly, and she marched straight down between the combs, the reigning majesty. The colony had been queenless three days, and it ^yasjustUir proper time to intro- . duce her. Mucii eai'iier ur much later than 72 hours would have resulted dift'erently. HOW TO INTRODUCE A VIRCilN. We will now go with Bro. A. and introduce a virgin (pieen to a nucleus. The tobacco smoker is lighted, and the caged queen, perhaps just from the nursery, is taken to the queenless nucleus. A green plantain leaf is inserted in the entrance, the cover removed, and a couple of whiflfs of tobacco smoke, and another as the queen is dropped, and the cover is replaced. We thought that was doing things qnit(> rapid- ly, and removed the cover to look a little longer. Bro. A. says. '• Wait a few minutes, and we will examine them again." He keeps a record of the condition of the nucleus, with a shoetack system. The Rambler will not undertake to describe the vai'ious positions, slants, and an- gles, and what they mean. About this time we returned to the nucleus, and found every bee in the bottom of the nu- cleus in a stupetied condition; and when their senses i-etni'ued. the virgin queen was accepted. The plantain leaf soon wilted, and the bees could pass to their work. It struck the Ram- bler all of a sudden that these 300 nuclei, so well stocked with bees, would make several good colonies, and we asked what was to be done with them. '•Oh," said he, "some frosty morning I will brush the bees off into the grass. It doesn't pay to unite and feed up. The bees usually die during the winter, and they might as well die now, and save all of the bother. I purchase bees in the spring to supply the waste." The little combs are packed away in barrels, and secui-(^ly headed up to keep mice awav from them. MR. AULKY. MR. PRATT (AN INVETERATE CIG- ARETTE SMOKER), AND THE RAMBLER, TALKINfJ BEES. AND THE TWINS EATING HONEY. The full (o'onies were wintered outdoors in double-walled Bay State hives. We now and then found a di'one-trap kicking around in the grass. In fact, we should judge that the grass had got a little the start'of Kro. Alley while raising his 1300 queens and editing the ApL 134 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Feh. 15. His apiary was. however, about as tidy as the average run of bee-yards where there is much work done. We have noticed that these gilt- edged apiaries are the ones that do not bring in a large amount of surplus cash. While in the Bay State apiary we did not talk • so fast and get so absorbed as to fail to notice a very pleasant feature in the apiary. Two wee bits of granddaughters were upon his lap or fol- lowing his steps when at a safe distance from the bees. They were indulged with sauce- plates, and spoons and honey: and while we were talking bees, the honey was distributed in various directions. Bro. A. is positive in his views, and believes his method of (lueen-rearing is the method. His claim, that queens should be reared from the egg, though not much dis- cussed at the time, liad the effect of setting the Rambler to thinking about the matter, and the results of our cogitations will be given in our next. Ramblek. [Now, look here, old friend: while we are greatly rejoiced at this pleasant glimpse of friend'Alley's place of abode, when you tell us you "ran downstairs" on Bunker Hill monu- ment we think yon are getting decidedly in the way of skipping along almost too fast. I have been up and down those "stairs," as you call them, myself, and I did not feel very much like running. In fact, I sat down and blowed sev- eral times between the top and bottom. I am very glad if you can see friend Alley's ranch from the top: but when I was there I did not know of friend Alley's place nor about bees either. In my next visit I will be sure to hunt him up — yes, even if he does, as I have heard, manage to get a good deal of tobacco out of the way. While we are in the open air, I suppose I should not mind it very mucli. That idea of a plantain leaf for closing an entrance is certain- ly unique. By the way, didn't I have a little hand in that discovery ? You know I told you that Dr. Miller threw some green leaves on the top of any hive tiiat needed attention. If they forget to I'emove the leaves when they go away, the leaves dry up and blow away. In any case, they know at a glance (by the looks of the leaves) about how long ago the mark was made. Now, then, if we wish to close an entrance, say for a few hours, a green leaf will till the bill. In regard to introducing a queen by just letting her loose, I suppose some of you know yon can- do this at almost any time, about three times out of four. When honey is coming briskly, and the colony has been queenless long enough to start queen-cells, we can do it certainly nine times out of ten. I hope friend Alley will ex- cuse me for remonstrating against brushing the bees off on the grass. Brnsh them into a hive, give them a comb or two, and some sort of queen, and let them be happy while they live. Keep them, like the old horse, for the good they liave done. We do not like your reflections on gilt-edged apiaries, exactly, friend R. It is true, there are apiaries where the gilt-edged feature is carried to extremes. I have seen some of them myself — some of those professional men, for instance, who have lots of money. A real nice attractive apiary wants to be the woi'k of somebody who has to scratch and scrape, just a little, to make both ends meet. This will keep out of sight superfluities (just for show), and yet have things neat and in order, arranged so as to give the greatest facilities for rapid work. I am very glad of that glim])se you give of the twins. We would not have missed them for any thing. By the way, we wonder how mmiy of the veterans have arrived at the dig- nity of being called "grandpa" by some little "new edition." Friend Alley, we lift our cap and extend our congratulations.] HOW TO BIND A VOLUME OF GLEANINGS. PLAIN DIIIECTIONS, AND HOW TO DO IT SUB- STANTIALLY AND NEATLY. I have just finished binding the last volume of GLEANiNr room. Another method, iiiy way, and so I think it a good one. is to bind them in tough paper covers at home: and, with your permission. I will tell your read- ers how to do it neatly, cheai)ly, and well. You will need some brass wii'e, as heavy as or a little heavier than a stout pin; a hammer, an awl, a tile, or a pair of snips to cut the wire: pliers to bend it: paste, and some heavy tough paper. Gleanings is ten inches long. Get a piece of soft wood that length, an inch or more wide, and a quarter of an inch thick. An inch and a half from the end, and one-fourth inch from the edge, make a hole through this stick with a small gimlet, or with the awl: and, a half- inch further on, another. Make a like pair at the othei' end, and another pair at the middle. Now take the cover and advertising pages, and the little wires tiiat hold the leaves together, from the issue for Dec. 1."). Lay it, last jjage up, on a soft board: lay the stick on it, the edge with the holes in it parallel with the back of the magazine: and, putting the awl in the holes in the stick, punch similar holes in the paper. Lay it off, last page down, and treat Dec. 1st in the" same manner, and so on to July 1st. Twelve numbers make a handy volume to bind or to read. Now cut three pieces of the wire, three oi' four inches long, and bend them in the shape of a double-pointed tack, the points half an inch apart and an inch and a half long. Cut two pieces of the heavy paper about '7}4x\.0}4; and, three-fourths of an inch from one edge, punch holes like those in th(^ journals. Put the bent wires in the holes in one piece, and lay it on the table, wire points up. Then take the issue for Dec. 1.5th and put the wires thi'ough the holes in it, and so on until you have as many num- bers as you wish to bind in one volume. Put the other piece of heavy paper on top of these, and hammer the whole down ai'ound the wii-es. Don't be afraid to strike hard: get it solid, and then cut the wires down to within one- fourth inch of the book, and clinch them, bend- ing the points toward each other. Now paste the extra half-inch of the covers over the back of the book, first one: and when that sticks well, the other: and across the back, and ex- tending an inch or two on the covers, paste a strip of thin linen. Take the cover pages of Gleanings for July 1st, and cut off the last leaf close to tlu^ pi'iiit. and another cover cut close to the print of the lirst page, and paste these over all. putting on the back cover first. Now i)ut it under a press of some kind until dry: then if you want to trim the edges, and can't get to some printing-office where they always have machines to do this work, clamp 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 125 the edge tightly in a vise, with a smooth straight-edged board between the jaws and the paper, and with a sharp draw-knife you can shave the solid paper almost as easily as wood. But remember that I said, a sfuirp draw-knife. If you have handy lingers, and follow these directions carefully, I am sure you will turn out a job you will be "proud of; in any event, you will have your favorite Gleanings in a shape to make reading and reference easy. A good paste is gum tragacanth. softened in pure water, with a few drops of spirits of cam- phor or carbolic acid added, to keep it from molding. It should have only enough water to thoroughlv soften it. E. J. Baird. Orlando, Fla.. Jan. 10. [The method you describe is the same as that used by professional book-binders on books bound in paper, with the exception that they employ machinery, and you make use of com- mon simple tools in the possession of most bee- keepers.] PLANNING. STUDYING OUT PROBLEMS IN BEE CULTURE WHILE Yf)U .SHOULD BE LISTENING TO THE SERMON. I hardly know whether to say that planning is one of the inalienable rights or one of the es- sential requisites of a bee-keeper. I have sometimes thought I should like to have eveiy thing settled, so that I could know just what was best to do in every thing, and have no more studying or planning to do than a team- ster hauling cordwood. But I don't know that I'd be happy then. I"m afraid I'd be planning how to have something else to plan about. When do you do the most of j^our planning? I think a great deal, if not the most of the planning of bee-keepers, is done in bed. I judge so from so often liearing them talk about lying awake nights figuring over something, and also from the amount of night planning I have done myself. When is your best time for planning? that is. when do you seem to do the quickest and clearest work at making plans? I don't think I can ans\v(n' that question so well for others: but for myself, to be entirely candid about it, my mind seems to be in the best shape for it when sitting in church trying to listen to a sermon. Please don't understand me as rec- ommending that time for you to do your plan- ning, nor even as saying that I ever deliberately sit and consciously spend my time planning through a whole sermon. Ordinarily I give the sermon my whole attention; and I think my pastor, if asked, would say that I was one of his helpers by keeping my eyes steadily fixed upon him. But suppose some bee-keeping problem has been in my mind for several days. I've been working hard upon it, sometimes "thinking the answer just within reach, then linding my- self overcome by some new difficulty. Satur- day night finds me still working on it: and after going to bed I keep turning it over in my mind until I drop asleep. Perhaps I wake up in the night, and the first thing that comes in ray thoughts is that problem. Just then the question comes, is it before or after 12 o'clock? in other words, is it Saturday or Sunday? If the clock doesn't happen to strike about that time to settle the question. I conclude it's bet- ter for me to go to sleep anyhow — if I can. If I wake in the morning before it is time to rise, up comes that problem: and after making an ef- fort for some time to think of something else I arise in self-defense and take to some good reading. Then I get along perhaps all right until I get to church and get settled to listen to the sermon. Directly some word switches my mind off upon a track that leads directly to that problem, and. before I know it, I am chas- ing it up full speed, and am surprised to see how easily I can get over some of the difficul- ties that "before seemed insurmountable. In a minute I recollect myself with " Hold up, there! I thought you were listening to the ser- mon!'' and the re'ply comes, "Well, isn't it too bad not to follow it up when following it up a little further would finish it up, I feel pretty sure, in nice shape?'' But I bring myself up with a round turn, and, with perhaps an occa- sional slip, let the problem alone till Monday morning, when I am likely to find myself in pretty good shape to handle it. Now, I have a word of advice for the younger members of the fraternity. You are likely to do a great deal of planning, and more depends on the quality than on the quantity of such work. Don't decide, from what I have said, that Sunday is a better day for planning than any other. It isn't. Why, then, did it seem so in my case? Simply because for a time my mind had been kept free from that kind of work, and was rested. If I should keep to work right on through Sunday, the same result would not follow. The point I wish to make is. that you are not wise to hold your mind too closely to any plan till it is too tired to work well. Many a night I have lain thinking till too tired and drowsy to think very much about any thing, and then, having a sort of feeling that the thing must be settled then and there, have roused myself by a strong effort, only to find tliat I was then simply wakeful, without the power to do any good head work. On' the whole. I think you will be the gainer to refuse resolutely to do any sort of planning after you go to bed. Just for the time, you may seem to lose by it, but not in the long run. When you find your mind tired, stop, and go at it some time again. Don't try to be too abstract in your planning. If you are planning to do something with a hive, don't tire yourself try- ing to imagine how such and such things will look when you have placed them so and so. Get the things right before you and it will be easier and better for you. Before you do a great deal of planning, read up what has been done by others in the past. Not long ago a beginner showed me a house which he had built for wintering bees, and ask- ed my opinion about it. It was nicely built, costing about STO.OO ; but if he had possessed himself of the books a bee-keeper ought to have, and also the back numbers of the leading bee-journals, he would have seen that he had nothing new or approved. C. C, Miller, Marengo. 111., Jan. 17. [Well. well, old friend: and is it really true that you are fighting temptation so e.xactly along the same line that I have been for some time past? It has been one of the mysteries to me, why my mind (or, rather, my ""planning machinery") should always start with such tremendous energy just as soon as Sunday morning comes, and especially when the ser- mon commences, I have a great many times noticed that, when older people want to talk, say at the breakfast-table, it is just the time when the little ones, and perhaps the baby who can not talk at all. begin their prattle; and I have seen canary birds that would be as quiet as you wish until somebody commenced conver- sation, then they would almost split their little throats in the effort, as it appeared, to drown the conversation. The business of talking seems to be infectious. Well, in studying the matter ov'er it has occurred to me that thisinvol- 12(5 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Feb. 15. uiitai y thinking machinery is lilr testing inany of these different arrangements I decided on the one-tier wide frames as being the best: and in using them I adopted the jjlan known as "side and top storage combined," with which I was very successful for many years. I never did like the tiering-up piaji. used so successful- ly by many, for the ivason I'lat, in this locality, it so often happened that tlie season would close before many if any of the sections were finished, leaving me with a large lot of unfin- ished sections on hand, witli few if any com- pleted for mai'ket. With the side and top stor- age plan I could take the sections off the top as fast as finished, raise the partly finished ones from the sides to the top, and, by putting in empty S(>ctions at tiie sides, keep the bees on new work there and finishing it on top. When the season drew toward a close, no more was put in at the sides, and thus I had nearly all the sections which were used duiing the season finishi'd at the end of the honey harvest. In this way remarkaiile results can be secured: in fact. I do not believe there is any other plan known whereby as much nice white comb hon- ey can be obtained as by the above, where any 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 127 one has the time to carry it out: but it requires time and close attention to all of the minute de- tails connected with it. D(»OMTTI>I': S SUKPIA'S aki;ax(;ement. While I sometimes think that enough more honey can be obtained to pay for all this exti'a tniuble. yet of late I have adopted a somewhat ditfeient plan whereby nearly if not quite as ranch honey can be obtained with much less work: and for want of a better name I have called it •• the lateral plan." Befoi-e adopting this lateral plan I obtained and tried nearly all of the different cases and supei'S in use. and. after a careful testing of the whole. I came to the conclusion that, taking all things into con- sideration, this had moi'e advantages and few- er disadvantages than any of the others. That the reader may know just how the wide frames are used by this plan I have had an engraving of them made, so as to save the talk necessary in telling them what I wish to. My hives are all chatf hives, and I use on each, when working for surplus honey, a queen - excluding honey-board, which extends out over the chaff at either side of the brood -chamber, so that I can put on from three to ten of these wide frames, just as I wish. On most of my hives I place five wide frames at the beginning of the season, fixed and held together as shown in the lower part of the cut. The center wide frame contains sections with combs left over from the previous season, used as "'baif" sec- tions: and as these go directly over the center of the brood-nest, the bees go to work in them at once as soon as there is any honey coming in from the fields. As soon as the bees get well to work in these five wide frames I load my wheel- barrow with wide frames, having sections filled with foundation, as shown in the center of the engj-aving. and. airiving at a hive. I unwind the string from around the flat-headed nail, shown at the left of the lower part of the en- graving, which allows the coil-wii'e sj)ring to assume the shape yon see them at the top part of the cut. when the wide fi-ames can be han- dled as I please. Instead of handling tliem as some do. putting the added wide frames be- tween the others. I simply take off the side board and add wide frames to each side to the amount needed, when the side boards are placed back, the springs drawn to a strong ten- sion, the strings wound a little more than one turn around the nail-heads to hold them, when I am ready to move on to the next hive. In a week or so I start out in the same way again. I now find from one to five frames of sections finished, out of those put on at first, which are taken off and the bees shaken off the four sec- tions by taking hold of the ])rojecting ends of the wide fi'ames. the same as they are shaken off from a brood comb. The remaining wide frames of unfinished sections are now drawn together ovei" the center of the biood-nest. when the necessary number of wide frames of sections is added to each side. In this way I keep working till the season begins to draw to- ward a close, when, instead of adding more sec- tions at the side, the unfinished ones are drawn together, so that at the end of the season I have no more unfinished sections than I wish as bait-sections to commence the next year with. In this way the bees are kept at work in a natural manner, building their comb outward all the while, and finishing their work at the center, which has a tendency to reduce swarm- ing, and give a greater yield of finished honey than by any other method with which I am ac- quainted. The iilan also allows of adjusting the amount of suri)lus room to the wants or size of the colony, so that no colony is discouraged by too much surplus room being given at first, and none ai'e crowded for want of room. It also keei)s the wide frames drawn tight together at all times, so that, as the lumps of propolis soft- en with heat, which may be on the wide frames or sections, the slack is always taken up: and they can be tieied up by those who wish to tier up. by sinii)ly making suitable slots in the tops of th(> wide fi-ames. like those in the bot- tom— reversed or handled as a whole, cost lit- tle if any more than any good arrangement for surplus comb honey: and as a whole it takes no more time to prepare and manipulate them and the sections than it does any other ./!rsf^ rhiN.s arrangement: while the sections are kept almost entirely free from propolis. If the read- er will refer to the upper part of the cut he will see how the propolis trouble is obviated on the outside of the outside tier of sections, where the gi'eatest annoyance comes by way of propolis, where the outside sections are clamped against any flat surface. A rubber band or a wire, or even a string, can be made to answer in place of the springs: but as they cost only 25 cents per dozen, and are so much better than any thing else, they are much the cheapest in the end. I still use 114-pound sections, the same being two inches wide, and glass all my sec- tions. This will help the reader to tmderstand the cut better. As long as these 114-lb. glassed sections find a ready sale in our Eastern mar- kets at the same i)rice as one-pound sections ttnglassed. I shall continue to use them: but I am always ready to acce])t any real improve- ment as soon as 1 find it out. G. ]\L D()OI>ITTT,E. Borodino. N. Y.. Feb., 181tl. [Friend D.. you will, by your plan of work- ing, get nicer honey than by the usual way of letting the cases remain on the hive until they are all sealed. But you will also have more laboi'. I think, than by some of the other meth- ods that do not give as nice a product. Then the question is. "Does the extra price received pay for the extra amount of work?"" For a market that wants nice glassed sections, I am inclined to think it does: and if yon can ar- range things so as to maKe your way of taking out all sections, as soon as finished, but little if any expense, more than the other way. you cer- tainlv are ahead. I believe the best results will 138 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Feb. 1.5. also be obtained by having a spring, or some equivalent, to constantly pull the sections (and wide frames if they are used) tight up against each other.] THE SPIDER-PLANT. If we could give'the appropi'iate colors to the blossom and stem. "weDshould have a well-nigh perfect representation of our common red clo- NEW ENGKAVINGS FOU THE A B C OF BEK CULTURE. By Ernest R. Root. While looking over the seed catalogue of one of the prominent seedsmen, W. Atlee Burpee, we ran across a very accurate engraving of the spider-plant — the best representation that has ever been made, so far as I know. As we arc now revising the A B C of Bee Culture, making new engravings and such other improvements as will make the work more valuable, we con- cluded to re-engrave it ; and for the benefit of our journal readers I here submit it. The bees on the wing, going to and from the blossom, is characteristic of their behavior toward the plant. But there is just one thing that the cut does not show, and that is the little drop of honey sparkling in the blossom, but which the reduced size makes it impossible to show. Aside from being a honey-plant, spider-plant is one of the most ornamental shrubs ever placed in a flower-garden, and so advertised in Burpee's catalogue. As we state in the ABC book, it is not of sufficient value to a bee-keep- er, however, to warrant planting them on a COMMON HEX) CLOVEK. ver. The stem has the usual characteristic fringe of hairs, and the shape of the leaves is also characteristic. It may seem to some of our readers almost unnecessary to represent any thing so common; but there are >«t. places where even red clover does not ^^ grow, and for the benefit of the bee- i(if keepers who are unacquainted with it, I am glad to show them what it looks like. Perhaps I should remark that peavine clover is just the same, only the stems ai'e much longer. CLEOME PUNGENS, OR Sr]I)Ell-ri,AXT. large scale. But a few of them will adoni the dooryard, and give you a chance to see liow the bees fairly swarm upon the blossoms. Those large crystal drops of nectar and the greed of the bees'in the early morn, is a sight to behold. RED AND WHITE CEOVER. BF While I am about it, I might as well present you with two engravings that we have adapted for the A B C book. WHITE CLOVER. " f This engraving shows the most val- uable of all honey-plants to the bee- keeper. Without it, bee-keeping in the United States and Canada would as- sume hardly half its present propor- tions ; and but for it we should be without one of the finest honeys in the world — the very finest, if we except the alfalfa. Our artist, it seems, caught a bee while in the act of appropriating the de- licious nectar. BASSWOOD, OR LINDEN. By the by, we have also had another engrav- ing of basswood made expressly for the A B C book : and its importance as a honey-plant is second only to the white clover as above. Our artist, who was looking over some beau- tiful plates in a standard work in one of our public libraiies, accidentally ran across a rep- 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 139 resentatioii of basswood. It was so accnratc that we instructed him to copy it. as faithfully as lie could, by a wood engraving, and we give the result below. The same thing is what the Canadians call "linden." and we across the line, as a genei-al rule, term it basswood. There is no difference, but climatic influ- ences have their ef- fect upon it. Among the hills of Yorl State the leaves assume mam- moth pi'o- portions. not more plentiful than it is. It is one of the main stays, where it grows, of the honey-pro- ducer, and one of the most valuable woods in manufacture. It will hardly do for outside ex- posure to the weather; but it is admirably adapted for packing-boxes, and is used in inv- mensc quantities in the manufacture of furni- ture, forming the bottoms and sides of drawers, the backs of bureaus, dress- ing-cases, etc., and it is also employ- ed extensively in the manufacture of paper; in fact, the envelopes that are sent out from the Home of the Honey-bees are said to be made from basswood "pulp." It has often been said that we ai'e cutting off "our own noses in using it for one-piece sections — that we are "killing the goose*that lays the gold- en egg." Well, it is true that apiarian-supply dealers may use quite a little; but still, the amount that they use is very insignifi- cant in comparison with that employed by furniture mak- ers, packing-box concerns, and paper-makers. T After all, there is one redeem- ing feature. The basswood is a very rapid grower. We thought at one time that we had used about all the bass- wood in this I measured one, you remember, that was 14 in. long. While this leaf was among the largest, yet the leaves were, on the average, about twice the size of those in our own locali- ty. In Illinois I noticed that the bass- woods seemed to be less thrifty than in Ohio. The leaves seemed to b(^, smaller, and the bark of the trees of a little different appearance. The engraving above represents quite accurately the typical forms, however. The European vari- ety has smaller leaves, and differs from Tilto ADiericana in a .few other minor respects. It is rather to be regretted that this tree is section, to say noth- ing of the enormous quantities shipped in from Michigan and other States. But somehow the farmers are now bringing in beauti- ful nice white bass- wood lumber; and where they get it in our viciuity is a sort of puzzle to us. Our superintendent, Mr. Warner, assures me that at least some of this lumber is from a second growth of trees that sprouted ten years ago from the stumps of old trees— said trees having AMERICAN BASSWOOD, OR LINDEN. 130 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Feb. 15. been cut for us ten years ago. If basswood will replace itself in ten or even twenty years, so that it can be used again for lumber, there is yet hope that it may continue to bless the bee- keeper. There is one thing certain — that basswoods do not do nearly as well away from the shade of other trees. In our basswood orchard there are trees that are protected by some large oaks, that made a growth from three to four times as large as those out in the open Held. Those trees that are in the shade of oui- factory are much moj'e thrifty than those along the road- side without the shade of buildings or of other trees. THE NEW YORK STATE BEE-KEEPERS' VENTION. NOTES, BY EKXEST. CON- On the morning of the first day it rained fu- riously, and the streets of Albany were literally puddles and streams of water — so much so that it was very difficult for a pedestrian to make his way from one point to another without get- ting wet feet. When I registered at the Globe Hotel I looked to see whether I could tind the names of any bee-keepers I knew which were recorded before mine, but nary a one. I was afraid the large amount of rain the night pre- vious would dampen the spirits of a great many who possibly had thought of coming. In fact, after breakfast I sat down in thp hotel and waited for the bee-keepers to come in. While thus employed, my thoughts reverted to the time when, last fall, I had arrived at this very same hotel after a bicycle run of 50 miles. I came in, I remember, muddy, wet, and tired, and my clothing was S(jmewhat torn by the ef- fects of that bulldog encounter, an account of which I have already given. For curiosity I thought I would ascertain whether the clerk remembered me. "Oh, yes I" said h(^; '• you are the chap who came in so dilapidated from that fifty-mile run through the mud from Durham. I coiild not forget that." He was very glad to see that I had survived the journey, and inquired whether I expected to take a similar run again. "Never," I replied, '"over such roads, nor through such mud, and, much les<, by the house of the box-hive bee-keeper who owned that ferocious bulldog.'" After a pleasant chat with tlu^ clerk I asked where to take the electric motor over to Troy. "Just a couple of blocks down the street.'" A ride on the electric car brought me to Troy. I made a short visit with relatives, and then re- turned to Albany and thence to Agricultural Hall. I incjuired of the janitor where the bee- keepers' convention was. He hadn't seen any bee-keepers. He was told that they were to occupy that hall, pointing to an unoccupied room on the second floor. As I looked out on the streets running with wat(>r. I concluded that York State bee-keepei-s had l)ecome dis- couraged— even the president and secretary. Pretty soon, in came a gentleman, and after a little I began to inquire whether /le knew any thing about a 7)ec-convention in that building. No. He had been looking for the same tiling all the afternoon. We •' exchanged ouridi'Uti- ty," as the Rambler puts it, and tell to talking about bees, as to how they would winter, etc. I am such a poor hand to remember names that I can not now even remembi-r who he was. "At any rate, I wonder what is going on in that room down there," I said, pointing downstairs. " I saw a couple of men go in a moment ago.'" I inquired of the janitor, who said it was an agricultural meeting. " I don't care very much about agriculture,'' said I, turning to my friend. " but let's go in and see what they are doing.'' Cautiously I (opened the door, and, presto! there sat President Elwood in the chair, the secretary at his table, and a whole convention of hee- heepers. In various parts of the room were familiar faces whom I first met on my bicycle tour. My first thought was, "Why in the world didn't you people have a sign out and let folks know where you were?" I learned after- ward that the place of meeting had been changed to another- room — a room that had previously been occupied by an agricultural meeting; hence the janitor's mistake. ARTIFICIAL PASTURAGE. I aiTived just in time to hear the discussion in regard to artificial pasturage. Among the plants discussed were the Chapman honey-plant, alfalfa, and sweet clover. The reports in re- gard to the first named were not very favorable. It seemed to be remarkable as a yielder of nec- tar, but its difficult propagation renders it im- practicable for bee-keepers at large. George H. Ashmead had sown the Chapman honey-plant seed broadcast by moonlight. " Why did you do it after dark ?" some one asked. "Oh! I did not want everybody to know what I was doing. It has not been called a bad weed; but some folks, if they had seen me sow- ing it, would have declared that I was sowing something that would work mischief to the farmers. But there was not one of those seeds that ever came up." Ml'. Thomas Pierce, of Gansevort, had tried sowing sweet clover, but none of it came up. Referring to the moonlight sowing, he banter- ingly said he would have some compunctions of conscience. That did not distress our 'friend Mr. Ashmead at all. H(! sowed upon waste places. He knew that the plant was not a bad weed, and Ik^ was not going to give his neigh- bors even a c/i((Nfr to think so. In regard to sweet clover, he had seen dirt thrown from the bottom of a well 30 feet deep, and sweet clover and mustard started from it. The discussion then turned to alsike. In some parts of York State the fai'mei's were in- troducing it, at the advice and suggestion of bee- keep fs. In some cases they lik(^ it, and in some they don't. Where they did not take to it. it was ascertained that it grcnv up rank, and then rotted and died. It was recommended by some that it be sown with timothy or red clo- ver. It is then not ai)t to lodge, and it makes a fine growth. Testimony was not wanting, to the effect that it is a splendid honey-plant — su- perior to ordinary whit(^ clover; and. as some- body said. " Bees work on it iinmensi'.'" George H. Ashmead said that the farmers were going hack on alsike in his locality. They complain that tliere is no after, or second growth. He thought that, if he could giit them to sow it eaily enough, they would have two crops. Another thin^,^ farmers comi)lain that alsik'e turned their liutter whitf. They had tried it. pasturing their cows two week's on al- sike and two weeks on white clover. The al- sike, every time, they reported, would turn the butter white. When cows were pastured on common red clover the butter resumed its nat- ural color. But t\)<'Vo was one strong point; and that was. that alsike hay will not give horsi'S the lieaves as does rcKl clover. Alsike has no fine fuzz tiiat rattles down through the hay. J. C. Stewart sells alsike seed to farmers, and distributed Mr. Newman's alsike ]iamphlets; and he discovered that the pamphlets helped to 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 131 sell for him a good deal of the seed, besides giv- ing him a little larger percentage of honey. It was generally agreed, that, whei'e farmers do use it. they regard it as the finest hay In the world. Mr. West said that his cattle would paw through the snow to get at it — a thing they would not do for any other clover or veg- etation. Referring to the scattering of seeds by the roadside or upon other waste places. President Elwood thought, as a matter of expediency and abstract right, we should be careful not to scat- ter upon the lands of others. We have a per- fect right to do it on our own gi'ound. Somebody asked why clover seemed to yield honey at some times and not at others. Mr. W. L. Coggshall said that, if the atmosphei-e is right, we get honey: but if not, we do not. that's all. EvcniiKj Scssidii, First Day. The matter of the use and abuse of founda- tion was brought up. Some argued that we were using too much, and that only starters, even in the brood-frames, were more profitable. There were not wanting others who insisted' that they wanted full sheets every time. Mr. Ashmead thought that a good deal depends on how we work the bees, and the time of year in which the foundation was built out. WIinXG FOUXDATIOX. As is usually the case, a good many wired their combs and they could not get along with- out it; and a good many did not wire, and could not see the need of it. The latter, as a general rule, seemed to be those who do not move their bees very much. W. E. Clark w iied his frames horizontally. I asked him how it could be done, and not have the combs wavy. W. L. Coggshall replied by saying, "Don't stretch the wires too tight." Our genial friend Mr. J. VanDeusen, of vSprout Brook. N. Y.. who turns out that beau- tiful flat-bottomed foundation, was present, and he was called upon. He did not see the need of wiring .f;v((/if.s' at all: but he would use the light-weight brood foundation wired — that is. wii-ed in the foundation. This prevents all sagging, and his customers, as a general rul(\ seem to be pleased. I noticed that a good many nodded assent, and I was surpri-sed that theie were so many large bee-keepeis who use the flat-bottomed article. They like it, and prefer it to the natural base. The discussion finally tnrned as to how to fasten foundation into sections. Almost every bee-keeper had a little different method, and /lis method, of course, was the best. After re- solving it down. I found that the methods of all could be classed under two heads — those who use the melted-wax plan, and those ^^■ho use a machine whereby tlie edge of the founda- tion is pressed into the wood. W. E. Clark, of smoker fame, had bought one of Bro. Roofs (Jray machines. He liked it very much. He subsequently purchased one of his improved Clark machines, and that was very much bet- ter yet. This machine was simply perfect, and with it he could put in foundation as fast as he could count. Mr. Thomas Pierce. N. D. West, and quite a number of others, used the melted-wax plan, and they could do it very rapidly. They did not see the need of any machine to do it witli. They just dipped the edge of the foundation into some melted wax. and then quickly set it right down in the section. Mr. Chai'Ies Stew- art had used both the improved Clark ma- chine and the melted-wax plan. He had got well used to both ways, but preferred the melted-wax method. He could do it a good deal faster and a good deal better. George H. Ashmead and several others nodded assent. Some one asked whether the three-cornered starter was as good as full sheets. W. E. Clark answered that ■■ climbers," as they are called, are not as apt to be built clear out to the edges of the sections as full sheets of foundation. There seenud to be a general agreement on this point. Morninij Session, Jan. 24. •• Shallow versus deep brood-chambers: nar- row spacing and fixed distances." was the topic of a paper by ^Ir. Noah D. West. " Narrow spacing." he said. '• is something less than \y, inch. We want that spacing that will give us the most brood." His expei'ience was in favor of 1?8'. As to bee-space, j^ has the preference: but he admitted that he had burr-combs, and had to use honey-boards. "DO AVE AVANT FIXED DISTANCES?" "Yes, sii'," said he; and he gave me a sly twinkle as he peered over the edge of his paper. Twenty years ago he began using the Quin by- frame hive. He now uses ordinary hanging frames spaced with wire nails driven into the sides: and on some accounts he liked them very much, but they wei'e unhandy for extracting. He exhibited a modification of the Hoffman frame wnich he preferred. This had straight tob-bars, and the end-bars were enlarged to- ward the top. As to deep frames, the bees did not breed up soon enough in the spring. He referred to the fact that he was obliged to use a honey-board on account of burr-combs: but he would like to dispense with it, as he ob- served that be(is did not enter the sections as readily as when they were out. Seveial intimated, at the close of this paper, that the )eab.on he had burr-combs was be- cause his bee-space was too large. Mr. Sco- tield said, "Use a top-bar one inch wide, with a bee-space above -j*,; inch, and you will have no burr-combs." Sevej-al others put in that they wanted -i*; sffnif. As to tlie matter of deep or shallow frames, a considerable number seemed to prefer the Quinby depth, although there were not want- ing those who thought they could do just as well with the L. frame, one of them being prominently Mr. Scotield. Mi-. Elwood had been around considerably in the spring of the year. His observation was. that bees were do- ing their best on the deep frame. They would winter just as well on the L.. but they would not breed up (jnite as well as they would on the Quinby depth. Mr. Coggshall said the reason was. deej) frames have more honey in them: and this honey is directly over the bees, not oft" at one end. Ttie moie honey over the bees the better they will breed. Mr. Ashmead thought the bees bred equally well in deep and shallow frames, but he prefer- ]-ed the L.. for the bees go into sections earlier: and I noticed that several nodded assent to this. As to fixed frames, there did not seem to be very much disagreement on this point. Most of the bee-keepers present seenunl to prefer them. Mr. W. L. Coggshall. an exti'acted-hon- ey man. and one of the largest bee-keepers in the State, however, does not use them and does not want them, neither does Mr. Thos. Pierce. Quite a number testified in favor of the Hoff- man fiame. and there were not wanting those who prefeired the (Quinby. But there was one man in the convention. Mi'. A. E. Woodward, of Grooms Corners. N. Y.. who had used ;.'(X)0 Hoffman frames, and had now discarded them all for the plain loose hanging T^. frame. Quite a number looked over toward me with a comi- cal twinkle in their eyes, as much as to say. "There, young man, how does that strike 132 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Feb. 1.5. you ?" I asked our friend why ho discarded them. One reason was, tlie bees would propo- lize in between the uprights. Another reason, the brood did not seem to be built out along where the end-bars began to enlarge toward the top. I then called upon several of the closed-end-lVame people, and asked them if they had had any trouble about brood being built out the length of the end-bars. They had experienced no such trouble. Another reason why our friend had discarded them was be- cause he could not alternate the frames. Again I called for the testimony of the closed-end and Hoffmen men. Neither had they experienced this trouble. But for all this, 1 am very glad to give this testimony right here, because it shows that not every one will be pleased with the Hoffman frame; and I hope that some of the enthusiastic admirers of them — those who have not yet tried them — will be a little slow in giving them too extensive a trial. I would say right here, by way of parenthesis that I do not want any of our friends to think I do not welcome adverse testimony to some of my "'pet ideas,"" as some might call them. I am exceedingly anxious that both sides shall come ou t. Somehow or other this matter of cellar ver- sus outdoor wintering came up. Mr. Ashmead said, that, with an apiary of 100 colonies, he could save, by wintering in the cellar, from .500 to 700 lbs. of stores. I told Mr. Ashmead, that. If he lived in a locality where the winters are rather more open, he would not notice this dif- ference in results. In cold localities there is quite a saving in wintering in the cellar. In warmer localities, say in about the latitude of our own, the difference is not very great: al- though I have noticed that there is a slightly less consumption, even in Medina, of stores per colony, in the cellar. A paper from Dr. Tinker was read, on the subject, " ARE WE READY TO ADOPT A STANDAltD FOR THE AMERIC'AX ITALIAN BEE ? IF SO, WHAT ARE THE DE.SIRABLE C'HARACTEI!- isTirs ?" Taking it all in all, the matter was well con- sidered. The doctor alluded to the fact that, up to the present time, the three yellow bauds seemed to be the only standard of purity for Italians. But Cyprians and albinos have come in; and for their crosses we need a little differ- ent standard. But little has been said of the color of the hair. The doctor thought the best strains have white hair. The white hair shows black blood with the bad weeded out. The yellow hair shows that the pure Italian blood has the pi'edominance. He called attention to the fact that, in making exhibits of choice bees, the judges have no standard from which to make their awards of premiums, and he rec- ommended that the association adopt some standard. W. E. Clark is one of those dry jokers in con- ventions, and generally makes a pretty good point. He thought it might be all well enough to make a standard for show: but what he wanted was bees i'ov business. He had a cat at home that he would not ti-ade for any ten other cats he ever saw. She is a splendid mouser, and kept the premises clear of the rodents; but a very homely cat was she, and neither had she any distinctive markings or tine pencilings. He also had an old speckled hen that he would not trade foi- any othei- hen he ever saw. Sh(^ was a cross between several other strains; but she would beat any well-marked pure-blood in egg-laying that he ever had. He also had some bees that were splendid workers, but they were not very fancy in color. " This standard business," said he. "is just for exhibition. These standard hens and standard cats and standard bees, with just so many shades or markings, do not amount to very much for bus- iness.'" Mr. Knickerbocker agreed, and further said he had carefully tested these golden-yellow bees. The honey that they gathered "had a water-soaked aiii)ea ranee, and he thought they were not as good workers as his leather-colored strains. He emphasized the point that he preferred bees for business. Mr. Elwood and Mr. Hershiser. however, in- sisted that it was necessary to adopt a standard for cxhibitinit purposes, and that Dr. Tinker's point was well taken. Mr. Elwood said that, if he ordered an Italian bee, and got a hybrid, he would be disappointed. He wanted to get just what he ordered, as to markings, no mat- ter whether the hybrid would be a good deal better bee for business than the regulation three-banded Italians or not. Our judges at honey shows he thought should have some standard whereby they can mark the bees. As it is, there is a good deal of complaint in regard to the way bees are awarded premiums by the judges. Afternoon. Second Day. We first listened to a paper by President El- wood. It discussed the poor season, and its causes. A full crop of honey, as a general thing, means a good crop of grain. The fertil- ization of blossoms by bees is certainly necessa- ry. As to out-apiaries, we should be a little cautious about advising everybody to start them. If a small business does not yjay, then a larger one will not. There are some who have a capacity for running a series of apiaries, and there are others who have a capacity for run- ning only one small apiary, and sometimes poorly at that. He lamented the fact of raw sugar having been placed on the free list, and a bounty of two cents a pound being paid on all produced at home. He was not certain just what effect this would have on the honey- trade, but he thought it would work injury. Bakers and confectioners had been using cheap honey, but now they would be likely to use sugar. He thought there was a need of bee- keepers adopting some sort of trade-mark, and that the Honey-producers" Exchange should by all means be continued. The Honey vStatistics in Geeaxings had been sent out free, and had rather conflicted with the operations of the Honey-producei's" Exchange, whose bulletins were sent out to mc^mbers only. As to the Co- lumbian Fair, the bee-keepers of New York should make some arrangement to make an ex- hibit; but if the manag(;rs were to open it on Sunday he recommended that the bee-keepers of York State let it severely alone. I was pleas- ed to notice the general assent to this point, shown in the faces of those present. The dis- cussion of the paper was not brought up at that time, but it was considered later in the form of committees. Evening Session, Second Day. The evening session was given over to the commission men. and two papers were I'ead. Both were so valuable and so vital that I am glad to give them entire — not that the other papers in the convention were less valuable, but because the commission men have had but comparatively little to say to the honey-pro- ducers. The tirst paper, by F. B. Thurber him- self, was read by a representative of the great firm of Thurber, Whyland & Co., of New York. It is as follows: THE IXFI.VEXCE OF FREE SUGAR ON THE fON- SUMI'TION OF HONEY. After April 1st next, the present duties on 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 133 foreign sugar, whicli average 2^4 cents pei- pound, will no longer be imposed, and a bounty of 2 cents per pound will be given to domestic producers of sugar, which includes the cane sugar of Louisiana, the sorghum and beet sugar of the Western States, and the maple sugar of the East. This will undoubtedly stimulate production in these lines, increase the supply of sugar, and largely decrease the price, although, with low prices, consumption will be larger, and there will be doubtless more or less fluctua- tions in price, due to this cause. Just how much lower sugars will be on the ■ 1st of April than they are at the present time. it is impossible to say: but probably not less than I'o cents a pound, or. say. about 4n cents a pound for granulated sugar at wholesale. What influence the cheapness of other sweets will have upon the consumption of honey, is a difficult thing to estimate. Honey is an article distinctive in character, appearance, and flavor. People who are accustomed lousing honey want honey and will have it, unless prices should be held at exorbitant figures: but as cheap sugar will undoubtedly stimulate the production and consumption of attractive fruit-preserves in this country, just as it has in England, and the manufacturers of these preserves will undoubt- edly continue to advertise and push them, it will have some influence on the consumption of honey. I would advise a continuance of the same in- telligent study of the business that bee-keepers have given it in the past. I know of no line of business that has received more careful or stu- dious attention than your business has during the past few years. Every suggestion made by distributors of your product, tending to make it more attractive and convenient for consum- ers, has been met. and the little busy bee has been educated to work in a form calculated to extend the consumption of his product. I have always felt much interest in ajiicul- ture: and the" Thurber - Whyland Company, of which I am president, will be glad to do all in its powei- to forward your interests. With regards and best wishes. 1 remain Faithfullv vours. New York, Jan. 'iO. 1891. ' F. B. THritBEK. The second one was read by Mr. Segelkin himself, and is as follows: SHIPPING AND GRADING HONEY. Mr. President (ind Gentlemen: — I welcome this opportunity with great pleasure, and will describe, as definitely as possible, wliat our market deuutnds. It is certainly to the interest of the producer to put his product on the mar- ket in the most attractive and salable style: and we. as the sellers and distributors, are nat- urally in a position to know exactly the wants of our market. Receiving comb honey in large quantities from all the honey-producing cen- ters throughout the country', we get it in all styles and shapes, and. in many instances, we find there is room for vast improvement and changes. In these days of sharp competition in nearly all the branches of industry, it has been found necessary to put the goods on the market in very attractive style. Tiiis is mainly the case with all kinds of food products, such as canned goods, preserves, etc.. all of which are handsomely labeled: and those which are put up neatest will find the quickest sale. The consuTni'r will always buy that which looks the most appetizing. As these facts can not be denied on staple goods, it is all the more neces- sary to use the utmost care in putting up comb honey in the most attractive style, because this is regarded as a luxury— if not altogether, cer- tainly to a very large extent. We give due credit to a large number of our shippers who are up to the times, and who put their honey up in first-class style. Their goods always find ready sale at the highest market prices. If they do not sell their product out- right, they are sure of receiving returns within a short time, and need not fear having their honey carried for months or carried over the entire season. We very often receive comb hon- ey which is put u]) in bulky, awkward crates, not even glass on the side of the crates, the combs built without separators, so that it is al- most impossible to take the combs from the crate without injuring them. Such goods do not com- pare favorably with first-class ones. They find but slow sale, and prices have to be shaded con- siderably to move it off. Still, these shippers gen- erally expect highest prices, and are very often dissatisfied and disappointed with the returns, when the fault lies with themselves only. SINGI,E-TIEK CRATES KECOMMENDED: MARKING WEIGHTS. For one-pound sections we recommend a sin- gle-tier crate holding 24 or 25 sections. While we are not opposed to the doubh^-tier crate, we believe the single-tier is the more desirable— at any rate, for unglassed honey. If some of the combs in the upper tier start to leak, they will drip over the combs in the bottom tier and soil the whole crate. We often receive comb honey which is not weighed at all. Others have only the gross weight marked on the crate. Again, others have gross and tare, but not the net weight; and. again, some is marked in such small and faint figures that the marks are scarcely legible. We received one lot this season in paper boxes, which we supposed was not weighed, as it did not bear any marks, nor could we find any marks as to the grade of the honey. To determine which was first and second grade white and buck- wheat we started to open up the crates. Un- der the cover we found a slip of paper, stating the quality and weight. What the shipper's reason was for putting the marks under the cover, we are unable to say. No doubt he thought it the right way to do. Very often the shi])pers will figure the weight down to ounces, and mark the crate, for in- stance. '-Gross. 28:06: tare, 4:04: net. 24:02. '" These two ounces we have to throw off every time: in fact, in some cases we are compelled to throw off quarters in order to effect a sale. All this can be and should be avoided by the shii)per by simply changing some of the combs, until the ci'ate will weigh an even pound or half-pound: and by doing so he will receive pay for every ounce of honey. We would rec- ommend putting o)ily the net weight in plain figures on the end of the crate. For glassed or unglassed honey we advise the use of heavy paper in the bottom of tlie crates, turned up about half an inch on the four sides. If some combs should be broken down, this will prevent the honey from leaking through the crate. In addition to this it would be advisable to lay strips of wood about '4 inch thick on the paper, from side to side, for the combs to rest on. This will prevent the honey which has leaked down from broken comos from soiling the good combs. Of course, it is not necessary to go to this trouble when the honey is shipped in paper boxes. PAPER BOXES FOR COMB HONEY: FOLDING .STYLE NOT RECOMMENDED. For a paper box we recommend those now used by nearly all the largest producers, who use a paper box called, we believe, the original Scofield box. of which you will find samples on exhibition. It is made of heavy pasteboard, and is strong enough to prevent breakage unless 134 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Feb. lr>. the honey is handled unusually rough. This box is the best e\er adopted, and has the pref- erence in our market. We receive honey in many other styles of paper boxes, but none of them take as well. Take the folding box, for instance, which is also largely used, and made of light ])aper inst(>ad of pasteboard. These boxes are not strong enough, and the majority of them will tear by trying to take the combs out of them. You can convince yourselves by samples on exhibition. Where honey is put up in paper boxes we would advise using a single-tier crate holding 24 sections 5 by .■). The middle section on each side of the crate should be glassed, tt) slu)W the ASSED AND UNGLAS.SED GOODS. Next comes the kind of section to be used. For unglassed oi' papi'r boxes, it does not mat- ter which one is used — nailed, dovetailed, or one-piece section. Foi' glassed honey we should say the nailed or dovetailed section is the most desii'able, as the one-piece section does not seem to be strong enough to be glassed. Some pro- ducers will fasten the glass to the section with small tin tags: othei's witli snutll wire nails: and, again, others will glue them. Any one of the methods will answer the purpose, if proper- ly done. If glued, a glue should be used which will stick and hold the glass to the section. We sometimes receive shipments of glassed honey glued: and, as soon as touched, the glass will fall from the combs, and very often hurt the sale of the honey. PKOPEI! AVEKJHT OF SECTIONS. Another item of great importance is. to have th(! sections weigh not over one pound each, but less if possible. Our market demands light weights at all time.s, be the honey glassed, un- glassed. or in paper boxes. The two latter gen- ei'ally weigh a little less than a pound, while glassed sections, in many cases, will weigh over a pound, especially if the standard section is used. 4^4 x4i4Xl9:(. We would advise i)roducers to cut down the section in width and adopt a nariower one, say 4i4x4!4Xl,io or even U4 : so, when glassed, the section will not weigh over 14 to 16 ounces. Heavy sections are generally rejected, and we find it slow work in moving them off. GRADING HONEY. We would call your special attention to the grading of the honey, which is as important a question as any of the former, and in which not too much care can be taken. Very often we re- ceive honey which is not properly graded, and off grades mixed in with the first grade, and marked. "Not white honey." The outside combs will appear all right: but inside of the crate will be the poorei- grade. We can not take the trouble to open and ex- amine every crate and comb. l:>ut have to rely on the shipper, and go by the mai'k and the appearance of the crate. We sell and ship the honey: and the first thing we know, the party who bought it will complain about the quality, and hold the honey subject to our order. Here we have the alternative, either to have the honey shipped back to us or make an allowance satisfactory to the buyer. This is certainly not very pleasant. It hurts our reputation, and we are apt to lose that customer. Not only this, but the shipper is also dissatisfied, as generally he expects the highest market prices, and often will not admit that the honey was not properly graded, while no one but himself is to blame. All this can be avoided if the honey is properly graded. TWO GRADES OF WHITE HONEY' are sufficient for our market. For a fancy white, selec* only what is fancy white. For a second grade, or fair white, take combs that are stained, or a trifle off in color, and combs scantily tilled aiound the edges. Any combs mixed with dark or buckwheat honey should not be put in with the second-grade white. Such honey can not be sold for wliite, and will not sell for more than buckwheat; in fact, a straight buckwheat finds readier sale than mix- ed honey. It should be crated by itself, and marked accoi'dingly. TWO-POUND SECTIONS. Our market demands a limited quantity of 3- Ib. sections. About 10 per cent of the hoiiey we receive is in 3-1 b. sections, which is sufficient to .supply the demand. These should be glassed altogethei'. and put in single-tier crates holding from 13 to 1.5 combs. KEGS AND BARRELS IN.STEAD OF SQUARE TIN CANS. For extracted honey, basswood, white clover, or buckwheat, we prefer a keg of about 1.50 lbs.: half-barrels of about .300 lbs., or even bari'els of .500 lbs., whichever can be obtained cheape.st. We would not advise the use of (iO-lb. sqiuire tins as used exclusively in Califoi-nia. Our trade is accustomed to tlie wooden jjackages for all kinds of northern, eastern, western, and southern honey, and we see no necessity for a change. The cans are more expensive than kegs or half-barrels; the honey in cans will not sell for any higher price, consequently nothing can be gained. COMB HONEY AI-WAYS BY FREIGHT, AND WHY. I should like to make a few remarks yet re- garding the shipping of honey. Comb honey 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 135 should be shipped by freight altogether. Some of the bee-keepers seem still to think that comb honey must be sent by express only, believing it to carry safer. This is entirely wi-ong. Honey is carried just as safely, if not more so. by freight— at least this has been our experience. Owing to the short crop last season we received a large number of small shipments by freight, ranging from 10 to .50 crates each, and we had bat two or three lots which arrived broken down more or less. In one of these cases the shipper wrote us afterward that the honey had already leaked when he took it to the depot. "We reship it in lots of all sizes, often in single crates, and very seldom have a complaint. So far as the responsibility is concerned, all of them — the railroad, steamboat, and express companies— will take comb honey only at own- er's risk, and will i^ot listen to any claim if the honey has been broken down while in ti'ansit. Why", then, pay the expivss companies three times the rate of freight lines? We would ad- vise bee-keepers to load the honey in the car themselves, properly protected. If this is done they may feel s;ure that the honey will ai-rive at destination in good order, under ordinary cir- cumstances. Anothei' point we should like to call your at- tention to: namely, comb honey should be ship- ped in the original crate only. We received one lot of honey from CeiUi'al New York this season, where the shipper had gone to work and crated six or eight original crates into one Utnjc crate. This certainly was too heavy a packag(> to be handled with care. and. no doub*. received rather rough handling. What was the result? We received the honey all broken down, and the shipper was out from 4 to fi cents a pound — a sad lesson indeed. BEST TIME TO GET GOOD PKICES. Last, but not least, when is the I'ight time to ship comb honey to market? We have always advised early shipping — during September and the first ]jart of October. Our experience teaches us that the early shippers obtain best prices, and get quickest returns, be the crop large or short. In all our experience we have never known the market to advance during November and December: but it usually de- clines as the season passes. One woid for ourselves. We have now been in the honey business six years, and flatter our- selves that" we have the" confidence and good will of nearly all bee-keepers througliout the country who have intrusted goods to our caie. We always endeavor to obtain as good prices for consigned goods as if they wei'e our own. and make prompt ivturns, and I think there are many here who will bear me out in the asser- tion." We wish to tender our thanks to our pa- trons (many of whom I recognize on this floor) for past favors, and respectfully solicit a con- tinuance of your patronage in the future. Henry SsciELKEX. for Hildreth Bros. i<: Segelken. New York. .Ian.. 1891. A lively discussion followed the reading of these papers, in which both honey-producers and commission men joined. For my own part I was greatly surprised that there was such a demand in the New York markets for glassed sections of honey; and after the discussion Mr. Elwood arose and said we should be very care- ful about going to extremes. It would not be best for us, as bee-keepers, to glass all oiu- hon- ey next season. It would make a glut in the market. The wisest thing was to glass a cer- tain amount of it. put a certain amount in pa- per cartons, and a certain amount in 3-lb. sec- tions. What we bee-keepers need to avoid is a glut in the market in any one style of package. As an example, several bee-keepers had. at the advice of Mr. Wright, put their buckwheat honey into %-\h. sections— these sections being considei'ablv taller than wide. The result was, they glutted the market with that kind of sec- tion": and at this, several bee-keepers nodded assent. A couple of years ago the New York market demanded unglassed sections, and all bee-keepers produced and sent to market that kind. The I'esult was. that the glassed brought a higher price. And. furthermore. Mi-. Elwood said that the Western market would not use glassed sections, while the New York market would. A great deal of oui- honey goes west, and we must be careful to put it up in such shape that a part of it will be salable anywhere. As \o the effect of low pi'ices in sugar. Mr. Segelkin. like Mr. Thurber. did not anticipate that it was going to affect the honey-trade seriously. Forenoon, Third Day. REE -ESCAPE.S— THEIR ^^SE AND BENEFITS. An essav that should have been sent in on this subject did not appear: but George H. Ashiuead said that his bees were near the high- wav— too near, indeed, to be pleasant to the passers-bv. But latelv. by the use of bee-es- capes, he could take off every pound of honey without anv disturbance whatever. He uses them for both comb and exti'acted honey. I was not present at all of the morning ses- sion, and hence mv note-book has not much re- garding it. The afternoon session was brief, and simplv took up matters of business. Although there had been heavy rams, I counted at lea*t a hundi'ed in attendance at one of the sessions. For practical discussion on important themes. I do not know that I ever at- tended a better convention. Outside of Cali- fornia, the State of New York. I heUeve. has the largest and most extensive bee-keepers in the United States if not in the world: audi tell vou it is a great pleasure to take the hand of those who count their colonies by the hun- dreds, and, I might almost say, by the thou- sands. . , -. I told the members of the convention that 1 had a warm spot in mv heart for all York State bee-keepers. And now that I have returned home, that spot is a good deal warmer yet. I shall not soon forget mv pleasant memories on the bicvcle tour, and the renewal of acquain- tances "at that convention.- I am doubly glad now that the- North American is to be held in Albanv. and that its jiresiding officer is to be P. H. Elwood. I anticipate that its next meet- ing is going to be one of the grandest bee-con- ventions ever held in the United States. The last meeting of the North American was an ex- cellent one: and. unless I am very much de- ceived bv indications, the one yet to take place in Albany will eclipse them all. SOCIAL CUSTOMS, ETC., IN SINGAPORE. ANOTHER GLIMPSE FROM BRO. MUNSON. OF CHRIST'S CAUSE IN HEATHEN EAXBS. Dear Mr. i?oof.— Many days and months have passed since mv last letter. I have long waited for time, but time hasn't waited for me; so if I don't "take time by the fetlock'' (since I've not taken him by the forelock) I fear that 18W will die by without a single letter written to you. This has been a very busy and important year to this mission; and. having all its inter- ests to attend to, I have had to let many a let- ter go unanswered, many an interesting book ]3(j GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Feb. 15. unread, and many a pleasant acquaintance un- cultivated, for the King's business requires haste. In my last, about the Indian money-lenders, I used an unfortunate expression when I said the Chitty was "' soulless, ov as near it as he could well be." The meaning I intended to convey was, " merciless, pitiless." He has ini- doubtedly a soul for which Chj'ist died, that is capable of being transformed into the likeness and image of Jesus Christ. In the picture I send you this time you behold one of the institutions of the East, and just in front of it a sample of one of the institutions of this world — the former a jinricksha, the latter an almond-eyed inhabitant of the land of Si- nlm, or In, common parlance, a " heathen Chi- a considerable revenue to tlie government. The chief means of public conveyance here is the hackney carriage and the jinricksha. It costs but Hve cents to go a mile in one of the latter, and you can ride to your own doorstep at that. They are much more comfortable than the hackney carriages, and four times cheaper. In Hong Kong and other towns in China, they are beautifully finished, and are used by- gentlemen of every rank. Here they are pat- ronized chiefly by the native community and Europeans. Every vehicle is licensed. A 'ricksha pays one dollar a year, and a hackney carriage one dollar and a half. The municipality registers- both the carriage and the driver. You will see a number on the side of the 'ricksha in the THE .IINIUCKSIIA, THE COOLY, AND THE MALAY. nee." This man is one of the " cooly " class, or a common laborer. Let me first tell you what I know about tlie jinricksha. One of the early American residents on the China coast lived in a city (Hong Kong it may have been) where there were no wheeled vehi- cles of any kind, and no horses or ponies. The only means of locomotion was by foot or in se- dan chairs. This Yankee verified the old adage, that necessity is the mother of invention. To carry a sedaii -chair, two chairmen were neces- sary"; but when a very light little carriage like the one in the plctui'e had been constructed he found that one man was able to make better speed, with greater comfort and greater econo- my to the travelei', than two in the old way. The result has been tens of thousands of these tiny road-carts in all the towns from Singapore to Pekin and Tokio: a lucrative employment for thousands of wheelrights and laborers, and picture, and one on the arm of the Chinaman. The man in the 'ricksha is a Malay from the island of Java. His head gear consists of a piece of cloth made expressly for the purpose, and twisted about the head, often leaving the crown entirely exposed. Tlie most singular part of his dress is the garment that supplies the place of pantaloons. It is called sa-rong. and is a piece of figured cotton a yard or more wide, sewed togeher at the ends. This encircles the waist, and, after being folded over, is held in place by means of a belt of some sort. Most Malays wear under this a pair of short close- fitting drawers. They go bai'efooted, as all the Chinese coolies do, unless they have a small in- come, when they sport sandals or European shoes. By far the most promising race are the Chi- nese. They are sometimes one thing and some- times another in religion, but always ancestral 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 137 worshipers. This is about the only thing you can be quite sure of. The wealthy Chinese have very fine houses, and there are few poor ones that do not live in good ones. They man- age to live very well on a little, because so many live together in a single house. As a race they are vei-y energetic and thrifty. It is plain to be seen that they will ere long crowd out the lazier and less hardy races. Thi' Malays and Indians stand no chance, for they can not and do not even try to compete with the Chinese. Ninety- nine hundreths of the government revenue comes from them. They have been well called the Anglo - Saxons of the East. Sir (Garnet Wolseley has expressed the opinion recently, in an impoitant article, that, in the future, thei'e will be but thi'ee great powers in the world — England. Russia, and China. The Chinese un- doubt<'dly possess the elements that go to make up a great nation: and, when refined and ex- alted by Christianity, or. rather, by Christ, there will hardly be a limit to their possibilities of greatness. But I must tell you about our mission to the Chinese. About "two years ago Dr. West, from Ci'awfordsviile, Ind.. latterly from Iowa, open- ed a medical mission in the Chinese quarter, and immediately began to treat the sick bodies and sicker souls of the poorer Chinese, the coolies particularly. Almost the first man who came was an opium smoker who wanted med- icine to cure his opium habit. The doctor pointed him to the Great Phj'sician as his only hope. He looked, as did the bitten Israelites upon the brazen serpent, and lived. He gave up opium, found Christ, and is to-day walking in the light of tlie gospel. Not many weeks ago I baptized several Chi- namen, and organized our first Chinese church. It numbers eight, and ten baptized who will, in a few months, be received into full member- ship. In our Anglo-Chinese school we have not a few true disciples of Jesus. Some of our brightest and most promising boys are firm be- lievers, and. so far as we can judge, truly con- verted to God. Thei'e is great joy in this work. It must make the angels' harp-strings ring again as they behold the sight. Native lands and all earthly ties are nothing if they would keep a true missionaiy from thi.s grand service for our God. A year ago Dr. West went to China to study the language. So many dialects of Chinese are spoken here along with the Malay. Tamil, and English, that a man must go to the district in China where a particular dialect is spoken in oi'der to learn it in its pui-ity. When the doctor returns in March, and gets well settled down to his work, we expect great things. There are 100.000 Chinamen here, and surely the Lord has some hundreds of people among them wlio will be gathered out very soon, we hope, and unit- ed into Christian churches. Prav for us. R. W. MuNsox. Singapore, S. S.. Malaysia, Nov. 30, 1890. [Friend M.. you can not tell how interesting the picture you send us is to me. But I must confess that, were it not for the places occupied. I do not think I should be able to tell by the dress which is the I'ich man and which is the poor one. When you spoke about cariying passengers for five cents a mile, it occui-red to me that we might possibly bring the jinrick- shas into our own countiy.thus furnishing em- ployment for some of those who beg so hard for something to do. But I am afraid that our American people would make a protest. It is true, we have poor men, and we have million- aires; but for all that, it would be hai'd to find men in America who would submit to the posi- tion of the coolies. A man might peddle milk, possibly, with a cart, and not mind it; but he would not draw his rich neighbor: neither would the rich neighbor submit to be drawn by his poorer neighbor, and I thank God for it. I am looking for and praying for the time when there shall be still more neighborly feelings be- tween the rich and the ooor: and I am praying with a pretty bright faith too. The answer is to come just where you are looking for answers to your troubles, dear brother— through Christ Jesus. 1 WOULD THE TRUTH INJUEE THE FOUNDA- TION TRADE! FKIEXD HASTY EXI'LAIXS HIS I'OSITIOX. I see that, on page 94, friend Rice desires that I should explain. The state of the case is. that I have no quarrel with foundation in the hands of those who use it and know why. My com- bat is with the musty old untruth, that a pound of wax costs the bees twenty pounds of honey to make it. This misstatement makes a multi- tude of beginners in our art think they must use foundation, whether they can see any profit in its use or not. Many of these beginners are in localities where apiculture can not be pur- sued with profit, except in the most economical ways. Foundation costs money, and very fair brood-combs can be secured with only the ex- pense of a little time and cai'e. Moreover, in many lean locations, my own included, it is plain that full sheets of foundation in the sec- tions very seldom pay for themselves. Where the bee-keeper can see plainly that they do pay for themselves, let him use them; but let there be no assuming that it must />e -so, on account of a big story about wax secretion. Let there be no hiding of our faces from the facts. I re- joice to see that Langstroth's work, as at pres- ent edited, comes down "several cats" from the old wild statement. In the last edition, bees are credited with being able to make a pound of wax from seven pounds of honey. I am pretty well convinced that there is room to come down considerably more; but I can be thankful for the concessions we already have. Both brood-combs and super combs foi- extract- ing, in the hands of careful keepers, are per- manent fixtures, or nearly so: and thus the trade demand for heavy foundation is quite largely to supply the \\ants of beginners. As for those careless folks who let their combs be eaten up. and then buy sheets of foundation to rei>lace them, I guess they are always beginners — beginners who seldom know whether the ma- terial they buy pays for itself or not. I did not mean that a liee-keeper in a good location in Southwestern Wisconsin would necessaj'ily use less foundation if he knew the facts. I meant that the total amount used, the country over, would be much less if the stimulant to its use, which an absurd statement furnishes, were withdrawn. You see. I am very fiee to retract what I didn't say: but as to this last assertion, I think I shall be hit by a good many stale cab- bages and tui-ni]js first before I take it back. Richards, O., Feb. 3. E. E. Hasty. [It now becomes our duty to make a little apology. Over a month ago. friend Hasty sent us the short tem which ajjpears below: but instead of going into the journal promptly, it got laid away somewhere and was not used.] FRIEXD HASTY MAKES THE " AMENDE HOXOKABLE." Friend Root: — It seems to be a proper time for me to eat a little "humble pie." I do not 138 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Feb. 15. think tliat Gleanings (or either of the other leading journals) would suppress evidence on the honey-wax question, or wantonly falsify to bolster the foundation trade. If my ai'ticle which is complained of amounted to such a charge, I retract it to that extent. I think, however, that a public joiiinal can do more mischief by keeping silence and letting a prof- itable error have full swing, when it has gained that advantage once, than it can by t he grosser forms of ill doing. Kut, hold on! if I keep on saying what I think, this will be another ket- tle of hasty-pudding, and not a humble pie at all. E. E. Hasty. Richards, O., Jan. .5. All right, fi'iend H. There will not be any trouble with the " pudding " so long as you talk or write in the above spirit. And, by the way, the best remedy I have (>ver known foi' unchar- itableness is a good bee-keepers' convention. Those who were present at the recent Detroit convention will, I am sure, bear me out in this; for each and every one felt as if we were under bonds not to judge hastily nor uncharitably of any absent brethren, especially if such have been unfortunate. 0a^ QaE33Fi0N-B6^, With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees. Question 178. Is it a good plan to fasten bees in their hives by mea^is of wire cloth, while in the cellar f No. Illinois. N. C. I think not. California. S. J. A. Green. R. Wilkin. I don't think it a safe jjlan. Ohio. N. W. IL R. Uoaiidman. No. It is worse than useless. Ohio. N. W. A. B. Mason. No, sii'. It is done at great risk. New Yoik. C. P. H. Elwood. No, and there is no need of it in a dark cellar. Vermont. N. W. A. E. Manum. No, never, according to the opinion of I)oo- llttle. New York. C. G. M. Doolittle. It is not necessary unless you have too much light in your cellar. P. L. Viallon. Ivouisiana. E. C. No. The old must die. and it is their nature to leave the hive when the end draws near. Illinois. N. W. C. Mus. L. Harkison. No, not if they find it out. If you can fasten them in, and not let them find it out, it may work all right. Wisconsin. 8. W. S. I. Freeborn. It is not, unless the fastcming is in the shape of a cage of, say, two quarts' capacity. Close coiitinemeut with wire cloth causes uneasiness. New York. E. Rambler. I do not know. Under some conditions I think it might be, although I never practiced it. Michigan. S. W. Jamp:s Heddon. Now, that's one of the things I think I know. It's not a good plan. I'd a good deal rather have them on the cellar bottom than on the bottom -board. Illinois. N. C. C. Miller. I should say no. When bees find that they are prisoners they want to get out, and will' worry and work to do so. Bees should be quiet, to do well. Wisconsin. S. W. E. France. I do not like to do this. If the cellar gets a little warmed up. the bees become active; and if shut in they will be much injured if not de- stroyed. Michigan. C. A. J. Cook. No, emphatically. Keep them in the dark: but if any bees become so restless that they will not stay in the hive it would only cause them ta disturb the others if they were shut in. Illinois. N. W. ' Dadant & Son. Bees should never be fastened in their hives by wire cloth or other means, excepting on a journey. The knowledge of their captivity creates a great alarm among bees, and is a dan- gerous experiment at any time of year. Ohio. S. W. C. F. MuTH. I should say botii yes and no. Sometimes, yes; usually, no. If you choose to cover the whole front of the hive with a big wire-cloth ante-room, in which uneasy bees can come out and promi'uade, I think there would seldom be any ill results. Ohio. N. W. E. E. Hasty. [ I admit, friends, that it looks a little "cheeky" in me to disagree with such a re- spectable body of men when they say " no, no.'' with such emphasis. I think a good many of you, however, say no, because you have got that idea in your heads without having ever tried it very much. In moving bees, or in ship- ping them, we always shut them in a hive by means of a wire cloth, and sometimes they are weeks shut u]) in this way, withotit very much deti'iment: and it is certainly much .worse to confine bees to their hives when they are bun- dled oflf in warm weather than it would be to thus confine them in a cool, quiet cellar. While I would not advise the average beginnc^r to fas- ten his bees in the hives with wire cloth, I want to tell you that I wintered tifly or sixty colonii'S very successfully, and had them all fastened in their hives. The cover was removed, however, and the whole top of the hive covered with wire cloth. They were in a sawdust-packed bee- house. Pai-t of them, instead of having wire cloth over the whole top, had it over the whole bottom. It was low enough down so the dead bees could be a couple of inches below the combs. In some of them there were no dead bees of any account on the wire cloth when they were set out toward the last of March. I do not know of any reason why my experience should have been so much ditferent from that of others, unless it was at a i)eiiod when I kept most of my stocks rather weak in numbers. A nucleus would get along much better when fas- tened in a hive than will a rousing colony. I rather think I hadn't a real good rousing colony in the whole lot.] 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 139 3F8B^CC0 ddhUJAJi. CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH WK GIVE SMOKERS TO PERSONS WHO STOP USING TOBACCO. First, the candidate must be one of those who have given up tobacco in consequence of what he has seen and read In this department. Second, he promises to pay for the smoker should he ever resume the use of tobacco in any form, after receiving the smolier. Third, he must be a subscriber to Gleanings. Any subscriber may, however, have smokers sent to neighbors or personal acquaintances whom he has labored with on the matter of tobacco-using, providing he give us his pledge that, if the one who receives the smoker ever uses to- bacco again, he (the subscriber) will pay for the smoker. The one who receives the smoker in this case need not be a sub- scriber to Gleanings, though we greatly prefer that he be one. because we think he would be strengthened by reading the testimonials from time to time in regard to this matter. The full name and address of every one who makes the promise must be furnished for publication. XEVEK TO USE TOBACCO AGAIX. I have concluded not to use tobacco in any way or form for life: and as you offer a smoker. I should like one: and if I" ever use tobacco again I will pay you the price of the smoker. Mt. Horeb. Wis.. July 30, ISiK). M. T. Lowe. KEPT FKOM IT FOR (J MONTHS TO STAltT WITH. I have quit smoking tobacco for si.\ months. Will you please send me a smoker? If I smoke again I will pay you for the smoker. T. C. Bkown. Burnside, Mich.. Nov. 19. 1890. A BOY OF 1.5 BKKAKS OFF. I have been using tobacco, but have conclud- ed to quit. Please send me a smoker, and if I ever use it again I will pay you for the smoker. I am 15 years old, and have 5 nice stands of bees. Fred Bundy. Birdseye, Ind., Aug. 31, 1890. couldn't BKEAK the FETTERS. Find inclosed 7.5 cents in stamps to pay for the smoker you sent me. I have commenced using tobacco again, and, according to agree- ment, must pay for the smoker you sent me. Eljier E. Sharp. South Greece, N. Y., Sept. 36, 1890. FOR TAVO YEARS A FREE MAN. I have received Gleanings for about two years, and through the influence of the Tobac- co Column I have made up my mind to quit chewing the filthy weed. You can send me a smoker: and if I should break my pledge I will pay for the smoker. N. A. Kre.mer. Canaan, Ind., July 39. A YOUNG CHRISTIAN S CONCLUSION. I am now 31 years old, and have been in the habit of using tobacco some, but am trying to be a Christian. I have concluded to do without it, and that I can put my money to better use, and feel better over it. " Please send me the smoker: and if I should use tobacco any more I will pay you for the smoker. Peter W. Smith. Ephratah, N. Y., Sept., 1890. A WIFE GOES SECURITY' FOR HER HUSBAND. My husband has been an inveterate smoker for many years, but for some time he has re- solved to discontinue its use. These good reso- lutions have as often been broken. The last three months he has been reading the Tobacco Column, and I think his resolutions have been greatly strengthened thereby, as he has not touched the vile weed in that time. Please send me a smoker; and if he should again break over I will pay you for it. Jennie Cherrington. Pine Grove, Ohio, Sept. 9, 1890. STILL " HOLDING THE FORT. ' Through the influence of the Tobacco Col- umn I made up my mind some 18 months ago to quit the use of tobacco. I have used It the greater part of my life. You can please send me a smoker: and if I should ever chew or smoke again I will pay you for the smoker. It has been 18 months since I have used tobacco in any shape. W. S. Fessenden. Mountain Home, Texas, June 39, 18t)0. A DOXniLE pledge. I see that you give a smoker to any one that quits the weed. Please send me one. If I ever commence the use of the weed again I will pay you Sl.OO for the smoker. Will Lane is a friend of mine, and he has quit using tobacco also. I pledge myself to pay for them if we ever com- mence the weed, and will pay you $3.00 for them. John J. Elliot. Holden, Mo., Sept. 18, 1890. "bringing in THE SHEAVES." Friend Root: — I always speak a word in re- gard to tobacco and temperance, and I got a new convert to the cause, friend August Roesler, an energetic man. who has for ever laid aside the filthy weed. If you will send him a smoker I will see that he gets it, and will also watch him close; but he says he will pay for the smoker if he uses the weed again. But no danger; he is settled. Stephen Roese. Maiden Rock, Wis., Sept. .30, 1890. out of BONDAGE FOR 31 MONTHS. I have been a reader of Gleanings for a long time, and have admired your manly, earnest, and liberal efforts to induce people to quit the fllthy use of tobacco. I think it is due your in- fluence, at least in part, that I have been able to leave off the quid. If you see fit to send me a smoker, I shall endeavor to keep it as a testi- mony against the filthy habit. I have not tasted tobacco for 31 months, and hope, by di- vine favor, never to use it again, unless as a doctor prescribes; but should I, in weakness, take to it again, I here agree to pay you full value for the smoker. S. L. Greer. Disco, Tenn., Dec, 1890. %n^ P0ME?- And as Moses lifted up the serpent, even so must the Son ot man be lifted uik that wliosoever be- lieveth ui him should not perish, but have eternal Hfe.— JOHNS: 14, 1.5. Toward the close of the article from Bro. Munson, in another column, he mentions a poor opium smoker who came to the missionary doc- tor for something to cure his opium habit. I wonder whether there are any among the read- ers of Gleanings who have had experience in fighting this terrible thing. Physicians tell us that, when one has once become a slave to opium, the tobacco habit and even whisky habit are as nothing compared to it. A good many of them say that the opium eater or opium smoker can not be cured unless his friends take him in hand and keep him from it by main force. Opium so paralyzes the will power that the victim is, in one sense, powerless. A friend of mine who was given opium by his physician has told me something of the terrible struggle. And, by the way, this physician administered it without the patient or his friends knowing what it was that he gav(>. Is it wise or is it right to take medicine of any sort without knowing what you are doing? Our physicians are bound by the laws of the land to tell hon- 140 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Feb. lii. estly and truthfully to the best of their knowl- edge what it is they are giving their patients: and I for one lielieve that a good many valuable lives would be saved if the number were larger who absolutely refuse to take opiu)n under any circumstances. Do as a neighbor of mine did wlien the doctor told him he would die if he did not take whisky. "All right," said lie; "then I will die: but I am going to die a sober man." Did lie die? Not a bit of it.- A man who has grit enough to tell his physician, "All right, then I will die." generally gets well. And I think instances are quite plentiful in most neighborhoods where peoijle die because of the medicines and not because of the disease. Our most intelligent and soundest-thinking people are coming strongly to this conclusion. Our good friend Prof. Cook leads us. as you may re- member. The last time I met him he told me to go on preaching and teaching to let medicine alone. He said I could not very well overdo the matter just now. Well, now. about this opium habit. The mis- sionary doctor told the poor heathen, crippled and stupefied as he was by the opium habit, that no man in the wide world could cure him. All the doctors and all the remedies known to the present age are helpless. They can fuss and experiment some with the patient, no doubt; they can, may be. substitute one stimu- lant for another: but the Satanic demand is not satisfied. The inexorable craving will swiftly drag the patient down to a grave that is much the same as the grave of the drunkard. This missionary doctor, mind yon, had other reme- dies besides those known to the materia inedica. When the patient needed spii'itual help he was ready to give it in place of medicine. "He pointed him to the Great Physician as his only hope." Perhaps he did it with little faith. The poor heathen Chinee, howevei', had faith, even if the doctor had not. He followed direc- tions as best he knew how. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilder- ness, even so must the Son of mjui be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.— John 3: 14, 1.5. He looked to the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world, and was healed. Was he then able to give up opium? Why, to be sure he was. The Gi'eat Physician does not make any half-way work about it: and our poor besdttted heathen brother that was, is to- day walking in the light of the gospel. Is it anything strange or wonderful? Not at all. Evidences of such wonderful healing are lying all round about us. Those who are only partly healed, or have afterward gone back, have surely forgotten or neglected to look constantly up to the Great Physician. The figure of Moses lifting up the serpent in the wildei'ness is per- haps the plainest that can be placed before us. It shows us by a picture, or by an object-lesson, how exceedingly plain and simple is the remedy for aft sin. Of course, we must look in faith believing — there must be no half-way work about it: and we must keep our eyes constantly on Christ Jesus. A good deal is said nowadays about tobacco substitutes. I should be very glad indeed to know that there is a substitute that is not just as bad as the tobacco itself. But. bless you. friends, he who is looking to Christ .lesus n»>eds no tobacco substitute nor substitute of any kind. Besides, when we come to Jesus to be cleansed from all sin. the Great Physician does in reality cleanse us from (ill sin. A man with evil and vicious propensities is not very much better off when he gives up tobacco — that is, if he holds on to those evil propensities and passions just the same. We need to be cleansed fi'om (dl sin. The use of stimulants is only a small part of what goes to make up a sinful heart: and if we lay all the blame to stimulants or intemperance we are making a mistake. Although, as a rule, we find the inmates of our penitentiaries and jails using tobacco and liquors (when they can get them), thei-e are quite a few of these who practice total abstinence so far as stimulants are concerned. A few days ago I was talking with a friend who is fighting against the tobacco appetite. He said. " I would give a hundred dollars this minute if I were clear of it." A bystander said, "Oh! I would give more money than that." I assured them that the terrible fight against the old habit would not last always, and that it would by degrees grow less aiid less. I told them that these flerce temptations occur only occasionally, and that very soon they would discover that, a great part of the time, it would not torment them at all. The first speaker then mentioned a man by name — a mutual friend of all present— who tried for two years to shake off this habit, and he said he wanted tobacco just as bad the last day as he did the first. "Mr. Root, it is asking a man to shoulder a pretty big task, if this thing has got to continue right straight along for two years without respite." Very likely he did noi use exactly the above words, but it amounted to that, as nearly as I can I'emember. As our friend is a Christian — a member of th(> church — I exhorted him to bear it for Christ's sake. Said I: " Look here, my friends: there are boys all around you. They are influenced more or less by you. You are expert mechanics, each in his own line. These boys have good reason to look up to you with admiration and I'espect for your separate abilities: and they will also, in spite of all yon can do, be inclined more or less to do as you do in regard to this matter of using to- bacco. When you think of them, and think that it is something that will follow them through life, can you not for their sokes, or, as I said before, for Christ's sahc, undertake to bear this burden? When it becomes too heavy for you to cai-ry, go down on bended knee and ask help of Him who said, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden.' " Then I tried to tell them that Christ Jesns bore far heaviei' burdens than any of us are called upon to bear. Foi' our sakes he said. " Nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done." And as the Father did not see fit to let the cup pass from him, he bowed his head in meekness and submission. He extended his arms, and meekly bore the anguish and torture of being nailed to the cross. The first speaker remarked right here. "Mr. Root, that is something I never could understand nor comprehend. I can not see why (rod should demand of his only Son that he should undergo this awful torture for anybody's sake." Now. my friends. I want to tell you that, in attempting to answer this, I unconsciously brought new light into my own soul: and I want to confess to you to-day that, through all my life whil(> I was a skeptic, and since I have become a Christian, there has been something dreadful to me in regard to this spectacle of the cross. It has seemed as if some mistake had been made in bringing such a horrible spectacle into the Holy Scriptures. It has seemed tome like a relic of heathen savagery. Can human imagination picture any thing more revolting to sensitive and tender feelings than the spectacle of driving great nails through liv- ing flesh and blood, and of such a scene of slow and horrible torture? God is love, so the Bible tells us. What good can come by holding ui> before our gaze constantly and frequently this picture of a meek, innocent, inoffensive char- 1881 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 141 acter like that of Christ Jesus, going meekly and humbly to an ordeal like this? My friends, mind you, had just been telling of the crosses they had to bear. One of them said, that, if he gave up tobacco, he could not sleep nights — he would be unlit for business: but notwithstand- ing, I urged that it was the thing for him to do. All at once it burst upon me that God had chosen, for good and wise reasons, to hold up before a sinful and struggling world a picture of the hardest trial and most severe ordeal that any human being could think of. In short, this whole thing was arranged with the express idea that no poor struggling soul should ever say, " My burden is greater than even the So7i of God was called upon to bear." Men are often called upon to meet sudden death, and, in some cases, a death of torture: but I can not remember that civilization or Christianity ever demanded that one should take up voluntariUj a slow, lingering torture, such as that of the cross. We are told by history that tlie victims frequently lived, unless sooner killed with clubs, for several days in a kind of anguish and tor- ture which we sincerely hope are unknown at the present time. Our Savior suffered about six hours; and while he suffered the bodily pain, he suffered in angish of soul in seeing the whole world, comparatively speaking, choosing wickedness, sin, falsehood, injustice, corrup- tion, and crime. In this present state of affairs he could realize that nothing but his death and the shedding of his blood would answer. He died, that humanity might evermore look up to him as a model, not only in life, but as a model in death— a sacrifice for us. He died, that we might live. Now, then, my friend, when your burden seems heavy — when you are tempted to think you can not stand it any longer, or when you feel like saying, "I (^'o/i"t stand it any longer," remember the example of the Master. It was as hard for him as it is hard lor us. He shuddered and shrank at the very thought of it. He looked in vain for some outlet — for some other way — just as you and I have been doing. He prayed even for God to spare him; yes, we are told until the sweat like great drops of blood stood upon his forehead. But when God decided that the sacrifice and the atonement must be made, he bowed his head in submission. We, as a rule, suffer be- cause of our sins: Jesus was without sin. The thief on the cross hit it exactly when he said, '" We receive the due reward of our deeds; but this man hath done nothing amiss." A young friend told me, not long ago, that his struggle against a certain kind of temptation was just about all he could stand. I knew of his former trials and difficulties; and I noticed, too, that for some time back he had apparently risen above them all. His record has been for some time al- most faultless. He attends our meeting, testifies for Christ, and presents a cheerful and pleasant face to all his friends. He is apparently " hold- ing the fort nobly;" yet when I came to get a glimpse behind this fair exterior he said some- thing like this: " Mr. Root, if this thing does not soon let up, it seems as if the strings would break." Do you ever feel so, dear reader? Don't be lacking in faith. The strings will not break. An all-wise Father has given his promise to the contrary (see text in our previous Home paper). "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man." Be not weary, dear friend, in fighting life's battles, and in fighting hard for the cause of Christ Jesus, even though you have suffered long and have been kind, without any special blessing coming from it. Be steady, and hold on; the reward will come soon. Ye shall reap if ye faint not. Remember the words in Reve- lation—"These are they which came up out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Your old friend A. I. Root has had some experi- ence in this line; and I tell you there are no truer words in the Holy Scriptures than these: " Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepai'ed for those that love him." It is the overcoming that does the busi- ness. " To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my thi'one." I had been uncon- sciously holding up to these friends of mine the cross; and I want to tell you of the reward that came to me for my poor feeble exhortation right in that line. I too, as you may know, have been fighting against temptations. It has seem- ed many times to me as if. as my young friend expressed it, the "strings" would break. But I held on and kept on praying. Now and then deliverance would come, as I have told you. But when I had climbed ovei- one temptation, another was sure to come. Well, the greatest deliverance I have ever known in my life came after that talking about the cross. The tenip- tations that I had been battling with so long and so fiercely on that morning seemed to fall away and go away off' in the dim distance. In trying to describe it, these words came to mind: " So far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." I have told you how I have for years avoided temptation as the intemperate man did in going home by a longer route so as not to take the street where the saloons were. It just occurred to me that day, tiiat I need not take the longer route any more. I met old temptations face to face, without a waver. It has all my life been hard for me to take people to task, even when it is my duty to do so. Yes. I usually dread for hours, some- times, to talk with even the boys when they need talking to. I have many times prayed that God would help me to overcome this diffi- dence in doing duty. I have wished and prayed that I might be able to reprove, without a shaking tremor in my voice, and an embarrass- ment that made it seem as if I were the guilty one; but God had not seen fit to answer the prayer, and so I had come to regard it as a thorn in the flesh. Once in defending myself a man said to me something like this: "If you are honest and sincere, what makes your voice tremble so, and why do you get so excited? Why don't you talk coolly and quietly as I do?" I replied, "My voice trembles because I am excited and stirred up. I wish I could talk coolly and quietly at times like this. God has not seen fit, as yet, to give me coolness and calm- ness, therefore I am doing the best I can." Well, since I have got my mental vision fixed on a crucified Savior, it has seemed as if that prayer of these long years has been suddenly answered. I have been through our whole es- tablishment, and talked with our boys about the tobacco habit as coolly as I would talk with my wife about it. I have met with provoking things, and have passed through many trying places; but I have not once since that time spoken a word hastily or that I would recall. I have read over the words of our text, perhaps hundreds of times, yet it never was plain to toe until just now that it is our privilege to look and be healed, just as it was when Moses lifted ■ uj) the serpent in the wilderness. Instead of looking at the brazen serpent, however, it is our privilege now, since Christ has come and suffered, to turn our eyes toward the figure of the cross. And thei-e is no mistake in the words of the last of our text: '" Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." 142 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Feb. l.'i. EDIT0^mL. Let ns run witli patience tlie race tliat is set l;e((>re ns. look- ing unto Jesus llie author and finisher of ourfailli; "ho lor tlie icy that was set liefore him enihired the cross, de-pisiu^;- the shame, and is set down at the right hand of tlie throne of God —Heb. 12:1,2. We see by the papers that Di-. A. B. Mason has been appointed postmaster for Auburndale, Ohio. A NEW DESIGN. OuK engravers have just finished a new de- sign for the title page of our journal. Turn over the leaves and see how it sets off Stray Straws. IMPEEMENTS FOR BEE KEEPING. Pkacticae bee-keeping is resolving itself into fewer and fewer implements. The price at which honey sells will not wairant us in pur- chasing a lot of paraphernalia not absolutely necessary for honey-production. GEASSED SECTIONS. The above seem to have taken th(i first, place in the markets of New York city. A few years ago we supposed, in fact truly, that glassed sections had gone out of market everywhere: but now they are starting up again in the East. the amehican bee-kei;pe]!. The seQond number comes out, like the first, with the vigor of age. On page 30 there is an illustrative article describing the Rhode Island Nellis hive. This uses the Hoffman frame, section-holders, etc. It appears to be a first- class hive. STB AY STRAWS. It seems to please, as it is being copied in other periodicals. By the way, we might as well acknowledge the corn. We first saw the scheme in the Apiculturist and in the Bee-Hive. It is a good department, but you want a good man to manage it^ five new bee-periodicaes. The editor of the American Bee Journal says, " Five new bee-periodicals have been launched upon the sea of bee literature since Jan. 1. It must have taken considerable en- thusiasm in the publishers to do this, after the failure of the honey crop the last season." four-piece and nailed sections in YORK state. FotTR-piECE and nailed sections seem to be used considerably among the bee-keepers of New York and Vei-mont. The former are gen- erally glued: and many of the bee-keepers whom we visited had some sort of gluing-machine whereby the putting-together and gluing could be accomplished expeditiously and neatly. the bee-keepers' union. We learn from the American Bee Joitrnal. by the returns up to Jan. 31, that the following officers were elected: General Manager, T. G. Newman. President, James Heddon. Vice-presidents, Prof. A. J. Cook, G. M. Doo- little, A. I. Root, Dr. C. C. Miller, G. W. Dem- aree. We are glad that the officers were re-elected, especially the (reneral Manager. imGEASSED SHIPPINCi-CASES. OccAsioNAEEY somebody will send us honey in shipping-cases without glass. The fragile nature of the contents can not be seen by the freight-handlers, and the result is that it usu- ally does not arrive in good condition. Again, it does not show off in the markets. If bee- keepers could only see it, it is money in iheir l)()ckets to glass their shipping-cases. " A lot of unglassed cases we have been fixing over. We boi'cd three ^^.f-inch holes directly in front of each row of sections, and tacked a piece of glass inside so as to cover the three holes. The honey in being sorted over was put back in said cases, and the appearance is decidedly improved. WHAT DOOEITTI.E THINKS OF GLEANINGS. The following is a kind word from G. M. Doolittle: I am gliid to see tlie subscription list of Gleanings grraduHlly increasing year by year; and it is nothing: but whiit I expected, for you are maliing' Gleanings so valuHble that no one can afford to do witliout it. Borodino, N. Y., Jan. 30. G. M. Doolittle. That our efforts are appreciated, is attested by many letters like the above from some of the best and most successful bee-keepers. Such testimony is valued. ^ENLARGEMENT OF THE EDITORIAL DEPART- MENT. Some of our subscribers have doubtless notic- ed that we have increased this department from three to four times its former size, and we find it is beginning to be appi'eciated already. E. L. Pratt says: "1 hope you will continue your gond editorial de])artment to the same extent as in the Jan. l.'Jth issue." Thanks, friend P. It is a great deal of work, but we will endeavor to keep it up. While on the train, going to a bee- conveiition, we said to Dr. Mason once, " What department do you like best in a bee-journal?" " I always go for the editorials," said he. By a little inquiry we found that others do likewise. We will endeavor to give the latest and best in- formation from all sources. AVHO IS TO BLAME — THE COMMISSION MERCHANT OR THE PRODUCER? A FEAv days ago we received a consignment of several thousand pounds of comb honey. The shipper called it first quality. When it ar- rived we found that the combs had not been sorted, and the sections had not been scraped; in fact, the eggs and remnants of moth worm were present on a nuinb(^r of the combs. The honey had been stored without separators. It was bulged in a good many instances beyond the sides of the section. If bee-keepers send out honey of this kind, and call it first quality, and then complain to the commission men about low returns, who is to blame? Not the commis- sion man. STAPLES AND THE BLUEBERRY SWINDLE. From a private letter we extract the follow- ing: L. I). Staples was convicted on the second and third counts of indictment; viz., for tiewberi'j- and blueberry sclieme, and the fr;iuduIent-advortislng- scheme. Sentence yesterday, 14 montlis at Deti-oit House of Correction. J. McQuewan, Clerk. Grantl Rapids, Mich., Jan. S8. Truly, the way of the transgressor is hard; but we may rejoice to know that the laws of our land do reach such as he. For years he has been shown up through the agricultural papers since we first exposed him in Gleanings; but by some means he has managed to find new fields for his work, and new victims for his swindles. He is, however, now stopped, for some little time at least. yellow carniolans. In response to our editorial in our issue for Jan. 1.5. E. L. Pratt writes: "You ask how to tell yellow Carniolans from Italians. By their 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 143 disposition and color. Do the Cyprians look much like Italians?" Yes. Bro. Pratt. Cj^prians do look a good deal like the bees from Italy: and we have found, usually, that it is only those who ai'e expert in such matters that ai'e able to tell the difference. We have no difficulty here at the Home of the Honey-bees, nor has any one who has closely observed the matter. But the average customer does not. Now. while you are about it. can't you make the abdomens of your Carniolans all yellow — that is. without any yellow bands? AVHO MADE THAT PHOTOURAPII OF TIIK SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN BEE-KEEPEKS' ASSOCIATION? The beautiful photograph which we rei)i-o- ducetl on page 886. last year, and ^\•hich has been admired so much, and has since been copied in two other papers, did not bear the name of the i)hotogra|)her. otherwise we should have been glad to give the name in the tirst place. The photograph was an unusually tine one. and for a group almost remai'kablc We have since learned it was executed by Mr. and Mrs. Geo. H. Perry. Platteville. Wis. They will doubtless be glad to furnish other copies. DISCARDING THINGS PIJEMATUKEEY. We often hear it urged, as an objection against a device, that it was invented, used, and discarded, long ago. In spite of this fact, in some instances the discarded invention seems bound to assert its merits, and up it bobs, as serenely as it did at tirst. The second time, we begin to see the point: and bee-keepers west, east, north, and south, become enthusias- tic in its praise. An example of this is fixed distances in frames. VVe can not conclude, therefore, that, because a thing was once used and discarded, it is therefore valueless after all. The lesson that comes to us here is. we should be careful about discarding things prematurely. It is almost as bad to do this as it is never to accept or recognize a new thing of merit. ADDING INSUT.T TO IN.JUHY. Of late, quite a few have been reported who purchased honey, and then made an excuse for not paying for it by claiming that it was adulter- ated. We have one or two such customers our- selves, and thiee or four more have been report- ed. It is bad enough to raise honey and not get any pay for it: but when it comes to accusing the honest bee-keeper of being a swindler besides, it seems to us that forbearance ceases to be a virtue; and we hereby give warning that we shall give name and full address of every such person who introducesthissort of ex- cuse, or tries to come this game upon us. It is true, there may be adulterated honey found in our land: but you don't buy it of bec-kecpers and houey-ralsers. Before any man's name is thus put in print, this slip will be sent him: and if he nas any defense to make, we will give him ample time to do so. NEW ADYEP.TISING KATES. Wp: have prepared a new schedule of adver- tising rates. Whil(> in some cases it is stiffer and in some a little more liberal than the old rates, its application is much simpler, and al- most anybody can tell with very little figuring what his advertisement will cost. See rates on tirst page, inside of cover. This, of course, in no way alters existing contracts for advertising for the current year: but all new contracts and new estimates will be made from the new schedule. We also give, for the convenience of the few. what are called "• space rates:'" that is, yoti can buy so many lines and use them up in large or small advertisements, just as you choose, in every number, in every other nura- bei'. or in every three or four numbers. Send for our "'Hints to Advertiseis." mailed free on application. It tells when and how to adver- tise apiarian supplies, nuclei, bees, queens, etc.. how to write an advertisement, and also how to make a little money go as far as possible. PROSPECTS FOR NEXT SEASON. If the number of bee-keepers' catalogues of bee-supplies which we are printing (to say nothing of those done at other houses, noticed elsewhei-e). and if the large amount of hive and section making nuichineiy we are sending out means any thing, it means there is going to be an extra good season next year. We have never before had such a I'un for machinery. Our ma- chine-shop is having a big rush: and it is some- what behind in consequence. This does not necessarily signify that competition is going to be any stronger on account of new supply-deal- ers or the increased facilities of old oiies. but that the bee-keeping industry is growing and spi-eading. the world over. We wish all every measure of success. We have a hirj counti-y, or. if you please, a big world, and there is i>icnt}j of room for all. even for the bee-journal.s. though the rule of the survival of the fittest will rather crowd some of them before the year is up. we fear. Competition! so much the mer- rier. We shall get better supplies and better journals: in fact, they begin to sparkle already in their new dresses and innovations. WINTER WEATHER IN ENGLAND AND SPAIN. We notice by the British Bee Journal that they are having unusually severe weather. They have had it as low as 27 degrees below the freezing-point, oi', as we would term it in this counti-y. five above zero. In the south and southeast of England they have had sixty days of frost, and during the whole of that time in many part^ of the kingdom the bees have never seen the outside of their hives. This is not an unusual thing for the United States— at least the northern part of it: but when bee-keepers are pi-epared for a warmer climate, it makes the pi-ospects for successful wintering rather dubious in England. But if such weather has prevailed in the latitude of London (51J., de- grees), which is considerably north of the Unit- ed States, the unusual severity of the last month is realized when we read" in friend An- dreu's Spanish bee-journal of the unusual prev- alence of snowstorms, cyclones, and zero weath- er in the south of "vSpain, sunny Spain."' The orange-trees and kindred semi-tropical fruits are all killed. Wolves have roamed the villages, and even destroyed human life, as we learn from other sources. Friend Andreu asks, phil- osophically, "Is it possible for us to struggle against the north pole?"" TRADE-MARKS FOI! HONEV-PRODICERS. There is considerable discussion going on in the bee-journals in refei-ence to a trade-mark: and it has been suggested that the National Bee-keepers' Union take hold of the matter. The idea struck us as being a pretty good one. But here is a note taken from a private letter, which Bro. Newman very properly gives to the bee-keeping world, although he lias withheld, of course, the name of the writer: In the matter of trade-marks, Bro. Heddon is en- tliusiastlc— yea. ek)quent— in his idea of " whippuig- the d 1 around the stump," as they saj-; but he does not quite hit tlie nail on the head". A" '• mark " of some kind may be taken (a hibel if you please) to prove membership in tlif Union; but will the Union wan-ant that every member sells nothing- but pure honey? Would not one sale of poor honey spoil the 144 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Feb. 15. whole? Now, I do not see, first, how a trade-mark can be obtained from the Patent Office for the Union. I can not see liow a private trade-marli can be a Union mark; and, again, I can not see how tlie Union can " back up " or warrant any member. We know there are black sheep, and there may be some in tlie Union. In fact, Bro. Newman, I do not see how a trade-mark can help us as a Union; but I can see how it may liurt us awfully. My idea, tlien, is, to let tlie Union stand as it is — a bulwai'k of defense for its pei'secuted members, but not as an advertis- ing scheme for any of them. Let each honey-pro- ducer stand on liis own reputation, wliicli he can make good or bad ; for by his fruits we shall know him. These are things that we should consider; and some of the points made by the writer above are well taken. the whole patch, I can not be sure that the spinach would not have been as well off with- out it. In raising vegetables under glass, it would, of course, pay us to use very expensive manures that we could not think of using for ordinary crops outdoors; and at the pi'esent wi'iting I know of nothing that equals guano and lime for greenhouse work. I shall have more to say in regard to this visit in some of my future garden talks. gPECI^Ii ]S[0¥ICEp. SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT, AND HIS FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS. OUR OHIO EXPERIMENT STATION AT f'OLUMBlTS. My good friend E. C. Green gave me a notice that they had two greenhouses full of very nice lettuce, which they were going to cut on the 39th of January. On the afternoon of that day it was my pleasure to look over their work. One of these greenhouses is warmed by pipes underneath the beds, and the other by an equal number of pipes overhead, hot water be- ing used in each. The plan was to decide which gave the best results for vegetables un- der glass. So far as crops were concerned, there seemed to be but little difference; but from the fact that the overhead pipes kept the frost off from the glass, thus giving the plants more sunshine, and, in consequence, requiring less fuel, this plan is preferred. Both houses showed a degree of thrift that does much credit to the young men who have it in charge. Friend Green is a Medina Co. boy, and has ta- ken up this work with no practical experience, and with but little instruction from any one. The work is under the charge of Prof. Thorne; and I must say that I never saw a prettier- looking greenhouse for garden-stuff' in any of the large cities in any of my travels. Of course, the work is principally devoted to testing many things connected with this kind of work under glass. One bed of lettuce, for instance, is wa- tered entirely by sub-irrigation, something on father Cole's plan. Another, right by its side, is watered by sprinkling overhead. At present, sub-irrigation has given the better crop. Vari- ous experiments were performed to determine the value of chemical manures — prominently, the nitrate of soda: and although these experi- ments wei'e made with the utmost care, there was nothing in the greenhouse to indicate that the nitrate of soda had been of any advantage whatever. In fact, some beds seemed to indi- cate that its effect had been detrimental. Prof. Thorne said its effect on the wheat in the open air had been wonderful, without question; and he said that, if he could show the Ohio farmers the difference in the appearance where nitrate of soda had been used, lie could give the sale of it one of the biggest booms that a fertilizer ever had, provided he did not at the same time tell them that the increase of crop was not suffi- cient to pay the cost of the fertilizer. As the nitrate of soda is being advocated through the agricultural papei-s in pretty strong terms, I think these experiments must prove valuable. Although we have used it to a considerable ex- tent on our grounds here in Medina, I have not been able to see that it produced any effect whatever, unless it was on a crop of spinach outdoors; but in that case, as I put it all over ENOUGH or FEB. 1, 1882. Our offer in last number brought us an abundant supply of the above number, so please don't send any more. SPECIAL 5 PER CENT DISCOUNT ON WIRE NETTING. All orders foi' wire netting, either job-k)t pieces or regular stock, received here not later than the 35th of this month, will be subject to a special .5 per cent discount. This Is with a view of getting as many orders as p|ossible filled and out of the way before the rush of spring trade begins. If in need of any thing in this line, send on your orders and secure the discount. REDUCED PRICES ON THE TWO NEW BOOKS ON GARDENING. By buying in large quanuties we have obtained special rates, so that we can sell " The New Onion Culture" for only 35 cts. instead of 50, and the new "How to Make the Garden Pay," for $1.50 instead of $3.00. The above prices include postage. If oi-- dered by express or freiglit with other goods, the price will be 30 cts. and SI. 40 respectively. It seems to me it will pay those who are to any extent en- gaged in market-gardening to have both of these new books. The larger one is the most complete work on gardening under glass that has ever been published. THE OLD BACK NUMBERS AT ONE CENT EACH. A good many who have ordered tliese have almost entirely misunderstood our offer, and have specified tlie numbers they wanted at this rate, instead of taking just what we chose to send. The fact is, we liave a wagonload or more of old numbers, mostly 8 or 10 years old, but we haven't much of a surplus of late years. We could sell these old numbers as paper- rags, but they contain very valuable matter; and by asking a cent apiece for tiiem we should have about enough to pay for our trouble in wrapping and for the postage, and you would get a lot of good reading for almost notiiing. Now, we will put the proposi- tion this way. Old numbers of wlilch we have a surplus will be one cent each, postpaid, in lots of 10 or more, if you take what ive chuDse to send. We will send tlie numbers you specify, at 2 cents each, provid- ed we have aniabundance of them, so they|can be spar- ed witliout reducing our files so as to make it neces- sary to buy them back again. Remember, the old back numbers, our choice, will be one cent each; your choice, 2 cents each, provided we have a surplus of what you choose. BUY YOUR EARLY QUEENS SOUTH I will have on hand a stock of CHOICE -» ITfllilflH -s- QOEEflS as early as they can be raised down here. Write for prices and particulars. OTTO J. E. URBAN, Thorndale, Milan Co., Tex. lyin responding to this advertisement mention GLEAKtNOa. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 153 DR. TINKER'S SPECIALTIES: The Nonpareil Bee-hive and Winter case, White Poplar Sections, Wood-zinc Queen-Excluders, and the finest and best Perforated Zinc now made. Send tor catalogue of i)rices, and inclose 2& cts. for the new book, Kee-keeping tor Prottt. Address DR. «. I.. TINICKR, Sltl'db IVew Pliiladelpliia, O. I^lnrespondiiig to this advertisement mention Glkaninqs. Job Lot of Wire Netting. CUT PIECES AT A LOWER PKICE THAN FULL ROLLS. Having bought from the factory, at our own price, five or six hundred remnants, as listed below, we are able to give you the choice of a great variety of pieces at the price of a full roll or lower. Full rolls of netting are 15U ft. long, and wlien they are cut we have to charge nearly double the full-roll rate, be- cause it is so much trouble to unroll, measure, and cut, and run the risk of having a lot of remnants on hand. No doubt it is in this way that the following remnants have accumulated. It costs a good deal to get all this in shape so we can easily pick out from the lot the piece you want. But to move it off quick- ly, we put the price down so you can all have a chance at it. Remember, first come, first served. In ordering, therefore, name a second or third choice, or say that we maj' send the nearest we can if the piece selected is gone. On 5 pieces deduct ,5 per cent, on 10 pieces 10 per cent. These remnants are shipped only from here. If any of you want to secure some, and don't want them shipped till later, when you will order something else, so as to save freight, pick out the pieces you want, send remittance with the ordei-, with request to lay by till called for, and we will mark them as belonging to you. We prefer to ship them right out, however. LIST OF POULTRY-NETTING REMNANTS. Length of eaoh piece. Multiply by the width in feet to get the number of square feet in each piece. Then multiply by the price per foot for the price per piece. 18 in., 50; 72 in., 95, 27. 49, 85, 26, 6; 60 in., 47, 42, 32, 24. 42', 38, 32, 11. 131, 108, 103, 103. 100, 94, 88, 81, 73. 68, 67, 60, 50, 50, 48, 26. 2.5, 24, 20, 19. 23, 15. 122, 30 Inches wide, 63, 25. 100, ; 42 inches wide, 60. 61, 53, 48, 47, 37, 3.5, 22, 22; 60 in. wide, 67, 20. 42,23,15; 24 in. wide, 77. 78,53,32; 60 in. wide, 2.5. 59, 11; 18 in. wide, 72, 72, 40; 24 in. wide, 94, 88. 36, 34, 32, 23, 14; 30 in. wide, 46, 44, 24. 60. 58, .56; 48 in. wide, 70, 48, 46, 40, 26, 19; 60 in., 62. 87,61,30; 12 in. wide, 100. 120, 100, 90. 69, .52, 33, 33, 13, 12. 127, 21, 6; 60 in. wide, 21, 20. , 17,13,7,7,7,6,5. I 121, 35, 26, 23, 20, 8; 72 in. wide, 36, 33, 9. I 72, 49, 48, 45, 38, 37, 30, 29, 26, 22, 14. 29; 42 in., 71. I 39; 18 in. wide, 14; 30 in., 14. 33.' 33', 36 in. wide, 47, 47, 45. 56; 72 in., 64, 63, 10. 40; 60 in., 65, 34, 19; .54 in., 12. 79; 36 in., 14, 7; 42 in., 34; 48 in., 92. 22. 48,12,10; 24 in., 86,42; 30 in., 75; 48 in., 78. 15,11,10; 33 in., 0; 42 in.. 80; 48 in., 23; 72 in., 8. .53; 72 in., 51; 30 in., 96; 9 in.. 40. 26; 9 in., 24; 42 in., .50, 34; 48 in., 100, 40, 25; 60 in,, 26; 18iM..82 ,50. 85,32; 9in..3i; 10 in., 20; 24 in., 23; 39 In., 69, 51 37; 48 in., 30; 60 in. ,.59. 33.7; 36 in ,75,5.5. 46.19: 36 in.. 86, 42 in., 14. 63; 48 in., 60. 160, 18K; 48 in., 45; 72 in., 100, 70. 166, .52,35, 23 107. 68. 35. 17, 15 10. .52. 47, 36, 33, .30 29 19,18,13,9. 43,37.34 25.24 23.18. 144, 117. 68, 62, 62, 60, 23, 22, 22, 15, 12, 12, 12, 8, 6. 82, .50, 44 11,5. 68 ft. ; 36 in., 200 ft. at 4c ; 45 in., 247 ft. at 5c. m ■iS J= ij -c* .3 g fe CC J5 O ■an ft •0 z> • ^ !» ^ o 12 2 20 1 ¥| 48 2 20 V 42 2 19 1 ^ «0 2 19 1 ^ n 2 19 1 % 32 1 36 1 X'n 14 1 4'<; 14 I 4^^ 14 I .5K 13| 2 ■ Four and eight inch fencing. Price in fourth column is the price per foot m length. A. I. ROOT, Xylediaa, O. D ON'T FORGET To send for mj' descriptive catalogue of RLBW I BEES. Sheffield, III. A. L. KILDOW, - Please mention this paper. PppQi Brown Leghorn, White Leghorn, $1.25. bUUO! Black Minorca, Plymouth Rock, Pekin Duck, fl.50. Light Brahma, Langshan, Game, $3 per 13 eggs. Strictlj' pure-bred. Ship safely anywhere. Illustrated circular free. GEEK URos., Itf'db St. ITlarys, Mo. t^lii responding to this advertisement nieniioTi » ,i.i.,,.,\'i,\t;s MUTH'S HONEY - EXTHACTOH, SQUARE GliASS HONEY-JARS, TIN BUCKETS, REE-HIVES, HONEY- SECTIONS, &c., A;c. PERFECTION COIjD - BLAST SMOKERS. Apply to CHAS. F. MUTH & SON, Cincinnati, Ohio. P. S.— Send 10-cent stamp for "Practical Hints to Bee-keepers." ^^~MentiA>n Oleanings. Itfdb SECTIONS. $2.50 to $3.50 per M. Ree-Hives and Flx> tures cheap. NOVELTY CO., etfdb Rock Falls, Illinois. Please mention this paper. FOR SALE. The walls and water power of an abandoned gristmill, 10 acres land in a good loca- tion for a bee-supply business. No factory near, and large apiaries in every direction, or will take partner. Address GEO. W, RANDALL, 4-5d Big Rock. Iowa. FOR SAliE. Three or four S. C. B. Leghorn cockerels, as good stock as can be found in the world. Come and see them. Write for prices with your address on postal, and you will receive by re- turn mail my new descriptive circular, free. 4-5-6d ROBT, C, Smith, Swissvale, Pa. FOR SAIiE. Black Minorcas and Pekin duck eggs, f l.OJ per 13. Bear-paw corn, 75c peck, $2,75 per bush. J. V. Hurless, Archer, Harrison Co., O. ISTire Clotli- For door and window screens, tncking over hives and nuclei for shipping, making bee and queen cages, and a variety of purposes. We have the fol- lowing list of green and t)lacli wire cloth which is not exactly first class, but is practically as good for the purposes mentioned, and at prices much below the ordinary price. You can no doubt select f rotn this list a piece to suit your needs. Price in full pieces, IM cts. per square foot. Wht'ii we have to cut it, 3 cts. In case the piece you order may have been taken by some one else before your order comes, please say whether we shall send the nearest in size, or cut one the size ordered at 3 cts. per ft., or give a second or third choice. '^u ^ 4^ ■32 a * 0) OxJ ■a s & S5 - 0) » 5 J 10 green 8 1 100 67 25 green 12 100 100 2 green 1 black 16 100 133 22 71 128 5 green 24 100 1 200 3j green 26 1 100 1 217 14 green 28 1 100 1 2.!3 6 green 32 100 267 10 green 6 Black 34 100 3(KI 38 100 317 5 green 38 1 100 317 3 black 40)100 ;m 8 black 42 100 3,50 1 green 44 100 367 a!_; o^ I Pieces less than 100 ft. long. These g* figures are the number ot square ■2s I feet in each piece. Multiply by £;2 I IX cents for the price of piece. $1.17 I 6.5, 64,63,63,63,62,33 1.75 2.24 I 110 sq. ft., black; price »1 92 3.50 I 140. 8. green; 200 black. 3 .50 I This is below reg. pr. of 1% c. 4.08 I 224. 224, green. 4 67 5 25 I 300, black; price 86 25 ;5..54 I 269, black; price $4.70 5 54 I 258. black, price S4.50 5.83 1 317, black; price »5 54 6.12 350, green; price »6.12 6.42| A. I. ROOT, iVIedina, Ohio. 154 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Mar. 1. P^NEY CeMjiN. CITY MARKETS. Albany.— flo»iey.—Tlie demand foi' comb honey is more liberal since the Lenten season began, but there is no cliange in prices. AVe have liad one con- signment of 40 cases of comb honey and 30 iKickages of extriicted since last report. No change in jirices of extracted. We quote clover, 16(ad 8c; mixed. H@ 15c; buckwheat, 13@13. E.xtracted, light, 8@9; dark, 7@8. Chas. McCulloch & Co., Feb. 20. ■ Albany, N. Y. Cincinnati.— Ho?i€i/.— Demand is good foi' all kinds of honey, with a good supply on the market of all but Southern honey, which is scarce. Choice comb honey brings 16@17c a lb. in the jobbing way. Ex- tracted honey, 6@8c a lb. on arrival. Beeswax. — There is a good demand tor beeswax at 24@26c a lb. for good to choice j'ellow on arrival. Chas. F. Muth & Son, Feb. 20. Cincinnati, O. St. Louis. — Honej/.— Mild weather has affected trade so that there is scarcely any demand for either comb or extracted. We quote white-clover comb at 16c: dark, 13@14. Extracted, 6@&%. in bbls.; cases, 6X@7ys. Beeswaxr2&'A . D. G. Tutt Gro. Co., Feb. 19. St. Louis, Mo. San Francisco. — Horjey. — Extracted lioney is firmer, and several carloads have been sold East at 6J4@6>^c, f. o. b. Comb honey very scarce, and to be had only in small lots. We quote 10@14c, as to quali- ty. Beeswax in good demand at 34@2.5e, f . o. b. Schacht, Lemcke & Steiner, Feb. 14. San Francisco, Cal. New York.— Honei/.— We quote extracted Cali- fornia honey, light amber and white, at fiom 7@7V^c. Florida honey in barrels at 7@8c. Beeswax, nice yel- low Cuban, 38i/4c; Southern, 29i4c; selected Califor- nia, 31c. F. G. Strohmeyer & Co., Feb. 20. New York City. Detroit.— TJoriej/.— The market for honey is not very brisk. Comb honey is selling at ]4@15c. Ex- tracted, 7@8c. Beeswax firm at 27@28c. Bell Branch, Mich., Feb. 19. M. H. Hunt. Kansas City.— Honey.— We have a steady demand for comb honey in 1-lb. sections, and if receipts con- tinue light our market will soon be cleaned up. We quote whitt^ 1-lb. comb 16@18; California 2-lb. comb and extracted slow sale. We quote 2-lb. comb, white, 14@15; dark, 12@13. Extracted, 6@7. Beeswax, 25c. Clemons, Mason & Co., Feb. 24. Kansas City, Mo. St. Louis.— ifonc{/.— The season for the sale of comb honey is well advanced, and tlie demand is rather light. Choice white clover, ll'giL'c. Extract- ed, in cans, choice white clovei', 7>^(a>8c. Lower grades in both comb and extracted, lower as to qual- ity. Beeswax, prime, 26c W. B. Westcott & Co., Feb. 13. St. Louis, Mo. For Sale.— 2000 lbs. clover honey, in 1.5-gallon kegs, at 9 cts. a lb. by the keg. tare out. Mont Wyrick, Cascade, la. For Sale.— Extracted honey, in 70-lb. tin cans, at 10 cts. per lb., f. o. b. Lewis Haines, 4d Moons, Fay. Co., O. For Sale.— 1200 lbs. extracted white-clover honey in barrels or 60-lb. cans, as desired. Itfdb E. J. Baxter, Nauvoo, 111. For Sale.— Choice honey in sections, cans, and C. pails. Send for price list to Oliver Foster, 12-tfdb. Mt. Vernon, la. The Greatest Invention of the Age! BEES MADE TO HIVE THEMSELVES. Full particulars free. Addiess 5-tfdb H. ALLEY. Wenham, Mass. Please mention this paper. SttS^MMt FOR SALE. Crude and refined. We have con- stantly in stock large quantities of Beeswax, and sui^ply the prominent manufacturers^ of comb foui}dation throughout the country. We guarantee every pound of Beeswax purchased from^ us absolutely pure. Write for our prices, stating (luantity wanted. ECKERMANN. & WILL, Bleachers, Eefiners, acd Importers cf Beeswax, 5-i6db Syracuse, N.Y. t?*Iii responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings. TAKE HOTICE. Our New Factory is Now Open To receive orders for Bee-Hives, Franie*^ of alli kinds. Shipping - Crates, Sections, Honey - Cans, Comb Foundation, and Suioicers. Write for price list to GREGORY BROS. & SON, 5-tfdb Ottumwa, "Wapello Co., Iowa. |^"In responding: to tliis .advf icisenic iit mention (tLKandjos. Bees St Supplies fop louua. Send for my supplement for 1891, now ready (n»' new catalogue). Say whether you have my catalogue- dated 1889 and i89u. Address Oliver Foster, .o-ifdb Mt. Vernon, Linn Co., Iowa. -3-4d Please mention this paper. HAVE YOU READ MY Ad. on Inoide Back Cover of Gleanings, Feb. 1st? Also my ad. on Page 117, Feb. 15tli 01ean> ings, about "my New Potatoes? If not, do so at once. W. Z. Hutchinson, on page ir> of the Feb. Review, says, "They would almost pass for a SAVeet Potato." If you intend to try them it is. necessary for you to order soon, as they would not go half way round to tlie readeis of Gleanings. Potatoes will lie sent the first week in April. Safe ai-rival guaranteed. .5tfdb Jacob T. TImpe, Grand Ledge, Mich. t^In responding to this adrertisement mention GLKANlNOa. HO FOR CALIFORNIA! FOR SALE. lOO Colonies of Bees. Full colonies, $3. .50. Staiile.v Extractors, Vandei'- vort Mill, and other flxtuies. Send ft)r descriptive- piice list and realize the bai'gains. Address J. H. MARTIN, Hartford, "Wash. Co., N. Y. HO FOR CALIFORNIA! Itfdb Please mention this paper. NEW AUTOMATIC I am now able to.suijply zinc with tlio round- end perforations in 1(5 styles of opposite and' alternate perforating. The new machine makes- any size of sheet, with a boi'dei- of any width from ;.'x5 inch(>s ii)) to :.'4x44. The work done has NEVER BEEN EQUALED, is unifoiin. exact, and perfectly reliable. Prices, vcrv low. Send .stamp for sami)les. Address ' DR. G. L. TINKER, New Philadelphia, 0. 5tfd Please mention this paper. •andHoNEY- ■MD HOME.- •1NTE.P?EST^. Published by R. I. Root, IVIcdina, O. Vol. XIX. MAR. 1, 1891. No. 5. ^Tl^^Y gTR^WS FROM DR. C. MILLER. Tjie STixG-TP.owEL tlicorj' lias goiie into hi- bornation. The old officers of the Bee-keepers" Union are re-elected. Divided tot'-uaks arc being repeatedly in- vented nowadays. Outdoor wixterixg had a majority of votes at the Ontario bee-keepers' convention. Reduced fake is a thing of first importance in fixing time and place of conventions. Where are the one or two government sta- tions that Prof. Cook speaks of as doing some- thing with bees? Mr. G. DELAYEX'splan for an out-apiary is to have very large hives, and visit them only twice a year, spring and autumn. WiLU E. E. Hasty please tell us whether he succeeded in getting an iinpi'oved breed of red clover? Hasty is the man to do it if any one can. The Ontario Bee-keepers" ^Association re- ports 333 members for last year. Can you beat that on this side of the line, you bragging Yan- kees ? Artificial heat in cellars is bad — costs too much. Artificial cold (or natural either) is still worse. If cellars get too cold, choose the least of two evils. Carbolic acid used for quieting bees, says the B. B. J., was credited by the late Rev. George Raynor as the chief cause of his immuni- ty from foul lii'ood. '■ Xumrer Two."' in C. B. J., thinks I'm af- flicted with versatility. That's not what ails me, "Number Two." Ifs the grippe thafs got its— got its— gi'ip on me. Larger bees are advocated in the Api.. in the belief that doubling the size of the bee will double the distance it will travel. Does a crow fly any further or faster than a blackbird? The British Bee Journal is publishing a series of " Bee-papers for Winter Reading." If the first number is a fair sample, the series will be valuable. In effect it will be a practical treatise on bee-keeping. E. R. R. ASKS ME, on page 87, whether I would " preach bee legislation, priority claim of locality, or move out.'" if bee-keepers were too thick around me. I wouldn't do either. I'd shut my teeth tight together, and wish for the day to hasten when bee-keepers would have the same chance as farmers. Prof. Cook found tliat bees fed on pure hon- ey, or honey and syrup, half and half, lived five times as long as bees fed on Good candy made from coarse granulated sugar. Powdered sugar is the thing for Good candy. Heating bees in winter is discouraged by the B. B. J. Tudoubtedly right where zero weath- er is never known. But where for days it keeps some .59° below freezing, give me a steady coal hre. if my cellar is not warm enough. A COLD DAY. E. R. R. says, makes it all right to carry in bees without bottom -boards. Yes, I know, if it"s cold enough. But I want mine in the cellar before it is cold enough. So I prefer to carry in the deep space with my hives. An egg of a queen is ^^ of an inch in length and 7V of an inch in thickness. If a queen lays 3000 In 34 hours, and they are laid in a row. end to end. it will make a string about 18 feet long. Even if she didn"t lay them in just that length of time. I suppose they would measure the same. Sections by weight is the safe way. I'm beginning to favor less than a pound section; for if all are less than a pound, the public will soon learn it. and then there can be no cheating by selling light weight. The weight is too un- even to make selling by the piece always best. Loose outside cases over hives are nothing new, according to the B. B. J., and it pokes fun at us for thinking they are. It says, ■• We trust thev will give such hives a fair trial, and that thev will also find them as advantageous as we have don^ for the last fifteen years or more back." Honey, according to Prof. Cook, is digested, ready for absorption, making it a safer food for manthan cane sugar, and a safer food for bees in confinement. Practice doesn't always con- firm this, but there may be something wrong in the practice. It's hardly right to give the name of honey to some of the thin sour stuff that goes under that name. A STANDARD TEMPERATURE for CCllarS, I'm afraid, is a bad thing. If you say 40°, some be- ginner will freeze his bees. If you say 45°, an- other will roast his. Cellars differ. Thermom- eters differ. Each one must find out for him- self what's best for him. Better tell the begin- ner, "There is no standard. Hunt for a quiet spot somewhere between 37 and 50." The NAMELESS DISEASE is agreed to be cured by changing the queen. I'd like to see some of the ■■ ample evidence" of it. "A number of cases and all recovered after changing the queen?" I can give just as strong proof that red paint on my shop has cured the numerous cases that I have had. I don't say changing the queen never cured a case, but I never saw satis- factory evidence of it. Mine always got well without it. l.-)li GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Mak. 1. "Make youi! hives and appliances by all means if you can, but draw the line at frames and sections. Buy them and save money, time, and temper, and secure efficiency by so doing." So says the B. B. J. Good advice, only I'd put " hives and appliances" on the same side of the line as frames and sections, in most cases. I'm satisfied with i)utting togctiier and nailing. Foui> UKOOT) can be cured by using naphthol beta, so says Dr. Lortet in the Revue Internd- Uonale. The B. B. J. gives a tr-anslation of his article, and speaks approvingly of the remedy, which, it says, is perfectly harmless. Dr. Lor- tet says. "It is the adult bee which is first in- fected." "Contaminated honey may be a cause of the propagation." Cheshire denies the lat- ter. "The Honey-bee: Its Natituai, History, Anatomy, and Physioeogy," Mr. Cowan's new book, is just the thing for some of you begin- ners to read up on. who want to be in the front ranks. Ifs so nicely gotten up that it is a plea- sure to leaf it over. I haven't had time to read it yet; but from what I know of its author I am safe in saying it is entii'ely accurate, and up with the times. The deposit system is an English kink. The B. B. J. says, " When strangers are dealing together, the purchase money of the articles is deposited at our office. We acknowledge the receipt of the deposit to huth parties, and hold the money until we are satisfied that the pur- chase has be(>n concluded." A small fee is charged. Why wouldn't that be a good thing to copy in this country? gENEl^^li C^RREgP^NDENCE. BEE-ESCAPES. expeuimentixg with different forms : now MR. DIHBERN came TO DISCOVER THE hokizontai, styee. During the 2.") years that I have kept bees it has been a constant problem with me how best to get rid of the bees in the surplus boxes. I tried about all the different methods suggested in all that time, but all proved more or less un- satisfactory. But, let us try. and investigate, to see, if we can, where and what the difficulty to be overcome really was, for the thing is ac- complished. When I commenced bee-keeping we had no bee-papers— at least I knew of none— and the only guide I had was Quinbij. He recommend- ed leaving the surplus boxes out over night, about six inches in front of the hives, and plac- ing a few sticks so the bees could run over the bridge to their hives. Sometimes this worked all right, but often the honey would be covered with bees the next morning, ready to go for any one coming to get it. Then, too, should a shower come up during the night, the honey would be damaged. It would also be a "shin- ing mark" for nocturnal prowlers: and should it chance to be forgotten, or left out too long in the morning, what a picnic there would be! The next plan suggested was to get several large store boxes and pile the surplus boxes in, bees and all, and cover over with a sheet, occa- sionallv turning the sheet and liberating the bees. 'In that way very many young bees would be lost, never having marked their hives: and it was a slow and tedious way at best. It was also necessary to keej) a constant watch, as a gust of wind might blow the sheet off at any time, and make lively times among the bees. When I began to use sections and cases, I adopted the Heddon plan, smoking out all tin- bees I could, and carrying the rest into the hon- ey-house, allowing them to escape at the top of the windows by having the wire screen extend some six inches higher than the windows. The objection to this plan was, that bees would be "bumming around" the room all day: and if any extracting was to be done tliey would be getting into the honey, and be a constant an- noyance. One day I carried in a good many bees: and as it was almost unendurable to work in the honey-house, I went away a while doing other work. When I returned, there was " music in the air;" and I noticed about a quart of bees clustering at the top of one of the es- capes at the window, and liees did find their tO(ty hitrk into th(> room, and were actually car- rying off the honey. This plan is also open to the objection that young bees will become lost, and it is a nuisance in every way. IIow strange that some of our boss bee- men, even editors of apicultnral papers, should still cling to such methods I Well, the next thing that sd to the flat side of the u])rights. and two or three left off at one end for the entrance. Now put a "bridge"' over the entrance, set the packing-case over the hive so that the front rests on the bridge, holding it firmly in place, and put in your packing mate- rial. Tills may be whatever is convenient. I generally use leaves. Soft leaves, such as those of the soft maple, are excellent. Planer shav- ings or sawdust are more easily handled, and bettei-. We now want a roof over it. Above all other qualities it must be water-tight. Wet packing is worse than none at all. I have given consid- erable thought to the matter of making a roof that would be cheap, duraiile, and effective. All these qualities are hard to combine. A very good and cheap roof may be made by nailing barrel-staves crosswise to a three-inch strip a little longer than the packing-case, putting .1. A. GIiEp;N S AI'lAKY IX WINTER. SHOWING OUTSIDE I'Af'KING-CASES. of packing bees that have passed through the winter safely in the cellar?" Ves, that is just what I am going to do. I lielieve that it pays to protect bees, and I think there is no time when they need protection more than in the spring, when we want them to rear as much brood as possible. Thin-walled hives are too easily affected by changes of temperature at this time, and brood-rearing suffers in conse- quence. To make my packing-cases I use ordinary lath cut into two pieces, 20 and 28 inches long. These are nailed to three-inch corner strips to form the ends and sides of a box without top or bottom. It is made of such height that, when set over the hive on its stand, the outer case resting directly on the ground, it will be five or six inch(>s higlier than the hive. The end over them a sheet of roofing-paper, then nail- ing on another layer of staves so as to break joints with the first ones. The most satisfac- tory covering, though, and the best, all things considered, is a sheet of corrugated iron, large enough to cover th<' whole. An ordinary sheet (9() in. long) makes three pieces just right. Nothing further is required. Just lay the sheet of iron on to]), and lay a stone on it to keep it fi'om blowing away; or, better, lay a short piece of board across the top, and the stone on that. This makes a roof that can not Teak; and with ordinary care it is practically indestructible. With a coat of paint occasion- ally, it will last as long as the owner. When not in use they can be stored in a very small space, as they nest into one another. They make the best of shade-boards for summer, if 18SU GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 159 any are desired. Cut the corners off rounding, so clothing will not get lorn on them. These corrugated iion covers cost me a ti-if1e less than 20 cents each. A buncli of lath, cost- ing 1.5 cents or less, will make two packing- cases. I think these are practically as good as if made of more expensive lumber. If you de- sire, you can turn them into excellent chicken- coops for summer use. If you want them more oramental. paint them with a mixture of skim milk and hydraulic cement, or other cheap paint. Kealiy. though. 1 don't think they look very bad unpainted. They ought to be of a dark color, so as to absorb as much of the sun's heat as possible whenever it shim-s. This helps brood -rearing in the spring wonderfully. One of the principal arguments in favoi' of unpaint- ed liives is. that bees build up in them better in the spring. I think this is mostly due to the dark color. With a dark outer case you have all this advantage, and more, as the packing retains the heat. I inclose a photo showing how the hives look. packed as I have described. I have given up the coal-mine where I win- tered them foi- tlie past two winters, as it was too hard to get at it. My apiai-y is just ou the edge of a bluff. There is a stream in the valh^y— Fox River- running south. .1. A. (iHEEX. Dayton. 111. [I tliink you are mistaken. I did not mean to convey tlie impression that outside winter cases were new: on the contrary, all along I have assumed that they were old. What I de- sired to know was. how many bee-keepers were using a similar arrangement now. and. more particularly, how the so-called dead-air space compared with packing. With your corrugated covers I should think the snow would beat in under and so dampen the packing; and there is that 10-lb. stone and board— doesn't that make a good deal of rig- ging? The outside packing-case that I de- scribed on page 698 last year was to cost only .3.5 cents, and. besides, it would be much neater. If painted muslin or rooting-paper will answer in place of tin. the cost will not be more than vours.l E. R. R. SOMETHING ABOUT BEES AND BEE-CELLARS. DOOI.ITTI.K COXTIN'UES THE SfK.JECT. A correspondent writes thus: My bees seem to be wiuterhig- poorly on their sum- mer stands, and I have resolved to build me a bee- cellar. How should it Vie l)Uilt ? Iiow ventilated ? what is the rig-lit temperature to keep it while tlie bees are in it V at what time of the year should they be put in and taken out? T know you have told us considerable about bee-cellars, and I know that an article on this will be a little unseasonable; but will j'ou not be so kuid as to give us some of the small points necessary along this line, and tell us about it soon, as I wish to build mine riglit after sjiring work, so it may get all dried out and readj' for the bees in the fall? Give the article in Gleanings, as I think it will be of interest to many besides myself. Well, I supposed I had written about all I had to say on bee-cellars during the past; but with the editor's permission I will try again. To my mind, it matters very little how the cellar is built providing it accomplishes the purpose for which it is intended; i. e.. keeping a uniform temperature inside, no matter what are the changes outside. Of course, yon will want it large enough to accommodate all the bees you will ever expect to have to put in it. If it can be built in a side hill it will better ac- complish the keeping of an even temperature than a cellar under a house can be made to, and this is the reason why I prefer the outside cellar, or cave. If your cellar under your house can be partitioned off so that the apartment for the bees need not lie disturbed by the constant going after vegetables, etc., and so that an even temperature can be maintained, such a cellar is equally good with an outside cellar. The trouble with the cellar under the house lies in the fact that the cold and warm air. producinl by the varying temperature of winter, passes througli the floor of the rooms above, so that no even tempernture can be kept below. If the space under the tlooi-, between the sleepers, can be tilled with chaff or sawdust, it will help much to obviate this trouble. If the cellar is dug in a side hill I would have it long and narrow. ;Mine is :.'4 feet long. 7 wide, G high, and is large enough to accommodate from 1(K) to 125 colonies, according as they are packed. From this you may know about the size you want. The "cellar in the side hill has another advantage, in the fact that the jjath into it will be on a level with the ground outside, so that the hives can be set on a spring wheelbarrow and wheeled right where you wish them in the cellar. This one item alone would almost or quite pay for the outside cellar in the course of 20 years. Soiue seem to think that it is very important that the cellar be dry, so that no moisture nor drops of water ever collect on the walls or about the bees or cellar: but all of my experience goes to prove that, if the tempei'a- ture can be kept between 40 and 15°. all the moisture that will naturally accumulate in any cellar will do no hariu. My cellar is so moist that drops of water stand all about overhead and on the side walls of the room, yet the bees do not seem to be affected in the least by it. I am coming to think nunc and more that the matter of ventilation is non-iiuportant, as bees winter in splendid condition with no special provisio:i being made for any ventilation. By way of explanation. I will say, that, when I built my cellar, I constructed a sub-earth ven- tilator 150 feet in length, in connection with a direct upward ventilator of the same size. Eith- er of these could be controlled at will, and every change of weather found me changing these ventilator.s. After a little I began to leave the upper one closed all the while for a month, while the sub-earth ventilator was oft- en closed for days togetht^-. Not seeing that it made any difference with the bees, I now left them closed all the while; and as this gave me a more even temperature in the cellar, neither ventilator was opened at all during the winter of 1889: so this fall, when I came to re-roof my cellar with flagging, I left out the upper ven- tilator entirely, allowing the sub-earth ventila- tor to remain, but it has been closed all winter so far. In this way I have no trouble with the temperature, as it will vary only from 41 to 43° degrees during the whole winter, or only two degrees. If you hav<' a cellar in which the temperature "falls lower than 40. I woiild put a slow fire in it. or in an anteroom just off' from it. so that, when there is much severe weather, the temperature might be kept up at 43 to 45° if possible. A change of 10° in temperature is liable to make the bees uneasy, cause them to go to breeding, get the diarrhea, and spring dwindle. If the cellar is under a house, some seem to think that a small pipe from the chim- ney above the fire, running down to within two inches or so of the cellar bottom, to be used in a warm time, is a good thing in that it causes a change of air during a warm spell, which re- sults in keeping the bees quiet with a much higher temperature than they would without this change of air. I am not positive on this point: but if I had a cellar that would run up 160 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Mak. 1. to 50 every warm spell. I would try it. With rae I consider a temperature of 4r.'° to be the best for a cellar: but I would say that the tem- perature which is best is the one in which the bees are the most quiet. That may not be the same with you that it is with me: therefore I would advise you to keep watch closely: and when you find where the bees are the most quiet, control the temperature ju-sf there as near as may be ever afterward". Bees will be quiet in a much higher temperature during November and December than they will be during March; therefoi'e the cellar that will cool oft a little as the winter advances is much the best, providing it will not rise when the weather begins to warm up in the spring. If the bees are quiet in the cellar, do not remove them till the elm and soft maple are in bloom, about April :20 in this locality. Set them in the cellar on the approach of cold weather, say Nov. 10, and you will not be far out of the way. Borodino, N. Y., Feb. 12. (i. M. Dooi.itti>e. FOUL BROOD, IKIW TO Bl'KN THE CASES WITHOUT DANGER OF IXFEf'TION TO THE HIVES. I tried every remedy you told me of. but found nothing that Would effect a permanent cure' I would be much encouraged after applying a remedy for awhile, but it would soon be as bad as ever. I became perfectly disgusted with the whole business, and nearly decided to quit it entirely. I then had 36 colonies. INIarch. 188it, and 16 of them had foul brood. Some of them were so bad I could smell them 20 feet from the hive. I knew it would be only a shoit time be- fore it would be in the rest. So I decided to try what virtue there was in fire. Don't laugh at me. and say, "That man Keith is foolish." I had become somewhat desperate. Every thing in the bee line was going to the dogs, so I had to try a desperate remedy. I dug a hole opposite each aflfecled hive, a little larger than the size of the hive, about 1^' feet deep, and filled the hole half full of small split pine. Then I took three hives off the bottom-board, and placed them in the hole. I did this after sunset, and put tire in the hole, and soon the hives, bees, frames, and honey were all in flames, and they made a good lii-e. " ^Vhile I was watching them burning, my wife said it was a pity to lose the hives. It was bad enough to lose the bees, but to lose both was too bad. I agreed with her. I got my smoker and filled it up with nice dry wood, and got it in full blast, and put a hand- ful of pulverized suli)hur in the smoker, and went to the other affected hives and killed the bees with the smoke, then I put dead bees, combs, roney. and frames in tlie tii'e, and bui-n- ed them up. Then I had the hives well scrap- ed, then scalded with water, then well fumi- gated with sulphur: so. at my wife's suggestion. I saved 13 hives: and by the process mentioned I am ejitirely clear of foul brood. I have not seen the least indication of it since March, 18s;i. And I believe it is the only effectual way to I'id an apiary of the disease. I have now 37 colo- nies in good condition, apparently healthy, and I hope to inci'ease to .50: then I shall have as many as I want, and hope to make a good crop this year. Now. friend Root, if you can sug- gest a better remedy for foul brood, let me hear from you. J- J. Keith, u Louisville, Ga., Jan. 1.5. [It is not necessary to kill the bees. We have cured all we had that were diseased, with the exception of a few that we at first destroyed with tire, by scalding the hive with boiling water and putting the bees in clean hives on fi'ames of foundation. After the bees have con- sumed all the honey in their sacs in comb- building, they are free from the last vestiges of foul brood. If you discover that you have one or at most two cases at the start, it may b(^ advisable to burn them as you describe.] PAINTED MUSLIN VS. TIN FOR COVERS. SUGGESTIONS FOU THE DOVETAILED HIVE. On page (59, muslin versus tin covers are men- tioned. You are the man who advanced this idea way back in the 70's in Gleanings. Then as now such covers were a success with us. *A MUfTI CHEAPEI! COVER. Muslin on a wooden stretcher, or frame, por- tico like, with two coats of paint, is an excel- lent cover, but it will not stand hailstorms. The cover of the Dovetailed hive is just the thing for a painted muslin protection. Then the hive has the needed shade in summer, and will be water-proof. You should make some improvements yet on the Dovetailed hive and closed-end frames. The end- pieces of the frames should be i^ inch from the hive. The frames should not rest on the bottom-board: it will be a moth-nest if they do. Could you not send a frame-rest with each hive? This rest can be made of half-inch Oi'^iW Jioop iron or steel. The main object in setting the end pieces of the frames back 34 inch is to have a cooler hive in summer and a warmer one in winter. Queen-excluders should have quarter-inch passage-ways on the ends also, to enable the bees to ascend and descend from the super. The other day I had a Bay State hive shipped by Mr. H. x\lley. Indeed, it is a neat and su- perior hive. It may become a pet hive with all bee-keepers who keep bees on a small scale. For others, too many screws! I can handle all sections in a Dovetailed super before an ordi- nary bee-keeper will have cared for one frame i n the Bay State super. It may be because I am a hard Democrat, or that the Bay State hive has too many fixings. A bottom-board should be one plane — all hills and valk^ys should be avoided — and I fear the Bay State hive has these uneven faults in some degree. Rev. Stephen Stenger. St. Meinrad, Ind., Jan. 30, '91. [Yes, I knew the senior Root used painted cloth years ago: but the Junior Root wished to as- certain whethei' they were used anywhere with success noir. So far the testimony for the iniinted muslin vs. tin has been favorable. If it will answer for outside winter cases to set over in lieu of tin. it will not only be much cheapei', but far bettei-. Tin is too good a con- ductor of heat and cold: and some of our out- side cases, on examination, showed early this fall that great drops of water had collected on tlic under side of the tin. To remedy this. I put Simplicity covers on top. and that fixed it. Well. now. painted muslin is a good ho» -con- ductor of heat and cold, and, if sufficiently dur- able, will be better than the tin. See? Both the tin and muslin will have to be painted: but the cloth holds the i)aint better than tin. As to expense of matiu'ial. the cloth would cost about one-fifth as much as the tin, making the ex- pense of the outside cases from 35 to 333-:, per cent less. But some will say. tin will be cheap- er in the long run. Very likely, for regular hive-covers: but for winter cases the cloth will be warmei'. Of course, either the tin or cloth should be supported by % lumber beneath. 18!tl GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Kil About till' boc-spacc between the closed end.* and tlie hive end: Tlie majority of bee-keep- ers would oppose you strongly on that point (see page 87, last Lssue, for a sample). The reason is this: If bees have access to both sides of the closed ends, they will gum tiiem togeth- er that much harder. To make closed -end frames readily movable, the bees should have access to the cracks between the uprights on x\\(' hisidc only. Your frame-rest for the bottom-board might do: but isn't it too much I'igging'.'J ABOUT CLOSED-END FRAMES. TIIEIi; XTSE IN A TIGHT-FITTING CASK. IIEDDON. NKW? Near the close of the honey season of 1878 or "79, while taking sections of honey out of a super that held a single row of sections like one apartment of Moore's crate, it occurred to me that brood-frames could be constructed to tit in a hive in the same way. In a few weeks after I first thought of such a hive. I constr'ucted one with closed-end frames, and with the ends of the frames fitting against thi' ends of the hive. In the fall of 1879 a hive of this kind was ex- hibited at the Smithtield fair: and in the next spring, about a dozen hives of that kind were made and sold. I had used closed -end frames prior to the construction of this hive, but they did not fit against the ends of the hive, and they were used for the extractor only. Starting with one hive in 1880 I have added to tlie number occasionally till I have probably more than 2(1 of that kind in use now. I prefer that the ends of the frames shall not exceed a scant yV i"ch in thickness. That thickness is all that is required for strength; and the thin- ner the ends, the less trouble there is in the way of pinching bees between the edges when frames are replaced in the hive. It is important that the frames shall have very little "end shake." When a part or all of the frames are taken out of the hive, bees will crawl uj) on the end of the hive; and, in re- placing the frames, if there is as much as fs or i^B end shake, some of the bees will be caught and rolled in between the end of the frame and the end of the hive. If the frames have not more than i^,;, I prefer ^V P"d shake. The bees will be shoved out of the way, and, with a little care, the hive can be closed without crushing bees. By using wire nails, and nailing through the thin ends into the tops and bottoms, we have a good, cheap, invertible frame. The frames stand on a strip of wood nailed against the ends of the hive at the bottom, and the tops of the frames ai'e even with the top edge of the hive. In tiering up the strips on which the upper frames stand, cover the upper ends of the frames below. The entrance is at one side of the frames, and a follower is wedged against the other side of the frames, the bees being excluded from the space at the back of the fol- lower. In connection with a top-bar of proper width and thickness, this arrangement proba- bly reduces burr-combs and propolis to a mini- mum. R. M. Rkynoi,ds. E. Springfield, O., Feb. 10. P. S.— The details on first page ai'e important, for the reason that Heddon claims that his patent covers the close-fitting case. If you don't care to publish this, please return it. R. M. R. [ I am free to say, that Mr. Heddon is pro- gressive, and one of the few, I think, who are able to pick out the few good things in the rub- bish of bygone days. He was the first one to give me an insight into the possibilities result- ing from the use of fixed distances. But there are one or two things which I feel need correc- tion. If he is chiiniing broadly that he was the first one to suggest the use of closed-end frames in a tight-fitting case, he is gi'eatly mistaken. I have known foi' some time that he was not a prior user of this combination. I found one place where it had been used in York State foi' a good many yeais. and I heard all around that it was an old idea. Mr. R. M. Reynolds, of East Springfield. C)., whose letter appears above, gives us amplt> proof of the oldness of the idea. The two things— closed-end frames and tight- fitting cases— are so suggestive of the combina- tion that it would be strange if it were not originated years and years ago. I have no doubt that this letter "will call forth similar ones from others: but I have no disposition to stir up controversy, only that credit should fall where it is due. That no one may accuse me of hiding behind the editorial wc, 1 come out un- der the singular form of the pronoun, and sign mvself E. R. R.f BEE-DRESS FOR LADIES. TIIOSK DOOLITTLE CEIJ.-CUPS. AGAIN. Since writing about aprons -I have found a very pretty pattern for my bed-ticking aprons. I send you a picture of it. Y"ou need not smile. Even a bed-ticking apron will look much better if made up neatly than if fashioned after a clumsy pattern. I like to look neat, even when taking care of bees. Don't laugh, Mr. Root; I really do, although 1 had reached such a dilap- idated condition the day you visited our apiary. Front View— .3G9(;. Back View— 3(39(). A V^'ORK-APRON FOIi THE APIARY. While talking about dress I would suggest that ladies working with bees make their work- dresses with perfectly straight, plain skirts, and just as light as possible — no unnecessary cloth and no lining. I don't know of any thing more exhausting than heavy skirts. I never admired blouse waists; but last sum- mer some of my waists gave out in the very busy season and I made me a blouse, more be- 1<)2 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Ma J!. 1. fa use it was quickly and easily made than for any other reason. I found it so very cool and comfortable that I made several and "wore them tiie rest of tiie season. They are very easily laundried, which is quite an item, so you can afford a clean one evei-y day if necessary. I do not imagine they would be very becoming to stout people: biit for slender ladies they do verv well. At least, try one and see how yo\i like it. I nearly always wear a worsted skirt of some kind with mine, having it made perfectly plain, without lining, Hnished at the bottom with a deep hem. Then they can be laundried if nec- essary: but you will find they do not need it very often if made of some good serviceable color. If you get a spot or two of honey on. just sponge them off, and it is all right. I find the blouse waists very economical, as I can wear out so many old di'esses in that way. I am very anxious to know why we failed with Mr. Doolittle's artificial cups, t can hardly think it was because we did not handle the lar- va? carefully enough, for Dr. Miller has success- fully practiced for years the transferring of larvie to queen-cells of the bees' own making, when he wished them to rear from imported stock. We tried as many as five colonies at a time, giving to each from ten to twelve cups, after they had been made queenless and broodless for 24 hoiirs. The only two we did succeed with were reared over a qneen-e.xclnder. with a good laying queen below. We tried to follow direc- tions minutely, and they certainly did look nice enough, when ready for the hive, for the most fastidious bees to use. But for some rea- son they preferred not to use them. These same bees started cells quite readily on the Alley plan. Now, I have an idea that it was either the cups or the royal jelly that was not quite right: but what the ti'onble was, I am sure I don't know. We used tiie jelly from cells nearly ready to seal, and carefully stirred it with a toothpick as directed, being very careful to get about the amount in each cell that is giv- en in Mr. Dooli tile's book. The cells were carefully prepaicd according to directions; still, there may have been something about them not quite right. It sometimes takes very little to throw things all wrong. I never for an instant doubted that Mr. Doolittle made a perfect suc- cess of it. The thing that bothered me was that we couldn't, and we did try hard too. Marengo, 111., Feb. 3. Emma Wilson. [The picture which Miss Wilson sends us was taken from J}utterick"s Delineator; and as it seems to be just the thing, wt^ are glad to re- engrave it. Any lady who desires to make it needs only to call for uattern No. 3(596, at any of the stores when^ Butterick's patterns are sold. If they can not beobtain(>d in your village, write to the Butterick Pub'g Co.. New York. The price will be only nominal. We shall be glad to have our lady bee-keepers try it, and report what they think of it. The apron provides for no sleeves, it is true; but I believe it is more convenient to have detachable sleeves— if this is what you call them— as described by Miss Wil- son ina former article, page 10, Jan. 1. No, Miss Wilson, we will not make fun of you. even if you do make an apron of bed-ticking, of such a neat pattern. Those large pockets will be very handy for small tools, bee-brushes, handkerchiefs, etc. In regard to those artificial cell-cups, we shall be glad to hear from those who have made them a, success; and perhaps by discussing the matter a little, we shall find where the ti'ouble lies with some of us. Even our boys here at the Home of the Honey-bees were not entirely successful with them.] THE HUBBARD SECTION-FORMER. -VX EXCEI-I.KXT DEVK K. A few days ago we received a letter from Mr. G. K. Hubbard, of Ft. Wayne, Ind.. to the ef- fect that he had sent us one of his section- formers by express, prepaid. He also expressed the conviction that we would be well pleased with it, and desired us to give it a thorougli and most careful trial. The machine came to hand, and subsequent testing showed that Mr. H. was not far from right. HUBHAHD S SECTION -FOKMEK. The engraving shows the manner of operat- ing the device. The operatoi' should have an empty basket on his light-hand side: and on a stool at the left should be placed a box of sec- tions ready to be folded. Both basket and box should be near at hand, so that all unnecessary reaching may be avoided. To opei'ate. pick up a section, draw the two ends together, insert it in the section-former, and with a quick, gentle push, against the bridge, as it were, the corners will be crowded together quickly, easily, and neatly. Throw the section into the basket, and pick up another blank from the basket. The levers are so long that but very little power is required: and we find, by operating it in our establishment, that it is the best and easiest machine we have ever used: and, besides, it does the nicest work. Why. it is such a pretty thing to operate that I could not resist the temptation to fold up half a box of sections, just for the fun of the thing. The machine is so constructed that it is adjustable, so as to be made to squeeze the sections hard or easy. P''or particulars, apply to Mr. Hubbard, as above, or it can be obtained of us. See Special Notices. E. R. R. 1801 GLEAXIXGS IX BEE CULTURE. 163 HOW TO BE YOUR OWN CARPENTER, ETC. DK. MILLEK GIVES UK .SOME VALVABLE THOUGHTS IX THIS LINE. I like the '• Practical Hints " on page 20. May I say sometliing in the same line? Eriend Root says, " Put a ten-cent knife in each pocket." Of course, lie means in one of the pockets of each pair of pants, so that, if you forget to change when you cliange youi- suit, you will not find youseif without a knife. It may seem a little thing to quarrel about ."> cts. in the price of a knife, but I never saw a ten-cent knife that was satisfactory. I generally liave two or three of the tiftcM'u-cent Karlow knives, and you can keep on them an edge as keen as a razor. The only trouble is. they ai'e so high-tempered that, if you are not careful, you will break nicks out of' the edge in wiiittling hard wood. As they have only one blade. I carry another knife for its small blades. "Almost any sort of saw will do if you keep it in order." Yes, 'Mf you keep it in order." But the trouble is, every "sort of saw can't be kept in ordei-. I i)aid a dollar for a saw that isn't worth a dime — so soft you can't keep it sharp. It's economy to get good tools. "A sharp leadpencil in each pocket.'' It may be tolerably shai'|) just at the point, but you can't carry in youi' pocket a jvucil with any thing but a very siiort ijoint. If you do. it will break off'. "Xever saw a board off without a mark made with your ti-y-square." I think that hardly means to use a try-sijuare on a board a foot wide. The carpenter's square for that. Driving nails is so important a part of a bee- keeper's work that it is woi'th while to say a good deal about the minutia?. I have had much expei'ience in it. and yet I suspect there DK. MIELEK S >'AII,-BOX. is much for me to learn yet. I'd like to tind a good book on diiving nails. Friend Root speaks of a hammer that suits you. and an assortment of nails. I'm sure he'll tell you that you need an assortment of hammers just as well as an assortment of nails. A hammer tit for a six- inch spike would be a poor tiling to drive a half-inch nail: and a hammer just right for a half-inch nail wouldn't drive a spike at all. An adze-eye hammer is the cheapest in the long run. So is a good- priced hammer. A cheap hammer with a soft face is a nuisance. In a little while it is all battered up and one-sided. Have your nails where you can pick tiiem uy) handily. Don't try to use them out of the pa- per in which you bought them. If I am doing a long job of nailing, I like a saucer to hold them. For very small nails a plate is good, having on it rather few nails, so that they will lie scattered so as to be easily picked up singly. Sometimes I am doing a long job of nailing, having no convenient place to put my nails without danger of tipping them over, and a lot of spilled nails is somewhat trying on the tem- per. In such case I often use the cover of a large blacking-lx)x. Drive a % nail down through the blacking-box cover, so as to hold it tirmly in its place, even if it stands on the edge of an inch board. But for a regular place to J<;eep my nails I have a set of nail-boxes hung on the wall. I got the idea from seeing some metal ones in a tin-shop. I put nails in the wall to hang them regularly upon, beginning at ^^, H, %, and so on. I am sorry to say. that so many have been handling them that they are not all now in their places. Mine are made of wood, just such as I had most handy. They can be varied in any way. but the general principle, I think, you will like. Mine are made of i^'-inch stuff, division-boards of Heddon supers. 1 piece I()i,;x4i4. 2 pieces S.xifi. 1 piece 4^x414. 1 piece 4%x3. 1 piece ifiiXV^. Xail the two pieces that are alike on the long piece, letting them come ilush at one end. then on that end nail the largest piece that is left. At that same end. nail on the ])iece three inches wide, and at theoth(>rend nail on the remain- ing piece, letting it come close against the long piece. I used ^^-inch wire nails to make them, putting them in about H of an inch apart. Then whittle out the sides where nothing is nailed on them, and make a hoh^ in the project- ing end of the long board, by which to hang it on a nail on the wall. It is always ready for immediate use. All you have to do is to take it from the wall, and lay it on the long side, giv- ing it a shake to bring some of the nails down on the bottom (or back). If you have a lot of stuff cut ready to nail to- gether, the sooner it is nailed the better. The ends dry out. and then it will split in nailing. I once had such a lot of stuff that had lain a year or more, and. no matter how careful I might be. it would split in nailing. I then got a tub of water, soaked the ends threi' or four hours, and had no trouble. Of cour.se. all the ends had to be .soaked aliki> or they would not fit. If a nail needs to be straightened a little in driving, do it with the claw of the hammer. If you have any difficulty in driving straight enough so that nails will not come out at the side of your board, let the board have its edge towaj'dyou. Tlie eye will detect any variation from side to side, but will not easily tell if the head of the nail bends to or from you. Marengo, 111.. Jan. 6. C. C. Miller. [Well, well, doctor! who would have thought that you knew so much about driving nails, and making things? Why, I always supposed that you kind o' stood around and let other folks do the work— at least, when it came to nice carpentering. Why didn't you show me those nice nail-boxes? Who in the world studied up that idea of tipping the nail-box over on its back (like laying the baby on the tlooi', for instance) so the nails would scatter down, one at a time, and not prick your fingers? I am sure you might have that nail-box pat- ented. X'ow, doctor, the ten-cent knives that I talked about have exactly the same steel in them that the tifteen-cent Barlow does. You 1«4 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Mar. 1. are just like ever so many bee-keepers. The Barlow knife is your hohhy, and therefore you have got it into your head that no other knife will even whittle. Never mind: it is not a very bad hobby, after all. In regard to saws, I do not think I ever had one that would not do good work if it were properly filed and set. It may be. however, that hard seasoned wood like oak might turn the teeth of a soft-tempered saw. Carry an automatic pencil, of coui'se, and just slip the sharp point back into the tube when not in use. Your hints on driving nails all comnumd themselves to good common sense. Why, doctor, you have told me a good many things that even I did not know before. Isn't that wonderful? Your suggestion as to the cause of the wood splitting when the nail is driven near the end is also new to me. Noth- ing vexes me much more than to see wood split in nailing; and yet I have sometimes thought that there was no help for it except to get the bradawl, and you coolly inform us that we can have a perfect remedy by soaking the ends well in water. I presume you forget, doc- tor, that our price list pictures a nice assort- ment of hammers, all the way from one small enough to drive a common pin its whole length into a pine board, up to the size of one that will drive a forty-penny wire nail.] not project. The shells, or rims, are pushed into sawdust around the bottom -boards. They are working nicely so far, as also are the 28 in the dead-air-space shells.] HILTON'S LETTER. STILL ANOTHER OUTSIDE CASE. now IT IS MADE, AND ITS SUC'CKSS. How to convert the Dovetailed hive into a chaff hive quickly and cheaply: Make the bot- tom-board U)x3.5, so it will project 2}u inches on all sides. Now make a box 19x3.5 one foot high, without top or bottom, of half-inch lumber. Take off the summer covei'. but leave on the honey-board. It is better than a Hill device, for it excludes mice. Spread a piece of burlap over the top: set this outside rim around the hive, and there is- a space of just 2 inches be- tween the walls all around for the chaft'. Of course, a bridge should be fixed at the entrance so the bees can come out and fiy. Foi' a cover, use the gable cover and you have a hive that is cheap yet handy. I do not go into details, becaus(> it is not ne- cessary. Tiie average bee-keeper is intelligent enough to mak(! them to his own fancy. I have packed bees this way for three winters, and have yet to lose a colony; while those I win- tered in the cellar would die in midwinter, or spring dwindle if they happened to pull through. It is less work to \n\.vk them in the fall than it is to carry them into the cellar and o>it again, and then pack them for spring protection. They will eat more honey out of doors than in the cellar, but they are stronger, more energetic, and will gather enough more the following sea- son to more than pay for extra food used in wintering. Sti'ong colonies, ripe honey, chaff packing, and upward ventilation, constitute successful outdoor wintering in my locality. UESULT OF THE SEASON. I had eleven colonies, spring count: 2:: by natui'al swarming. I obtaiinHl 200 lbs. of comb honey, 400 lbs. extracted. All the bees are in splendid shai)e for winter. Although I had less than half a croj), I feel moir like ri'joiciiic; tium complaining, cunsidi'ring tlie utter failure of othei's. Captured 7 first and 0 s(;cond premiums atourcountv fair— $12.00. H. L. Hin-fniNsoN. Mayville. Mich., Jan. 24. [Last fall we put about a dozen colonies, ])ack(d almost exactly in llie way ycu do^clite with the exception that the bottom-board does WHAT! SAW AND IIEAKD IN OKAND TRAVERSE COUNTY. Bro. Root: — I think while we were at Detroit you said you wished I would write up my visit •• up north." Well, after looking over the en- terprising town of Traverse City I wended my way down that historical peninsula now known as Peninsula Township. This wonderful piece of God's footstool is eighteen miles long, and will average perhaps one mile wide. There is but one road, and this runs in a romantic way, now on the ridge overlooking two of the most beautiful bays I ever saw, tlie water being so cleaj' that you can see the bottom at a depth of twenty feet: then we are driving along close to the water's edge, or, if you please, in the water, for the shores are so shallow and pebbly that you can drive almost anywhere. At the extreme point is what is known in history as "Old Mission." It is now one of the finest fruit-farms in the State, and has recently been sold for a fabulous price. The whole peninsula is fast l)('coming one of the finest fruit and hon- ey belts in this grand State of ours. One pecul- iar feature to me was, that, the further down the peninsula you go, the heavier the timber and soil become. My first stop was about two and a half miles from the city where lives our genial friend J. P. B(>rg. He has a bright family, consisting of a wife and five children. I found them all as busy as beavers, and I came away convinced that they would never rust out, either in things pertaining to this world or the next. Friend Berg has about forty acres devoted to fruits of every kind adapted to his climate and soil. Space will not permit me to enumerate them here. He also has about 7.') colonies of bees. About half of th(>se are in single-walled hives, in the finest cellar foi' the puipose I ever saw. 'The rest are in chaff hives on summer stands: but he informed me he wt)uld (eventually put all into chaff' hives, as they wintered better, and were strong earlier in the spring. With the short seasons they have there it is absolutely necessary to have them strong at the beginning of the honey-Mow. Mr. Berg has a numbei- of your Dovetailed hives, and thinks that, as a single-walled hive, they stand at the head. THE IIO.ME OF MK. BEKfi. At supper time I was asked to give thanks, and was both pleased and surprised, as soon as I said " amen," to hear the eldest daughter, then the next eldest, down id the little tot that could not talk plain, ask a blessing in their own language, German. I stayed with them two nights, and each morning was asked, after breakfast, to read. I selected from my favorite hook, L\ike, and occasionally stopped and talk- ed of the events ther(>in recorded, after w hich Bro. Berg offcn-ed a fervent and eloquent prayer. This was followed bv the children, as at the table. As friend Berg is a subscriber to Gleanings. and, if printed, this will come to his notice, I hope he will not feel that 1 am intruding upon the sanctity of his home. Would to (Joel there wei'e more suchl In the morning. '"old (Jrey,'" a noble aninuil, was brought to the door before the fruit-wagon, and I was started on my journey down the pen- insula. My next stop was at Mrs. N. H. John- 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 165 ston's. She has, I think, about 60 colonies of bees in single-walled hives, and they were all snugly tucked away in the cellar. I understood her bees were blacks and hybrids: but she as- sured me the greater part of her honey came from red clover, and that her bees would leave the white clover for the red. After a pleasant visit here I journeyed on to Mr. Wm. J. C. Davis' home. This is about twelve miles down the peninsula, and situated on the shores of the south bay. IMr. Davis has recently moved from Wexford County: has fif- teen colonies of bees, and shows his preference for Italian bees and chaff hives. Tliey insisted on my staying to dinner, and here for the first time I ate red-clover honey gathered by the hon- ey-bee. I have robbed bumble-bees' nests. Mr. Davis fully confii'med all Mrs. Johnston said in regard to the bees working on red clover. He is an intelligent, well-read man, and he assured me the floweret of the clover grows shorter there than further south, making it possible for any bee to work upon it. Mr. Davis is well protected by high hills on the east, west, and north, and is fast getting his farm into fruit. His place is especially adapted to early gardening, with no tear of drouth, as he can turn a spring brook across the place almost anywhere. There are many strange and wonderful things on and around this peculiar strip of land, that I should like to talk about, but space forbids. Perhaps I can at another time. On one little spot out in the north bay lives the Robinson Crusoe of Michigan. The land is not located on the maps, consequently he pays no taxes, and can not vote. His history as it comes to me is an interesting one. I should have very much liked to visit him and several others who keep hees on the peninsula, but my time would not pi'i'init. But I am going again some time, and in the summei' if possible, for it must b(^ a vi'ritable paradise then. (iKo. PI Hii/roN. Fremont. Mich.. .Ian. :.'3. [Friend H.. we are very much interested in that wonderful peninsula: and it rejoices our heai'ts to know of all such Christian homes as you describe. And. by the way. we want to know more about the Robinson Crusoe of the State of INIiohigan. There ar(> (jnite a f(>w of us who have not yet forgotten theenthuiasm witii wliicli we lead the real Robinson Crusoe. | DEAD-AIl! Sl'ACE FOli KEFKIGERATORS. You have no doubt observed the double glass in some of the coach windows, and that no frost will form on such double-glass windows, and it is the same with the thin wooden walls. I have also made a few small refrigerators with thin walls with several spaces of about ^.j inch, made by using building-paper, and I find that a given quantity of ice will keep as long as in any packed walls of even double the tiiickness. I have also observed, in brick walls of dwell- ings, where the walls were laid up with a hol- low wall, or a space of about two inches, with just suthcient tie-brick to keep the two walls se- ciu'e, that the walls are drier in wet weather, cooler in hot. and warmei- in cold weather, showing, beyond a practical doubt, that dead- air is a better non-conductor of cold, heat, and moisture, than any packing that we can prac- tically use, and certainly it is the cheapest. CARKYING POLLEN IN FLORIDA. __ Our bees have been busy most of the time since Christmas carrying pollen and honey from the maple, which is in bloom. It lasts here usually about six weeks, and starts the bees to breeding very nicely. The willow comes in about the first of February, and will reach to orange bloom in March. This is a very favorable location for bee-keeping along the St. John's River. We have had considera- ble cold this winter, with some frosts, but none severe enough to damage the orange-trees or the fruit on the triH's. THE fOXTEMPLATEl) U. S. EXPERIMENT STA- TION FOR THE SOUTH. It appear.-; from reports sent out that the U. S. entomologist contemplates establishing an apiciiltui'al exp(>riment station somewhere in the South. It would be a great help to Southern bee culture, as we ar(^ left almost alone here to work out our own destiny, and that of our bees. We are unable to make experiments alone. Here in South Florida are vast fields of re-, search, open for the experimenter. The season is much longer here for such work as breeding and the crossing of the races, and early enough to rear queens and send north to test as to their good qualities: and. further, there could be ])laces where the dift'erent races could be reared in absolute purity, as here are many islands around the coast of 1:300 miles where their isola- tion would be absolute. J. Crayckaft. Aster Park. Fla., Jan. 17. AIR-SPACE VS. PACKING. KXI'KUl.MKNTS. with THE RESULT IN F.^VOK OF THE AIR-SI'Af'E. I made and used chatf and double-walled hives for several years in Southern Indiana. I nuule the best chaff-packed hives with three to lour inch packing of oat chalT. aiul made sonu' with dead-air spaces of the same spaces, and I found that bees did as well in the air- spaced hives asin the chaff-filled ones: and. fur- ther, in damp weather the air-spaced ones were the fliyest. and emitted no damp or moldy smell. They wei-e all furnished with tin roofs, well painted, and the walls of all wiu-e well painted witli white lead and oil. Subse(|uently I reduced the air-si>ace to two inches, using a partition ol building-pa])er, making two si)aces of one inch each, which I found did better than either of the othei's. I came south to Florida, and did no more in experimenting with the make of hives until lately, when 1 have been experimenting simie again with double-walled hives here, and I find them very profitable even in this climate. [Friend C, I am very well aware that double panes of glass, especially if the glass is puttied in. will make an air-space that is better than if the space were filled with chaff — or just as good at least. A hollow wall made of bricks and mortar is right in the same line. It is practically air-tight. The air can not change places with that on the outside. I suppose a bee-liive could be made out of lumber, with a dead-ail- space nearly air-tight. But if you use boards wid(^ enough for the side of a hive, they will be ([uite sure to check, sooner or later. Then the frost gets through, and the air inside circulates with that outside, so the tempera- tui-e is about th(^ same. With our chaff hive, as I have so many times said, we prefer the walls made of narrow strips, somewhat corn- crib fashion. This is to admit moisture to pass out freely, just in the same way the old-fash- ioned straw hive permits the moisture from the bees to work througii. and just as woolen cloth- ing lets the perspiration from our bodies get through. Butwitiiout tlm chaff packing, the air, moisture, and every thing else would get through altoget.lier too fast. Now, by filling this space with loose dry chafT. air can still get 166 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Mak. 1. through, but very slowly, just as it gets through the woolen clothing on our bodies, through the fur of animals, the sawdust used in an ice- house, etc. Now, if we can make hives with dead-air spaces so as to answer just as well as chaiif, will they not cost more money? and at the same time do we not lose this desirable quality in a bee-hive that we have in the old- fashioned straw bee-hive, and all porous non- conductors of heat, such as I have described? If an ordinary chaff hive will winter bees, and enable them to breed up in the spring during a series of years just as well wWt the chaff left out as with it in. then there is no use of putting chaff in any longer. May be we had bettei' ask the experiment stations to institute some tests. Here is a point for friend Larrabee and Prof. Cook.] A. I. R. THE BEE-KEEPERS' UNION. SHALL IT HE UNITED WITH THK N. A. IJ. K. A.? As a member of the Bee-keepers' Union, I say no. The two associations don't belong togeth- er. The N. A. B. K. A. is composed for the most part of annual members who join when the association happens to meet in their neigh- Ijorhood. There ai'e a few who go every year, but the number is very small in comparison to the number that belong to the Bee-keepers' Union, and the latter has not one-tenth part of the members that it should have. I don't see why it is that .so few bee-keepers ai'e willing to join, when the Union has done .so much to de- fend our rights. Every bee-keeper in America is benefited by the Union. Then why not join and help the good work? Just put in one dol- lar a year, and be in a position so that, if you get into trouble, you can call on the Union to help you to defend your rights. There is a great deal of prejudice and super- stition about bees, and many think that the bee-keeper is stealing his living from other people's property. They claim the bees have no right to come on their land to gather honey. The land is theirs, the crop is theii's, the honey is theirs, and we have no business to letour beesgo on to their land to gather honey. If the bees take the honey, the pasture is not as good, or the hay has lost a valuable part of its nutri- ment if the bees take the honey out. Some men kick because the buckwheat failed. They say the bees blasted it by taking the honey; others say the bees have sijoiled the apple crop. Some say the bees injure the corn crop by working on the tassels to gather pollen, and there are a great many other things that I hear advanced every year — just such nonsense about something in connection with the bees. Now, let one of those supertitious men get mad at you. He wants to spite you somehow, he doesn't care how. If he thinks there is a pos- sible show for him to make a case he will sue you for damage done him by your bees. All there was to the Freeborn case was spite and ignorance. The man claimed that Freeborn's bees worked on his clover, and kept his sheep away so the sheep became poor, and died the next winter in consequence. This was the first case that the Union had to deal with, and was thrown out of court, giving the Union its first victory. The Union has had several cases since then, all victorious. If you join the Union, you are entitled to help in case you ai'e sued by any of these ignorant chaps. We ought to have 5000 members; then we should have a sum in the treasury that would command respect. Now is a good time to join. Commence with the year. Send your dollar to Mr. T. G. Newman, ;.'46 Madison Street. Chicago, and become a mem- ber of the Union. Do it now. before you forget it. In union there is strength. A man may be a bee-keeper and be a poor man. Now, you see some of his spiteful neighbors may take a no- tion to pitch into him. knowing he is poor, just to annoy him and make him expense. But if they knew he belonged to the Union, and he had an army of bee-men to fight the battle with him, they would let him alone. Thei'e have already been several threatenings hushed up because the bee-keepers' enemy had to look the Bee-keepers' Union in the face. About the N. A. B. K. A.. I think it is a good institution. I am sorry that I have not been able to attend the meetings. But it costs mon- ey to go. and this year money was scarce with us. About a dozen of us tried to get cheaper rates on the railroad, but failed, and so did not go. Next year it is away down in Albany, and, of course, but fcuv from these parts will be there, and so it goes skipping about from one place to another, all ovei- the continent. Well, that is all riglit. The very name of the asso- ciation calls for its moving about from place to place. But, no matter where the meetings are held, we can all get the proceedings in printed form, and I value these very highly. But un- less we attend we miss the social part of the meeting, and the social part would be a big treat to me. But I don't .see how we can mix these two institutions together. They are very different. The Bee-keepers" Union doesn't have to meet anywhere to carry on its business. We pay our dues, and elect the officers by ballot. All is done through the mail. I don't see how the Union could be benefited by a union with the N. A. B. K. A. Will Dr. Miller, or some other one who advocates the plan, explain ? HONEY-rAC'KAGES FOR EXTRACTED HONEY. In Feb. 1st Gleanings, page 96, Messrs. Hil- dreth Bros. »*t Segeiken recommend kegs, half- barrels, and baiTels, except California, and I don't see why California should be an exception. The editor says, in his remarks, that square cans must be used in California because the climate there will shrink the wooden packages. In fact, kegs would be utterly useless with them. With the experience that I have had with kegs and barrels. I am positively of the opinion that it is a mistake thatCalifornians can not use kegs or barrels for honey. If the bar- rels are made from perfectly seasoned white oak, or some other timber as good, no soft tim- ber, and hooped with heavy iron hoops, then season the barrels six months in an upper story of some good weather - tigiit building, then drive the hoops, and see that the barrel is tight, air-tight (don't ])ut any water into it), you are all right. Now. if your barrel is air-tight you can easily find it out by blowing into it with your mouth through the vent-hole. Blow in all the air you possibly can. and then slip your finger overthe vent and hold it thei'e tightfor a minute or two; then take off the finger. If the barrel is tight, the air will come out whistling. You can put honey in that barrel in California, and ship it or keep it as long as you please. I don't think white-oak timber will give honey any bad taste. I have used it for :.'0 years or more, and have never heard any complaint. Ash timber is not fit for honey-packages. The honey will work through the grain of the timber. I have tried pine and basswood timber for honey packages, but I don't like either. There is nothing that suits me as well as good heavy white oak, with heavy iron hoops. I don't like the <)0-lb. tin cans. I got ten pairs of them a few years ago. and have some of them yet. Two years ago I filled .some of them with honey. They had to be filled full to hold the 60 pounds. Then I had some of them the next winter, and 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 167 wanted to g I'aised a voice of disagr<'<'ment. and claimed the ;tfj-hour limit. 1891 GLEANINCrS IN BEE CULTURE. 16<) I tliprefori^ found that, as far as practice is concerned, the large majority were on or close to the egg plan: and the reason advocated was that the larv* should early receive an abun- dance of food. The abudance of food is a very good thing to advocate: but u|)on this point I would giv(^ l)ut very little for an opinion or an investigation that goes no f\u'tiiei' than the un- aided eye can I'each. Upon turning to our standard te.xt-books 1 found this visible abun- dance prominently treated upon with more oi- less modifying points brought out by closei- re- searclies. I also found two divergent lines of belief. The lii'st class of writei's would lead us to believe that es)jecial royal jelly is given to larv;c desig- nated to be queens frotii the very iirst moment of hatching. Class No. :.' advocates that all larv;e are fed alike until ;i() ho\irs old, and that a coarsej' food is given to the lai'v;e destined to become woi-kei's. As to whicii of these twt) classes is right, is. perhaps, beyond the leach of any one to definitely decide, until further re- seai'ches aie made: but we can quote opinions anri tests as far as nuuie. and find indications tluit point toward c<'rlaiu I'esults. When the investigator considers the wonder- ful changes that ai'e etfected. or. as Prof. Cook says, the "marvelous transfoi'ination — ovaries developed and tilled with eggs: mouth organs; tlie \^•ings: the legs: the sting — aye. even the size, foi'm. and habits, all are marvelously changed,'" — that all this change has Iwen wi'ought with nu^rely an abundance of food, or a day's feeding, this." 1 say. is not a Sf tisfactory explanation to him. and we find him studying the bee structurally. oi)ening up to us a laby- rinth of wonders which has been traced but a short distance toward its most intricat(^ secrets. Cheshire (piite conclusively shows that larval food, or, at least, a portion of it, is a secretion from the lower or head gland, and that this food luis the singular power of developing the generative faculty: but he is silent as to its chemical qualities. We now turn to Cook, and tind. on pages 89 and 117, Dr. A. de Planta quoted as showing from cliemical tests that this royal jelly is dif- ferent from the food of both the worker and drone larv;e. If the I'oyal food is different, as also hinted by otlier writers, wlien is it given to the larvie? Doolittle. in class No. 2, says, after 36 hours; Cheshire, wliile substantially agreeing with this elass. says, on page L'8'.t, Vol. :.', "The fact thai ([ueens are started from the egg in normal queen-cells is suggestive: but in addition it is noticeable that the amount of food given in the queen-cup (exceeds that supplied to a woi'ker, even in th(> initial steps." And on page :J90. "The laivie should be intended by the nurses for a queen tVom the beginning.'" Cook, A H C, and Alley, all stand in class No. 1. and would agree with the above quotation. I, however, lind that JNIr. Alley, who has been the most strenuous advocate of rearing queens from the egg. is tending toward class No. 2; for on page 171. last volume of the Apl.^hc. says, " When eggs are placcul in a qu(H'nless eolony, the bees will nf)t in all cases immediately commence to feed the larva for a queen."' We also tind Langstroth's Revised standing with class No. '.'. As the case now stands, I find that class No. 1 ar(! in the majority, both in tlieory and in practice; but I also tind strong evidence that all classes arc? not satislied vvitli the investiga- tions thus far, and would like still furth<'r ligiit. Tluit good queens can be reared by both classes is a fact not to be controverted: and I think queen-breeders of every name and nature can show a long list of testimonials. lint the question ever recurs, Are we rearing the best type of (pieens? and if not, how shall we do it? The question can be answei-ed only by a more searching investigation with the microscope than has heretofoi'e ever becm made. If we consult Cheshire we tind the wonderful head gland No. I. while fully developed in the woi'ker, is only rudinuuitary, if at all, in the queen: but I (puite: "It is peculiarly im- ])ortant to observe, that the higher the quality of the (lueen the further will she be removed from the worker in this matter — poor ciueens, huriiedly raised, really possessing this gland in an extivmely rudimentary form, while those with the largest ovaries have (wen the plate impei'forate. and no trace of a duct is discover- able." To the microscopist we must therefore turn for aid. If this duct is entirely absent in (jueens reai'ed from larvie 36 or 7"^ hours old, then they are good enough. A seiies of close e\aiuinations would certainly teach us at what age to select larvie for queen- rearing, whicli would be infinitely better than tlie pi-esent guesswork. Let us employ the mici'oscopist. Rambi.kr. DO^WN BRAKES 1 I,. C. AXTI^;i.I. .\(iAl\ ON f'LOSED-KXI) FliA>yiS. Extremes exist in almost every thing, and I am not sure but we hear of as numy who go to extremes in apicultuic as in any other inu'suit. I do not wish to belong to that class, and I real- ly do not think I do. I notice in Gleanings that A. I. Root is wliistllng "down brakes" in regard to changing brood-frames: and from let- ters I have received relating to this topic since mv article was printed in (iLKAXiNCis on that subject, I am led to think he is right, and that there is danger that some may be led astray at the present time by what is said in the journals. In the Iirst ijlace, I wish it clearly understood that I do not go back on what was said in my article on closed-end frames, and I firmly believe they have all the advantages claimed for them, and more might be said in their favor. Still, I do not think it would be wise for evei-y person who keeps bees to drop every other fr'ame. Those who are keei)ing but a few colonies of bees, as a general rule had better retain the frame thev have in use, whether it be the clos- ed-end or hanging frame, for the reason there would be so little ditference in the amount of honey stt)re(l. Such as have the tinn-. ample means, and a desire to experiment, let such test both kinds of frames, and give to others the re- sult of their experience. But to all who are fully in the business as a pursuit, having either style ot frame, and but one kind. I would say, (/o slow in indhiiKj tiinj rlutiKjr. at least un- til making a careful test. If only a part were changed, there would be the continual annoy- ance of two kinds— such an annoyance as I could not think of enduring. Hut in making an entire change In one or more large ajjiaries, it would involve a heavy expense. This, some could not meet without being involved in debt, while toothers the loss in money would be more than all that ever would be gained in time sav- ed or convenience. Then, again, after using for years one method and one set of implements, ev<'n though the new were much sui)erior, for a time at least they would be less wieldy and not satisfactory, and probably a wish nuiily tinu's that they had iu)t made the change would be the result. Hut to such as are beginners, and contemplate tnaking bee-keeping a business pursuit.th is point of closed-end brood-frames should, along with many other points pertaining to the puisuit. re- ceive careful consideration and then be tested. 170 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Mai:. 1. Nothing short of an actual test should satisfy. Obtaining the real hives with all that pertains to them, place them side by side in the apiary, put equally strong colonies in the difterent kinds: in tliis way, after a suitable length of time, each could decide for himself what would suit him best. No supplies for sale. I do not make hives, nor keep supplies for sale. Please do not send to me for hives or frames for pat- terns. L. C. AXTEI.I.. Roseville, Warren Co., 111., Feb. l:^ [I am glad of your cautiou. It seems to be a fact. that, when the merits of a new thing or an old thing revised are discussed, some one — yes. perhaps a good many, will rush headlong into it. I have suggested the wisdom sevei'al times of going slow. Some one will say. " Keep out the discussion altogether." That would not do. It is the business of bee-journals to bi'ing up these things.] E. R. [Permit me to add my most emphatic emplui- sis to the excellent points you make, friend A.] A. I. R. GLOVES FOR BEE-KEEPERS. MRS. IIAURISOX GIVES US SOMK OF UKI! EX- PEKIEXCE. In Gi.EAXiXGs for Feb. 1. Emma Wilson re- quests those who have had experience with rubber gloves to tell how they like them. In the early days of my bee-keeping I asked a saleslady whom I knew, what kind of gloves they had. suitable for me to wear in an apiary. She placed before me a box of rubber gloves. saying, ■• Mrs. Harrison, this is exactly wluit you want — see how nicely they tit : just the thing for driving, and they will sweat your hands, i-emoving all tan. and make them so soft and white." I paid the modest sum of •'?1. "■.■>. and went home rejoicing, and told the Ix'es that I had gloves now that they could not sting through. The weather was very warm, and I pulled on my gloves with a deal of pomp and ceremony, and went to work with tlie bees. In a short time I realized that I was very uneomioi-table, and knew not why. I was very much interest- ed in my work, and paid little attention to my- self; and when I had tinislied I drew olf the gloves and found tiiem diip))ing wet. With a few times wearing they rotted out: and when I tried to mend them the stitches bi'oke out: and ever since, when I se(> tiiem advtM-tised by sup- ply-dealers. I feel like accusing them of fraud — they are a delusion and a snare. I then procui-ed the best-titting pair of buck- skin gloves, with gauntlets, that I could tiiid. and sewed denim on ihem and an elastic. which keeps them in i)iace. and bees from crawling inside. When these gloves get heavy with propolis I pick it off. whicii can be done easily with a little practice. When they wear through I mend them with soft leather cut from an old kid shoe. The wear all comes in the same place: and when th(> jjatches wear through, rip them off, pick off the propolis, mend up again, and they are good for another long season of wear. Whenevei- 1 work in the apiary without gloves I repent it: for if I am not stung, my hands ai'e stuck up with propolis. and under and around my fingei'-nails: ;inil u-^- ing soap to remove it discolors my hands, and makes them rough and uncomfortable. I had a friend who always wore linen mittens while working with bees, as bees do not sting through brown linen. I prefer gloves, and I would make them as a friend of mine did. She ripped up a pair of old gloves, for a pattern. Then she first cut out a pair from old muslin, sewed them up and tried them on. When she- had them to tit exactly, she used them for a pattern and cut out a pair from brown linen. She wore them for driving: they could be washed and boiled: and as she had several pairs she always drove from home with clean ones. Mrs. L. Harrison. Peoria. 111., Feb. 4. [O Mrs. H.! you have closed up your article, and did not t(dl us whether the rubber gloves took off all the tan or freckles, or not. How roulil you omit such an exceedingly important item? and who knows what a wonderful trade might have been worked up in rubber gloves if we could only have had a testimonial from you on this most exceedingly important point? May be I am mistaken, however, after all. Perhaps it was when I was a boy that our girls used to- be so exceedingly afraid of tan or freckles. Well, I hope so. If you will n'fer to our price list you will see thai we have continually, year after year, put in a protest. For some lime I refused to offer them for sale at all. feeling so sure they were not needed. Notwithstanding- this protest, however, there is (piite a large business in rubber gloves, indicating that they are found valuable for at least some purposes. The driving gloves. I know from personal ex- perience, are many times worth all they cost, where one is obliged to be out in cold wet storms: and since the matter has come up, I sho)ild be glad to have some brief testimonials from a great many, especially those who con- tinue to use rubl;er gloves when handling bees. For keeping off propolis it occurs to me that cheap cotton gloves might answer, and perhaps tli(»y could be bought so cheaply that we cau throw them away wlu^n they get badly soiled. If tiu> (juality will wairant, they might be washed in benzine and afterward in water, as you suggest in your closing paragraph. I never have bees sting my hands unless something oliliges me to handle them at a time when they ought not to be handled.] THE OHIO STATE BEE-KEEPERS' CONVEN- TION AT TOLEDO. -V FEW NOTES HY ERNEST. Very inifortunately, my note-book gives only a few and scattering memoranda of the pro- ceedings: and. moj-eovei-. oui- forenuin of tlu^ printing department says I must be brief, as our space is all tilled u|) alicady: and then he looked at the great pile of copy on the hook, not yet set up. Our friends of tiie convention will therefore please pai'don me if it is short. I am comi)elled therefore to omit a good deal. As soon as 1 airived at the convention room I inquired whether Hutchinson and Hasty were present, and I was answered by being presented to the gentlemen in question. It was a rare pleasure to me to meet the one wiio had in years gone by made such b(>autiful translations of VirgiTs treatise on bees, and one whos(» spicy writings never fail to give delight. As for Mr. Hutchinson, he is so full of enthusiasm and practical sense, that there were many things which I wished to talk to him about between sessions and at other times. He had betaken himself to an easy seat, and very evidently pro- posed to have a good time. At almost every convention he has ever attended, he has acted as reporter, but this time lie pi'opo.sed to be re- lieved. These were not the only bee-keepers I hoped to meet: but they were the ones I feared might not be i)resent. and whose presence we could 1891 GLEAXING8 IX BEE CULTURE. 171 not afford to lose. After we had had a pleasant little chat, Dr. Mason called the convention to order. We then listened to a spicily written paper by E. E. Hasty. I am unable to give the gist of it. because a summary would very in- adequately give a glimi)se of Hasty: but he showed very conclusively, from many instances, taken both from ancient and modern times, that honey is conducive to longevity. In the afternoon we listened to an address by President Mason. After welcoming the bee- keepers to the city of Toledo he called attention to the fact that Ohio bee-keepers should take some action in reference to the Columbian Fair at Chicago. He alluded to the scheme that ho had already made public, and published on page 58 of our issue for Jan. 15. He read a let- ter from J. W. Buchanan, chief of the Depart- ment of Agriculture at Chicago, in which the following questions were asked: 1. How many State associations will be rep- resented? :.'. To what extent will Canada be represented'.' 3. Should the entire exhibit in all its branches be installed in one deitartment? 4. If so, how many square feet of space will be I'equired? To which Dr. iSIason rei)lied in substance, by number: 1. From l:i to 15: p<'rhaps 20. 2. Largely. 3. Most certainly. I. From :.'5.0()() to 30,000 square feet. A committee was appointed to investigate the matter, and make recommendations, and this committee leported. later. adoi)tiiig the suggestions of the i)resident, and recommended Miss Dema Bennett as State superintendent, undei' the advice of Dr. A. B. Mason. A paper from Dr. C. C. ^Miller was next read, in regard to bee-laws. He called attention to the need of a few laws for bee-keepiMS, and re- ferred to some that had ah'eady been enacted in Germany, in the interest of bee-keepers, and suggested the wisdom of our having something similar. In the evening we listened to a paper on the subject of "How can honey-producers I'eacli the trade? or. do we need a Union ti'ade- mark?" by Miss Dema Bennett. The writer called attention to the importance of putting honey up in attractive packages, and exiiibited some neat flint-glass screw-top jelly-cans. She did not recommend extracting iioney from old combs, as it discolors the honi-y. Conil) honey should be sorted in three lots. It should be ap- propriately labeled, and i)ut in caitons. Put extracted up in tin iniils. Every woman has a use for them. For groceries, a variety of glass packages should b(> used. Don"t let glassed honey candy w hile on their hands, or somebody will call it castor oil: and don't allow the hon- ey to get to leaking. Furnish groci'rymen with photographs of your apiary, to show thein that the product is" produced honestly. As to a trade-mai'k, we do not need it. Some bee- keepei's would abuse its use. She recommend- ed an individual ti'ade-mark. Mr. Hains uses some fancy printed cards, and on these cards is an engraving of his home apiary. Consumers al- ways know that this honey is all O. K. In convention, thi' discussion that followed showed that there was a diclded feeling against a Union trade-mark. It would be of no advantage to the honest bee-keeper, and might work injury to bee-keepers as a class. J. B. Hains read an essay on spacing brood- frames, in relation to swarming. Mr. H. is the owner of from 5(X) to (i(K) colonies. He has them divided among some 13 dift'ei-ent out-apiaries. His experience favored closer spacing. It re- sulted In more surplus honey and brood. Wide spacing gave more honey in the brood-nest, but very little in surplus. THE ADVAXTAiiKS OF rSIXG FOUNDATION was the subject of a paper by W. Z. Hutchin- son. It presented fairly both sides of the case, and certainly no one can say that Mr. H. was prejudiced in favor of the non or unlimited use of foundation. With foundation, he said we secure perfect combs: and if the securing of perfect combs is not the first and chief advan- tage, it is the next thing to it. If such combs could not bf^ secured otherwise, it would pay to buy foundation at considerable expense rather than go without it. When he first wrote his little book he used empty frames of full Lang- stroth size in depth. The combs all grew at once, and he got good worker comb. In the Heddon hive, the i)lan does not work as well. At the conclusion of the paper J. B. Hains and others insisted on full sheets of foundation for brood combs. Mr. Hasty argued for the non or limited use. The subject of perforated zinc was discussed by volunteers. The opinion seemed to prevail that it was necessai-y in the production of ex- tracted honey, and some even urged it for comb honey; and this brought up the subject of UEK-ESCAPES. Dr. Mason used the Dibbern style, and con- sidered it a great boon to extracted-honey men. It did awav with brushing combs, and made extracting innch easier. In regard to perforat- ed zinc, he must have it, because he did not want brood in the upper story. He wanted to have his extracting combs full. In regaid to wooden queen-excluding boards. Mr. Hutchinson i-enuirked that he was probably the pioneer in theii' use. He said he had not discaided them because of the shrinkage of the wood, but because the bees would plug them full of wax. We was not of the opinion that those recently inti'oduced by the G. B. Lewis Co. would prov(» to b(^ a success, for that reason. Near the close of the convention we listened to the I'eport of the committee on statistics. It was ascertained that the average amount of honey secured by Ohio bee-keepers was ^'5 lbs. per colony. . Just before the close of the convention. J. \. Detwiler. foi'merlv of New Smyrna, Fla.. beg- ged leave to give the president of the conven- tion a rough stick of black mangrove wood fi'om Florida, and suggested that a good cane could be made of it. The remarkable thing about this wood was. that it was very heavy— so heavv. indeed, that it would not float on water. "iNIr. Detwiler requested that sonu^body be called ui)on to duly present the same to Dr. Mason. Some one called for Hasty. "What."" said he. '-right on the spot?" "Yes. y(>s.'" they said. Ml'. Hasty stepped back, secured the cane, came forward, and then stood before the president. I wish I could give you his exact words, for he seemed to speak almost as if by inspiration, although it was evident that he had not had time for preparation. Said he. as nearly as I can recollect. " I hold in my hand, doctor, a piec(i of wood. Like yourself, it is a diamond in the rough. It can be made useful and ornamental. I see some blemishes in it. We all have our blemishes. I observe that it is very heavy— a quality that is indicative of its solidity of character, and a quality that is not altogether lacking in our president." At the suggestion of Mr. Detwiler, that we take up a collection to finish up the cane. Mr. Hasty took out half a dollar, and several others did the same, and Mr. Eaton passed the hat to secure further collections. Dr. Mason then responded in a very neat lit- tle speech. He had been president of a great )7r.' GLEANINGS IN BEE C'TTLTURE. Mar. 1. many different organizations; he had been the executive for two years of the N. A. \i. K. A.. but no one tiling had honored him niore nor as much as tliis toi\en of appreciation from the convention. He would I'ciceive the cane; and remenibei'it with thanks. Those who att(^nd<'d the convention will re- niembei- this as one of the jn'ettiest things that ever happened at any convention, and I regret exceedingly that no printed page can tell it as it really was. Th(( convention then adjourned to meet at Cincinnati. Charles F. Miith was elected presi- dent, and Mr. S. R. Morris, of Bloomingburg, O., secretaiy and treasurer. FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS THE AHTTP^rriAL-irONEY SAVINDI.E CKOPPING OITT AGAIN. r inclose an advertisement cliiiped fi-om Tlte Aiiicricdii A(iciit. Dec. 18SH). as 1 know your in- terest in protecting the welfare of our bee- keejxM-s and honey-producers, and your activity in showing up such frauds as it tri(>s to perpe- trate upon the public. I should be glad to see your answer in Gleaninijs. W. Hingham. Chapel Hill, N. C, Jan. 19. Thank you. friend li. Here is the advertise- ment referred to: I liave a reciije for making- honey ecjual to bee honey. I will send the I'ecipe for one dollar by reg- istered letter oi' money order. Bis' profits. F. P. Hakding, Kniglitstown, Henry Co., Ind. We hardly need tell the readers of Glean- ings that the above is a swindle and a false- hood. Nobody ever yet succeeded in making an artificial honey equal to that made by bees, or any thing like it. IMPOKTANGE OF GRADING HONEY. AND WHEN TO DO IT. Friend Root: — Always grade comb honey when you are cleaning up the sections for mar- ket, and never, under any consideration, put a section of second-grade in your case of gilt- edge. If you do, you will find, if you ship to the large cities and your salesman linds that one section, five limes out of six your honey will be sold as second-grade, causing you a loss of about 3 cents ])er lb. I have seen large ship- ments of nice honey spoiled in tliis way by the l)acker saying to himself, "One or two bad sec- tions in a case won't make any difference." lint it often makes a difference on the wrong side of th(^ ledger. As I said before, grade the gilt-edge all by itself and the second-grade the same, and third-grade all by itself, and then you can sell each grade by the case and get your price according to grade every time. I am pleased to see fViend JialTs kind offer to friend lioot in regard to the shipment of iioney. Let us all say with friend Ball, '" I sliall b{> moi-e careful about assorting and packing my honey after this.'" P. R. Cypheht. ' New Deny, Pa., .Jan. o. [That is just it, exactly. On the principle that a little leaven leaveiieth the whole lump, a. litth^ second-grade comb honey in aca.se (only one or two sections) oftentimes makes the whole case, go for second-grade. It isn't fair, right, nor honest to mark a case '• gilt-edg(^" or first-grade, and then sli|) in one or two .second-grade combs. If tlic dealer discovers the second-gi'ad(^ sections in a first-grade case, he can hardly with fairness sell the whole case to his trade as lirst-grade. so he marks it sec- ond-grade, as he hasn't time to re-sort the honey.] CO.MI! HONEY ONLY IN SECTIONS; ALLEGED (iU'COSE HONEY. I have been r<'ading Mrs. L. C. Axtell's letter in .Ian. 1 GLEANiNCis. page 14. Toward the close she speaks of selling broken comb honey. Don't you think it a better i)lan to sell only honey in sections, or extracted? A lady fiiend was here visiting from Chicago. She said to me. " Don't let me forget to take back some of your comb Iioney." I said. " Can't you get it cheaper there?" She said, " Yes, but it was made stuff." The storekeeper she dealt with had it in pails, and she had bought it. and it would lie a small piece of comb floating in syr- up. sometiiiK^s of a different color than was in the comb, and she was sure it was adulterated. liraceville. 111., .Jan. 5. Mrs. Btki!. [Circuiristances are such that a lot of broken comb honey is left in the hands of the b(!e- keeper. He and his family can't eat it all. and it's too good to feed to the bees. The grocery- man can sell it for a little below the price of comb honey in sections. What's the harm of selling it in that way? T doubt whether the honey to which your friend refers was glucosed. It was probably pure honey. Did she have any other proof than that she guessed so?] PAINTED MrSLIN IN PLACE OF TIN: OVTSIDE WINTER CASES, ETC. As I stated in Gleanings last fall, I used a good stout manilla-paper cover well painted, and they so far have kept out all the rain, and, besides, are much warmer for the bees. So far my bees are packed with old newspapers and drop cover over hives. Tliey are in fine condi- tion— scarcely a dead bee. In fact, I thinlc the packing superior to chaff: and it is cheap, whicli is an item to most of us l)ee-keepers, es- pecially after so many poor seasons. I see" that PI T. Flanagan likes the Hoffman frame, only the cost is too great. This winter I have l)eeii making a closed-end frame which answers all purposes, and is remarkably cheap. I got good No. 1 pine lath, V}(i wide, and cut it into lengths in a miter-box for ends, using wire nails for the rabbet-rest. The frames are not so smooth and nice as you make, but they are good solid frames. One bundle of lath will make ends for :.'.')() frames, or six bunches will make 1000 frames complete. We have had continued cold weather since Dec. 1. and 48 days of sleighing — a real old- fashioned winter. T. G. Ashmead. Williamson, N. Y., Jan. 18. [P'riend A., we are well aware that paper, cloth, and a good many othei' substances, when painted, will answer very well: lint when it comes to handling hiv(>s. drawing them on wagons, etc., tlujy are so apt to be torn and in- jured that I think most will agree that it is better to pay a few cents more, and use tin. I told TCrnest'. when he mentioned it, that the idea was once considei'ably used, and afterward abandoned, years ago.] kind words FliO.M A COLORED 15EE-KEEPEI!. Mr. Root: — I never see or hear of any colored f(jlks who have a little home aiul keej) bees. I have 17 stands in the »Simplicity hive. I like to hear my gal read your bee-paper. I don't subscribe for it. A bee-keeper that has a big apiary loans his paper, and tells me how to get the riiost honey; hives four-story: no swarm. 1891 glp:axings in bee culture. 173 I love to hear Jane I'ead about Home and Our Neighbors. One white man says. " Mr. Root got no use for a negro : don't believe he will take anj- notice of a letter from one." Whistler. Ala. Doc Sixgi.eton. [Friend S., your friend is very greatly mistak- en in saying that I hav(^ no use foi- lettei'S from our " colored friends." On the contrary, I hav(^ been more pleased to get your letter and kind words than any others that I often get hold of. May God bless you and your people in bee culture, in getting an education, and in learning to take care of yourselves. We give the letter just as it was received.] Qa^ QaEg3Fi0]\[-B@^, With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees. Question 179. Arc hccK H^hicli have been ivintered in tlic reJhir (in ]is a|j|)ai'ent that locality has some- thing to do with it. Our good ifriend Muth. away down in Cincinnati, prefers his bees out- doors. Doolittle thinks that, where he is, one is as good as the other. Prof. Coolc agrees. Friend France, with his gi'eat big tenement hives, as I should suspect, prefers outdoor win- tering. So you see it depends on the size and kind of hive. And then friend Manum sug- gests that, when taken out of the cellar, they should have outside protection. And, by the way. some good tViend declares that the best way in the world to winter bees is to |)ut them in chaff hives, and then cairy the chaff hives into the cellar. When you carry them out in the spring they will have' the chaff-hive pro- tection. Mrs. Harrison says it de|>ends on how late you leave th(Mn in the cellar. Taking a thin-walled hive right out of the cellar, and leaving it exposed to h(>avy frosts oi' severe freezing, is not just the thing. Dr. Miller has an uncomfortable suspicion. If he were in our locality, 1 think this "suspicion" would be still more unconifoilable. Rambler winds up as if he had heard what all those have said that go before him. Fi'iend R.. it must be on account of so much " lambling " that you have gathered up so much wisdom. You know about the rolling stone. Well, if yon did not get the "moss." jn'obably the ivisdo)n is worth about as mucli.l 174 GLEANINCJS IN BEE CULTURE. Mar. 1. SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT, AND HIS FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS. Our tru'iids will IK itico that the gardening- depart- iricm. is very much larger lor this issue. Well, it came about in this way : y()meave the plants. Cuyahoga Falls. O., Feb. 4. M. Crawford. FORCING RHUKARB IN WINTEK. We are just now getting 1.5 cts. a jjound for rhubarb for i)ies. I presume the scarcity of fruit exi)lains why i)eople are so willing to i)ay so much more than usual. By the way, we have learned a trick in forcing rhubarb. If there is any place in your greenhouse that is too /(Of foi' any thing else, it will be just right for your rhubai'b-i)lants. Set the roots in very rich soil, and then cover them up with manure, either ninv or old — it does not seem to make much difference. Keep them constantly wet. and they will make the most astonishing growth of any kind of vegetation that has ever come un- der my observation. Another thing. It does not make any difference how dai'k it is. They will grow just as well in the dark as in the light, and you can plant ihem right up close to the boiler, furnace, or flues. The princii)al item is to get great strong roots grown in the open air. for forcing purposes. We have been buying them for about S:>..->() per 100 roots. The roots are of such size that 100 just till a barrel. If somebody has some large i-oots for sale. I think they would find it i)ro(iiable to advertise them. It will be ([uite a little time before strawberries com(>. and thei'e is going to l)e a great call for '• l)ie timber" meanwhile. AVhenever the ground thaws so you can dig the I'oots out, just l)utsome in your hot-beds, or. later, in simple cold-frames. (4ive them manure enough, and see what great stalks you get. If the demand is going to increase for these roots.it maybe well to think about sowing seeds pretty soon, so as to have the roots in readiness for another winter. AIDS TO UEKKY-PlfKKKS. Although it is quite a little time hefoi'c licrry- ])icking comes again, it may be well to consider, during these wintci' montiis, api)!iances that may help us to rush things when the season comes I'onnd. The one illustrated below was engraved from a machine which I saw at friend France-s. in Piattcville. Wis. It is esi)ecially designed for blackhenles. but it may be used for raspb(>rries. currants, and'othei- like fruits. The cut below almost explains itself. The ai)paratus is made of tin, just large enough for a berry-box to sit inside. ' It is held around the walist by means of a belt. A hojj- per-shaped cover dejjosits all the berries in the center of the basket: and when they come up so as to strike the mouth of the hopjier, the picker has notice that his berry-box is exactly full, with the to]) nicely rounded uj). In our berry-picking, where they ])ick by the quart, there is always moi-e or less discussion as to how full the boxes should be. Some of the lit- tle girls would hea]) them up so there was a fourth more than good measure; and I am sor- ry to say that some of the boys brought them in scarcely level full. Th(> consequence was, the boss had to tak(> some from the boxes pick- ed by the little gii'ls and till out those brought in by the selfish and greedy boys. Boys, aren't MACHINE FOR I'ICKINO IJI.AC KI5ERRIES. you ashamed of yourselves to be outdone in honesty and liberality and fairness by the little girls? Well, this machine fixes the whole mat- ter as to how full the box should be. But. most imi)ortant of all.it enables the picker to use both hands: and with ///((f7i7K'rn/-bushes this is most important. Fi'ieiui Fiance says, as soon as he fitted out his berry-pickers with these machines th(>y i)icked berries so much faster, that, when they came in at noon, they volun- teered to di'op a cent a quart on the ])rice he had been paying them, if they could all have the ])icking-macliines. Now. I tell you this is a iiretty big testimony in favor of any imple- ment to lessen hand labor. Th(> bottom to the tin box is just large enough to hold the box secure- ly. As I find the same device figured and de- scribed in OTir gardening i^eriodicals. I juvsume such arrangements are not exactly new. The one given above, however, seems to be the most practical. A TREATISE t)N TOMATO CILTfRE. The above is the title of a little pamphlet just out. by J. W. Day, of Crystal Springs. Miss. TluM'e'are three things that make this little work of special interest tome. First, it is the only book I ever saw or heard of. devoted en- tirely to tomato-growing: and you know I am greatly interested in any thing in regai'd to special rui'al industi'ies. Second, it comes from the South. Oui' Southern fi'iends have, as a j'ule. been a little behind in books on horticul- tui'e, gardening, etc. Third, tlu^ book was wri>'- ten by a live, piactical man. Let me make a little extract from a i)rivate hUter: I have raised linnrlreds of aei'es of tomatoes, and I slijill put out U)i> iicres this season. I am a sub- scriber of Gi.K.ANiNOS, and like to liear you speak of your beiT>-r;iisinf>", {i'ardeiiing-, etc. We grow largre fields of strawboiiies. and bave a little over 400 acres in peaeli-trees in this place alone, besides .some at other places. I am a partner of Parker Earle at this place. Our readers will remember Parker Earle as the introducer of one of our most promising strawheiTies from which it takes its name. Even in ^lississippi it seems tlu'y need hot-bkanin<;s can tell me inoi'e about bat guano. Then friend Day tells us about, cold-frames for the plants, made of a covering of cloth, to be roll(>d up on a long rol- ler. He says that one man, by going to the middle of the lied, can roll a curtain 200 feet long. Well, I have used these beds covered with cotton cloth rolled up on a roller: l)ut, my good friend Day, what do you do when there comes a tremendous wind, and just flops your cotton, roller and all, all to l)its '? It is true you might roll it up, but then wliat happens to your plants? Then suppose the hard wind is accom- panied with snow and rain. In your locality it will very likely answer very much better. In transplanting and moving plants to the field, there are a hundred little hints that none but a practical, liard-working man would ever get hold of. I have had just about experience enough to appreciate most thoroughly the short cuts that save labor and backache, given in this book. His directions in regard to trans- planting to the held give us such a vivid picture of real life in market-gardening that I want to give it right here: TRANSPLANTING TO THE FIELD. Tf jou liave a large crop and not much force, I )e- gin a week ahead, and hav^e every t.hhig' possible I'eady and at hand— water at hand in barrels, hoes and spades sind trowels and liand-bearers; and every thing- that is to be used in getting- the field ready must he ready, as adiiy at this time counts five days at any other time. Experience will teach you this A little ilbistration will suttice here: On the 3d of April, 1884, I prepaied land until nearly night, and it began to look like rain. We set a few hundred that e\ening-. It rained that nig-ht, and coutiiuied ten days, and the plants in frames grew two t'ect high, and fell flat, and were almost worthless; while the few hundred I set that evening sui-ely bore the linest crop I ever saw. The inexperienced will ask, "Why didn't you set all day and the day before V" Fi-ost! frost! is why; but as the 5th day V)f April is the limit of the frost season here, we begin to plant just as soon in April as the first frost i)asses, which is between the 1st and 5th. I am aware I am digressing a little; but to the inexperienced, for whom this pamphlet is written, it will all come in good. There is a chapter on trellising, or staking, and this seems to us a very important item. The author says, if we want extra early toma- toes we must pruu" and stake them. If we want a great lot of tomatoes, and don't care about having them particularly early, give them more room and let them sjjrawl over the ground. By pruning and staking them he gets them as close as 18 inches; but where they are allowed to grow according to nature, put them twice as far apart each way. Now, I have said so many encouraging things about tlie book, perhaps I.should speak of some of the discouraging features, ev^en if I do hate to do it. The inice of the book is 25 cents for only :.'5 pages of matter, and ihany of the pages are not half tilled at that. In view of the great value to be found in the book, we might over- look this if the grammar, punctuation, and spelling, were not so exceedingly faulty. But there is still another greater lack. The book is not illustrated at all, when it should have at least one nice picture on every page. I have advised the author to sell this edition at a low price, and get out a finer one, for there is certainly abundant need of a nice little book on growing tomatoes. I am so sure he will agree with me that I shall take the liberty of offering the readers of GLEAJfiNos the little book for 20 cents, postpaid. I'KTRK HENDERSON. From a memoir entitled, "■ Peter Henderson, Gardener, Author, and Merchant," written by his son, Alfred Henderson, I extract the follow- ing from the remarks of a great and good man, and one who has certainly been a benefactor, not only to our nation, l3ut to the world, in the line of gardening and horticulture. The first extract is taken from a magazine printed in 18(5G, when they were discussing horticultural patents: I consider that man particularly unfortunate who asks a i)ateiil for what he thinks to be a discovery in horticulture, for there is a free masonry about the craft which bej.'-ets a generous exchange t)f informa- tion; and he that holds a " secret " to himself, or in- trenches his " diseover.y " behind a patent-right, is not usually benefited thereby. Right in keeping with the above comes the following: His thirst for knowledge was so .strong, that, in his first apprentice days, his companions in the "Bothy" used to laugh at him for reading- the dic- tionary at his meals. He kejjt at it for six months until he finished it. and then pronounced it a most interesting book. " no matter what others might say." The practical outcome of it was, that his " liothy " companions found that, when he was through, he could s])ell and define an.v word which they might put- to him. But, with all his studious- ness and industry, he was not a recluse by any means, for there is ample testimony to show that, in all the frolics of the country side, he was al- ways the leading siiirit. And again on page 37: Mr. Hendei'son was not only an abstainer from liquor, but tobacco in any form ht^ nevei- touched. He was very regular in his habits, and siiii])le in his tastes. Up to the clo.se of Ids life he madeitarule to spend from three to foui- Inairs every day in the open air. Now, boys, I tell you there is a big sermon in just the above extracts I have given yon. As the twig is bent, the tree is inclined. The memoir I have alluded to is a little book of 48 pages, containing a steel-plate engraving of Peter himself. I do not supjiose the book is for sale, but very likely the fi'iends of our departed leader in the gardening business can have one on application. 178 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Mak. 1. Resist the Devil, and \w will Heo from you.— James 4:7. If the great Father above lias given me any particular message to deliver to the children of men, it is along the line of our text. I see peo- ple all around me struggling against evil — not the same sort of evil, by any means, for the thing that tempts one has no attraction at all for another: and Satan's ways of working are so diverse and so many, that sometimes I think it is only once in a while that we find two peo- ple who are tempted precisely alike. A few days ago Huber came home from scliool, with a remark something like this: "I tell you. pa. Miss Smith is having almost as much trouble with the boys in the new schoolhouse as you are with tobacco among the factory hands." " Why, you don't mean, Huber, that the boys that go to the new schoolhouse — the little ones — are using tobacco f ' "No. they don't use tobacco; but the trouble she has is because she can not get them to stop using bad and naughty words." You may be sure that my heart went out in sympathy for my excellent, iiard - working friend who is principal of the four juvenile classes in our new schoolhouse. After prayer- meeting was over one evening. I mentioned to Miss S. the report Huber had given. " Well, Mr. Root. I am vei-y much obliged to Huber for his sympathy, if for nothing more. We four teachers iiave been having a real time with this matter of profanity and obscenity: and it has obtained so persistent a hold among some of even the veiy small boys, that we are almost at our wits" end. I do wish you would come down and see if yowr iniiuence in addi- tion to ours may not amount to something." Not very long after this, a little not(> inform- ed me that they \\ould be v(M'y glad to S(^e me at three o'clock tliat afternoon. 1 went, and was ushered into one of the rooms, for school was just closed, and pretty soon eight small boys came in slowly, with downcast eyes and sad countenances, evidently expecting punishment or a severe reprimand which they evidently felt they deserved. Miss S. remarked that these were the ones who seemed to do no better, even after they had been repeatedly admonished. For a little time all was silence. I motioned them to take seats, and I sat down as near as I could well get to them. As I looked into their faces I Inwardly prayed for wisdom to get a real strong hold on those little hearts — yes, even though Satan had already made sad in- roads therein. I remembered my hobby about getting acquainted, and in fifteen or twenty minutes I felt happy to see them not only lis- tening to all I had to say: but before 1 got through, they asked me questions, a great many of them. My prayer had been answered. They looked up witli fear when I lirst cami' in. but we were now all on very friendly terms. They had given me a promise to try harder to resist evil: and wh(>n I told them that God heard that promise, and asked them to kneel down while I prayed that he would help them to keep it. every boy knelt down by me: and during mv brief prayei' you could have heard a pin drop. Their ages ran from seven to twelve. The youngest said, in our confidential talks about the matter, " Mr. Root. 1 can keep the bad words back without much trouble unless something gets me I'eal mad, and tlien I can't liel]) it. They will come.'" May God bless and hel|j this poor ciiild of seveni I told him that great big men iiad exactly the same experience he had. and that some of them, with ail their strength of mind and muscle, did not succeed much bet- ter than he did. They told me, too, about big men who set a bad exami)le, and. without knowing it. i)erhaps taught them these bad words. I promised them tliat I would talk to the big 7nen too. and I have commenced it. I ex- hoi'ted them, in the language of oiu' text, to kev\> these words back, and hold them in with all their might. I explained to them, that, al- though it is bad and wicked, even to think "swear words," it was a bundled times b(4ter to keep them back and not let them out: and I told them that, if they kept tlieni back reso- lutely, by trying real hard, by and by the bad thoughts would ste]) out, and I unconsciously preached a sermon for myself at the same time. Resist the Devil, and he will fiee from you. my good friend. 1 asked the boys about their mothers: and, oli how I do wish I could see these mothers, and ha\'e just such a little talk withtheml I would admonish them to whis- per a kind helpful word in the ear of thes(> pre- cious boys of tlieirs. just as they start for school: and then I would exhort the motiiers to be on tlu' \\ atch w iieii school is out: catcli the anxious, restless chajj in your arms for just a minute, and ask him if he has kept the prom- ise that he gave you in the morning, to refrain from bad words. Oh! if you will do this, dear sister, tile schoolteacher will not feel her labors are lilc(> casting pearls b(>fore swine. I know of a mother who fought Satan k)iigand faithfully, right along on this line: and, with God's help, she triumphed. Her boy is now siip(»riiitendent of a Sunday-school, and doing \\hat he can for a great lot of just such urchins as he was a fe«' years ago. After the boys had gone I asked t(> see all the teaclii'rs. I sat down witli tiieni and exhorted them to b<' not weary in well doing. In s|)eaking of the i)arents. Miss S. told me that she sent a note home by one of these same boys — the oldest one in the lot. in fact — a note to iiis mother. Shall I tell you wiuit the motiier did '.' She gave the Vioy a tremendous whijiiiing — a whipping so sever<' that my good friend told me she felt almost afraid to i-ejiort to the inothin- again. Perhajis the iioor mother thought slu^ was doing lier duty. May be she iuid tried oth- er means: but. O dear mothers, please lielie\-e me when I tell you that with these t)ther ways I have told you of, where followed up faitlifiil- ly, week in and week out. I am sure the whip- ping could, at least in most cases, be omitted entirely. Very likely punishment is necessary, but I begin to fear that it is given only when the parent is otf from the track, as well as tlie child. When ^^•eetls become so large that they can not be killed with a rake, we must take the hoe and choj) them uii: and sometimes, after \'eiy long neglect and procrastination, the only thing is to take tlie scythe and mow them off. Do you see the application, dear fatiier or mother? and do you know by experience how much better and happier a parent fe(>ls who lias conquered by love instead of the rod? Wliy, we got so well acquainted in just that little visit with the boys that one of them said, as I told^him he might go home. " Why. Mr. Root, Ijgo to your i^cliurch. Didn't you knowjit ?'' '. I told him I had seen him at our church, and I was very glad he did go; and I told them, in leaving, that I should watch for them when I jiassed tluMii on the streets: and I hoped to catch a pleasant look from each and every one of them, assuring me they had kept the little promise given that day to me, before the great God above. A few months ago a young man applied for employment, and remarked that he had worked at the machinist's trade some. As we were in 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 17r) only fourteen years old. In order to get a license he took oath that she was of age, and he is now in our county jail for perjury. Almost as soon as he cann* among us, some of our hands found out he was not a Christian: but he seemed so good luitured, however, and willing to join iu every thing good, that, before tli(> event mentioned above, iie had united with one of oiir Medina chui'clies. When I visited liiin in jail he was bowed down with grief and shann\ He put his head on my shoulder. antter jjroof of his penitenc<'. if it were raiUy genuine, b\' drojjping the past and turning in rca? ear- iwst to Christ .J<'sns for \n'\\). I assured him that the Bible promise, " Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give yon rest." was ti'ue in every minute ])articnlar, and that it was open to every hunuin being, un- der all circumstances, and eKiiccidlly to the sinner. But I told him there was no help from Christ Jesns, nor from his friends here in Me- dina, unless he told the honest sen i^tying at least smnc attention to two or more young women here in Medina. He said he did not think of there lieing any thing par- ticularly wrong about it. Now, boys, I w ant to say a word to you right on this point. The man or boy who is engaged to some giil or woman should Ix^have himself toward all other women exactly as if he were married. Of all the solemn engagements in this world, none should be held more solemn and sacred than the pi'omise between two to become man and wife. God sees as the world does not see: and he who resists not evil in this line will surely rei)ent it. " Whatsoexcr a man soweth, that shall he also reap." The relation between man and wife is sacred and holy, and the vengeance of a just God will conn' down on the head of him who trifles with this relation. Let me whisper to my young friends of both sexes, to be careful and cautious about making these en- gagements, as perhai)S nothing else in this world can so seriously aflfect one's whole life. But after having once made it, let it be a sa- cred and solemn comijact made before God. It is a serious thing foi' anybody to triHe with .such an engagement: but ten times nnire so to the one who professes to be a Christian. I next spoke to onr young friend about his habit of borrowing money from people on short acquaintance. Let me put in a warning also, in regard to foolish extravagance and its at- tendant, getting into debt, or borrowing money. Of course, there are circumstances whei'e it is right and proper to borrow; but for one who is supporting himself by daily wages, and who is liable to have his income suddenly cut off by sickness or other vicissitude, to bori'ow mon(^y for the purchase of things he could get along without, is not only folly, but it is sinful: and it is also wrong to lend money to such a one. There are more or less of these shortsighted, foolish individuals in every community, and when pay-day or Saturday night comes', these individuals are always wanting to borrow from their comrades. Believ(> me when I tell yon it is a Christian duty and a kindm\ss to such to speak right out scpiai'dy, " No, sir. I liave no right to lend you this money, and you have no right to borrow it." Such a reproof is the kind- est service you can do them. I kiujw it'is not always taken as a kindness: but I can look back now, and thank from the bottom of my heart the friends of my boyhood who were friendly euoiKjIi to refuse me, and to point out to me the folly of my request. Now, do not think unkindly of the one who refuses to lend you money or to tiust you for goods. Very likely he is not only the wisest but the very best friend you have. I told this young friend I felt sui'e that this was a bad habit that had grown upon him little by little. I do not like to compare sins: but giving way to such a temi)tation is perhaps fully as damaging on community as either sw<'aring, tobacco, or whisky. He declared to me that he had never been guilty of this sin be- foi-e he came to our town— that "he was sqnai-e with the world, and owed no man except in Medina: in shoit, that he had resisted the Dev- il until he came among us. I could not believe it all. Sins like these are invariably of slow gi-owth. The seed must first be ' planted, and the we(>ds allowed to grow for at least a time before it icsults in open crime. He de- clared to me most positively, when I asked him the question i)oint blank, that he had never been mai'ried in his life, and had never been en- gaged, even, to any woman before his engage- ment and make-believe marriage with this child. I say "make-believe:" for he was ai'- rested within a short time after the ceremony was performed, and the girl was sent home to her parents, with the information that she was not a married woman at all— that the marriage was null and void. I was greatly astonished to hear, when he came to be examined, that he has a wife living in an adjoining State. Now, notwithstanding my eainest talk— notwith- standing his earnest ijrotestations that he was trusting in Christ Jesus, he had not he courage to confess to me the whole truth. Although this young friend did not tell me so, I am afraid he has not been resisting the Devil: and the evil one did not come to him through to- bacco nor strong drink, nor, perhaps, an uncon- trollable temper. But for all that, the result was just the same. O friends, I wish I could im- press upon you the importance of resisting Sa- tan's whispei'ings at the very outset; and be- lieve nn'. I beg of you, wheni tell yon that he M'f,// flee from you if you only hold 07 i. Don't give up: don't become tired: don't say, " I can't stand it any longer." These trials are the turning-point between life and death. They settle the (piestion h< tween light and darkness — betw(M'n sorrow and joy, and grief and glad- ness. These struggles with sin are for your own good. They will woi-k out nlorious things for you if you only overcome. You can not be great and good, and \\ ise to hel]) others, unless you resist and hold on. Stand steady and be brave, until the evil one lets go his hold and gives up and says. " That chajj is bound to be good. He is so firmly planted on the rock Christ Jesns that we might as well give him up." And then, oh what joy comes to the jioor l)ersecnted sinner when Satan flees away I ISl) (JLEANINGS IX BEE CULTURE. Mah. 1. EDI¥@^I^Ii. We are nbligod to add eight extra i)ages this issue. ESSAYS AT CONVENTIONS. Shokt. pithy, well-written essa-ys, suggestive of several good points, are always in place at conventions: long-winded ones, never. A long essay, however, may be valuable in pi'oporti(jn to its length. Rut it taxes the nerves a good deal more to listen to something read than something given ott'-liand. in animated convei- sational style. THE president OF THE X. A. H. K. A. Mk. Ei-W()()i) is not only a successful bee- keeper, aretined and educated Christian gentle- man, but he makes an excellent presiding oHi- cer for a bee-convent!on. He has a happy fac- ulty of summarizing the l>cst points brought out by the discussion: and when the discussion be- comes a little lopsided he is pretty apt to call out the other side, although that side be against his experience and sympathies. He will make a good presiding of'ticer for the N. A. B. K. A. next fall at Albany. he. "So you are interested in lixed frames?" We meekly admitted that we were. " Well, you will find that not all of our York State bee- keepers use them. I don"t. and some others don"t." We were about to ask the reason, when somebody desired a hand-shaking, and the mat- ter droi)]ied \\h(>re it was. nXJSED-ENI) FRAMES IN A TIGHT-FITTING CASE. On page 1(51 it is suggested that friend Hed- don includes this idea in his patent. I trust this is a mistake. Closed-end frames in a tight-fitting case were exhibited on the Ohio State Fairgrounds more than twenty years ago. Another man had a patent on a similar ar- rangement on the Centennial grounds in Phila- delphia, in 187(), and somebody has been invent- ing it and bringing it out every little while ever since Langstroth brought out movable frames. A. I. R. THE GRIPPE AGAIN, AMONG THE BEE-KEEPERS. It has had a little run here at the Home of the Honey-bees, but for the present it seems to have released its hold. We are just in receipt of a letter troni Dr. C. C. Miller, and he says: "I am pretty badly used up with the grippe. Mrs. M. has been still worse, and mother Wil- son is getting over the pneumonia. Em is laid up with a sprained ankle." Well, well, doctor, vou have been having misfortune in your household. We extend to you our sympathies. and are glad to know that you are improving. I)A1)ANT"s L.\NGSTR0TH in FRENCH. We notice, by the \a»t Revue Tntermttlonnle, that this great wt)rk of our esteemed and cel- ebrated co-laborer is at last ready for the French-speaking people of the world. It will be ready for sale on the first of March, just as this reaches our readei's. We are informed that this will not be simply a word-for-word trans- lation, but an adaittation of the book as a whole to the people of France, Mr. Dadanfs native country. We predict that it will create a great stir if not a revolution in at least some districts of France. We have not leai-ned the price of the book here in America. The price is 73^ francs in Nyon, Switzerland, at the office named above. MR. THOMAS PIERCE AND FIXED FRAMES. It was our special pleasure to make the ac- quaintance at Albany of Mr. Thomas Pierce, an enthusiastic bee-keeper of Gansevort, N. Y. He is a slim six-footer, and quite fills the bill as given us by Rambler on page 437, 188.S. Said A CORRECTION. Friend Secjeekin, whose article on grading honey appears on page 134, calls attention to the fact that the words "Not white lioney," under the head of "Grading Honey.'" should be "A"o. 7 white honey.'" He says. "No doubt it was the writer's fault :"" and" as it passed the eyes of all here as it appears in print, perhaps tile fault was not wholly ours. A second in- spection of the manuscript shows that the woi'd "not" was plainly written, but the t was not cr(>ss(\d. The omission of the period after "No." is what caused the whole trouble. preconceived notions. What a lot of troubl(> this commodity in hu- man nature makes us sonietimesi We figure out in advance whether a thing will or will not work. Our experience with bees has been sucii that we are morally certain that we are not de- ceived, and we try hard to make all our experi- m(uits come out so as to favor our views. With enough bias of opinion we can make out a pret- ty straight story for or against the idea: but when such are reported it costs the fraternity much. Let us be unbiased, and ready to have our old notions broken down when facts and subsequent experience wari'ant it. HOW TO KEEP BEES AWAY FROM WATERING- TROITGHS. Among some of the good things we learned at Keokuk last fall was a little hint worth remem- bering, from A. N. Draper. He is an extensive honey-producer — a man who owns several out- apiaries. Said he, " People have had a good deal to say about keeping bees away from watering- troughs. I will give you a .secret that is worth them all. Take a weak solution of carbolic acid, and paint it around the edges of the trough, and then they won't bother your neigh- bors. If you get them out of the habit of visit- ing such places, they will stay away." We have used enough carbolic acid in the apiary tO' feel pretty tolerably certain that this will work. Put this down in your note-book, and. try it next season and report. HEE-KEEPIXG IN RUSSIA. The olticial report of the Petrowsky Agricul- tural Academy of Russia has just been sent us, through the kindness of P. Ivuleshoflf, Professor of Agriculture in that institution. The docu- ment is devoted to apiculture, and gives a gen- eral summing-up of bee culture in this country and England, in order to show what the Mus- covites themselves can do if they try. Al- though our early education in Russian was some- what neglected in our school days, we have succeeded admirably in translating some of the pict}i,res into ])lain English; and these, together with some columns of figures, which seem to> add up just the same in both languages, give us a very good general idea of the nature of the book, which is admirably printed — rarely equaled by oiu' own government documents. We see the familia.r name "Root" turns up in Russian as Pyta (what a pity!) but the pro- nunciation is the same as in "English. Friend Graven horst appears under the Jiom c7c plume of FpaBeiiropcT. Seriously, we shall be glad to hear further about the growth of apiculture in 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 181 Russia, and hope that friend Knleshoff will writi' us an article on the subject, for we feel sure it would hv very interesting. W. E. CLAKK'S pickle 8TOKY: WHY EXTHACTED HONEY SOMETIMES DOES XOT SELE. Among Other good things given us by VV. E. ('lark in tlie convention at Albany was what we will call his "pickle story.'* A groceryman iuid had for a year or so luilf a barrel of pickles under the counter. A new clerk was hired: and, seeing tiie pickles, asked if they were sold. His employer replied that they were a drug on his hands.' The clerk very modestly volunteer- ed the information that he could disjiose of the whole lot in a few days. The employer told him to go ahead. The clerk procured some nice square bottles, tilled them with pickles, corked tliem. neatly labeled them, and, last of all, he put them in a conspicuous place, and. presto I they went off like hot cakes, at a good big price. Said Mr. Clark, in moralizing on this point. "The customers did not know that the groceryman had pickles for sale; and even if they did, they did not have some neat packages of them roiistantly in sight as a reminder of the fact that these thi'ngswere for sale. That is just the trouble with extracted honey in many of our groceries," continued Mr. Clark. "It is sent to the groceries in bulk, and then they are not supplied with attractive packages to exhib- it the article; and many times, if supplied, the packages are allowed to become fly-specked, and the honey to become candied." It should have a neat, clean, and fresh ap])earance. If people do not want to buy it in i)ackages, let them have it in bulk, but let them see that honey is for sale in attractive glass packages. They make the best sign. THE HAPPIEST MOMENT OF A HEE-KEEPER"S eife— a eittle advife to those who don't rp;ad bee-books. The happiest moment in a bee-ki'eper's life is not when he becomes the father of a new- born babe of flesh and blood (although that is a .sui)rcmc moment, so it is said), but it is when he becomes tin- father of a baby in the shajK' of a neiv-fnugled bee-hive that is "warranted to revolutionize bee-keeping in the n(!ar futiu'e." Very proud he is of that baby for a while, and jealous is he that no other shall try to snatch it away from him. and begets the United States courts to protect him. liut his " baby. " after a while, does not come up to his expectations. Somehow, as the years go by, it doesn't take to the bees, and the bees don't take to it. The ul- timate r(>sult Is, that it is jnled up in the back yard, along with a lot of others. Almost every beginner has been through the experience; but ■sooner or later he repents, buys a good bee-book, and starts right. There is lots of fun in invent- ing a hive that will beat any thing ever before heard of. But we urge, don't. Don't waste any time or money until you have thoroughly read the A B C of Bee Culture, or, in fact, any standard text-book on the subject. About every week we receive a letter from one who has got a hive, the special features of which he is not yet prepared to divulge, but which he is .'S extractor; combs HANG- ING IN THE BASKETS THE SAME AS IN THE HIVE. In between the sessions we had a very pleas- ant visit with W. L. Coggshall. He is one of the largest honey-produci-rs of York S^ate, and runs for extracted honey almost exclusively. Said he, as our convei-sation turned to extracted honey, " I do not like vour extractor." "Why?" "Because the combs do not hang in the ex- tractor-baskets the same as they do in the hive." " Why, that makes an extractor so cumber- some and awkward," we interposed. " Not at all," said he. " My can is only 30 inches in diameter and 30 deep. The baskets are made to take the combs just as they hang in the hive, and will hold four frames at a time. When I pick a frame out of a hive I do not have to turn it over endwise, and let it down into a deep basket. I pick it up just as it comes out of the hive, and put it squarely into the machine. In reversing the combs there is an- other advantage. Cpmbs pick up easier, and go back into their respective places with less trou- ble. Why," said he, " I can not begin to extract the amount of honey with one of your extractors in a day that 1 do with one of my machines, and I have tried both.'" " What gearing do you use?" we asked. " The upright." Mr. C. has the reputation of producing im- mense crops of honey, and he also runs, in con- nection, a farm; and with the help of one assist- ant he does the work alone, practically. We have not had calls for an extractor to hold the Langstroth combs as they hang in the hive, to any great extent. We are quite willing to make whatever bee-keepers want, although it should be remembered that such an extractor would cost more, and very possibly would not please some as well. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE Mak. L Our subscription list is now 10.097. WHO IS RAMBLKK? "Wk will tpll you in our next issup, and give you ono of those beautiful half-tone i)ortraits of him. •■ Dowx brakes!" A MOST excellent article api)ears from the pen of L. C. Axtell. on page W9. We commend it to the thoughtful consideration of every reader who is interested in new dev<'lopments. CHALOX FOWLS. We havi' just had a very i)leasant call from Mr. Chalon Fowls, of Oberlin. O. He is one of those enthusiastic and tlniioughly practical bee-keepers whom it is a jjieasure to meet. He is so full of bee-lore that even an editor of a hee-journnl may get some new ideas in talking with him. RKFKESHIX(4 KAIXS IX (A LIFOKXIA. The following littl(> gleam of news comes to hand from one of our California subscribers: Our long fliouth in Soullierii California is at last broken liy a most refresliiiig- I'aiii of 3^^ to -1 indies at this place. Of couise. wc feel wonderfully thankful, for it not only puts oiu' lioney i)rospect on a gt>od footin.tr. but ahnost insures a general va- riety of crops. Alf.en Barxett. Whittler, Cal.. Feb. 17. SECTIONS .M.\DE OF KED WOOD. Mk. J. W. Uttek. of Amity. N. Y.. sends us sami)les of sections made of red cedar. The wood is of a reddis!i-i)ink cast, and lias the charactei'istic odor of an ordinary leadpencil. Mr. U. says these sections set off the honey, and mak(> the combs look whitei'. liy the way. wouldn't that strong odor of red wood rather give a flavor to the honey? It would be like making butter in a new cedar ciiurn. The butter would sui'elv taste of it. TWO MOIiE XEW HEE-.H)UI!XAI.S. The first one. a monthly, hails from Berlin Falls, N.H., and is entitled the White MoimUiin Apiiirist, and contains 12 pages. Tlu' second has Ki pages and a neat tinted cover. It hails from San Francisco. Cal.. and bears the name of the Cason or another, that the individual personal '" 1 " should be used he adopts it, and then he signs his initials. For instance, if he picks a bone with Mr. Heddon. the latter knows who is responsible for the statements. GRAXD RAPIDS LETTUCE. ETC. It is I'efresiiing to notice that my two chil- dren in the line of garden products, namely. Grand Rapids lettuce and tlu' Ignotum tomato, are taking such prcnuinent places in the seed catalogues of the world. Perhaps I should say the two chihlren I hitroclnced. for of coui'se I did not originate either of them. I beli(>ve that few or none of the catalogues give me any cred- it for my effoi'ts in that line: but so long as they have met with great favor. I do not know that it matters. I omitted to mention that our friends at the ExperimcMit Station, at Columbus. ha\i' nuule some \'er\" careful exix-riinents to detei'niine how much of an improNcment the Grand Rapids is over its parent, the Black- seeded Simi)S(m. large beds of which were in their greenhouses, side by side. The Gi'and Rai)ids shows a nuirked superiority. It has a better coloi'. and will keep longer out of gi'ound: so the claims that oui- friend Eugene Davis nuide for it aic certainly honest and dt^served. By the way. quite a few do not seem to under- stand that tlie (irand Rai)ids lettuce is just as well calculated for outdoor culture as in the gi'(HMihouse. As it does not form a heail. how- ever, a good many prefer the IJoston Market or Hendei'son"s New York for growing in tht^ open air. A. I. R. IirBEI! LE.\RXIX(+ TO 15EAD. As the young hop(>ful is now nearing seven years of age. and has never heretofore nuini- fested any special liking for books. I began t(^ be a littlesurprised. If he is going to be a chip of the old block, thought I. he must pretty soon begin to get a glinijjse of the wonders this w orld has to ott'er. especially in the line of literature. Well, about a week ago In* took a great fancy to a book calli'tl " Bible Pictures, and what they Teach us:" and before we knew it iu' was sijending all his leisure time poring over its pages. When Suiulay canu". of course there was no reason w hy he should not continue, with such a book. His favoi'ite attitude is to si)read the book and himself on the floor, in the centi'i- of the room. In this way he can change his po.sition. and sprawl (uit first one way and then another, and thus he keei)S it going. After dark he has a big bright lamp down on the floor bv his side. I was a little curious at flr.st to see what book he had selected among the multi- tude of books that are to be found almost every- when-. The book is the work of the author of Storv of the Bil)le. A. I. R. 1891 GLEAXTXGS IN BEE CULTURE. 183 A. NEW METHOD OF TREATING DISEASE WITHOUT MEDICINE. WATEK CURE APPLIED INTERNALLY A!- WELL AS EXTERNALLY. Wassh ye. make you clean.— Isa. 1: 16. With the present amount of interest in this matter of internal bathing, or the use of the '' drugless remedy," as it has been termed. I feel as if I could no longer keep still consistently ; and even though the subject 1 take up may seem to some an in- delicate one, when we take into considera- tion the amount of human suffering that may be relieved by it I think we are excus- able for talking plainly, and even using very plain terms, in print. In Titus. 15th verse of the first chapter, we read, " Unto the pure, all things are pure ; but unto them that are detiied and unbelieving is nothing pure ; but even their mind and conscience is detiled.'' One reason why I feel moved to take the matter up to-drt,y,'and make it as plain as I know how, is that so many are, at the pres- ent time, maMng capital of selling one of the uses of pure water, to their fellow-men, as a secret, as if it were right or proper to receive money for telling Ihow to make use of God's gifts, such as pure water, sunshine, pure air, etc. It seems sad to me that at least a por^ of the world should beistnmbled over such a simple matter, or should imagine it right to keep from our neighbors a knowl- edge of a plain, simple ylan of removing suffering by the use of water ; yes. water, and nothing else. 'If any one should feel like questioning my authority or my moral right to make this secret free and public property, I will quote, at the outset, from a little book .published by Fowler & Wells in 1S47. The book"; referred^to is " The Water-cure Manual," by Joel Shew. M. D.. copyrighted in 1S47, printed by FoioUr d- Wells in 1850. Speaking of these injections Dr. Shew writes : •' They may be repeated again and again, n as great quantity as desired. ... A good mode,too,"is to take a small injection, a tumblerful, more or less, that is retained permanently, without a movement before morning. This is very soothing to the nerv- ous system ; aids in securing sound sleep, and, by its absorption in the coats of the bowels, dilutes acrid matters therein, toni- fying and strengthening likewise those parts, and aiding materially in bringing about natural movements." After naming various diseases for which this remedy is invaluable, he says : •' This statement will cause sneering, I know ; but it is no fancy sketch. The thorough washing out, so to say, of the low- er bowels, by which the peristaltic, or down- ward, action of the whole ^alimentary canal, is promoted, and by the absorption or trans- udation of water its contents are moistened and diluted, and the whole' of the abdomi- nal circulation is completely suffused by that blandest and most soothing of all flu- ids, pure'water. Whoever understands well the sympathies and tendencies of these parts of the human system will at once per- ceive the truth of what I affirm."' The above, you will notice, contains the whole of the secret— or, at least, so much of it that no reasonable individual can pre- tend to call it new. or a real discovery of the last few years. Uur older readers will re- member vividly the time when Fowler «!c Wells created such an excitement through- out the world by what they accomplished by the use of water and nothing else — water used hot or cold as the occasion demanded, or lukewarm. Vapor baths also was anoth- er form of using hot water. While, per- haps, all the claims made fifty years ago have not been fully realized, yet f feel sure the world has been made better as well as cleaner ever since this water-cure excite- ment. At different times the use of water in large quantities, taken into the system by way of the mouth, has had its advocates. Dr. Salisbury for many years has been ac- complishing a good deal by ''feeding" his patients on hot water. We have all seen pain- ful sprains and bruises cured almost as if by magic by the use of water as hot as the patient can bear it. It you want to get out acorn, first soak your foot in hot water ; and many surgical operations can be per- formed with comparative ease where hot water in sufficient quantity applied for a sufficient length of time is used to relax the muscles and to soften the skin and flesh. Physicians have for ages (for aught I know) used water, both hot and cold, in the form of injections; and the wonder is. at the present time, that they have been working so close to a great discovery, as it has been called, without realizing the wonderful things to be accomplished right along in that line. Perhaps my good brethren of the medical fraternity feel like smiling a little at this last remark of mine. Well, smile if you like, my good friends ; in fact, I rather think you had better smile, for a world of suffering people are beginnim; to smile right along on this line, and we are going to smile and have more vigor and energy to thank God for this new gift. As near as I can make out, the discovery consists in using more water — perhaps hot- ter water in some cases — and using it for a greater length of time. If we wish to wash a jug, it is an easy matter to make the out- side very clean. We can use hot water, soap, and ashps, if need be. We can rub and scour dirtv spots ; viQ can use a brush and a cloth, and some sand, if need be, but not so with tlie inside. You can pour in hot water and pour it out again. You can put in soap and ashes, and shake the jug vigorously, and you can put in water again and again, until" you judge by what comes out that it is clean enough to be used for food. Well, this matter of internal bathing is a good deal as it is with the jug. We want lots of water ; and in order to perform its office thoroughly, it may be necessary to let this water remain for some time, just as we let it remain for some time in the jug, that it may soak up and loosen accumula- tions on the sides, where no man can see. After this soaking-up process, a vigorous shaking will probably do much to remove 184 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Mah. 1. every last vestige of accumulation. A cus- tomary way of introducing hot water into the human body is by means of a rubber tube and a little pump, or ordinary syringe, sucli as we find in great plenty at our drugstores. But I have found some- thing not only very much better but even cheaper ; and this little picture will, I think, make it all plain. Fig. 1 represents an ordinary screw- hook, made of heavy wire, such as you get at the hardware store for two or three cents. This is to be screwed into the wall so as to support a; pail of water. Instead of hanging the pail as in the cut, however, APPARATUS FOR IN- I would turn the TERNAL BATHING hooka quarter around and hitch it on to the pail at the ear right where the bail is attached to the pail. The rest of the apparatus is simply a piece of rubber tubing (i inch, outside diameter) about live or six feet long. Twenty or twenty-live cents would cover the whole <30st of the apparatus. Where the rubber tube goes over the side of the pail, it must be kept from slipping by means of a little wire staple put across it ; or you can, if you choose, tie it by a string at one of the ears of the pail. It should go inside of the pail so as to reach to the bottom, that it may take out all of the water. To start the water, throw the tube in the pail, so it sinks clear under the water. Now take hold of one end ; and as you do so. pinch the sides of the tube so as to close it. Bring it over the outside of the pail, and the water will run of itself. If you bring it down below the pail, as shown in the cut, the water will be thrown from the end of the tube with con- siderable force ; and it is just right to wash out a jug, bottle, or any thing else, for the force of the jet will make it strike every part of the bottle. Now, you are to cleanse the human body just as we wash out the glass jar in the figure. I^lease bear with me now, friends, a little, even if I speak very plainly, in order that those who are awk- ward 'with such appliances, just as I was myself six months ago, may have no trouble in managing the matter. When I spoke to my mother about it, a few days ago, she said, more than 50 j^ears ago she saved the life of a neighbor in just this way when no physician could be obtained. The doctor told her, when he arrived, that the woman would have been dead before he reached her had she not used this simple remedy. The only difficulty about the operation is in in- troducing the end of the rubber tube into the body ; and this, I suppose, would be an impossibility with the average patient did we not depend upon the good offices of the hot water before mentioned, in its power of relaxing the muscles. The pail should be at least two - thirds full of water, and I would have it about as hot as it can be and permit you to hold your hand in it. Now let this stream of hot water play for a little time against the external part of the organ that ordinarily closes itself involuntarily by muscular contraction. In a very brief time the hot water will have the effect of relax- ing the muscles, and after the pressure of the water has forced a little of the liquid through the opening, all difficulty in that direction has disappeared. The question naturally arises, •' Is there no dan- ger of injuring the delicate machinery of the human system V" I am sure there is none whatever. The more water you can get into the colon, as physicians term it. the better. More of this, however, anon. I am told by members of my own family, how- ever, that not every one can use a simple rubber tube as I do. In that case, put on the end of the tube a hard-rubber nozzle, such as is used on an ordinary syringe. I presume different people will need to vary the plan somewhat. But I have never heard of anybody yet who did not succeed finally in getting the water to fill the colon in a satisfactory w^ay. Introduce as much water as possible. Two quarts is better than one ; and if you can store awav a gallon you will probably make more effective work than with a smaller quantity. If it persists in bursting out, use a cloth or other means to restrain it. I would first wash the colon clean from everything it contains. Get out every thing that can be made to pass out with the water; then fill up again with clean water, retaining it while you walk about ; or if there is difficulty in removing all accumulations, get some friend to roll you and shake you, kneading the bowels, if need be, the same way I spoke of in clean- ing the jug. ^Right here comes sometliing of my own invention ; that is, I have not heard of any- body else using water iniit-si the way I do. It is well known that a running stream will thoroughly cleanse many substances better than any other means of using water. The reason is, the current constantly carries away all impurities, and fresh clean water is constantly taking the place of that charg- ed with the matter to be removed. Well, I accomplish the above result by letting the rubber tube remain in its place until the colon is thoroughly cleansed, and the water entirely emptied from the pail. The plain rubber tube, without any nozzle of any kind, gives a larger stream of water, and finishes the cleansing much quicker, than where the hard-rubber tube is used. If you do not find yourself cleaner than you have been before in years I shall be mistaken. Let me give youXlittle of my experience : During all my life I have been more or less subject to what is called summer complaint and trouble with the bowels. My wife, years ago, recommended this water remedy as ordinarily applied by physicians. But I got a notion in my head that it was unnat- ural, and tinkering with Nature's business. The very thought of the thing, also, had 1881 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 185 something repulsive about it to me. I thought it was well enough for old women, and possibly for babies and sick people, and so I went on suffering. After I had paid S4.U0 for the secret, however, 1 could not very well do less than to make a test of the thing that was recommended so highly. Of course, I succeeded without a bit of trouble; and, to my astonishment, before 1 got through I removed a vast amount of trash of different kinds that my nose bore vivid evidence to being unfit to lodge in the hu- man system. Now at this time I was not conscious of being in particularly poor health. In fact, I did not suppose that I needed any remedy of any sort ; but in my eagerness to see whether the new drugless remedy was what it claimed to be, I deter- mined to give it as full a test and examina- tion as I could. In order to see whether any injury or even unpleasant symptoms could result from a very frequent use of the internal water bath, I used it for some time, every day ; lately from two to three times a week. I was agreeably surprised to And that the very offensive smell given forth on first using it did not manifest itself again ; and I was led to conclude that this super- fluous matter, if taken from tbe system at once, need not be particularly offensive. On waiting, however, for ten days or more, the same peculiar offensive smell was present ; and after having used the remedy for six months or more, together with the testimo- ny of great numbers of others, I am ready to conclude that it is no more harmful than bathing the body, or even washing the face. Some may urge that it is not according to nature. But, my friends, few things that we do nowadays are " according to nature.'' I am not sure that washing the face is "■ ac- cording to nature." I am sure, however, that washing the whole body greatly assists Nature in her efforts to ward off disease. The Bible commends it in our text. When you urge " nature," you should remember that man is uneducated by nature. The savages in the isles of tlie sea are a speci- men of nature without civilization and the restraint of Christianity. They are not only heathens but cannibals. Now, I can not tell why God left humanity through all these ages without this knowledge which seems at present so conducive to our health; and when we come down to the real truth of the matter, he did not leave us without it. The thing has been before us for hundreds of years. We simply have been dull in ap- propriating the knowledge that was before us so long. I do not know how many forms of disease this matter of internal bathing will remove. I suspect, however, that people in general will enjoy much better health in every way if the waste matter of the system be thor- oughly removed about as fast as it accumu- lates. Typhoid fevers are considered at the present day as being the result of bad air, bad water, and unwholesome smells in our cellars and around our buildings. Is it any thing strange that the continued presence in the human body, of the most offensive matter we can imagine, should be the cause of disease ? Physiologists tell us, if I am correct, that the elements and juices of our daily food are constantly passing into the circulation, even after they have passed the intestines and reached the colon. If this be true, our systems may be poisoned by secre- tions from this oll'ensive matter. In a state of health, very likely nature takes care of this ; but, unfortunately, few people are in the possession of full health. A man or wo- man who is thoroughly well in every way is the exception and not the rule. During the past year, quite a few testi- monials have been given in these pages in regard to this drugless treatment of disease, and I could easily fill this present number of Gleanings with testimonials, many of them astonishing ones. I will, however, for the present, content myself by giving you simply my own experience. For several years past I have been having occasional distressing spells of sick-headache, some- times accompanied with vomiting. I am very apt to have these spells while traveling. One such attack nearly spoiled my visit at Dr. Miller's. While at Madison, Wis., dur- ing a beautiful winter night, I suffered from severe headache and sickness at the stomach for more than four hours. Those who have similar attacks know something about the suffering that accompanies it. So far as I know it was caused bv eating a fine large apple during a buggy-ride across the country, the afternoon before. I thought that, if I was getting so I could not enjoy even an apple without trouble in my diges- tion, I was getting into a bad state. These periodical headaches kept getting more and more frequent, and I began to think my health was giving way in that direction. If somebody had told me, during that night in Madison, that I could have perfect relief in three minutes, without using any sort of drug or medicine, I would willingly have given ten dollars for the privilege of lying down to rest, and getting the sleep I need- ed, so as to fit me to enjoy the convention next dav. Well, during these past six months I have had a number of attacks of this same sick-headache and distress from indigestion. The new remedy has given perfect and immediate relief every time. It seems to be the result of accumulation in the colon. When this is removed out of the way, and the apparatus thoroughly cleans- ed and put in working trim. Nature goes buzzing along her way. Once upon a time I used to run a small gristmill by windmill power. The mill would occasionally be- come choked, and it then had to be pulled to pieces, and the surplus meal got out of the way, and then it would go on as lively as ever. It seems to me that the human machine, given us by the great Father above, occasionally gets in this fix. and then the hot water gets it in perfect trim.: A great part of my earlier life was de- voted to clocks and watches. I have also been more or less intimately acquainted with the physicians of our town. You may wonder what clocks and watches have to do with this human machine. Listen : Once or twice I have been invited to be present during examination of the human body, to determine after death where the difficulty 186 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Mak. 1. lay. In one case that baffled the physicians, dissection revealed the fact that the valves of the heart had become ossitied. At an- other time, a lady, a distant relative of mine, was doctored and drugged for months for a complaint that all doctors thought was of the reproductive organs. An examina- tion after death show^ed these organs to be in a perfect state of healtli. The whole trouble was what they call intro-suscep- tion— a mechanical derangement of the co- lon. Of course, the trouble w^as in the neighborhood of the organ they were doctor- ing ; but when the real truth came to light, they found thev had been giving the most powerful drugs known, in the attempt to do something for an organ that had nothing to do with the disease tnat produced her death. N^ow, when a watch or clock is deranged we pull it to pieces to see what cog is broken or chance for a circulation of what tooth is bent. Then we can easily the worst arrangement we confine our efforts to the precise spot where the trouble is. How often I have wished the human body could be taken apart in the same way, that we might not be blundering in the dark ! Well, the medical world is making great progress in just this line. By the use of the knife they go right to the point of disease, and in many cases fix it as w^e would fix a watch ; and I confess that, when I first discovered that we could flood and cleanse at least a great part of the in- ternal body, it seemed to me a great step toward what I had been so long looking tor. I believe our physicians do not all agree that this water thrown into the colon can make its way into the bladder ; but when they take that ground, they are certainly at fault. Almost any one who has used the treatment thoroughly will tell you that quite a portion of the injected water can be pass- ed off through the urinary organs. If this be true, then vou can, by the same means, rinse from all impurities, accumulations, and secretions, the urinary apparatus as well ; and I am sure that I have received great benefit in just this line. Of course, great things are claimed for this new remedy. Some of those who sell the secret have enumerated a long string of diseases that may be cured by flushing the colon. I suspect there is great exaggeration in this line ; but for all that, I would recom- mend that every person who is out of health eral opinion seems to be that it certainly can do no harm, even if it does no good. Therefore let us be clean and keep clean, as in the language of our text ; and when we have done every thing we can along this line, we have certainly paved the way for Nature to go to work vigorously iii her work of catching up and fixing up. There is one unpleasant feature connected with this drugless remedy. In my instruc- tions I have planned to have the pail hang up in the ordinary out-building belonging to most rural homes. The trouble is this : Be- fore you get through, your clothing will be- come scented unpleasantly. A chimney at- tached to the out-building, so as to carry the bad-smelling air clear out at the top, would be a remedy. The close out-build- ing, with a vault underneath, with no air, seems to be gement we can have in this one respect. A very open building, so that the air can blow freely through and all around it, would probably not scent the clothing. A friend suggests that the form of water-closets used in cities, where wa- ter and nothing else is used to carry away accumulations, is a perfect arrange- ment for the drugless remedy. The Smead system will doubtless work beautifully, only they are not so arranged, usually, as to dispose of so large a quantity of water. If this new remedy, which commends itself to every one who loves cleanliness, comes largely into vogue, as I suspect it will, our out-buildings must be planned especially for them. It seems to me that this is a matter that not only our health-journals^ but our rural and agricultural journals, should take in hand. In our family, one member has been perfectly cured of a chronic diarrhea of years standing, that threatened to be something very obstinate and serious. Another has been receiving great relief from a tendency in the opposite direction ; and wherever it is used, so far as I know there has been but one verdict. A good many of my friends and acquain- tances have paid $4.00 for the remedy ; and in several cases no one knew they were us- ing it until those around them began to no- tice a wonderful improvement in the gen- eral health. When questioned, this drug- less remedy was the explanation. Our from any cause should go to work carefully, printers are instructed to have several andseewhateffectthis treatment will have, thousand copies of this paper printed for If you are weak and in poor health, and free distribution. We will mail to any of take cold easily, be sure you do the work in the readers of Gleanings, or, in fact, to an apartment sufficiently warmed so that anybody else, just as many as they want, to you may not take cold by drafts or exposure, give to whoever needs it; and the more Although I have never heard of trying it calls you make for them the better I shall for a patient in a chill, it seems to me it is be pleased. I have had, as you may know, - "- '• "' ' -L- ' -^ '-—•-'— some experience in furnishing without pay things that benefit mankind. He who is working to benefit his fellows will always find the wherewith. God himself will see to it, when the work is done within the bounds of reason, and in a Christian way. I far ahead of bottles of hot water, hot bricks, and every thing of the sort. I should say, from personal experience, that the hot wa- ter goes directly into the circulation ; for I can feel the warmth clear to the ends of my fingers, and toes, after using it for, say, five or ten minutes. .Just think of the effect on the system, of introducing into the body. should be glad to answer any questions our friends may see fit to ask. One great reason say half a gallon of water just as warm as for writing this paper is the general desire you can possibly bear your hand in it ! I for information in regard to this whole mat- have counseled with quite a number of good ter— not only from my own acquaintances physicians before writing this, and the gen- here in Medina, but from far-away friends. 1S91 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 187 gPECI^L ]^0¥ICEg. THE HUBBARD SECTION-FORMER. We can furnish this machine, described elsewhere, for ^2.50. It weighs 24 lbs., and its extreme length is 5 feet. THE HONEY MARKET AT MEDINA. Honey is g"oing- off some better of late, especially to-day ("26th) wlien we are sliipping- 100 cases (12,000 lbs. 1, "in three lots. Most of this is for manufactur- ing- purpcses, and goes at a special price. For prices we refer you to page 43 of No. 2, current volume. PLANET JR. CULTIVATORS AND TOOLS. We have tlie new 1891 catalogue of these valuable garden implements. A number of new tools have been added to the list, and old iwies improved. Be- sides, we can make bettei- i)rices than usual. We have tlie catalogue ready to mail on apjilication, and in each is a slieet gi\-1ng our net prices, wliich are from 15 to 50 percent below catalogue prices. If interested, write for catalogue. MAPLE SUGAR AND SYRUP. Tlie maple season opened early this year, and the sugar and syrup produced tlius far excel the aver- age in quality. We have a limited quantity on hand, which we can furnisli at tlie following prices: Syrup in 1-gal. sq. cans at $1.20 each; f 11.00 for 10; $21. (XI for 20 cans. In .5-gallon cans, if preferred, at 5 c. per gallon less, wlien we liave it put up this way. Choice sugar at 10 and 11 cts. per lb. ; 14 ct. less in .50- Ib. lots; 1 cent less in barrel lots of 300 lbs. WHITE-CLOVER SEED. We have a nice lot of this, which we bought so as to be al)le to make the following price: $8.00 per bushel; $4.10 per X bushel ; $2.20 per peck; 18 cts. per lb. White-clover seed has always been higher than alsike till this year, but we can now sell it low- er. The time to sow these seeds is during this and the next month, according to locality. Alfalfa clo- ver seed at $7.00 per bushel ; $3.60 per % bush. ; $1.90 per peck; 15 cts. per 11). JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT WANTED. Those having choice clean Japanese buckwheat seed to sell will do us a favor to mail us a small sam- ple, and write how many bushels (50 lbs.) you have to sell, and the price you ask for it. Remember, that, as we are selling it lower than last year, we e.xpect to buy it lower. As a rule, it is selling for about what the millers pay for it to gi-ind. Choice clean seed brings a little higher price. ALSIKE CLOVER SEED. We advanced the price of this the first cf January to $9.00 per bushel; $4.60 per X bushel: $2.40 per peck; 20 cts. per lb., bag included. Since then the market has been very firm— at one time as high as $9.00 wholesale, in large lots, bags extra. We ex- pected to have to advance the price again, but the demand has slackened, and the market is easier, so that we propose to leave our price where it is, al- though at this price we sell on a very small margin. We have choice seed, ready to fill orders promptly. CAULIFLOWER .SEED FROM H. A. MARCH. We have just received by mail a pound of seed, and here is what friend Maivh says about it: It is of 1890 growth, and I cut and sold in market every he.ad that was not •'perfection." It is really .stock seed that 1 grew last year. My reports from the stations are better this year than last; and all growers who used my Puget Sound seed are sending for it again this year. H. A. March. Fidalgo, Wash., Feb. 7. The price will be 5 cts. per packet; ^8 ounce, 25 cts. ; Ji ounce, 40 cts; one ounce, $1.50. Our friends will notice that these prices are lower than they ever have been before, and at the same time the qualitj^ of the seed is superior to any thingthat has ever be- fore been raised. When you get an orthodox hee-man to raising seeds, or any thing else, he generally "gets there" sooner or later. WHITE AND CREAM SECTIONS. Owing to an exceedingly open winter in. Ohio a vear ago, there was very little basswood cut till spring; and this spring, cut lumber is not a clear white, but more of a cream. Had we not secured about 1.50,000 feet of ex-tra nice white lumber in Michigan, we should have been poorly supplied for wliite sections. This winter we have alieady twice our usual year's- supply of the nicest white basswood we ever had. It will be a month or six weeks yet before any of this is dry enough to work into sections, and we have got to the end of our dry white from Michigan, last year's cut. We have white 1-lb. sections in stock. 7 to foot, l?i and 1% inches wide; but, until our new lumber is ready to work we shall have to furnish other widths and sizes in cream color. Of course, we will furnisli these cream color at a lower price, and many of you no doubt would just as soon have them at the lower price. We have just been rigging up our dry-house so we can hurry up the seasoning of the white lumber more than ever be- foie; and as this comes to your notice this dry-house is running full blast. We have only a limited quan- tity of lumber for cream sections, and make this into sections onlj' because of the present dearth of white. As soon as our white lumber is dry enough we shall discontinue the cream grade. PRICE OF 1-LB. SECTIONS. The price of a single thousand 1-lb. one-piece sec- tions, with most of the manufacturers and dealers, is $3. .50. In larger lots the price varies somewhat. To be uniform with other large dealers we make the following: Cream, when Quantity. No. 1 white. we have them. Less than 350, per 100 $ 50 $ 40 250 1-lb. sections 1 00 80 .500 to 2000, per 1000 3 .50 3 00 2000 1-lb. sections 6 .50 5 50 .3000 " 9 00 ■ 7 50 5003 " 14 00 12 50 Prices of white sections in larger quantities made- known on application. Cream sections are not sold for less than above figures in any quantity. VEGETABLE PLANTS FOR MARCH. Well, I suppose we might as well confess we have not any, unless it be Palmetto asparagus and straw- beri'ies. We have a few cold-frame Jersey Wake- field cabbage-plants, but not enough good ones to offer them for sale. We have a great lot of plants raised fi-om seed started in the greenhouse in January and February, l)ut none of these will be real nice to send out before the middle of March. The same is the case with transplanted lettuce- plants and celery-plants. Plants from the seed- bed we have abundance, of cabbage, lettuce, and celery. But these are so delicate, and need so much care, both in shipping and transplanting, that about half of the time they do not amount to much. We can send them if you wish, at the prices we have in former years; but unless in the hands of an expert, they (seedlings) are often not a sue- cess. We can furnish asparagus-plants and straw- berry-plants at 10 cts. for 10; 75 cts. per 100, or $6.00 per 1000. If wanted by mail, add 5 cts. for 10 or 25- cts. per 100. The four strawberry-plants we have selected to offer for sjning iilanting are the Jessie, Bubach, Gaudy, and Haverland. The Jessie and Gandy are growing in the greenhouse, so we can take tliem up at any time. The Bubachs are in the open air; but as we seldom have much frost in >Iarch, we can take them up almost any time. But of the Haverlands, our stock is already exhausted, and we are waiting for a shii)ment of .5000 plants which we have engaged as soon as they can be tak- en u]). We are going to put these out in our rich plant-beds, under glass; but we prefer to have them m.ike some growth before sending them to- customers; therefore we can not furnish you Havei-lands right oft' now. We can send all the rest promptly. SECOND-HAND FOUNDATION MILLS. We have on hand to dispose of, the following sec- ond-hand mills. As a rule we consider new machines the cheapest tti buy, even at a much higher jn-icer but tlieie are circumstances when a man wants to make only foi' his own use, and can not afford a new machine "when it may be profitable to buy an old one. One 12-iiich Dunliam mill, formerly used by Da- dant, and in faiily gin>d order; makes heavy brood foundation with round cells. It sold when new at $,50.00; will sell now for $18.00. One 10-inch, our own make of several years ag«^^ C F R E E S Please mention this paper. SECOND-HAND TYPE FOR SALE. J2A Great Primer Copper-plate. $1.25. GHEAT Wll Egyptian Condensed. 12A 25a Great Primer Egyptian Condensed. $1.00. preat Jrimcr ^in^ter. 8A18a Great Primer Minster. $l.'r5. a 1 (i See fulturc 5A 14a Two-line Pica Minster, $2.2.5. 1€)K© FKIMBK FIA'PB 12A Long primer Copper-i)late. $1.00 NEW KODAKS. IIA 20a Great Primer Runic . LONG PRIMER ALDINE, with 1. . 34A i6a Long: Primer Aldine. $1.26 3A 10a Spencerian Scrii)t. $1.00. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 199 SEED POTATOES- Catalogue free to all sending for it, or I will sead it and one pound of either Early Albino, Lee's Fa- voiite. New Queen, Perfection. Polaris. Puritan, Sunlit Star, Summit, Barstow, Bonanza. Empire State. Morning- Star. Sylvan, or White Flowers free by mail for 10 3-ct. stamps; any 3. 50 cts.. or by ex- press or f reiglit. any six, entire list, f l.( 0. 6-7d H. C. NlARKHAM, Ann Arbor, Mich. t^ln retipuiuliiik'lo thisiiilverti m-iit iM.iiti.,11 <;LKANlN(iS 100,000 STRAWBERRY -PLANTS, Best new and old varieties. Prices low. Also G.apevines. Raspberry, and Blackberry plants, etc. Send for price list. D G. EDMISTOJST. e-T-Sd Adrian, Lenawee Co.. Mich. Cole's Garden-Plow. I will sell one or more g-arden-plows at 30 per cent off from tlie retail price, to any one ordering- before an agency is established in his place; said party must send to me for circular and price. G. W. COLE, Canton, 111. piaplB Sugai^lB Sugar-Biist THIS IS A NEW BOOK BY FIEIOT^. ^^- J- COOI^, AUTHOR OF THE BEE-KEEPER'S GUIDE, INJURIOUS IN- SECTS OF MICHIGAN, ETC. The name of the author is enough of itself to rec- ommend any book to almost any people; but this one on Maple Sugar is written in Prof. Cook's hap- piest style. It is -« PROFUSELY * ILLUSTRATED.e^ And all the difficult points in regard to making the very best quality of Maple Syrup and Maple Su- gar are very fully explained. All recent inven- tions in apparatus, and methods of making this delicious product of the farm, are fully described. A. I. SIOOT, Medina, Ohio. ^OTire Clotli. For door and window screens, tackintr over hives and nuclei for shipping, making hee and queen cages, and a variety of purposes. We have the fol- lowing list of green and black wire cloth which is not exacrly tlrst class, but is practically as good for the purposes mentioned, and at prices much below the ordinary price. Vou can n o k a •o ^ 'x 1 o 1 Z o Length of each piece. Multiply by the widtli in feet to get the number of square feet in each piece. Then multiply by the price per foot for the price per piece. 12 2 20| .5?.' 118 in., 50; 72in., 95,27. 48 2 20 1 :5^ 1 49, 25, 25. 6; 60 in., 47, 42, 32, 24, 42 2 19 1 3^ 1 50. 60 1 2 19 1 ^ 1 42, 38, 32, 11. 72 |2 19 1 jf 1 131. 108. 103, 103. 100, 94. 88. 81, 73, 68, 67, 60, 50, 50, 48, 26, 25, 24. 20, 19. 24 2 18 1 23, 15. 36 2 18 1 122, 30 inches wide. 63. 25. 48 2 18 1 100, ; 42 inches wide, 60, 72 2 18 1 61, 53, 48, 47, 37, 35, 22, 22; 60 in. wide, 67, 20. 36 2 17 ij^r 42, 23. 15; 24 in. wide, 77. 48 2 17 IX 78.53.32; 60 in. wide, 2.5. 12 2 16 iM ri9, 11; 18 in. wid". 72. 72. 40; 24 in. wide. 91. f8 36 2 16 w. 36, 34. 32. S3. 14; 30 in. wide. 46. 44, 24. 72 2 16 IH 60, 68, f.6; 48 in. wide, 70, 48, 46, 40, 26, 19; 60 in.. 62 18 2 15 2 87,61,30; 12 in. wide, 100. 24 2 15 2 120, 100, 90. 69. 52. 33, 33, 13, 12. 30 2 15 2 127.21.6; 60 in. wide, 21, 20. 36 2 1ft 2 17. 13. 7. 7. 7. 6. 5. 42 2 15 2 121. ."io, 26 L'3. 20. 8; 72 in. wide, 36, 33. 9. 48 2 15 2 72. 49, 48. 4.'i. 38, 37. 30, 29, 26, 22, 14. 36 2 14 3 £9; 42 in., 71 24 IK 20 1 39; 18 in. wide. 14; 30 in.. 14. 42 85. .-,9. 30 IH 19 1 3i. 33. 36 in. wide. 47, 47. 4ft. 48 V4 19 1 .56; 72 in., 64, 63, 10. IS ly^ 18 VA 40; 48 iH 18 1^ 60 in., 65. 34, 19; .54 in.. 12. 3,) 14 16 2 k. 79; 36 in., 14. 7; 42 in., 34; 48 in., 92. 36 1'4 20 ly. 22. 36 IK 19 1% 48. 12, 10; 24 in.. 86. 42; 30 in.. 75; 48 in.. 78 36 V4 18 2 15. 11. 10; 30 in ,6; 42 in.. 80; 48 in.. 22; 72 in.. 8. 48 1 20 IX 53; 72 in.. 51; 30 in., 96; 9 in.. 40. 24 1 19 2 26; 9 in.. 24; 42 in., 50, 34; 48 in., 100, 40, 25; 60 in. 26; 18 in.. 82. .50. 32 1 18 2H 85.32; 9in..3i; 10 in.. 20; 24 in, 23; 33 in.. 69. 51 36 1 18 2i4 37; 48 in. 30; 60 in., 59. 9 X 20 2X 3;i.7; 36 in, 75. 5.5. 9 % 19 3 128. 24 3 16 1 46.19: 36 in.. 86, 42 in., 14. 36 3 15 I'A 63; 48 in.. 60. 24 3 14 V4 ISO, 18K; 48 in., 45; 72 in., 100, 70. 14 4 14 3 166. .52, 35, 23 22 4 14 4 107.68.35.17,15 10. 30 4 14 m .52. 47, 36, 33, .30 29 19, 18, 13, 9. 34 4 14 *^ 43.37.34.25.24 23.18. 42 4' 14 5 144. 117. 68. 62. 62, 60, 23, 22, 22, 15, 12, 12, 12, 8, 6. 46 14 r>y 82, ,50, 44 11,5. 18 8 13 2 68 ft. ; 36 in., 200 ft. at 4e; 45 in.. 247 ft. at 5c. Four and eight inch fencing. Price in fourth column is the price per foot in length. A. I. ROOT, l^sdina, O. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Mar. 15. EVERYTHING BEE-KEEPERS. EDWAED K. NEWCOMB, Pleasant Valley, N. ?. ^^ A S uuntion tliis iiaper. BEES & SUPPLIES FOR IOWA. Send tor my supplfnicnt I'or 18i)l, now ready (no new catalogue'i. Say whether you have my catalogue dated 1H.S9 and 1890. Address Olivi- host-r, 5-tfdb Mt. Vernon, Linn Co., Iowa. ;^"ln respoiKliny: to iliis i'-'vi-ni^t.-.i'i.. i..v..i.v/ii ULiiAj-iKOS. Just Out-Something New. ITot Another "Patent Hive" to Kaok Your Wearied Brains, tut MEDJNA.0H10 »^"lii responUiiifc,- It Household Repairing OUTFIT. This outfit will enal)le any one wht) can drive a nail, to do his own half- soling-; boot, shoe, and rubber repairing, right at home. No peg's requir- ed; simply wire clinch nails. Saves ten times its cost every year. A convenience in every family. Entire outfit on- ^_ ly f:i. Agents wanted. 1^ S'end postal ft)r descrip- LEAiHyJ \%m3\ live circular to ROOT BROS., Medina, OUio. 'incnt mention OleaniNGS. TAKE NOTICE. Our New Factory is Now Open To receive oi-ders for Bee-Hives, Frames of all kinds. Shipping - Crates, Sections, Honey - Cans, Comb Foundation, and Smokers. Write for price list tt) GREGORY BROS. & SON, .5-tfdb Ottumwa, Wapello Co., Iowa. l^In resiiomliner to this advertisement mention ULEANING8. ATTENTION, CALIFORNIANS ! I have for sale ]60(Xt 1-lb. V-g-roove one-piece white basswood sections, Vi wide, made by A. I. Root. Price $5.00 per M , init on cars at Kingr City, Mon- terey Co.. ('al. For .nOOO or more, write for special prices to C. K. EKCANBRACK, Jun., Lonoak, Monterey Co., Cal. C»-Tn respoiidinu- to tins adverti-eniiMi iiieiiiioii Olkaninus. BEE-KEEPERS Send for my illustrated Catalogue of Bee-Keepers' Supplies. Prices reasonable. F.W.LAMM, Box 106, Somerville, Butler Co., O. 3 gdb Please mention this paper. PHILO'S AUTOMATIC SECTION - BOX GLUING - MACHINE, For Putting Together and Automat- ically Cluing the One and Four- Piece Section-Boxes. This is the only machine on the market that will put the glue right where it belongs witliout wasting the glue or mussing the section. Price of the combined machine, - - - $6.00 For four-piece only. ------ 5.00 E. W. PHILO, Half-IVIoon, N. Y. t^"ln responding to tliis advertisement Dientiun Glkaking.s. J. FOf^NCt^OOI^ 8t CO., MANUFACTUHEliS OF THE "BOSS" ONE-PIECE SECTIONS. Will furnish you the coming season, one-piece sec- tions, sandpaijered on both sides, as cheap as the cheapest, and better than the best. Write for prices. Watertown, Wis.. Mar. 1. 1H91. 6-7-9-lld O^In nspoiidinir to this udveitisement mention Glhtanings. HO FOR CALIFORNIA! FOR SALE. 100 Colonics of Bees. Full colonies, $:5.50. Stanley E.xtiactors. Vander- vort Mill, and other fixtures. Send for descriptive jtiice list and icalize the bargains. Address J. H. MARTIN, Hartford, Wash. Co, N. Y. HO FOR CALIFORNIA! Itfdb Please mention this iiajier. 75 Pine Tested Italian and Albino « * * * * Queens For Sale at $1.75 Each. Select tested golden Italian queens, $2. .50 each. Select tested Albinos, S3. 00 each. First come first served. Untested by Ai)ril 1.5, $1.00 each, or 6 for $.5.00, or 13 for $9.00. Orders booked now, and pay for queens when received. I guarantee safe deliv- ery and satisfaction on every queen by mail. Thanks for last year's i)atrouage. 48db J. W. TAYLOR, Ozan, Ark. t^In respond iner to this advertisement mention Gleanings CRRQf Brown Leghorn, White Leghorn, $1.35. bUUO. Black Minorca, Plymouth Rock, Pekin Duck, $1..50. Light Brahma, Langshan, Game, $3 per 13 eggs. Strictlj^ pure-bred. Ship safely anywhere. Illustrated circular free. GFEK BR4»S., Itfdb St. niarys, l?Io. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Ml KARREIt PLYMOUTH ROCKS. Birds and e^gs in Iheir season. Cockerels S3 to $h; clioice hens f~eat'l); egg-s ISper .'etting; 2 sef- linjis. *5. MKS. F. P. HISH. TOWEE HILL. SEELBY CO., ILL. MUTH'S HONEY - EXTHACTOE, SQUARK OL.A,>. xiinir to tliis advertisement mention fii,EANiN«s. FOR SALE. Three or four S. C. B. Leghorn cockerels, as good stock as can be found in the world. Come and see them. Write for prices with your address on postal, and you will receive by re- turn mail my new descriptive circular, free. 4-5-6d RoBT. C. Smith, Swissvale, Pa. SECTIONS. $2.50 to $3.50 per xll. Kee-Hives «nri Fix- tures oHie.if. NOVELTY CO., 6tfdb Rock Falls, Illinois. 1 Please mention thi« paoer. PRAf miR FRUIT TREES I YIHES Wormy Fruit and Leaf Blight of Apples, Pears. Cherries, CVPCI QinU STIiAYING Gr ipe and Potato Rot, Plum Curculia prevented by using LAULLdlUfl OUTFITS. PERFECT FRUIT ALWAYS SFLLS AT GOOD PR ICES. Catalogue show- ing all iniurious insects to Fruits mailed free. I>arge .«itock of Fruit Trees, Vines, and Berry (Mauts at, Bottom Prices. Address WM. .STAHLi, Qiiincv, Ills. 3 9Jb " 1. 1 responding to this advertisement mention Glkanings. NICKEL-PLATED "LEADER" SHEARS. Elegantly Nickel-Plated Steel Shears At Less than Hail ths Usual Price. TABLE OF 1*RICE!><>. -I'nce.s Postage. I Name and size. Each. >^ doz. 3 doz. 5 16 incii nickel Leader Shears. 5 iex 6 7 5 IVi " " " •' . 5 8" Vi " " '• " . * -M »1 lu 25 1 25 30 1 41 35 1 60 40 1 80 45 2 GO .-■^o 2 25 $ 6 UO V 00 8 00 9 00 10 00 11 00 12 00 About two years ago we bought 1.50 dozen of above shears, and they have gone off like "hot cakes"— so much so that we have just bought another lot of 3.50 dozen, which are, if any thing, nicer than the other lot, most of which are gone. Tlie others pleased so well that we got repeated and increased orders from the same parties. Neighbors of those who were fortunate enough to get a pair, on seeing them and learning the price, wanted a pair, and so the orders kei)t repeating themselves. We are always glad to give our cus- tomers a bargain which gives more tlian satisfaction, and this is one of them. You will see we have made special prices in quantities, and no doubt some of you can do a good thing foi' yourselves, as well as your neighbors, in getting a quantity and introducing them. They are put up X dozen in a bo.\', and we can not assort V4 dozen; but we can give you larger lots assorted, }i dozen of a kind. A. I. ROOT, Medina, O. 102 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Mar. 15. ADVflHCED BEE-CULiTUf?E; Its ]VIethods and Management. I am now eiigraged in writing and printing a book tliat is to liear tlie above title. It is to take the place of ray other book. The Productvin of Comh Honey, which will not be re-published. Although the new book will contain at least five or six times as much matter as Tin: Pnuluction of Comb Honey, yet the pi-lce will be only 50 cts. The book is already i)artly printed, and will luolmbly be out some time in April or May. If any of the friends would like to " help me along" in meetinj;- the exjienses of getting out the book, they can do so by sending their orders in advance. Such orders will be must thankfully received, and filled the very day the book is out. I will send the Review one year and the book for §1 25. The Review will be sent on i-ece'ipt of order (I have plenty of back numbers to send it fiom the beginning of the year), and the book as soon as it is out. Stamps taken, either U. S. or Canadian. lOtf'db W. Z. HlJTCHlNSOH, Flint, :|V[ich. t^Tn respondiner to this advertisement mention Oi.kamngs. DOWN THEY GO! For the next few days SJ.25 will l)iiy our 8-franie chatf hive, "with 3 T supers and S heavy top-bar brood-frames. Send for PRICE LIST. ROE & KIRKPATRICK, Union City, Ind. 17*111 responding to this advertisement mention GLKAjiiNca. DON'T READ THIS. For ifyoudoyou vill send tu R. E. Smith, Tilbury Center, (an., foi- ycur tins. I wish tusiiy tliat weare making all kinds of tinware used by the bee-keeper. Honey-extractors of all sizes to suit Jones and L. frames, or to order. 6J-lb. square tins. Also a large number of honey-pails, holding from 1 to lU lbs., with bails. We are prepared to furnish bee-keepers of Canada with ALL STYLES OF HONEY-CANS this season of 1><91. No. 1 tin used in all these goods. Send for price list of 1891, now out. K. E. SmiYH, Tilbury Center. €an. t^"Iii res|iondlny: to llii.s julveiti.M.'naul nieiiiK.i. <• ■ OAK HILL POULTRY FARM, The home of the bist general -pur- pose lowl for the tirmeis and the lan< leis. the Barred PLYMOUTH EOOES. 1 hi^ year, as in 1 111! past, I will de- iite my five large 1 11)1 IS to Plymouth Rot ksonlv, and try till all orders piomjitlyfrom first ( hiss stt)ck. Eggs at $1.50 per 13, and $1.00 for each additional set- ting 111 the same shiimient. 6d E. J. KENNEDY, Troy, Pa. I respondinpr to tliis advertisement mention Glea.sinrs. Cast) for Beeswax! Will pay 25c per lb. cash, or 28c in trade for any quantity'of good, fair, average beeswax, delivered at our R. R. station. The same will be sold to those who wish to purchase, at 31c per lb., or 35c for best selected vax. Unle.ss you put your name on the bix, and notif.v us by mail of amount sent, I can not hold myself responsible for mistakes. It will not pay as a gen- eral thing to send wax by express. A. I. ROOT, Medina, Ohio. SILVERHULL BUCKWHEAT for seed. Fi ec fioni all foul seeds. This buckwheat will outyit'ld the Jajianese. YIELDED FORTYBBUSHELS PER_ACRE_HERE1^ the last season. This buckwheat is protitable to .sow for bees alone, to say nothing about the crop. De- livered on board cars here, in new grain-bags, at $1.00 per bushel. No order taken tor less than two bushels. ESEA 0. SMITH, Manchester, Ontario Co., N. T. .1 responding to tliis advertisement mention CtLUANiNGS. HAVE YOU READ MY Ad. on Inaide Back Cover of Gleanings. Feb. Isty Also my ad. OH Page 117, Feb. 15th Uleaii- iiitts, about "my New Potatoes? If not, do so at once. W. Z. Hutrhinson. on page 45 of tiie Feb. Review, says, "They would almost paSM for a Sweet Potato." If joii intend to try them it is necessary for you to order soon, as they would not go half way round to the leadeis of Gleanings. Potatoes will be sent the tiist week in April. Safe arrival guaranteed. 5tfdb Jacob T. Tlnipe, Grand Ledge, Mich. tS"In responding to tliis advertisement mention GLEANlNGa. ELEVEN YEARS WITHOUT A PARALLEL. AND THE STAND- ARD IN EVFRy CIVI LIZED COUNTRY. Bingham & Hetherington Patent Uncapping-Knife, Standard Size. Bingham's Patent Smokers, Six Sizes and Prices. Doctor Smoker, 'S){ in., postpaid ...$2.00 Conqueror '• 3 " " ... 1.75 Lar>re " 2H " " ••. 1-50 Extra (wide shield) 2 " " ... 1.25 Plain (narrow " ) 2 " " ...100 Little Wonder, \% " " .. 65 Uncapping Knife 115 Sent promptly on receipt of price. To sell again, send for dozen and haa-dozcn rates. Milledgeville. 111., March 8, 1890. Sirs:— Smokers received to-day. and count cor- rectly. Am ready for orders. If others feel as I do your trade will boom. Truly, F. A. Snell.. Vermillion, S. Dak., Feb. 17, 1890. Sirs:— I consider your smokers the best made for any purpose. I have had 15 years' experience with 300 or 4(30 swarms of bees, and know whereof I speak. Very truly^ R. A. Morgan. Sarahsville. Ohio, March 12,1890. Sirs:— The smoker I have has done (rood service since 1883. Yours truly, Daniel Brothers. Send for descriptive circular and testimonials to itfdb BiKQHAU Si HsTHESiKaTOH, Abronia, Mich. t^"ln respi : lu this advertisement mention GLKANlNaa. 18!il GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTCRE. 203 Wants or Exchange Department. VITILL exclianjie 2 tons of Lake Erie flsli g-iiano, Vt best corn nhospliate in the world, for a good incubator, egrgrs for liatcliiiig-, blooded sheep, or hogs. 6d A. B. BuRKHOLDER, Butler, O. WANTED.— For 1891. as learners, two biisk young: men desirous of perfeeting: themselves in mod- ■ern apiculture. Must be strictly temperate, and give good reference. S. I. Freebokn, Itliaca, Wis. 4 r)-6d WANTED.— To exchange bees for a tubular boil- er from 4 to 8 horse power. Correspondence solicited. D. S. Bassett, 4-tfdb rarnumsville. Worcester Co., Mass. w !-7db ANTED.— To exchange 1 lb. thin Vandervort fdii. for 'i of wax. Samples and testimonials fi-ee. C. W. Dayton, Clinton, Wis. W.ANl'ED.— To exchange apiary of 150 colonies of bees. Will take any kind of farm stock, goods ■or groceries. Anthd.ny Oit, Helena, Ark. w ANTED. 6-"d -To exchange bees for voung horse. A. C. Waldron, Buffalo, Minn. WANTED.— To Leghorn eg; otters. ]5d exchange ]>rize-winiiing Brown rs— §1 per 15— for Howeis, seed, or Mrs. Ella Laws, Lavaca, Ark. WANTED.— To exchange agricuHural machinery and implements for bees and comb foundation. Address, stating what you want, 6(1 LowRY JoHN.S()K, Slasontown, Fayette Co., Pa. \1*ANTED.— To exchange a saw. with C( aintcrsliaf t, »i licit, etc.. and an Excelsioi- force-immp. 6-7d L. L. Esenhowek, Reading. Pa. rrr ANTED.— Pure Italian queens, sections, nurserj- \y stock, or otters, for pure P. Rock eggs or Quiiiby hive-corner clasps. L. C. Axtell, Roseville, 111. 6tf db ANTED.— A Safety bicycle and Barnes combined saw. Write for list of what I have to exchange w WANTED.— To correspond with parties having potatoes, onions, apples, and honey for sale. Prompt atteatio.i given to cjirre.spomlence. Con- signments solicited. Prompt returns made. Earle Clickenoer, l:il So. 4th St., Columbus, O. w 7 ANTED.— To exchange pure Brown Leghorn eggs for tested Italian (jueeiis. Geek Bros., 5-tfdb St. Marys. Mo. WANTED.— To ( orrespond with parties who wish to imin-ove their p )ultry. Fair dealing. 5-tfdb D. F. Lashikr. Hooper. Broome Co.. N.Y. ANTED.— An apiarist to take )i inierest in an ■ijiiary of IV colonies Write for particulars. .]. C. Frisbee, 173 Maple St., Denver, Col. w 5d WANTED. — To exchange bees or this season's hon- ey for Pekln ducks and Monroe Seedling po- tatoes. Address H. O. McElhany, 5d Cediir Rapids. Linn Co., la. for same. 6d F. H. McFarland, St. Albans, Vt. WANTED.— To exchansfe McLaughlin tvpe writer, woith *^9, for B. Spanish or W.C. B. Polish chicks, or eggs from standard varie:ios. A. N. Rhodes, New Casile, Iiid. WANTED.— To exchange 4 acres of rich level laud partly improved. Good dweling; Smiles from depot. N. E. Ddaxe. 6d Breckenridge, Gratiot Co., Mich. WANTED.— To exchange fruit trees and iilants now, bees and queens in May and June, honey from crop of 1891. for bee hives and tixturcs. Address John \\. .viartin, etfdb Greenwood Depot, Alb. Co , Va. ILL exchange plum, pear, peach, cherry, and quince trees, for eggs of pure-bred poultry. 6d A. B. BURKHDLDER. Butlei'. (). W WANTED.— To exchange a.5ii-in. Colum'iia tricycle, ball bearings all around, good as new, a OX'S view camera and outtit; a '^ -size C. C. Harrison lens; a World type-writer; for small engine and boiler. Barnes saw, or offers. W. H. Butler, 6d Clittord. Iiid. VITANTED.— To exchange bees in Kl-frame L.ing- VV stroth hives at ^5.UU per colony, for foundation at maiket price. A. C. Bugbee, 6-7d Loohiel, Benton Co., Ind. WANTED.— To exchange two new 7x10 prlating- presses, with type, etc. Would sell cheap to make room for larger prc-.s; would take Barnes saw or supplies. Model St.\mp W^urks, 6d Shenandoah, Iowa. IVrANTED.— To exchange a good double-barrel, 12- VV gauge, breech-loading shotgun, weight 9 lljs., cost ?f24.tiL), loading tools, cartridge-belt, complete. for Barnes foot-i)Ower saw, Heddon new hives, divisible brood-chamiier, or offers. fid Ezra G. Smith, Manchester, N. Y. w HaT arc we ottered fora Woi'ld type-writer, new. double case, cost §17? J. B. Alexandeh, 6d Hartford Citv. Ind. W WANTED.— To exchange Roots Doved hives, sec- tions, fdn.. f.ir Jap;;ne-;e liiickwheat or otters. Od A. B. Burkholder, Butler, O. W RANTED.— To exchange seme excellent otters for bees b,v the pound, and foundation. 6-7d " L. L. EsEXHOWER, Reading. Pa. BEES FOR SALE. COLONIES, V li^v* NUCLEI, ^%^/ and QUEENS yjK^"'' ;it living rates. Send for / -Y-iJ' A circular and price "*t to /^-'^j^ C. C. VAUGHN,'^ W Columbia, Tenn. etfdb G»*"ln responding to tUis advertiaeiuent mention Glkakxngs. F.OK SA1.K (for 1891) cheap, for cash. Italian Bees and Queens. Addiess . h'Otto Kleixdw, Apiarist, 6-7d _. 150 Military Ave.. Detroit, Mich. READY TO MAIL, TESTED ITALIAN QUEENS. Reared last Aug., #1.75; after March. #1..50. Untest- ed, from Doolittle"s Select Mother, raised by his method, §1.00. Reduction on 3 or more. Orders booked now; pay when queens are wanted. 6-7-8d JOHN B. CASE, Port Orange, Vol. Co., Fla. ISrin respoiunnu' 1" I ;...i--. ■•, .n -Lii,.!! oi^.-vxings. FOR SALE. My Carniolan and (lueen-raising apiaries, with the agency of the Chicago Bee-Keepers' Supply Co. at Topeka. with a large trade established. Reason of change to take charge of our Chicago depot. J. B. KLINE, Topeka, Kan. In writing advertisers please mention this paper. John 3:16. Have you seen Evangelist Wolfe's new paper? Do you w a n t a bright, lively, and out-spok- en Gospel pa- per, published in the (lierokee Indian Nation? Sub- scribe for •■ Jolin 3: 16." Only 20 cts per year. Spec- imen copies free. Address "John 3:16 "' Company, Vinita. Cherokee Nation, Ind. Ter. 6-7d £^-fn respondinif to tliis a(lveiti>eineiit mention Oi.eanings. Printing, Note Heads, Bill Heads, Envelopes, ISi 250for$].00 Post Paid. Good honest work and paper. 50 Xja.a.les Ca,ra.s in Steel Plate Script 25 c. Xo Samples. V2 Years in Business. Send Copy and dollar to BIKTON L,. SAGE, New Haven, - Conn. 204 C; LEANINGS IN BEE CTLTrPvE. Mai:. !:> PwNEY C8MMN. CITY MARKETS. San Francisco.— H()?it'iy.— Since the hist rains, tlie outlook for the cominjr crop is more tiattering-. However, we do not exjiect to see as large a crop as in the previous vear. We now quote: Exiractecl honev, 5?4@6c. Comb, 2-lh. frames, 9@13; 1-1 b., 10® 15. iSeeswax, 23@.:i4. SCHACHT, LeMCKE & StEIKEU. Feb. 24. San Francisco, Cal. Albany.— Ho?7CW.— Comb honey sellinK quite free- ly, and stock on liand g-etting- quite small. Ha^•e re- ceived one consignment of comb Imne.v siiici> last i.ssue. Tlie demand for dark extracted honey is good. There is not quite so much call for light. Beeswax very scarce. We quote clover, ].")@ltic; buckwheat, 12@13. E.xtracted light. 8(aj9; daik, T@8. Chas. McCulloch & Co., Mar. 10. Albany, N. Y. New York.— Ho?7ei/.— Our market is bare of comb boney, and but little demand for any. California extra'cted is in good deniaiid at from 6?i@7i4C a lb., and the market is well supi)lied with same. Ex- tracted buckwheat is selling at fiom 7(a>"i4c a lb., and stock scai'ce. No Southeiu at present. Bees- wax, 35(ai27c. Hildreth Bros. & Segklken, Feb. 26. New York. Detroit.— Wouei/.— Comb honey is quoted at l-lr@1.5 cts.: sales slow. Extracted, 7@8c. Beeswax &vm at 3T@28c. Bell Branch, Mich.. Feb. 19. M. H. Hunt. St. Louis.— Houcj/- Market unchanged: liave had several inquiries for large (luantities, sa.v 15,000 lbs., extracted and strained. Prime beeswax. 27c. D. G. TuTT Gho. Co.. Mar. 9. St. Louis, Mo. Milwaukee.— Hojicy. -The demand for honey is very moderate: supply of all kinds fail-. One-pound sections, best, 18@19; good, 17@18; fair, 15@16; dark or old, 10@,13. Extracted white, in barrels and half- barrels, 8'/i@9; same, in tin cans, 8>^@9: dark, in barrels and kegs, 6>^@7i4. Beeswax wanted at 28® 30e. A. V. Bishop. March 6. Milwaukee. Wis. Chicago.— Ho/)r{/.— Stock is not large, and for the best white comb in desirable sbai)e there is a steady demand at 17(s>19c; any thing ott Iti appearance is slow at one to two cents less. Extracted, steady a^ 7@8. Beeswax 27c. It is time now that all c(')mb honev were on sale. R. A. Bukni^tt, March 8. It-'l So. Water St., Chicago, III. For Sale.— 6i)0 lbs. while-clover and basswood hon- ey, in 6J-lb. cans; 10c, f. o. b. F. G. Penton. Box 221, tiluttton, O. For Sale.— "Choice orange-blossom" extracted honey in 60-lb. tin cans, oi- kegs holding 14 to 15 gal- lons. Price 8*1.25 per gallon, f. o. b. cars here. AltTHUR F. BROAVN, 6 9db Huntington. Putnam Co., Fla. For Sale.— 1200 lbs. extracted white-clover liouey In barrels or eO-lb. cans, as desired. Itfdb E. J. Baxter, Nauvoo, 111. For Sale.— Choice honey in seel ions. cans, and C. pails. Send for price list to Oliver Foster. 12-tfdb. Mt. Vei'non, la. For Sale.— 12() lbs. choice clovei' honev. in 20 11). cases. F. H. M(F.4rlanij. St. Albans, Vt. Bee - Keepers' * Supplies. We are prejiared to furnish bee-keepers with sup- plies promptly and at lowest rates. Estimates gladly furnished, and correspondence solicited. Our goods are all first class in quality and workmanship. Cat- ofootte sent free. Reference, First National Bank, Sterling, 111. Address \\!>1 OTcCUNE & CO., 21-20db Sterling, Illinois. t^-In re.spondinfr to tliis advcitiseiiieiit mention Gi.KANisiis. 5-BANDED GOLDEN ITALIANS Beauties I The best workers we ever stiw. ^Vork on red <-lover. \'er>- gentle. Drones ! to i yellow. Won 1st Premium at III. State Fair in 1S90. Nearlv ».0 booketl for 1891. Waiianted Queens, M;iv. $1.25, 0 for |;ti.OO; after June 1st. 81.00,6 for !if.").00. Special discount foi- large orders as to dealers. Have your order booked fnow in order to get them when wanted. Satisfaction guaranteed. No foul biood. Select Barred Plymouth Rock Eggs, fl per 13. Good reference given. Itfdb S. F. & 1. TREGO, Swedona. Ill, ^^In respondinp lo this udvertisenient mention Gleanings, QT7EENS, QUEENS. GOLDEN CARNIOLAN AND ITALIANS. Pi'ice List Free. H. ALLEY, Wenliani, Ei^sex Co., Mass. Please mention this paper. 6tfd Bees 6t Supplies iop Iotjusl. Send for mj- supplement for 1891, now ready (nO' new catalogue). Say whether you have my catalogue- dated 1889 and 1890. Address Oliver Foster, .5-Tfdb Mt. Vertion, Linn Co., Iowa. -3-4d Please mention this paper. BttSMlMl FOR SALE. Crude and refined. We have con- stantly in stock large quantities of Beeswax, and supply the prominent manufaeturer.s- of comb ftiundation throughout the country. We- guarantee every pound of Beeswax purchased from us absolutely pure. Wiite for our prices, stating- quantity wanted. ECKERMANN & WILL, Bleachers, Eefiners, aid Importers cf Beeswax, .")-i6db Syracuse, N. Y. rF"ln responding to this advertisement mention (tlkanings. NEW^ FACTORY- No. 1 Sections, S:5..")0; No. 2, ?2.'r.5. Fine Comb. Ft>uudation a specialty. Iwl. S- ROOr», 520 East Broadway. 6-17(11) Council Bluffs, la. t^ln responding to this advertisement mention Glkaningji. A PAYING CROP. Grow Popping-Corn. We bought .50 carloads last season, paying from 2>; to 3>2 cts. per pound on the- cal-. ■ 6-7-8.9d Will Want 100 Carloads Next Season. Write us, and will advise you as Xo l:est yielding- varietv In ))lant and poj). H. R. WKItiHT. 326 Bi'oadwav, Albany. X. Y. Reference: Albany Ctmnty Rank. Please mention this paper. I WILL GIVE 10 PER CENT DISCOUNT on all orders leceived diu'ing March. Don't wait luitil the busy re T "DTTVII^ you order your- season bi'fore jTV JL' ij -'■ -^^ ^^ queens, for it sometimes causes delav. 6d A. L.. KiL.DO'W, Sheffield, 111. Please mention this pai)er. S5.00 IN MAY, AND $4.50 IN JUNE, wir.i. Bi'v A Strong Fall CoLnj" of Pure Italian Bees in Hoofs new Dovetailed or the old Sini|>licity hive, as yoii prefer. Each to contain a fine tested queeii< anil ph^nly of beesandbrocd. Everything first-class. Pure Jai'ianeSe Buckwheat, per bu.. .fl; >i bu.,t;Uc; >4 bn., 3.')c, bag included. Scotch Collie Pups, $4 each. N. A. KN aPP, Roeliesler, Lorain Co., O. • delvoteq; •andHoNEY-^^ •ANDHOMEL- •INTE-f^ESTi Published by R. I. Root, Medii^a, O. Vol. XIX. MAR. 15, 1891. No. 6. FROM DR. C. C. MILLER. Don't you long to see the bees at work? The tkade-makk isn't booming so much. The Review wants no trade-mark. Right, Hutch.! Isn't that a neat engraving at tlie top of the page? Hon. Eugene .Secor is re-elected President of the Iowa State Horticultural Society. How TO GET a stand of melilot might be a good subject for experiment at Michigan Agri- cultural College. J. H. Larrabee, a live bee-keeper from down east, has been chosen to help Prof. Cook in his apicultural experiments. The California Bee-keeper is out — Vol. I., No. 1. It ought to live — gotten up in fine shape, and the salutatory has the I'ight ring to it. "Storifying" is what our English cousins think we ought to say instead of "'tiering." I'm afraid they're right. " Piling" might do. " Net weight only" marked on the end of the case, says Henry Segelkin (Gleanings, p. 133). Please tell us why only net, and why on the end. A NEW smoker, by A. G. Hill. Looks a trifle like a Bingham upside down. Has the advan- tage that it is always right side up, whether in use or idle. «-«3ai_^ T*~#.i««^i^ c^' Prominence is to be given just now at Michigan Agricultural College to experiments in wintering, improvement in bees, and plant- ing for honey. Old kerosene-cans, says the California Bee-keeper, should not be cleaned out for honey. Just leave them dirty, and then fill them up with — kerosene. " If God has made this world so fair. Where sin and death abound. How beautiful beyond comi)are Must Paradise be found!" An egg in a cell stands up straight the first day; second day at an angle of 45°; third day, it lies flat on the bottom of the cell. I learned that from Cowan's new book, "The Honey- Bee." Geo. F. Robbins writes that he has tried it, and knows that enameled cloth is better than painted muslin for hive-covers. He puts the enamel side down and then paints it. It doesn't take one-third as much paint as muslin. Still, tin is good. Good for Wisconsin ! Here's a resolution at their State convention: "That this Associa- tion send one delegate to the next American Bee-keepers' convention, and pay S^IO toward his expenses." Putting best premiums on light honey, and little or nothing on dark honey, is scratch- ing out our own eyes. So^says Hasty in an ar- ticle in American Bee-keeper. The whole arti- cle is excellent. In hauling bees or honey in day time, A. N. Draper tells in A. B. K. about loading up close 10 the hives, and, by means of a 40-foot rope, haaling the wagon some distance before hitching on regularly. Good idea. LiNDEN-TKEES aic auiong the most desirable for shade on the streets. Wouldn't it be a good plan to give them away to be planted on the villags streets? — cheaper than to plant them on your own ground, just as good for you, and a kindness to your neighbor. What secretive people those Michigan- dersare! There's Prof. Cook. It was darkly hinted that the government was doing some- thing for the benefit of bee-keepers, and now Hutchinson brings out the fact that an experi- mental station is started, with Prof. Cook as chief engineer — a grand choice. German bee-keepers are all stirred up over the matter of heating in winter. Its leading advocate. Pastor Weygandt, is considered by one party as an investigator to be placed alongside of Dzierzon, while the other party looks upon him as an idle dreamer. Details as to carrying out his plans are so indefinite that at present we can only wait to see what others do. Prof. Cook says he wants suggestions as to subjects for experiment, also as to the manner of conducting experiments. Wouldn't it be a good plan to snow him under with suggestions? Out of the lot he ought to get some that would be usable. WMth such men as Cook and Larra- bee at the helm, it's a pi'etty sure thing that the experimental station will be in close touch with the rank and file of bee-keepers. No SWARMING will generally take place, says Dr. Tinker, in A. B. K., " if at the beginning of a honey-flow we take an empty story with foundation starters in the frames, and put on the excluder, then a super of sections for stor- ing, and the brood-chamber of any colony ready to work in the sections on top of all. The queen, of course, is to be put below the excluder in the new story." In 1889 I tried a number of colonies on this plan, but failed. Possibly the season was too poor. "The double -colony" plan, as he calls it, is given by G. W. Demaree in A. B. K. In bi'ief it is this: When a colony swarms, remove its 206 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Mar. 15. queen and put it in a brood-chaniV)er on the old stand, with empty combs, except one comb of honey in which a queen-cell is grafted, on this a queen-excluder, and then a second story with the brood-frames and queen-cells, and then the surplus cases. The queens above will be de- stroyed before or after hatching, and the young queen below remains reigning. Won't the bees sometimes desert that single cell ? A NEW STUPEFIER Is described in Lcipzujer Bienenzettung. It is kept by supply -dealers, put up in little bottles, and. under the rather inappropriate name of "laughing-gas," consists of solid white crystals the size of coffee grains. Its fumes act like magic in immediately pro- ducing apparent death, and, as magically, life is restored, with no trace of effect, except that all memory of the past is gone, allowing change of queen, change of locality, uniting, etc. But disastrous results weeks, and even months afterward, are charged to its account. Get heady for a big crop. If you'ie ready for it and it doesn't conu\ there's no great haim done. If you're not ready and it does come, then there is harm done. You'll get all in a stew right in the middle of harvest, and, in- stead of being just running over with gratitude for having such a big crop, you'll grumble at the supply-dealers because they don't start your supplies on the road about two hours before you mail your order, snap up your wife when she asks you to stop long enough for dinner, and make yourself such a nuisance generally that you'll' want to get away from yourself. Get ready in time. gENEI^^Ii Ct)Rr(E^P0NDENCE. BIOGRAPHICAL. WHO IS KAMBLEK? The subject of this sketch was born in the town of Hai-tford, New York, Dec. 30, 1839. His grandfather came from the State of Massachu- setts, and was one of those hardy Puritan pio- neers who settled in that region near the close of the last c(Mitury, and there carved comfortable homes from the virgin forest. He was a man of high nativ(» qualities and Yankee shrewd- ness, and from him John H. st^ems to have in- herited his full share. AsJohn was an only son he was given good educational opi)oi'tunities, spending some time at a neighboring academy, and at the Fort Edward Collegiate Institute. In 1868 he married Miss Libbie C. Edwards, who died in 1881. leaving no children. She was an estimable lady, and her death was a great loss to the community. For many years Mr. Martin followed agricul- tural pursuits on his father's farm; but owing to a somewhat frail constitution, and the death of his wife, followed, in 18S;:i, by the death of both his parents, ho gave up the farm entirely; and bee culture, which had formerly been a side issue, was given all his time and at-tention. His gi'andfather was the first to introduce into that section the Weeks (jatent hive, which at that time was a great improvement. By ob- serving his grundfathei-'s bees and methods, he early b(icame intci-ested in the bees, and hence he can hardly tell when his career as an apia- rist began. As early as 1874 we find him with .5.5 colonies of bees, and a contributor to (Clean- ings. Since that time his apicultural cai'eer has been plainly indexed by his contributions to this paper. Since he has devot(;d all his time to the bees, it has been his method to keep fi-om 200 to 30U colonies, running them for extracted honey, and doing all the work himself, except during the exti'acting season. At present his colonies are somewhat reduced, owing to the past successive poor season^ and bad winters. One season his crop was 16,000 lbs. of honey, and his average for the past 12 or 15 years has been about 7000 lbs. of extracted honey pei' year. Since the advent of the Heddon hive he has adojited it and its methods, and the chaff hives and outdoor wintering are being discarded. Mr. Martin is a thorough student of the bee, as the many bee-books, old and new, and bound volumes of the bee-periodicals to be found in his bookcase, all show. He is also a superior workman in wood, and very ingenious in the invention and application of apiarian imple- ments. The old homestead, wher-e he now re- sides with kind friends, is a most beautiful spot. Abroad turnpike leads up from the vil- lage, and for some distance there are, on either THE RAMBLER. side of the road, rows of thrifty basswoods, planted years ago by Mr. Martin's own hand. The house is a tyi)ical Eastern homestead, large and square and white, among venerable maples. Just beyond the house is the apiary with its high lattice fence and arbor of grapevines, while all around are the high hills and broad valleys of an excellent honey location. In person Mr. Martin is quite tall and slen- der; there is not an ounce of spare; flesh about him. In manner he is very modest and quiet, yet continually, through his eyes and in his words, one sees the humor of the man. He has great love of the quaint and humorous side of humanity, yet his humor never offends by its coarseness nor galls by its acidity. The series of articles written during the last two years, un- der th(> Honi (le pfHNic " Rambler," has made him well known to all the readers of Glean- ings. His method of combining the entertain- ing and the instructive in a manner to make it read by all is very characteristic. Mr. Martin is a true Christian — very zealous in Christian work, and is a li^.uling member and 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 207 sections; the work goes on, and the sections ai'e completed without delay. In four- or five days the queen-excluding honey-hoai'd can be taken off', if desired. The queen will not go above in the sections. If, when tin; .sections, are about completed, there is not time to fin- ish another lot. raise up the supi'r and insert, between it and the bi'ood-chamb;'r another section of the bi'ood-chamber, which the bees can proceed to fill for winter stores, or it can be exiiaeted. While the plan above is not new or original^ yet I think it worth repeating, as we sometimes, have to read a thing two or tliree tinu^s before- we think there is any thing in it. Delhi, III., Feb. 5. " H. D. Edwakds. [Yes, it appears that there are more using fixed, frames than was generally supposed, and that, too, when most of the books and journals for- years have declared against them. Now that the tide is changing, the fixed-frame users will in- crease greatly, but the loose fi'ame will continue- to be used largely yet. See page 224.] R. F. HOLTERMANN ON A VISIT. HE CALLS ON MK. AUPAUOH. A visit to the home and apiary of Jacob Al- paugh, St. Thomas, Ont., could not result in any thing but material gain to an ob.sei'ving bee- keeper. On every hand we find ingenious con- trivances to lessen labor, and to do work in a iDetter manner. To assure the readers of Gleanings that these inventions are practical,. I need only to mention that they are in use by Mr. Ali)augh and others, and tlaat Mr. A. in- tends running five apiaries the coming summer,, and has at present ."570 colonies. 190 of them in the cellar, the remainder wintering on their summer stands. The bees wintered on their summer stands are packed four in a box, two. entrances at opposite sides. They are packed with forest-leaves, no packing at the bottom; at the top, a fresh quilt and about eight inches, of forest- leaves; the entrance is left open to the extent of about eight inches. A few colonies are being experimented with for the second year, the first having been an entire success. An empty story is placed between the bottom- board and the body of the hive; an entrance is. left in each; an eight-inch packing of forest- leaves is put above the body, with bees in it. A new quilt is, of course, put above the bees. No further protection is given to the bees. Of" 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 309 course, we have had several mild winters, and it would hardly be advisable to adopt this plan generally at present. In order to give the method of cellar winter- ing, the cellar must here be desci-ibed. It is 18x11 feet and (5 feet high. The walls have no connection with the outside. The entire cellar is inside of another 3Ux25-feet wall made of stone hi in. thick, and with a ct'm<'nt floor, the latter common to all. The inner compartment has for its walls half-thickness bi'ick. The ceiling is boarded with nuitehed lumber against the joists. The air, hot oi- cold, can, therefore, pass clean over and about the inner repository, all but the floor. Two v(!ntilators pass into the inner cellar. One, 4x8 inches, is attached to a chimney; the other. 4x4 inches, passes up through the center of the house. Both general- ly draw aii- from the top of the cellar; but by adding a length to the pipes they can be made to draw from the bottom. A door connects the inner repository with the outside cellai". Either wire or solid wood can be used. So far this winter the screen only has been used. The main cellar is further ventilated by means of a door at one side, and on the; opposite side a window. The door to the inner repository is between the door and window of the outei', giv- ing a free current to th(» bees when desired. There is another compartment which con- tains a large stove, used as a furnace. From this the air around the inner repository can be heated to any desired ti'mperature. The only difficulty. Mr. Alpangh says, is when the out- side tempeiature gets too higii. The bees are packed almost solid, four tiers high. The bot- tom tier is about four inches from the floor, and this tier has an inch rim between the body and the bottom-board. The greatest numberof col- onies ever wintered here was 260, and the tem- perature has been as high as 60°, seldom as low as .50. No trouble has been found in regard to spring dwindling, and there were not enough dead bees to cover the cellar floor up to the time of my visit. Feb. 7. We raised the quilt of one colony. The bees were as small as in summer, bright and clean. They certainly were not hi- bernating, however. The ISK) colonies made a slight hum, but one could scarcely detect the odor of tlie bees — a very good indication of a healthy condition. I feel satisfied that the bees go into winter quarters in good condition. Of course, this is a great step toward successful wintering. I have for years felt that Mr. Al- paugh had a very fine cellar for wintering bees; and the only addition I might advise would be a spring of water to assist in keeping down the temperature in spring. In a future number I propose describing a few of Mr. Alpaugh's inventions in the bee-line; and as your readers may be interested in one or two contrivances about the house, not in connec- tion with bees. I shall take the liberty of briefly describing them, especially as I know you have a weakness for pure watei-. The cistern, or tank, for soft water stands on the floor of the main cellar. It is 6 ft. in diameter and 6 ft. high. The water is caught from the roof of the house and pours into the top of the tank. The overflow pipe draws the water from the bottom and communicates with the house-drain. A tube connects with the overflow-pipe, just where it bends over the tank. This tube car- ries all foul air from the drain to the chimney, joining the kitchen stovepipe, I believe. The water in the tank, by means of the above, and being quite open at the top, is pure, and used for drinking, frequently; so, Mr. Root, when you go to Alpaugh's you will find waiting for you soft water as well as a soft bed. MR. alpaugh's device FOR DRAWING WATER. I was attracted in the woodshed by a wire- cloth trap-door covering a box. Asking what it was I found it covered the box upon the well- platform; and immediately above it, and sus- pended to the rafters of the shed, was a wooden roller with two light ropes attached. I knew Mr. Alpaugh could afford a pump, but I receiv- ed the following explanation: "I believe that every well should be so arranged that the air has full access to the water. That is why I have the pump out and the pail to dip; also the wire trap-door. The lattei' allows a con- stant free circulation; the former takes a cer- tain amount of fresh air to the water every time we dip, and takes it from the surface at all times. We could not use the water when we had the pump in it; but now. as you can see for yourself, it is very good, for surface water."' The above contrivanci? is to make the drawing of water easy. It consists of simply an eighteen- inch roller, half of it two inches in diameter, the other half four inches in diameter. To the latter a rope is attached, long enough to strike the water and allow the attached pail to sink and fill. The pail is galvanized iron. To one side is attached a weight, so that, when the pail strikes the water, the pail is drawn to one side and fills. The pail rights itself the mo- ment the rope pulls on it. To the two-inch rol- ler is attached a cord half the length of the one attached to the 4-inch, and to this is fastened a weight just the weight of the zinc pail when filled with water; when the weight rolls up, the pail goes down; and when the pail comes up, the weight goes down. So it takes a little pull (you can do it with thumb and finger) to bring the pail down and about the same to bring it up. With a proper catch to clasp the bail of the pail, it is a pleasure to draw water. It is fully as easy as pumping, and the frailest woman can work it without much exertion. When I think of all the places I visit where they draw soft water, and sometimes hard, by means of a rope or a stick attached to the pail, I feel as if you should turn that simple roller, and have it among your household conven- iences, for such it assuredly is. It may be old to some, and to many new. R. F. Holtermann. Romney, Ont., P"'eb. 16. GLOVES— WHAT KIND TO USE. rubber gloves not SUITABLE FOR BEE -WORK. FINGERLESS GLOVES PREFERRED; DRESS FOR LADIES. Friend Root: — I, for one, have used rubber gloves in the apiary, but I did not like them. They draw, and burn the hands until one can hardly endure it, especially if the weather is very warm; and when you take them ofif, your hands will look as if you had been washing in hot suds all day. Another thing is, they are so clumsy in handling frames that one is apt to drop one end of the frame on the hive with a jar, and the result is— mad, stinging bees. I like my fingers uncovered while working in the apiary; but I prefer the backs of my hands covered. As much as I dislike propolis on my fingers, I would rather endure it than to wear rubber gloves. I like fingerless gloves, and I will tell you how I make mine. Take an old pair of stockings; cut the feet off; cut a small piece out of the sides about two inches from the end where you cut the foot off. This is for the thumb. Take a thread and needle and whip the edge over and over, not too tight; next whip over the bottom so it won't stretch so much; then sew it together in three places; that makes four finger-holes; then run a rub- ber cord in at the top to keep them up on the arms. The gloves keep the bees from crawling ;iiu GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Mak. 15. up tlie sleeves; protect the liands from the sun and a little fi'oni stings. I will say (( little, for the bees will sting through them; but do as in the A B C — that is. slap your hand against your person, and you will suffer very little from stings. They ai'e so easily made, and so inex- pensive, that, when one pair gets soiled, you can burn them; or. if one chooses, they can be washed and used again. I think Miss Emma will find bed-ticking aprons too heavy and warm for summer. They will do very well in spring and fall. Last sea- son I used seamless-sack aprons" with large pockets sewed on flat made out of Indian-head factory, also faced around, and belt of the same. I liked them v&ry well, as the honey does not leak through them. I found them pretty warm in June and July. This coming season I am going to try a soft pliable kind of table oil cloth. I don't think paper aprons would do, on account of fli'e from the smoker. The apron and glove part doesn't bother me as much as the head-dress. I don't like veils or wire-screen hoods very well. They are hard on the hair. Still, by wearing a net or a thin muslin cap to protect the hair, I can get along very well with the hood. I wear one made 'like Mrs. L. Harrison's with a cape and draw-string at the waist. With this kind of a head-dress, and my tingerless gloves, and my long apron, I think my dress is pretty well protected. Mks. W. G. Tittswokth. Avoca, la., Feb. 8. [As practical and as extensive a bee-keeper as W. L. Coggshall uses tingerless gloves. I never wore any thing of the kind; but if I worked with some of those York State hybrids I should certainly want them. Hello! here is another who prefers fingerless gloves. He writes:] I noticed an article in your journal about buckskin and other gloves, and I beg to offer a suggestion. I use gloves made like mits, cover- ing the hand nicely, and just letting the ends of Ihe lingers piotrnde. These are home-made, made of white linen ordomestics. The reasons for their use are, they are white; they prevent the sun from burning the hands; are nice to use, and, above all, can be frequently washed, and thus kept nice and clean. If those who use gloves will try those made of two thick- nesses, as above stated, of linen or domestics, they will lind them vastly superior to rubber, and much pleasanter to weai' in every way. Atlanta, (xa. T. E. Hanbury. A HIVE. Dli. MII.r.EU HAS GOXK AND INVKXTKD A BKE-HIVE. "Didn't know I'd been studying up a hive?" Well. now. you listen. It's to " All a long-felt want." Some people want a liive that is just right for cellar wintering— a single wall, with nothing inside but the frames — precisely the one I'm talking about. Some want a hive with a dead-air space, light enough to be easily han- dled. Mine's just that. You see. it hits every- body. It's an A 1 affair. I first called it"T/((; Al Hive;'"' but the " 1 '' seemed so small a num- ber I left that out, and I thought the name still pretty long, and so I dropped the "T/ic." leav- ing the name, "A hive." and then I changed the big "A" to a little "a," so that, when anybody ordered a hive without mentioning any i)artic- Ular name, the supply-dealers would be sure to send mine. It's a summer and winter hive. I'll tell you about it. An outside body just like the Dove- tailed: inside of that, the framfs. These are closed-end, the top-bar being closed at each end like the Hoffman. A dummy, or follower, is wedged up against each outsicU^ frame. That's for a summer hive. For a \\ int(^i' hive I have invented a stick in manner and form as set forth, of just such size and proportions as to tit in the spaces betwc^en the top-bars. When the harvest is over, these sticks are put in. You will now see that-we have a dead-air space all around. At each end of the hive there is a space lietween the closed ends and the wall of the hive. At each side thei-e is a space between the dummy and th(^ side of the hive. After the sticks are put in. the bees will glue every thing air-tight, leaving a dead-air space between top-bar and cover. Now, don't you see that hei'e is a hive, warm, light, good for any season of the year? What? "Nothing original " al)out it? That's just like A. I. Root. Lie awake nights thinking up a big thing, only to be told it's " nothing original." Well, anyhow I'd like to know who invented those sticks in manner and form as hereinbefore si)ecified. LAYING WORKERS. G. B. Rei)logle has given me his plan of get- ting rid of laying workei's. It is based on the fact that, in a hive containing laying workers, th(> bees are all old enough to know the way to their hivc^s. no matter where they are piit. So, aftei' getting the bees of such a colony to fill themselves with honey, he shakes them down in front (jf a colony containing a laying queen. Being lilled. they are received all light: but on theii' first flight they will return to tiieir old location, wliei'e a caged queen may be given them. The laying worker or workers will not fly out, but will be killed. The ])lan is ingen- ious, and I don't see why it won't work. I should think sonu' of the bees, at least, would b(^ so much better pleased witii tiieir new quar- ters that they would mark their location on their first flight, and not retiu-u to the old place. But there would be no great harm in that. FIXED FRAMES AND CEOSED ENDS. The matter of fixed frames and closed-end frames has been i)retty tlioroughly discussed; but some of us old fogies are a little anxious yet, for fear wo shall b(^ driven with the cur- rent into some i»lace we don't want to go. There is no (pu'stion as to the desii-ability of having frames always fastened in the hives, if we can have the advantages with no accompanying disadvantages. The prominent question that comes uj) in my nnixl is this: "Can fram(>s that touch togethe]' tlirnnghout t lie whole or a part of their ("iid-bars be handled as rapidly without killing liees?" We are asked to believe that we can. and yet — and yet. Does it look reason- able? Of course. I have confidence in the word of those who say they can; but. have they tried fairly both ways? I may be asked why I didn't try both last sumnie)'. I did intend to. but fail- ed to get the frames made at either of two |)rin- cipal establishments to which I ajjplied, and had not time to make any myself. I am not a good hand to make experiments, for in the busy season I am worked to the limit of my time and strength, with little time for any thing but straight work. Assure me that fixed closed-end frames ai'e not bee-killers, and I think I am "fixed." But if the Hoffman frame, with the end-bars touch- ing part way. kills no bees, why not go the whole figure and have the frames come together evei-ywhei'e except that part of the top-bars which is directly over the comb? That would allow no bees to get on the outside part of the frames unless they entered at the bottom of the frame-ends. In that case it seems to me there 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Ill would be no glue on tho outside of the frames unless at the bottom of tlie end- bars. On page 87. G. F. Robbins asks that there be only ^V of an inch play between the end-bars and tfie end of the hive, and E. R. reiJJies, "No. it would not do to leave the usual '4 inch be- tween tiie closed ends and the end of the hive." Yon nuiy be right, but please tell us why. With any thing less than '4 ineii you can count for a certainty on having tlii' lower ends of the end- bars thoroughly glued to the iiive. In days gone by. the insuperable objection supposed to be against Hxed distances was that combs were not all alike, and lixed distances would thoroughly prevent interchanging. A. E. Woodward brings up tiie same objection as the result of experience (page 90). I must con- fess I don't now believe there's much in it. How much advantage do the loose hanging frames really have? How much difference do we make for inequalities of combs? I must own that I don't pay any attention to them, and I doubt whether others do. I try to space the top-bars equally: and if I succeed perfectly in Tuy endeavor, they are spaced jji-ecisely as they would be with Hoffman or closed frames. The only difference would lie. that, with such frames. I could do easily and quickly what I can do only imperfectly with loose frames, even after spending much time at it. C. C. Mii,lek. Marengo. 111. [Well, doctor. I have been studying your hive pretty carefully, and for the life of me I can not tell whether you are in earnest or whether you half mean what you say. There are some good things about your hive, fooling or no fooling. 1 know it is ci'uel to say so. hut this method of l)lugging u|) the sinices ijetweeu the top-bars with suitable sticks was suggested by some brother a year or two ago in Gleanings: and. if I renu^mber correctly, he has put the thing in practice, and says it is all O. K. But. doctor, there is a better way than that. Throw away the sticks, and lay an enamel cloth on the frames, and the bees will seal it down tight, and you will have your dead-air spaces and all — see? The reason we do not want a bee-space back of the closed ends, or. lather, between the closed ends and the end of the hive, is to prevent the bees from getting ])c]nii(l and propolizing in the cracks on the bark of the uprights, etc. You see, if these uprights are thick enough to fill up this space, and yet leave sufficient play to be readily removable, the bees can propolize them where they come iu contact on tJie inside only, and you will see this would make quite a differ- ence in their mobility. As to fixed frames not being interchangeable, there ai'e only two that I know of who have urged this as an objection. I questioned very closely the York State be(!-keepei-s — pi-ominent- ly, Ehvood and Hoffman — on this very point: viz., whether fixed distances prevent the frames from being alternated or interchanged from one i)art of the brood-nest to the other. They hai'dly knew what I meant; and when I ques- tioncHl them further they said they had experi- enced no such trouble. Closed-end frames on the Quinby plan will not kill bees — in fact, not as much so as ordinary loose hanging frames in wood rabbets. I know some of you will be somewhat suiprised. but nevertheless this is a fact. Ml-. p]lwo((d will shortly explain ivlty thjs is so. in an article, and so I will not attempt to explain. With the Hoffman frames there will be killing of bees if there be careless or unskillful han- dling. But Mr. H. himself avoids the trouble, and I think the rest of us can. You know that, when we put a fiat cover on a hive, we kill bees if we set it tlat down on the square edges of the hive: but witlr a s/(cli»f/ motion, in the hands of those who use that cover, there is not the least excuse for killing bees: and the same thing is true, to a very great extent, in handling the Hoffman frame.]" E. R. R. KEVERSIBLE EXTRACTOR. ANOTHER MACHINE. As per request, I send you a photograph showing my improvement in automatic reversi- ble honey-extractors, taken from a rough mod- el of my own construction. It will be seen that the mechanism is such that reversing the mo- tion will reverse all the comb-baskets, with positive action. The comb-baskets stand and reverse on a pivot at the centei' of their bottom end, the top end being held in position and re- versed by metal rings having cogs half way or more on and around their outer surface, witli large or stop cogs at each terminus of cogs. The rings have a flange all the way around from the base of the cogs downward, which work against anti-friction rollers, as at F on the end of the arms whicli Irold the rings in position. The rings are secured to tlie comb- baskets in such a way as not to interfere witli tills flange working on the guide. I.AWSON S REVERSIBLE EXTRACTOR. The cog pinions are fastened together and driven by the beveled wheel from the crank, and revolve loosely on the shaft — the lower one, or spur i)inion, working in the cogs of tlie rings, and. when in contact with the large or stop cogs, set the extractor in motion. The comb- baskets with rings can be instantly removed from the machine for cleaning, and just as quickly returned to po-^ition. The brake A is very powerful, and will stop the machine al- most instantly. It is composed of a drum .se- cured to the top of the main shaft, and encir- cled with a strap secured to the cross-bar, and tightened with a lever. This machine is not mere fancy theory, as I liave done all my extracting tlie past season with one of about the same construction, and I can truly say it gave me entire satisfaction, a:Kl, in my humble opinion, is the extractor of the future. Ali-en J. Lawson. Brighton, Ont., Feb. 3. [We at first did not see how the rings at the top of the basket were held in position so as to mesh into the gear of the driving-shaft: but we notice the little rollers you speak of as F in the ;n3 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Mak. 15. cut. and we liave no doubt they will hold the I'ings in position. Your extractor offers facili- ties for putting in and taking out the combs, and the action of the reveising would be posi- tive and certain. Tlie extractor will work, no doubt: but we are inclined to think the expense of manufacture would i)i'eclude its general use among bee-keepers. So much gearing is ex- pensive : and. besides, tho can will be large.] WAX SECRETION. DO CIKCUMSTAXCES OK THE BEES aoVERX THE SECRETION OF WAX SCALES? AKE THEY EVEK WA.STED'? Many writers for our bee-journals, and some of them our most cautious and able bee-keep- ers, take the position that bees have to secrete wax, and that if comb or foundation is used the wax is lost. But, is it true that bees have to secrete wax? I greatly doubt it. Natui'e has not arranged things that way. The cow se- cretes milk when there is a young calf that must have milk. When the bees need wax to form comb, then we find wax scales in the wax- pockets, otherwise we do not find them. I feel quite certain of this. I have hived swarms on combs, on foundation, and on frames with nei- ther comb nor foundation. In the first two cases the bees would be very active, and it would be very difficult to find any wax scales. In the other "case, most of the bees were very quiet, and almost every one woiild' have wax scales in the wax-pockets. Even those flying out would show the scales. Now. if, as some contend, the bees in the flrst cases had to, and did, secrete the wax, where were the scales? I could find no signs of them, and do not believe they had any existence. In case of using foun- dation in brood-chamber and in supers. I have often had great difficulty in finding a bee with the wax scales to show my class; but, once hive a swarm in an entirely empty hive, and how soon we could find the scales'. Indeed, it was hard to find a bee without them. It is hard to explain just how the bees regulate this matter. I have thought it was through activi- ty. If very active, no scales are secreted: if quiet, or active to only a limited extent, then wax secretion was active. When we work mares hard, the young foals get too little milk. The mares can not secrete a full supply of milk, and work hard at the same time. Is it not quite possible that the same is true of bees? When they need comb, they bang quiet in graceful festoons from the top of the hive, and wax secretion goes on rapidly: and the materi- al for the beautiful combs is abundant. When no comb is needed, true to their instinct they hie forth to gather sweet, and wax secretion is nearly or quite suspended. This hypothesis is not without support from analogy. The wax is much like our fat or adipose tissue. We know that it is the sedentary men that become ro- tund, while our Cassiuses— the lean and hungry men— are generally active. This fact does not necessarily prove that it is wise and pi'oHtable to buy and use foundation. Whctlicr founda- tion is profitable or not. must be determined by actual trial; but that we should desist from its use to save wax scales that else will be secret- ed and lost, I think is not proved. I think a little close observation will convince any one that bees secrete wax only when, in the econo- my of the hive, they need it. A. J. Cook. Agricultural College, Mich. [Friend C I am very glad you have brought up just this point. I once thought just as you state it; but other things have tended to change my opinion somewhat. For instance, where we feed a colony of bees tremendously with sugar syrup, if feeding is kept up for a sufficient number of days wax scales will form in great numbers: and if they are not permitted to build comb, these beautiful pearly scales of wax will fall on the bottom -board in gi'eat quantities. You know I once fed, a single colo- ny all the syrup that a barrel of sugar would make: as I wanted them to fill and seal over some combs to give to other colonies, they were not permitted to build comb at all, except cap- ping cells. Well, the great difficulty in the way of the success of this experiment was. that so much syrup was consumed in the secretion of wax — wax that fell to the bottom- board— a good deal of it in the form of wax scales. In hiving new swarms on a full set of finished combs (or two full sets, if you choose) we did not find very many scales on the bottom: but the bees filled up all the corners, and built bits of wax all through the corners and crannies of the hives, and put considerable quantities of wax on the top of the frames. As this matter is one of great imi)ortance, I hope that we may have more suggestions on the subject. Al- though we have foundation to .self, my opinion is, and has been for a long time, that, where the brood-combs and honey-boxes are all filled with foundation, more or less wax is lost. I hope you are right, but I fear you are not wholly so in your conclusions.] A. I. R. RAMBLE NO. 39. IN MASSACHUSETTS AND CONNECTICUT. After a few changes on the many lines of railroad in this portion of Massachusetts I ar- rived in Georgetown just as the shades of even- ing were falling. Here I met an ex-pastor of our little Congregational church at home, and who had given us the words of life for several years. This brother was anxious to hear all about our home prosperity. The doubling of our church-membership through a long-hoped- for and prayed-for levival, and the building of a beautiful new church, were all pi-ecious things for him to hear. Our talk was necessari- Iv brief upon bee-matters, as the only acquain- tance our friend had with bees was thi'ough a THE SCOTCHMAN AND HIS SMOKER. brother-minister who had lately taken up bee- keeping as a recreation; and my clerical friend was quite elated over the fact that this brother, after studying up on bee-matters, went out among the farmer bee-keepers and told them more about bees than they ever knew before. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 213 " Why." said he. "it is astonishing how igno- rant some p(>ople are of the common every-day companions of their livt-s. To illnstrate,'" said he, "a Scotchman in a remote county had never heard of a smokei'. and to subdue bees he carried a bllh-t of wool from the stove with the tongs, and wafted it over tlie hive: and he be- lie\-i'd that each drone laid an egg, and then sat on it till it hatched 1" The idea was somewhat peculiar, but as I had come across such an idea before in my travels. I was not over and above surpris. d at it. It was a pleasure for me to talk with this clerical friend, for his moments of con- verse weie packed with valuable information. But. again the feet of the Rambler sought pastures new; and as the shades of another night enveloped the earth he was over 100 miles away, and in the land of steady habits and — wooden nutmegs! The town of Southington. Ct., cliarmed me for two days. Several years ago I visited this town and found it a growing nianufactuiing village. This time it had been incorporated into a borough, and the reason for its growth I could readily comprehend, as I fre- quently stumbled through a shoal of baby-car- riages. I have no doubt this will soon be a large city. jasnrA bills and his apiaky. In this lively borough I found a live bee-man, Mr. Joshua Bills. To make all of his spare time useful. Mr. Bills is proprietor of a store for books and stationery: conducts the tele- phone office, and is also collector of the water- tax. He is connected with several other items too numerous to mention. Mr. B. has a pretty apiary of '21 colonies in Root and Falconer cliaflF hives. The average honey-yield in this locality is about 50 lbs. per colony: and at the time of my call, the bees were at work upon a flower of the aster family. The home market consumed all of his surplus. The aforesaid babies were rapid consumers of sweets, another evidence that Southington is to be a large city. Mr. B. has but little competition. His most extensive rival, Mr. Holt, lives out several miles in the country, and is a veritable Huber, as he is a blind man: but for all that he is quite successful, being aided, where eyes ai'e needed, by Miss Holt. The prosperity of Southington is derived from iron-rolling mills, bolt and nut shops, manufac- tories of novelties, cutlery, including the Yan- kee boys' jack-knife, Britannia ware of many beautiful designs, and common screws. While in Pi'ovidence. ^Ir. Miller and the Rambler were denied admittance into the extensive works there located; but here, after passing the or- deal of a few questions, George (that's my brother-in-law) and I were allowed to pass, and entered a vcn-y noisy room where over a hun- dred machines were working (or. rather, bit- ing) wire from large coils, and turning it out into screws of various sizes. The work is all done by automatic machinery. The little flat- headed' pieces are picked up by steel lingers, chucked, and the screw-thread cut. They are then dropped into a box complete, and in an in- credibly short time. All the workmen have to do is to change boxes or lill the hoppers when the automatic lingers seize tlie pieces. And now when I drive a screw home with the screw- driver, I think of the wonderful machine that made it, and am thankful for the genius that has given us so many useful things which are made so rapid and at such small cost. Won- derful are the days in which we live! Rambler, THE MILLIONAIRES OF AMERICA. are our rich mex. as a rule, wicked men ■? Brother Root: — I have just read Alvin L. Potter's letter in Feb. 1st Gleanin'gs: and I must confess that, when I read what you had to say in the December issue, I felt somewhat as Mr. Potter has expressed himself; but " char- ity sufl'ereth long, and is kind;" and I believe you want to do what is right: but it appears to me you are not posted in that line: and Dr. A. B. Mason. I think, is a little oft' too. I should like to quote you a few passages of Scripture: Psalm 37:1(): '"'A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked."' Are not the rich nearly always wicked men? Prov. 30:8: "Give me neither poverty nor riches."' The Wise Man thinks it not best to be rich. Dr. Mason does. Solomon says. " Labor not to be rich."" — Prov. 23:4. "Deceitfulness of riches choke the word." — Mark 4:19. "How hardlv shall they that have riches enter the kingdom of God. "" — Mark 10:23. Then why wish for more millionaires? " Woe unto you that are rich."" — Luke 6:24. "Woe unto you lawyers also, for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye touch not the burden with one of your fingers"' — Luke 11:48. Are not our legislative halls full of lawyers? and are not many of them worth their millions? I claim that no man has ever earned an honest million. If that is so. how is it possible for this country to prosper, and the people be happy and out of poverty, when we have so many rich men? Why. John D. Rockefeller is worth 135 millions: W. W. Astor. 120: Cornelius Yander- bilt, 90: Jay Gould. 75: Henry M. Flagler. 60: Charles Pratt. .55: Wm. K. Yanderbilt. .50: John H. Flagler. 40: Fied W. Yanderbilt. C^eorge Yanderbilt. William Astor. and Louis C. Tif- fany, are woith 35 millions each: and I have the list of hundreds more, running down to three millions each. G. F. Heseltox. Homeland, Mo., Feb. 3. [Dear brother, the figures you give us, if they are indeed true, seem to indicate, I admit, that there is something wrong. But let us remem- ber that, besides the good texts you quote from the .Scriptures, there is another one that says, " Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, and considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?'" Please bear with me if I suggest that there is danger — yes, vei-y great danger — of a bad spirit getting into our hearts also, when we undertake to discuss these matters. When we get to feeling bitter and envious toward the jnillionaires, we are certain- ly in the wrong, whether they are or not. Now, it seems to me your mistake is in your sweeping assertions. You claim that no: man has ever earned an honest million. Please bear in mind, d^ar brother, that George Muller. one of the grandest missionaries the world has ever known, and a home missionary at that, handles money by the millions of tlollars. In fact, the Bank of England has said, if I am not mistaken, that thev would honor a draft with his name to it, for 'a million of dollars. Surely you do not 214 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Mak. 15. mean to say that he is a wicked man. This vast sum of money that he controls has been given Into his hands in answer to prayer, and his life and work have been before the world almost like a modern miracle. I admit that this is not quite a pai-allel case, for in one sense MuUer is a poor man. He uses this property for the benefit of the orphans and destitute of the great city of London. Now, is it not possi- ble that some of these men of property you mention are using their property in- a like way? Ernest just infoi'ms me that our schools of learning — our colleges and seminaries — were, many of them, founded, and now kept going, by our millionaires. In regard to your Bible texts, if you will consult your pastor or our doctors of theology, and the commentaries, they will tell you that the word "rich "in a scriptural sense refers to those who lead a life of selfishness and ease; so in reality the word describes the way a man lives, rather than his standing at the" banks. We all respect and honor a man whose word and signature are as good as gold: but we as a people do not respect nor honor' him who looks with disdain upon the workingmen of our land, especially those who work with muscle as well as brain. Let us work and pray that our rich men may become Christians, and the spirit of Jesus Christ will manage the money matters. You err, friend H.. in assuming that money must be earned in order to be honestly owned. Some years ago a babe was born in Hoboken, N. J., and he was worth f 40.000,000 before he could use a cent. That money founded the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken— one of the grandest institutions in this or any other land. (Jrand old Pelei' Cooper was worth millions ovei' and over; and yet every working- man in New York loved him as "he did his father. When he drove along Broadway, by general consent the teamsters made way to let the old philanthropist pass by in his plain old shay. Why? Because he gave to the people of the world the celebrated Cooper Institute in New York, whei-e free instruction is given in all the arts and sciences. George Peabody gave 817.."i00.000 to the poor of London, to improve their homes. Vanderbilt gave half a million to the Fisk Univei'sity, of Nashville. Tenn. Space would fail us if we were to tell all the good things that rich men have done for mankind. Certainly, God designs money to move in large masses, just as he collects the water in lakes and seas. What would the world be if the water were all equally divided ? You ask, '• Are not our legislative halls full of lawyers? Perhaps you do not mean to reflect on the lawyers of the present day. The class in the text you quote certainly does not mean lawyers as we know them at the present time. Please remember that our fathers, sons, hus- bands, bi'others, ai'e lawyers; and to condemn them in toto would be as unjust and unkind as to say that the grocers of our land ai'e all ras- cals. Since I have been on the school-board of our town I have become acquainted with more or less of our lawyers, because we always find it wise to have at least one lawyer on the l)oard; and I hav(! learned to respect them and to look up to tliem as I have never done before. As a rule, they urge people not to go into law; and several times I have seen tln^m give their time gi-atis to point out to farmers, and other classes of people uneducated in law. the folly and in- justice of the tiling they had in mind. We know there are many of them who ;ire not Christians, and we lament it; yet I have known even these to give advice that was very much in line with what we might expect from the pastoi's of our chut'ches. If we have the I'ight kind of love toward oar neighbors we certainly shall not be in haste to decide they are rascals, even if they do happen to be lawyers. Now, dear friends, had we not best let this matter drop right here? 1 admit that I am not posted, and that I am unable to handle politics and finance: but I do feel that it is in my province to say that these troubles, like all others that threaten our land of liberty, are to be remedied in the line of the text, "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts."] THE REASON WHY. A PLKA FOR THE CROSSAVISE L. FRAME; A GOOD-NATURED SCORING OF SUPPIA- DEALERS; Vi^ANT CLOSED- END FRAMES. Mr. Editor: — While the hive and frame ques- tion is one main topic at present in Glp:anings, and everybody is talking, will you allow me to say my piece, as I see you sometimes allow con- trary people to talk? AVhy is it. that, when you were getting up a new hive (the Dovetail- ed), you didn't embrace one more change, and thus make it a perfect hive — that is. a change in the frame, and make it to run crosswise of the ten-frame hive, instead of lengthwise? Aft(>r testing almost all of the sizes and styles of frames in use, and for many years, I am ful- ly persuaded that the regular ten-frame Lang- stroth hive, with the frames ci'osswise, has more good features than any other hiv(^ I know of. I know, too, that many will "kick" at this idea. Why? Because they are not the stand- ard frame. But, hold! Why is the Langstroth the standard frame? Because it started first; and after the patent expired, supply-dealers and hive-makers went to making and selling them, and each dealer began adveitising and puffing their superiority over other makes. Editors of bee-joiu'nals puffed them. Why? Because they were supply-dealers, and it was to their interest to do so. Bee-keepers fell into line, and began buying and using them. Why? Because the bee-journals say they are the best. Soon the bee-keepers who had never used any other frame began writing for the journals on the superiority of the Langstroth frame over all others; then, when a standard frame is talked of, it must be the Langstroth. Why? Because there is most of that kind in use, and all the fixtures, such as supers, foundation, sec- tions, etc., are for that sized hive. Why, bless you, nothing would have to be changed but the trame, in length, that's all: and the many con- veniences gained would repay for doing that. Some of the points gained would be, no sagging, no wiring needed, combs not so liable to break in handling oi' extracting: straight combs; easier to contract by a division-boai'd for weak colonies in spring. With a division-boaixi in the center, it is in the best shape possible for two nuch^i in a hive. Combs will not break in hauling to and from out-apiaries: aie much nicer and easier for lady be<'-keepers to handle; much better for stalling nuclei with few bees. While the capacity for bees, brood, sections, and comb surface will be exactly the same as in the ten-frame Langstroth. I use wide frames for sections, and a frame this size holds just six 4i4x4?4 sections: or. by putting two brood- frames together, I have a wide frame, and it is much easier to get sections out than if it were one solid wide frame; then, when it is empty. I can use them for combs. But now I am mak- ing my frames closed-end, and they will not do for sections. Mr. Editor. I was a little amused when read- ing your foot-note in answer to friend E.J. Baird's question on this subject, page 453, 1890; 1891 GLEANINGS IX B,EE CULTUflE. 213 '• I do not know of anybody now wlio uses tliem to any extent. Tlie only objection is. they are out of' the beaten track." Why are they out of the beaten track, and not in genera! use. or not the standard? Simply because supply-dealers and bee-journals don't puff them, thafs all. I can count at h^ast ten bee-keepers who do use them, and like them too, and scores who would use them exclusively if they were adver- tised foi- sale. I have at present 50 colonies on Langstroth combs, and 125 on the crosswise frame. I know, by years of practice with both sizes of frames, which is best for all purposes, and I wish you had introduced your new hive with the crosswise closed-end or Hoffman frame, and bi-eak away from the beaten track for something better. This is an age of improvements, j'ou know. Ernest speaks favorably of Mr. Manum"s frames noL sagging. Not half of the large honey-producers here in the basswood region of Wisconsin use the long Langstroth frame; and Wisconsin, you know, comes to the front in honey production. I could say much more in favor of adopting the crosswise Langstroth frame, and also show indisputable I'easons why the long frame is not as good. I have no ax to grind. I am only a practical bee-keeper, and not a supply-dealer or hive-maker, except for my own use. But. let us still be progressive in hives as well as in all else pertaining to bee culture. Orion, Wis.. Feb. 33. AV. T. Stp:wa]:t. [I wish there were more contrary people who would speak out their mind as good naturedly as you do. You have given us some excellent reasons why the L. frame is the standard: but you have not named them all. No doubt, for your locality and other places of a similar na- ture, the crosswise L. frame is better: but don't forget that localities differ. I know, that is, I think, there are places where the Quinby frame gives better results. I am also of the opinion that the fixed frames are adapted for most lo- calities, but there are some places wheie they would not answer as well as the loose frame. There is a good deal of twaddle about localities making a difference in results; but when we come to talk about the size of frames, there is some sense about it. Father Langstroth. years ago, experimented with a great many different sizes, and finally settled upon one in use by bee-keepers genei-al- ly. The trouble with the crosswise fi'ame is. that it does not hold comb enough to suit most bee-keepers. We want a comb not too deep. but one that gives plenty of brood-rearing sur- face, and that we get in "the L. size. With your ci-osswise frame you are obliged to handle 13 instead of 10, as in an oi'dinary ten- frame Langstroth body. There is quite a little difference you see. One gi-eat reason why the L. frame is so gen- erally accepted is because it is a compromise between the very shallow and very deep frames, and because, lor most localities and most bee-keepers, it gives good results. You overlook one very important fact. If the time has not already come it has almost, when over half of the hives in use will be eight- frame instead of ten-frame: so that the eight- frame people could not use the crosswise, even if they chose to do so: that is, the cross- wise, if used at all. would have to be shortened ^then what? there would be another frame. Still another thing: We have had scores of testimonials to the effect that bees would gather about as much honey, and do about as well on the L. size as on any other, and that with com- parative tests. But there are exceptions to all rules. In this case, take, for instance, that of the Dadants. Instead of using a svutUer frame than the Langstrotii. they want a larger one—* the Quinby. And they say they have made comparative tests to prove the superioiity of the larger frame. Now you call for a stnaller one. Don't you think that the L. frame is a very nice compromise between the e.Ktremes, for most people? Y'ou say no wiring is needed for crosswise frames. Thei-e are very few who wiU agree with you on this point: that is. those who have tried wiring and not wiring. A ciosswise frame needs wiring, else why do so many use wire for square fi'ames? It is true, that a shorter top- bar would be less liable to sag. but we compen- sate for that in the longer L. by making them %" thick now. Perhaps two-thii-ds of those using other than the L. frames would be glad to use a standard size if they could make the change without ex- pense. Why? Because, from the few compar- ative tests they have made they get just as good results from one fi-ame as another. I do not overlook the fact that you represent your own locality. You want a smaller frame. The Dadants represent their locality, and they want a larger frame. The fact can not be de- nied, that bee-keepej's ought to have a stan- dard, and that that standard ought to be the one that most bee-keepers will agree upon, and that is the Langstroth frame. The standard in England is the crosswise L., or very nearly that: but that is not this country. I "think I can join hands with you in regard to the closed- ends: but when you advise changing the size of the standaid, vou will encounter a bigger job than you think for.] E^. R. R. THE NONPAREIL BEE-HI'TE. Dl{. TIXKEK P:XPL.\INS HIS HIVf:. The engraving for the accompanying illus- tration was made four years ago. since which time the cover of the hive has been improved by making a square framework, similar to that of the Simplicity hive, and covered with sheet roofing steel, made here in New Philadelphia. An improved clasp of malleable iron, similar to the Van Deusen clamp, has been made to secure the removable side of tlie section super. Other- wise, the liive as now made is the same as the original. Where the hive is to be set into a winter case in the fall for winter, a very cheap cover and bottom for temporary use has been devi.sed for all increase during the working sea- son. In tills locality, and further south, the hive in two stories will winter as safelv as in 216 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Mae. 15. box-hives, but at a loss in stores sufficient to pay for a winter case in a few years. When the hive is placed in the latter, the safety of wintering, with proper care and good packing, is insured in our longest and coldest winters. The results of wintering in these hives have also shown that there is far less danger of dys- entery when the two-story hive and winter case is used than in any other style ©f hive now made. At least, several tests in the same api- aries upon the same stores have shown complete immunity from disease when the bees in other hives like the American, the Simplicity, chaff, and several other kinds of hives, some of which were at least three times as large as the Non- pareil winter case, either all died or were so greatly reduced in numbers by dysentery that the colonies built up too late to get a crop of honey. In all of these instances the great dif- ference in results seemed wholly due to the greater depth of the two-story hive, or to the free passageway between the stories. THE NONPAREIL BKOOD-CHAMBER. The chief feature of this hive is the size and shape of the brood-chamber. It will be noticed that it is a very plain and cheaply made stori- fying Langstroth brood-chamber, with a quar- ter-inch bee-space at the top above the brood- frames, and an eighth-inch space at the bottom inch wide by vV thick. The queen-excluder for this hive ismade with continuous passageways; THE NONPAREIL BROOD-CHAMBER. below the frames. It contains eight Langstroth brood-frames, notched at the ends of the top- bars, similar to the metal-cornered Simplicity frames, the size being 17 inches long by 7 inches deep, outside measure. The top-bar is 18:*a inches long, ^g" thick, and one inch wide. The end-bars are Q% inches long by 3^ thick, by one inch wide; and the bottom-bar is 17 inches long, % inch wide, and )4 thick. To each of these frames we now attach a spacer, made on the principle of the Van Deusen frame-spacers. They fix the frames without destroying the movable function of the Langsti-oth brood- frames. The bi-ood-chamber is 19^i inches long. 12K inches wide, and 7% inches deep. The in- side measure is 17^' inches long by 11 14 vvide. Owing to the small capacity of this brood- chamber, which contains 830 square inches of brood comb (and after making allowance for bee passageways at the ends and bottom of the combs, not ordinarily over 800 square inches), it is impracticable in the production of comb honey without a queen-excluder. The latter is the wood-zinc combination, the strips of zinc being K in. wide, and two-rowed, as in the cut. The perforations are about % inch long, so that the excluder contains about 300 of these perforations, which seem to be essential to the ready ripening of the stores in supers. The framework of the excluder is made of half-inch stuff, rabbeted to receive the slats, which are J-i tinker's PERFORATED ZINC. that is, the zinc is placed in the framework so as to come over the spaces between the combs. The break-joint queen-excluder is a disadvan- tage: and when the stories of the hive are piled up above 24 inches high it becomes a serious disadvantage. As the system of management with the continuous-passageway queen-exclud- er almost entirely obviates all burr-combs, it will be seen that the break-joint queen-excluder can have no merit on this hive. THE NONPAREIL SECTION SUPER. This consists of a case with a removable side, containing G wide frames holding 4 sections in each. The frames are made with a center-bar to prevent sagging, of the same shape as the sides of the open-side sections. The live separators are made of wood, and perforated. They are ^ thick, and -iH inches wide, and are placed' loosely in the case, so that any one of the frames of sections can be taken out, and the bees be readily shaken oft', which can not be done whei'e the separators are nailed fast to the wide frames. As the separators come down to the bottom of the sections they entirely prevent the attaohm(>nt of the combs in the sections to them. They are not only cheaper than tin, but are. on account of the less liability to the at- tacliment of the combs, greatly superior to tin. They are also, when sawed, more durable than tin, lasting an indetinite time. The cut of sec- tion super shows the improved malleable-iron clasp. THE WINTER CASE- This is made of very thin stuff, a little less than ^ of an inch thick, making the case very light and easy to handle, weighing not far from 25 lbs. The sides of the case are 22 inches long, and are nailed to the fiamework at the top and bottom, so as to stand upright, making the case both watei-proof and very durable. The bot- tom of the case is made of the same thin stuff, as also a part of the cover. The fi'amework of the bottom is 3 inches wide by one inch thick, the two side pieces being rabbeted to receive the thin stuff' for the bottom. Two braces are nailed into the framework at the bottom, to prevent sagging when a great weight of honey is in the hive. The entrance is ^ by 11 inches, THE NONPAREIL SECTION SUPER. and is in a line with the bottom, so that any refuse, in wintering, may be raked out. How- ever, we have never found it necessary to do so, as the bees will do it cheaper than we can. A block Ihi inches thick, and wide enough to support a qneen-trap, is nailed to the lower 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 217 framework at the entrance, and a portico is attached above to keep off rain and snow. The top-frame is made of %-inch stuff. 1^4 inches wide. The cover is a frame made of ^-inch boards. 23.2 inches wide, like a picture-frame, and rabbeted on the inner top at tiie sides to le- ceive the thin stuff to support tlic roofing tin •or sheet steel, whichever may be used. The .size of the case is such that a sheet of 20 x :2S roofing tin will cover it and leave room to lap ■over tli(> sides so it may be securely nailed. Thus this winter case combines a bottom and ■cover complete in itself, and is prefei'red with the bottom attached solid to i)revent the effects ■of dampness from the ground and rain, which is sure to affect the bees more or less where the bottom is not made fast. The management of this hive for comb honey will be the subject for another article. New Philadelphia, O. Dk. G. L. Tixker. FOUL BROOD. HOW TO TELI. WHETHEI! COMBS HAVE BEEN INFECTED. .[Read at tlie Michig-an State Convention at Detroit.] Though I discussed the subject of foul brood at our last annual meeting. I liave. at the request of ■our secretary, prepared a sort of supplemental paper on the same subject: and. first. I shall add a further word to aid in the identification •of the malady. Enough has lieen written about sunken and perforated capping, and the color and viscid cliaracter of tiie brood recently dead of the disease. In the case of weak colonies general- ly, and of all colonies during the breeding season, some of these indi- cations will be found if the disease is present, and will furnish certain means of a correct diagnosis; but it is to be noted that, after the breed- ing season is well over, a strong col- ony, though Ijadly diseased, exhibits k none of these indications. The cap- pings, if ever present, are all nicely cleared away, and the dead brood is entirely dried up — mere scales, al- most of the color of the comb itself, lying fast to the lower side of the •cell, and drawn back more or less from the opening. I have samples ■of affected comb with me, one of which illustrates tliis ))oint. though the sample is hardly a fair one. as the scales resulting' from the dead brood are more apparent than they usually are. being less drawn back, and thicker, and ratlier darker than they are often found. To detect the disease in strong col- onies, some little time after brood- rearing has ceased, open the hive .and apply your nostrils directly to the combs as they hang in the liive. If the disease is present to any ex- tent, and your olfactrtiy organs are sensitive, you will detect an odor more or less strong, which may lie described by the term "old."' But not many, at least at first, could say by this test with any degree of certainty wheth- er the colony were diseased or not. It is to be taken only as an indication. Now take out three or four comics, one by one, from near the center of the brood-nest, and hold each with the bottom-bar from you, in dif- ferent directions, until the light strikes well into the lower side of the cells, when, if affected. the scales I have described are very evident. The sample makes this plainer than any amount of description can do. In contending against the evil there is noth- ing so important as an active knowledge of the sources whence the danger of spreading the contamination arises. With tliis knowledge, I am convinced th(>re is little necessity for fear tliat the disease will spread to healthy colonies, if only the sources are within reach of the api- arist.' If many wild bees, among wliich it has a foothold, are in the vicinity, it must become eradicated there in the course of nature before the apiary is safe; foi' every wild colony affect- ed will, ill time, surely die. and its honey, if any be left, will be approjjriated by other bees, and the plague unavoidably disseminated. This danger can not well lie guarded against; imt those at home may easily be reduced to a very small tiguie. They fall under three heads— those from infected honey, from infected combs, and fi'om infected hives. Under the head of hives is included, of course, all parapliernalia. I think the principal dan- ger fj'om this source arises from infected honey which may have l)een left on the parts of the hive by daubing or otherwise. No bee should be allowed to visit them: and, as soon as it may be safely done, they should be Ijoiled in water, scorched with flame, or burned up. Either method is eft'ective. Infectedj combs are dan- gerous, not only from the honey, but also from the dead brood which they contain. Every dead larva is a bundle of seeds; and when moistened by honey, new lirood, or otherwise, thev are releastHl. and carrv death wlierever f4^_^^-'' i0'limn in the hive. I shall be glad to have friend Tay- lor tell us how near the engraving does justice to the thing itself. Your methods oi' precautions for preventing the spread of the disease are excellent, all of which we have tried. We can not place too much em])hasis on hcing careful. IVrhaps sonic may wish to know, in this con- nection, what Mr. Taylor's method of cure is. It is very similar to the one we give in the ABC book; in fact, I believe it is just the' same, because we followed Mr. Taylor.] E. R. R. THAT TRADE-MARK. MK. HEI)IK)N ARGUES FOR rrS ESTABLISHMENT IN THE BEE-KEEPERS' UNION. On page 143 I see you quote the words of an anonymous \\riter in the American Bee Jour- iud; and in your foot-note on the next page you say tliat "some of the points are well ta- ken;" but some way I fail to find much argu- ment in the quotation. In the fii'st place. " Bro, Heddon" has never been " enthusiastic" nor has he yet " waxed eloquent" over the trade- nuirk schiMue. but has said from the beginning that it was only a sua]) idea gathered in a mo- ment's time at the late Detroit State conven- tion. You wer(> there, I believe. Mr. Editor, and will recollect that, at the outset, it was ad- mitted by all that consumei's of honey had full faitli in the jjurity of goods straight from the hands of producers. I think few will deny the prevalence of such an opinion. Well, as pro- ducers have, in the ])ast. placed lots of poor honey upon the market, and surely as much adulterated as they ever will, that washes away that i)oint presented by Anonymous. The Union will not wari'ant any thing, neither need it: for already has the i)ublic full coutidencc in the purity of all honey put uj) by producers. The object of th(> trade-mark is to let the whole l)ublic "know at all times just how to quickly determine which is fiom the jjroducer. Mr. A. can not see how a trade-marl< can be obtained fi'om the gov(>rnnn'nt, for the Union. Well, your gentle subscriber can see. as well as he can see sonu> other things connected with pat- ent laws and rulings, which many others can't get even a glimmer of. The manager can get a trade-mark of a 30-years' longevity for .!!40, and then make out an individual right to any one he pleases. This can be done at a cost not exceeding one cent i)er p(>rson. I wish our friend A. would t<'ll us how the tiade-mark schemt' can hurt the Union "awfully:" that is what I can't see. Will A. be as kind* to me as I have been to him. and (^nlighten me? If the Union doi^sn't handle the trade-mark scheme, who will? Only some organization of actual honey - producers can afford to give a gi'eat numlxM- of bee-keepers such an advantage, at cost. Ali'eady the luanagei of the I'nion has to be on the alert to detect any atteini)t on the^ part of any l)ee-keeper to creep slily into the Union fo)' its protection after ])ersecution has already begun. It will be just as easy— yes, much easiei'. to keep out of the Union, or keep the trade-nuirk out of the hands of a city pack- er of honey who happens to import a wasp-nest into his garret in order to be classed as a honey- producer. It will b(> much easiei- than to pre- vent or detect perjury when a witness has ta- ken an oath which gives his statements a hun- 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 319 dred-fold weight. I iliiiik we shall have little trouble in plugging u]) the small holes in this dipper, the same as \v<' have to do in nearly all of the attairs of this world. If our basic prin- ciple is right, our details can be made to join in the success. Are they ? So far I don't see that they are not. Do you ? James Heddox. Dowagiac, Mich., Feb. '.'l. AIE-CHAMBERS VS. CHAFF PACKING. S. A. SHl'CK DECIDES IX FAVUI! OF THE AIK- CHAMHEH. Considerable is being said about "dead-air chambers" in double-walled hives, as against chaff packing. The question arises. ''What is known as to tlie difference between hives with double walls packed with chaff' or other light material, and those with double walls and no packing?"' Without calling in question the views set forth by other writers on this matter, I wish to present a few thoughts which I believe have not been set forth heretofore.. In the first place. I wish to contrast air-chambei's with those packed with some light material. It is well known to all those who iuive acquainted themselves with the action of cold and heat when applied to air. that heated air rises up, and chilled or cold aii- settles down. A mo- ment's thought in this direction will show that. as soon as the temperature outside of hives containing the so-called dead-air chambers be- comes colder than that on the inside of the hives, the air in tiie chambers becomes active, and can not be said to be dead. As the outer -walls of the hives become chilled, they in turn chill the atmosphere adjacent to them on the inside of the air-chambers. This chilled air settles tothe bottom of the chambeis. while that near the inner walls of the hives, being warm- er, rises up to the top of the chambers, thus starting a circuitous motion, which is continu- ed as long as there is a difference between the temperature outside of the hives and that with- in the hives. It will be seen that, if these chambers were tilled with some light material, such as chaff, this circuitous action of the air in these chambers is prevented, the jjrocess of cooling is retarded, and the protection afforded the bees in any hive is in proportion to the retarding of this cooling process. No little stress is being placed upon the su- periority of air-chambers over chaff packing, by some writers, while it is conceded by many practical bee-keepers that bees can be packed too warmly, even during our most severe win- ters: while it is known, on the other hand, that large air-chambers are not benelicial. As proof of the foi'egoing. it is only necessary to mention that house-apiaries have proven to be the poor- est of winter ivposltoiies I'oi' bees, when no fiu- ther ijrotection is afforded than that of the building and the hives. But where the hives are thoroughly and carefully packed in dry chaff, bees winter as well, perhaps, in house- apiaries as anywhere. While it is easily shown that chaff packing affords greater protection to the bees, there are other facts to be taken into considei'ation. Hundreds of bee-keepers have learned that the effect of the direct rays of the sun on the hiyes is as beneficial to the inmates as it is to our cat- tle, hogs, sheep, hoises. etc. Hence, it w ill be seen that, while the chaff' packing is a protec- tion by retarding the cooling process, it also be- comes a hindrance in the process of wai'ming up the hives and their inmates. If the hives were packed full of bees during all severe weather, the benefits derived from the direct rays of the sun would be greatly lessened, and those afforded by the chaff packing would be proportionately increased, owing to the protec- tion given to the inner walls of the hives. But, on the contrary, the hives are usually less than half full of bees: and, not only this, the en- trances being open they permit the unoccupied portion of the hives to become nearly as cold as the outside atmosphere. Owing to these condi- tions the difference between tlie protection af- forded by chaff packing and air-chambers is so slight that it would be difficult to observe its effects upon the bees. There is still another difficulty encountered in chaff' packing — that of keeping the chaff per- fectly dry. If the chaff' becomes damp it is more detriment than good; and the injury re- sulting from moisture in this chaff' packing is just in proportion to the degree of dampness and the severity of the weather: as, the wetter the packing and the colder the weather, the nearer it approaches the condition of an ice- chest; and the longer it is in thawing out. and the less the influence of the sun's rays upon the hives. Tnis, I think, is the principal source of unsatisfactory results from chaff-packed hives; and owing to the difficulty in preventing mois- ture in chaff packing, it is highly probable that air-chambers will give us moie general satis- faction: notwithstanding, the degree of protec- tion afforded by these air-chambers depends largely upon their being absolutely tight, so as not to lose the heat except as it is driven through the inner walls of the hives by the ac- tion of the cold on the outer walls. Liverpool, 111., Feb. v». S. A. SiircK. HERE AND THERE. A BOARDMAN, WON T DO. SO SAYS A CALIFORNIAN. On page 50 Mr. Boardman asks whether the sun evaporator is uoi the secret of some of the California honey not candying. I think if he would travel around among California apiaries, as Mr. Root did, he would come to the conclu- sion that it is not the secret, because he would find very few if any sun evaporators. I admit that honey exposed in a sun evaporator foi' sev- eral days will not candy, at least for a long time; but oiu' sage honey will often lemain liquid several years without candying. On the other hand, some of our spring honey will some- times candy in a week or two after extracting. The carload of honey which 1 sold to Mr. Root ran directly from the extractor into laige tanks, from which it was drawn into new live- gallon cans: and I do not think you will find any of it candied yet. My exiK'jience with sun evaporators has not been very satisfactory. They make the honey darker, and change tlic flavor, and do not evajmrate fast enough. I should like to ask Mr.Boaidman wlietherhecan take this iioney. extracted befoi i' any of it is cap- ped over, and evapoiate it thick, without chang- ing the color or flavor: and if he can. how many of his evaporators would it take to reduce 2500 lbs. in one day? We all know it would be a great saving of time and labor to ourselves and the bees if we could extract all of our honey be- fore it is capped; but the jjoint is. whether we can evaporate it artificially, without injuring the color or flavor, as economically as the bees can. I say, no. not by the suu"s heat. It is too unreliable, even in California. When your hon- ey is thinnest, the weather is olten cloudy or foggy. My only hope now is in "vacuum- pans." 1 think honey should not be healed io over l,50°Fah., and it will not evaporate very fast at that teraperaluie unless in a vacuum. I wish some one living near a condensed-milk oi' sugar factory would. get them to condense some of their honey, and see whether it att'ects the color or flavor; and it not, find what it will cost to reduce a ton of honey to l.oOO lbs. Perhaps it will pay to have small vacuum-pans, and work the air-pumps by hand or horse power. This is extracting the water from honey by power in- stead of h(;at. ,1. F. McIntyre. Fillmore, Cal., Feb. 1(5. [Friend M., I want to thank you for having given m(i my first clear idea of what is meant by " vacuum-pans." We second your request. Perhaps somebody w ho has used the arrange- ment will tell us more about it.l DISCOURAGEMENTS OF BEE-KEEPING. AN OLD veteran RECOUNTS THEM. [Keart at the State Bee-Keepers' Association, Mad- ison, Wis.] As the bright side of bee-keeping is the one generally presented to the public, some items from the other, or discouraging side, ought to be in order. When I commenced keeping bees 34 years ago. we had no bee-literature of any account to aid us. but we had plenty of good pasturage, any amount of basswood timber, wild flowers, buckwheat, and but few bee-keep- ers, and nearly every season seemed to be a good one for honey. Honey bore a good price, foul brood was unknown, and even the moth- miller had not found us out. The prejudice against bee-keepers by farmers, fruit-gi'owers, and others, of late years existing, was then never mentioned: but those good old times are past, and the favorable conditions then existing can not again be enjoyed. This thought dis- courages one. The improvements and the ad- vance made in bee-keeping since I began have been marvelous. The movable frame, the ex- tractor, comb-foundation mills, sections, cases, smokers, veils, different races of bees, large fac- tories for the manufacture of supplies, and the excellent literature pertaining to bee-keeping, now available, have booiued bee-keeping. All items relating to big honey-yields and rapid increase have been given, copied in agricultu- ral and other papei's. These have advertised the business till the result has been that we harvested a countless ihrong of bee-keepers. As the saying is. the woods are full of tiiem, and. we might also add, the open ground too. Of the thousands who have comnnuiced bee- keeping in the last few years. 1 am satisfied that, had they kuown fully the chances and the actual conditions as they e\i^ted. half would have turned tlieir attention to something else; but. being captivated by the big reports of some of the few most favorably situated, to achieve success they embarked in the ventnr<>, not con- sidering the much larger number who had made a failure of the business. This big ciop of lx>e-keepers is discouraging to me. It may speak well for the advancement of the pursuit and the cheapening of honey for the masses: but every accession to our ranks is one moie i-ival in the field to lower piiccs and share with us the pasturage. A larg(> pa)'tof the beginners are inclined to cut prices, which ari! already low enough. Another discouraging feature: While bee- keepers are increasing, pasturage is not. Bass- wood is fast disappearing; buckwheat is not I'aised nearly as mueli as lormeiiy: wild flowers ai'e disappearing befoic the plow, sheep, and cattle. One honey source, white clover, is on the increase, but is an uncejtain honey-plant in our climate. Filtcin years ago I had, including the home yard, bees in six places, the furthest yard be- ing ten miles from home, with scarcely a rival yard tliat would lessen my crop; but for sever- 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 331 al years past, bee-keepers have increased to such au extent that last S(>ason I occupied only the home yard, and that was badly trenched upon by surrounding yards. The rest of my bees. 200 colonies, outside of those kept at home. I moved 3S miles, attempting to get them where there was a reasonable chance to make them pay expenses. Another cause for discouragement is the ap- pearance of foul brood at several places in our State. The price of honey is also discouraging. This year, of all others, it would seem that honey ought to sell on sight; but many have found it hard to dispose of the little crop that they did have at any thing of a fair price. Honey is not like the staple farm products that have a fixed market price, and that will sell any day when taken to market. You have to look for youi' honey customer, ,and then he is not always easily found. I have looked for him sometimes at home, and sometimes abroad; and I have looked as far, even, as New York, and then not found him. Still another discouraging feature is, that my bees went into winter quarters light in both bees and stores. I am not sanguine of being able to make a very good report for 1891. even should the season be fairly favorable. The Bee-keepers' Union has been a comfort to me in the past; in fact, it sprang into life through my need, and came to my defense for its first work, and is still doing for the fra- tei'uity and individuals valuable service. Long may its officers live, and long may its banners wave; but I am discouragi^d because it does not number thousands where it numbei's hundreds. In justice to ourselves as bee-keepers, it stands us in hand to be as prompt to chronicle losses and discouragements as we are items of success. I know it is more pleasant to tell of success than failure. We all like to tell a big story if a true one. But our interests demand both sides; so. let us see to it that we report both sides faith- fully. S. I. Freeborn. Ithaca, Wis. [Friend F.. we are glad to hoar fioni you; and we are glad, also, to have you give us plain hard facts, gleaned from years of experience; but even if it be all true, exactly as you state it, bee culture does not differ very much from most other rural industries. They all have their ups and downs, and in one sense the field Is pretty well crowded. A great army of peo- ple are looking in vain for something to do that is sure pay and has no discouragements, as you tell of. They do not find it. While in your State, and through the basswood region in your vicinity, some of your neighbors were so enthu- siastic as to say that tliey never had a failure In basswood; but tlw failure has come ali'eady. Now. I do not believe, dear brother, that it will pay for many of us, at least, to become dis- couraged and give up. One of oui' bee-men was in to see us yesterday. He became dis- couraged because bee-keeping did not pay. and so he went into evaporating fruit. By the time he had a good crop, and a great lot on hand, the prices went down so he could not sell. Last winter he sold his evapoi-ated apples for ."> c. per lb. because he was discouraged. This winter he said he could hav^e sold them readily for 1.") cts., which would have made a good prolit. and paid a good interest during the time he held them. But he is now out of the fruit business. Let us do the best we caii. yeai' by yeai'. leav- ing no stone unturucd. as Doolittle says, to secure a crop; and I think we shall, as a gen- eral thing, fare aS well as the rest of mankind. It is true, it is not well to have too many bee- keepers so crowded together as to o\'erstock the locality. But I think this state of affairs will not continue long. The fittest will survive, and the others will give it up.] THE NEW DOVETAILED HIVES. TOO MUCH OR TOO IJTTI>E FOUNDATION; A SUGGESTION FOR EMMA WILSON. Friend Root: — I have to-day finished nailing up 2.50 dovetailed bodies. 100 dovetailed supers; covers. 100 each, and bottom-boards, and 3000 Hoft'man frames, all of the latter nicely wired. I have had only a boy 13 years old to help me, and have gone out selling honey and vegetables on an average of at least once a week; so you see I have been quite busy. All the above is for my individual use the coming season, and I hope to till them with full swarms by natiu'al swarming. I should like to say right here, that, although I have dealt with you extensively every year for over ten years, this last lot of goods has been th<' best, and has given me more satisfaction than any I ever bought of you be- fore. You certainly are improving all the time in workmanship. . Now for a little chat in regard to several topics. I should like to ask those who advocate the use of less foundation, if they were oft'ei'ed all they could use free of cost would they not use full sheets of it in the brood-chainber, and full-sized starters in the sections? I am sure I would, for one. every time. Your remarks on page 3-t, in regard to taking a partner, tit my case exactly. Three times in life I have been broken up by doing so. and I propose hereafter to have only wife and chil- dren as partners. Tell Miss Emma Wilson to try an apron made of the waterpi'oof cloth, recommended for hot- beds—the lighter quality: I think she will like it. It will be a little stiff at first, but soon gets limber and pliable, especially after being washed. I have used bricks for recording the different operations in the apiary for years ])ast, and piefer them to a memorandum-book. KEKNEY WIRING VERY SATISFACTORY. As stated elsewhere, I have just finished wir- ing :ifKt() Hotlinan frames, and I am surprised that any one linds fault with the bent nails. I think I have used, or tried, every method of wiring mentioned in the bee - journals since wiring frames has been invented, and non<' of X\wm equals theKeeney plan, in my estimation. Perhaps friend Bunch (see page l(3o) nailed his frames together flrst. before putting in the wire nails and bending them; if he did, let him take 1^4 -inch No. 18 wire nails; drive them thidugh at the proper place, and then with snuill-sized pliers give tiiem a twist. He will soon get the hang of it. and he will never nail the frames together again before putting the wire nails in. lean make them very uniform and yet twist them faster than a smart man or boy can drive the nails througli. HONEY FOR CHILDREN; HOW TO GIVE IT TO THEM ON SQUARES OF PAPER. I have two little tots, aged 5 and 3 years re- spectively. They take a great interest in my work, and "want to help pa" every way in their powcM-. I feel sure it would do you good, friend R., if you could see them come into the workshop every morning about nine o'clock, each with a little scjuare of paper, and say. ■' Honey, papa;" and then I go to the barrel of candied honey and dig out a suitable quantity. It makes me smile to hear their •" thanky, papa," and .see them sit down by the stove and GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Mar. 15. enjoy it. In the afternoon they repeat the same, as regularly as clockwork, from day to day. Some may think they might eat too mnch of it, and so get tired of it; but care is taken not to give too much at any one time. I find that, when given honey in that way I'egu- larly, they care little or nothing for the ordi- nary candies we buy; and as for health, if you can find healthier, rosier, or more active chil- dren anywhere, I should like to see them; and, by the way, friend R.. I have a theory that, if they grow up accustomed to the daily use of such pure sweets as honey, they will never re- quire a taste or fondness for stimulants or in- toxicating liquors. Have you ever observed that any one given over to the use of intoxi- cants seldom or never uses sweets in any form ? When a young man I met at social gatherings many friends and acquaintances: and when re- freshments wei'e served I noticed on quite a number of occasions that three of the young men present never touched any thing sweet, but were very fond of pickles and stimulating dishes. In a few years every one of them died of deUrlum tre»icns, from excessive use of in- toxicants taken in secret. Since then I have found it the rule that, in 99 cases out of 100, those that use sweets rarely care for stimulants, and vice versa. SELLING EXTRACTED IIONEl' LOW, AND WHY. I have just received a letter from friend Bal- dridge, of St. Chai'les, Ills., in which he (in a friendly way. of course), scores me for selling extracted honey at retail at 10 cents per pound, and says that he gets 20 cents for all he sells, and that, if he had to take 10 cents, it would drive him out of the business; and he further states that it is more profitable to him to buy extracted honey at 5 to 8 cents a pound than to raise it. Now, I know that friend B. sells gilt- edged honey, and he has, besides, a very tak- ing way with his customers, and he keeps the custom he makes, too, which shows that he deals fairly and squarely; but notwithstanding all this, I do not believe he could sell in my vicinity at any better figui-es than I do. My customers are mainly coal-miners, and laborers in large manufacturing establishments; and if you say to them 20 cents per pound for honey, they will laugh at you and do without it. A few will buy it at that price for colds, and to use as medicine; but as food, never. I have made it a point to go to every house, street by street: and if this article were not too long al- ready I could give some pointers too, as to how to sell honey to those who think it too good, and too high priced for food. You have to suit your prices to the class of customers you deal with; for there are some few who will pay any price asked, provided they get what they want. Another thing, too, is that no basswood and but little white-clover honey is raised here. Our chief source of hon- ey is fall flowers, and it is necessarily more or less dai'k. Though Spanish needle and smart- weed yield clear nice-looking honey of excel- lent quality, it is not gilt-edge or "superfine, and must bring a lower price, both wholesale and retail, than the liner-looking grades of white clover and basswood I'aised elsewhere. _Belleville, 111., Feb. 7. E. T. Flanagan. [Friend F.. your suggestion is good in regard to giving the children honey instead of candy. For the ]mst four or five weeks we have been having excellent maple molasses, and I fear I have been using more of it than is conducive to my health. A day or two ago I thought I would substitute honey, and see whether it answered any better, and I was agreeably sur- jjriscd that, when taken in considerabl(» quan- tities, with its complement, a glass of milk, it seemed to be much more wholesome, at least to myself, than the maple syrup. Very likely both are nature's sweets, designed by God for human food; but the holy Scriptures lay very much more stress on milk and honey than on any other kind of sweet.] MOISTURE IN BEE-CELLARS. DOOLITTLE REVIEWS THE MATTER. On page 877 the editor adds quite a long foot- note to what I have to say about the dampness in my bee-cellar. On the whole he is perfectly right; but his reasoning does not fully apply to the cause of dampness in bee-cellars, as he will soon see. I think, if he will stop to think a little. As he says, the cause of moisture and water collecting in drops on any surface is that of warm damp air coming in contact with a cold or cooler surface than the surrounding air. From this he reasons that, at times when the outside air is warmer than the air of the cellar, this warm air will enter the cellai- through the ventilatoi's and thus cover the walls with mois- ture, making all damp and wet, and thinks it is for this reason that I do not have any ventila- tors to my cellar. Well, now, while this might be the cause of dampness in a bee-cellar once in a while, yet in 99 cases out of 100 it has noth- ing to do with it. Without any ventilators whatever in my new bee-cellar, the flagging cover and the painted door at the entrance have been running down drops of water on the inside all winter, and no air from the outside has been allowed to enter. The reader will re- member that, at the front end, this cellar is 3 feet under ground, while at the back end it is 9 feet. Well, the air which comes from the back end of this cellar, or. perhaps I should say, the air wai'med by the lowei- back end of the cellar and the breath of the bees, togeth- er with the heat from their bodies, is warmer than the flagging overhead or the door at the entrance, which are affected by the cold and frost from the outside, so that, when this warmed air comes in contact with these cooler surfaces, the moisture from it is condensed on them; hence the moisture is continually trickl- ing down on the inside. It is to be remembered that the three feet of earth between the two roofs is kept frozen the most of the winter, or the upper half of it at least, and this is the rea- son, or one of the reasons, that the temperature of the cellar does not vary one degree inside, although the outside temperature may vary from 30" below zero to GO above. AVhen it comes more steady warm weather, during the latter part of April, then I have things reversed; for at that time the inside of the cellar is cooler than the dirt and temperature outside; hence the moisture now condenses on the outside of the door and flagging. Am I not right, friend Root ? SUNDAY PLANNING. It was with gi'eat interest that I read tlie ai'- ticle by friend Miller on " Planning,"' and your comments on the same, especially that part which touched on planning during Sunday and while in church listening to the sermon. Friend Root seems to think that Satan hasn?l to do with it, but I think not all. There is a great dilference in speakers, or in the way they present the truth. I have sat in church trying to follow a sermon which was presented so dry- ly, and in such a sleepy way, that I had to use all the powers which I was possessed of to keep my mind on the discourse, at least half of the time: and. again, I have listened to sermons in 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 222. which the truth was pifsciited so pointedly and interestingly that I could not get away IVom it OHC .S'CcoHfZ.even to think of some horse-trade or some other exciting thing that Itappened onlv yestejday. that was the theme of the whole commnnity. While I have the highest ]-espect for all preachers of the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, yet I have a lin- gering thought about mo that some of them might be serving the master better between the plow-handles, over a bee-hive, or in other call- ings in life — preaching the word by their "daily lives and godly conversation," rather than trying to preach it from the pulpit. But, really, is it contrs>ry to Cod"s will to do any planning about temporal affairs on Sunday? If the Christian has placed his life and all his ways in the hands of God. willing to be led by the Spirit, and to use all of the things of this world which come to him for the honor and glory of (iod. so that all the success of his planning is to be put into the cause of the Mas- ter, may not his planning then be according to God"s will '? What is God's will ? and what am I to think about on Sunday? About heaven and (iod in the way many people try to do? If so, then I feel a good deal like the heroine in "Stepping Heavenward." where she says she does not wish to " sit on a bench in a row with others, singing through all eternity;"' yet this is abotit as high and enlarged views as most people have of heaven. Jesus went about do- ing good, healing the sick, lifting up the fallen, etc.; and he did this on the .Sabbath as well as on other days, and he is our great Exampler: and if the outcome of our planning reaches out wide enough to take in all this, why say, "Not another 'Word of it on God's holy day"? Oh for broader views and greater enlightenment along the road toward heaven I views that reach out till they can in some measure grasp the Infi- nite. BASSWOOD. If I am correct, Ernest says that the bass- wood is more luxuriant in growth here than it is in Ohio, and I have so itnderstood by other parties. This being the case, imagine my sur- prise at seeing, on page 130, that you are receiv- ing lumber cut from logs which have grown from sprouts from the stumps of basswood trees cut only ten years ago I I know basswood is capable of doing great things; but this is al- together aliead of me. Ernest spoke of the thrifty growth of basswood near my apiary, which has grown since the year before I canie here, it being all cut off at that time (1874). yet there is not a stick in all this growtli that is more than seven to nine inches in diameter, that growth taking 1(> years. Some, further from the apiary, that are from 30 to 35 years old. are a foot to fourteen inclies through, which might do to cut; still.it would be very wasteful to do so. Would it not be well to mod- ify that statement a little? Borodino, N. Y. G. M. Doolittle. [I grant, friend I)., that these statements, when put side by side, look a little contradicto- ry; but one fact, perhaps, you have overlooked. Tlie trees which we referred to as having such a rapid growth, grew fi'om the parent stumps, i. e., "on the old man's capital." The roots were, of coui'se, strong, and gave the young shoot a tremendous boost, and it is not much wonder that they grew so rajjidly. If I remem- ber conectly, the basswood -trees which you showed me, and to which you allude in your ar- ticle, grew from seed: i. e.. they had to build up from their own capital. You will notice sometimes, that young locust shoots will spring up and grow with wonderful rapidity from the roots of an old tree: but thev would not begin to make half that growth if they had to depend upon their own roots. The farmers who brought us the basswood lumber in question said they had cut it from the same roots from which they had taken lumber ten years ago. If your trees grew from the stumps of old trees, then, of course. I am unable to explain it; but I am sure that the trees of n(itnr((l giowth in York State are much more thriftv than those in Ohio.] E. R. R. [I think you are probably right, friend D., in regard to dampness in the cellar; but in re- gard to Sunday planning, my test is this: When I plan greenhouses or other week-day matters, even though the sermon may be dry and dull to me. I feel a loss of spirituality, and conscience tells me that I am out of the straight and narrow path. Like yourself there are some sermons, or. i-athei-. times, when it is no effort to follow the preacher at all; but sometimes Satan pi'esses me sorely, even when good sermons are being preached. Perhaps my greatest temptation is to let my mind go run- ning on some affront I have received. Then befoi'e I know it I begin to plan the letter that shall be wi'itten to so and so. Now. letting my mind go on such topics on the Sabbath does me harm, and I believe it is the Holy Spirit that tells me I had better listen with all my mind to the di-yest seimon I ever heard, rather than to let my thoughts wander on week-day cares or enjoyments. Every sermon, as a rule, contains •more or less Scripture texts; and if we listen to them, we shall be doing well. I agree with you. that Sunday should not be ahtzy day; and when I have a good-sized class in jail (as I have now) I oftentimes do quite a little plan- ning as well as praying in endeavoring to lead them to the Master.] CLOSED-END FRAMES. TESTIMONY FKOM ONE WHO CONSIDERS THEM "UNBEAKABLE AND ABOMINABLE.'" Friend Iioot:—l am completely astonished at so many testimonies in favor of the closed- end or half-closed frames. I have tried them both in Texas and Cuba, and, to own up. they are simply abominable and unbearable: further- more. I never have known any one to try them who did not get a hatchet and reform them at the first convenient time. They positively will not do here in Cuba, no matter how expert the operator may hav(» become in a colder coiuitry. The main reason is, genuine bee-glue, or prop- olis, that -abounds too abundantly, and of a superior quality. In reality, it is so good for glue that, when a colony is left gluing for half a year on a stretch, its frames can be removed only in pieces by a chisel; for, before the joints will separate, the wood will split away off in some other way. and leave the edges glued as firmly as ever at the joint. As for liandling the Hoffman frame rapidly, it, of course, could be done by a Hoffman-frame man: but I should feel shabby if I saw any man handle Hoffnum frames as fast as the com- mon frames (that are in general use) can be handled by a man who has had practice enough to work rapidly. Friend E. R.. the reason you get only the Hoffnuin side of the question testi- Hed to is because so many like myself have such a contempt for a frame that kills bees and clogs up so. that they don't even care to give in their testimony. But it is now time that the other side of the question were being spurred up: for if it keeps as silent in the future as it has dur- ing the past six months, all the beginners will hav<' Hoft'man frames, and owe their thanks to 224 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Mar. 15. E. R. Fi'lend Woodward's article on page 96 should be read the second time by Southerners who think of ordering frames for "the first time, for bees don't generally build perfect combs, for beginners especially. As far as spacing is concerned, when it comes to extracted honey the Hoffman frame has no advantage, for the simple reason that there should be one or two frames less in the top box, or extracting-super, than in the brood-chamber; for example, if you use nine frames in the bot- tom you want only seven on top to get tlie best result with the least labor. Now, how about changing frames from top to bottom without first scraping all the wax and i)ropolis off' the <^dges that didn't touch while in the (>xtracting- .supei' (a sharp hatchet scrapes them for me, and then it doesn't have to be done over again)? and I have friends who advocate the same plan at home, if not in print. VV. W. Somerfokd. San Miguel de Jaruco, Cuba, Feb. 15. [That's pretty hard on the closed -end and Hoffman frame, friend S.; but this is what we want — a ventilation of Jxjth sides of the ques- tion, for all localities. .Such adverse testimony is valuable. It proves that, in some localities, the proj^olis may be so bad as to make closed- ends '• unbearable and abominable." I have never said that these frames would please everybody. On the contrary, I have hinted pretty broadly all along that the loose frame would never be abandoned; that one frame would be used about as much as the othei'. Be- ginners won't be hoodwinked, as you intimate — they will take what their supply-dealer I'ec- ommends them to: and that, at the present as well as in the past, is the loose hanging frame. Our standard frame, the frame that is sent out in hive combinations, is the loose L. frame. For special orders only. w(> send fixed fi'ames; i. e., closed-end or Hoffman, and gen- erally those are in small lots for " samples to test." It may be you haven't acquired the knack of handling these fixed frames; still. I should more think your two localities wouldn't admit of their use on account of the extra amount of propolis. Dr. Mason insists that closed (>nds wouldn't do for him. But all this cU^esn't ui'gue that there are not a good many othei' bee-keep- ers who can use them. No, 1 won't take Inick one word that I said in favor of them wIkm'c I saw them used successfully. In many hands they are a grand success. If propolis is so bad with you, 1 don't see how you can use sections oi' even wide frames. ^Vhy. they would be stuck together so badly that you would have to use a hatchet to jn-y them apart. If that is the case, of course you couldn't use closed -end frames. Seep. 208 for the "other side."] E. R. A CHEAPEE METHOD OF MELTING 'WAX. HOW TO rONSTRUf'T A AVAX-BOILEH OtIT OF WOOD, WITH A TIN BOTTOM. After reading E. France's experience in melt- ing beeswax I feel inclined to give your readers an account of a much cheaper boiler that an- swers the purpose very well. I have been using for some years, for a wax-rendering boiler, a wooden box about two feet square and one foot deep, with a tin bottom. The box was made several years ago, as pait of an outfit for mak- ing foundation on plaster-of-Paris casts. It is made of pine lumber; and in order to get the corners water-tight, the end pieces are let into gains or grooves, across near the ends of the side pieces, and well nailed. The tin bottom should be about an inch larger all around than the outside of the box. To put the bottom on so that it will not leak, paint the bottom edge of the box heavily with thick white lead and oil, before nailing on the tin. Then turn up the projecting margin of tin and tack it securely to Ihe wood, having previously used a liberal sup- ply of white lead in this joint also. The box. or boiler, is used on an old cook- stove in the shop. The combs and cappings are put into a sack of strainer cloth. And I may remark heie. that a lai'ge bulk of combs can be put into a moderate-sized sack when the lower part of the latter is immei'sed in boiling water. After the comb is all in and much of it melted, the sack should be tied up. and a slat- ted honey-board placed over it. This can be kept down under water, and a strong pressure brought to bear on the sack of comb by the use of a small pole or prop cut just long enough so that, when one end is pressed down tii-mly on the honey-board, the othei' end will rest against the ceiling above. At this stage of the pro- ceedings, if the water is boiling I remove the fire from the stove, as a precaution against the wax boiling over, and leave it to cool. The wax can be remelted in more clean water — the more water the better — and allowed to cool slowly, if a very light color is desired. Farina, 111., Jan. 6. T. P. Andrews. [We used to employ the same method of melt- ing wax in a common second-rate wash-boiler. A boiler could be made in the way you describe, and such a receptacle would be a capital thing in which to scald foul-broody hives. A boiler made entirely of tin. and large enough for the purpose, would be rather too expensive.] GERMAN CARP AND CARP-PONDS. SOME INTERESTING FACTS. Evei'y pond should be so arranged that the whole of the water can be drawn off, not leav- ing a gill in any one place. The water should be drawn yearly, between Dec. 1 and April 1, taking out every fish, frog, tadpole, (!tc. Young carp a year old will eat the fish-eggs; after this, instinct teaches them not to eat them; hence, breeding-lish should be kept by them- selves. The large tadpole that lives through the winter is a dear lover of fish-eggs, and will leave but very few to hatch. From three pair of breeding-fish, at two years old, in 188(j, I got 1500 young; and as I had more grass around the pond, and these fish got larger, I had more and more young fish, until in 1889, it was an innu- merable multitude. Because of sickness in 1890, the pond was not drawn off till June, and not a single young fish was seen. This utter failure was wholly chargeable to the large tadpole. I have three ponds — one for breeding, one for those I wish to eat, the other for small fry. Last year one pond stood all the year without water. This year it will be equal to a new one, and another pond will go dry this year. etc. One acre of new pond is worth as much for growth of fish as four acres of three or four year old pond. I can not agi-ee with my friend that his fat carp were made so by preying upon other fish. It was another breed that had eaten the young fish. All the millponds, creeks, and rivers in this country are getting well stocked with carp from broken carp-ponds, and many of them are very fine, weighing from six to ten lbs. or more. It is very pretty to see the young fish eating biscuits and light bread thrown to them after they have been trained awhile. Hundreds may be seen at a time, re- minding me of bees swarming. Selling fish for stocking other ponds has more than paid all 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 225 cost. But to raise them for food purposes could hardly be made a paying business unless the ponds were very large, and could be rested every other year. N. Jef. Jones. Design, Pitts. Co., Va. [We have given place to the above principally Ijecause it speaks of the fact that the German carp is now to be found generally in our brooks and mill-ponds. If this is true, then tiie work of the fish-commissioners, in scattering German carp throughout our land, has been a good one. Inasmuch as we have published a book on carp culture, and there is a |)eriodical devoted to the subject — namely, NatloiKil Jourmtl of Carp Culture, Alliance, O., w(; think we shall liave to devote our space to other subjects foi- the fu- ture.] 0a^ QaEpTi0]\[-B6;^, With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees. Question 180. Please tell how much venti- lation 5ees need when wintered outdoors, and how you would secure it. We Ifeave the full fly entrance open. Illinois. N. W. C. Mks. L. Harrison. The entrance is all the ventilation they need. Louisiana. E. C. P. L. Viaij.on. Just how much they need is a question I am not prepai'ed to answer. I have had them win- ter well with much and also with little. Vermont. N. W. A. E. Manum. Only that from the usual opening, and this should be restricted when very cold. To secure this, keep dead bees out. Michigan. C. A. J. Cook. We remove the cloth and use a straw mat over the frames, with absorbents in the cap or upper story. We give but little lower ventila- tion. Illinois. N. W. Dadant & Son. I never winter outdoors. If I did I believe I ■would put a two-inch rim between the hive and bottom-board, and close up tight, but open the* ■enti'ance when warm enough for the bees to fiy. Ohio. N. W. A. B. Mason. We leave, at the bottom, six j^^-inch holes open all winter, just the same as we have in summer. In summer we have a IJ^'-inch hole through the front side of the hive, half way up. That hole we close in winter. Wisconsin. S. W. E. France. I don't know. I"m trying four outdoors, pret- ty well covered up, all but the entrance, and that's 12x2. Ought to kill them, oughtn't it? Likely it will. But then, I can say it's the climate. Illinois. N. C. C. Miller. I have wintered outdoors successfully several winters, with no other ventilation than the summer entrance, which was % inch high across the front of the hive, and again lost heavily with the same treatment. Wisconsin. S. W. S. I. Freeborn. We abandoned outdoor wintering some years ago, consequently we are not up to the times on this subject. I am under the impression, how- ever, that they do not need nearly so much as is usually given them. New York. C. P. H. Elwood. I have had excellent results by placing a rim under each hive, having an air cai)acity of about 500 cubic inches, and giving them a gen- erous entrance. A close-fitting cover is on the hives, but no I'ags or quilts. New York. E. Rambler. About the same as in wai-m weather, on the summer stands, and secured in the same way by having the entrance wide open. 1 think favorably of an empty chamber below the combs for wintering out of doors as well as in. Ohio. N. W. H. R. Boakpman. I ventilate by an entrance '^d by at least 8 inches long— usually the full width of the hive. If upward ventilation is allowed— I want none of it — the entrance should not be so large. The hive should be air-tigiit on top, entrance large, and hive well packed on all sides. Illinois. N. C. J. A. Green. Make the entrance ?/ by jo inches. Lean a board up over the entrance, so that no cold winds nor the sun can beat in at the entrance, also to keep snow and ice from forming thei'e, and you will have things fixed about right, ac- cording to the opinion of Doolittle. New Y^ork. C. G. M. Doolittle. When I have seen many colonies of bees M'in- ter nicely under a snowdrift in old box hives, with no opening except three or four little tri- angular notches sawed in the bottom of one of tlie side boards, I do not know why a gimlet- hole will not give air enough, and that may be in the top, bottom, or side of the hive. I have seen much of ventilation, but I do not know much. California. S. R. Wilkin. I nevei- could discover that bees needed any ventilation, in doors or out. At present I have over i'lO colonies, of my .350, in a cellar which is half full of honey bairels and kegs, and I close it up tight without any ventilation whatever, only as I open the dooi' to go down and see how they are coming on. Tliis winter they are ex- tremely quiet, and appear to be wintering ])er- fectly. Bees flew lively outdoors yesterday, December 22. the shortest day in the year. Michigan. S. W. James Heddon. Very frequently I secure it by leaving the en- trance just as it was through the summei'. I like pretty well to put a special bottom-board under for wintering, which gives two inches more space below. This space is filled up with dry sawdust, except a little in front. In front there is an open chamber about 2x2x(5. closed from the outer world by a movable block. Be- tween the block and the corner of the bottom- board there is a vertical entrance, two inches high by three-eighths wide, and fenced against mice by a row of wire nails. DOhio. N. W. E. E. Hasty._ nConfine your bees to the brood - chamber, which cover with a board or boards, a honey- board, or something like it. Keep these hoards warm by putting on a straw mat or its et^uiva- lent, because the bees clustei' below, and m ould chill without this precaution. Have plenty of honey in your combs, with the heaviest to\\'ard the centei-, and a winter passageway through everyone; full width of the enti'ance open, with a two-inch sti'ip under the back of the hive, so that all moisture is hound to run out; othei'wise it will be al>sorh(Hl by the combs, sour the honey and pollen, and ci'eate dvsentery. Ohio. S. W. " ■ C. F. MiiTH. [From the above, the general tendency seems to be giving at least as much room in winter at ti26 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Mai!. 15. the enti'ance as they have in the summer time: and. if any thing, rather more. To all this I agree, only that I would not allow any sort of entrance that would i)ermit mice to get in. I do not believe it will pay to undertake to con- tract and enlarge entrance's as the weather changes. We once tried it on quite a good many chaflf hives; and those that had the en- trance open full width all wintei-, long did a good deal better than where any kind of con- traction was practiced. A very small entrance will, of cours(\ answer, prox idiiig the bees have upward ventilation— leaving the surplus ar- rangeirients on all winter, and such like ar- rangements. Friend (Jreen is very emphatic in saying "the hive should be air-tight on top."' Well, I think likely he is right, providing the entrance be large enough, or that there are oth- er larg(> openings througli the lioltom- board. Several mention having an empty chamber under the brood-combs. I am inclined to think this is a very good arrangement where you have movable bottom-boards. I rather think that ordinary cellars or caves will answer very well without any special arrangement at all be- ing made for ventilation, and a great many bee-hives will also have all the ventilating cracks and holes that can be needed. There should, however, be some opening for bees to pass in and out whem-ver the weather is warm. With a loose, poorly made hive, if this opening is sufficient to let one bee pass, and does not get obstructed, it will do very well.] A. I. R. FROM DIFFERENT FlEl.n SIIAIJ, WE CONTINUE TO SEND GLEANINGS IN BEE CUI/rUHE ? No, don't. I've got enough. The contribu- tions of some of the writers for (iLEANiNGS are good, and with them I lind no fault; others I do find fault with— Rambler, for instance. The Home talks are obnoxious. To take a passage of Scripture, and branch off on to such boasting about a $400 team, a big factory, and so many hands to see after, and so much property, and me and mine, and big I, doesn't suit me. Burnville, Ark.. Dec. 22. H. C. M. Braeey. [Well, good friend B.. the above would be rather discouraging, to be sure, if it were not for the great flood of aitprovliiff letters that come in evi'ry mail; and. besides, theie is an- otiier encouraging thought — you i)ut (nu- good friend Rdnihler down with the author of the Home Papei'S. I always did like lo be in good company. Joking aside, however, I want to thank you for your criticism, even if it be very plain and rather severe. It has many times occurred to me that those who do not feel es- pecially friendly might look at my Home talks in just the way you have. I did not mean to boast of our big team. I simply wanted to en- courage the idea of having horses adequate to the work to be peifoi'nu'd, and giving them good care. I do believe that many of our farm- ers would accomplish more, and do it c/ieaji^er. by having heavier horses, well cared for; and instead of the big "I "it was and is my pur- pose to exalt only Chi'ist Jesus. The Home Papers, with all their impeifections (and I see them as plainly, J believe, as almost any one does), have been the means of doing good, through Christ Jesus, and to liim alone be all the honor and praise. My old pastor, in his prayer one Sunday morning, said, '" O Lord, we thank thee for our encsmies, becaus(> Ihey tell us oiu' faults when our friends will not." Now,, dear brother, I do not want to considfi" you as- an enemy as we bid you good-by. On the con- trary, may God speed you in all that is good and i)ure and holy. May be we shall beconu' better (icqiiuinted some timej and I hope and pray that we may both become better men as the years go on.] HOAV TO KEEP DIUED FRUIT FROM THE MOTH AND 51ILLERS. Mr. Root:— We have had a great deal of trouble every year in keeping dried fruit from the millers, or moths. We should like to hear through your valuable paper how to keep the fruit until spring from becoming wormy. We have been keeping them in barrels lined with paper, and tightly covered, but have not had any success. We are thinking of trying a new plan of putting the fruit, first in a burlap sack, then slii^ping it loosely into a bag madeofoit cloth. We should like to hear the ex])erience of some of the readers. Byron H. Wieev. Fillmore, Cal., Jan. 27. [We sent the above to Prof. Cook, who replies as follows:] If Mr. Wiley will put his fruit in paper sacks and then tie tightly, he will escape the insects surely, unless the eggs are laid before the fruit is put into the sacks. He says he puts his dried fruit in barrels lined with paper, and yet suffers loss. I think in tiiis case the female moths lay their eggs on the fruit before it is I)ut into the barrels. In •^uch cases, if a small hole were boi'ed in one end of the barrel, and tightly corked, it would be easy to free the- apples or fruit of iiisects by use of bi-sulphide of carbon. Withdi'aw the cork, turn in half a. pint of the liquid, and quickly cork up the hole. The liquid would destroy the insects, and would do no harm to the fruit. This would be a very cheap and convenient cure for the evil. It should be remembered that this liquid va- porizes very quickly, and that the vapor is very inflammable, and very explosive when mixed with air. In this case the baiTels could be easily moved out of doors, or be kept in a room where no fire or lighted cigar, etc., is ever taken. I would use i)aper sacks for storing, and, in case of attack, I would use bi-sulphide of carbon to destroy the mischief-makers. Bi-sulphide of carbon very soon escajjes if permitted: audit is so odorous that its presence, even in very small quantities, is sure of detection. It vola- tilizes so completely, that, even if thrown into a flour-bin, it all evaporates and the flour is un- injured. A. J. Cook. Agricultural College, Mich., Feb. 6. rambler's visit to the BAY' STATE APIARY, Friend Root:— I have read Ramblei''s visit to the Bay State Apiary with a good deal of in- terest. As you seem to have a wrong impres- sion regarding some things. I will try to correct them. I judge by vour foot-notes to Rambler's article that you have an idea that I am an in- veterate smoker as well as Bro. Pratt. You are wrong in this. I do not use tobacco in any form, except to introduce queens. Although I use several pounds each season of the vile weed, it always has a bad taste to me. You \xant to know whether we did notgetthe " plantain leaf" idea from you. Guess not. We have used it nearly 30 years, and used it. fiiend R.. when you used to send orders to the Bay State Apiary t'or queens. That. I lielieve, was a good many years before you published a bee- paper. I give you a cordial invitation, friend R.. to visit the liay State Apiary whenever you can find it convenient to do so. You will see and hear about a good many things that have 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. not been seen in print. You need not look for Alley in a bar-room, nor will you find him in the shade of a tree sucking an old pipe. Say to Rambler that there is fourt(>en months difference iu the ages of the "twins" he has pictured "eating"' honey. These two little queers take a good deal of my time. They get •■ grandpa" up pretty early in the morning — a good deal earlier, sometimes, than he wants to get up. n. Ali.ky. Weuham, Mass. [We are exceedingly glad, friend A., to know that you ai'e not a tobacco-user. l*erhaps I got my wrong inipi-ession fi-om the fact that some one mentioned youi- using large quantities of tobacco in smoking your bees. We ai'e glad to know that you are on our side of both kinds of temperance — whisky and tobacco.] SOMETHING FOR FLORIDA BEE-KEEI'KRS. As we bee-keepers in Florida have no paper that reaches, perhaps, more bee-keepers inter- ested in making an effort to pi-epare for an ex- hibit at the World's Fair at Chicago than Gleanings, if permissible I should like to hear personally from each Florida reader who is a bee-keeper, as to what he thinks of forming a State Bee-keepers' Association atas early adate as possible, to meet at the capital of the State some time during the session of the legislature, so that, if possible, we might prevail on it for some assistance in making and caring for such an exhibit; and.further,to state what amount of honey and fixtures you each could prepare for exhibition. We shall certainly have to unite, first, in a State association of bee-keepers be- fore we can arrange for an exhibit that would call forth any thing like the resources of the State. I should like to hear the views of all the Florida bee-keepers in this matter. It is none too soon to begin the preparation. .John Crayckaft. Aster Park, Fla., Feb. :.'8. FEEDING BEES ARTIFICIAL POI,LEN WHILE IN THE hive; an INTERESTING CASE. It seems as if we were going to have a late spring, and a bad time for bees to carry in pol- len; and why not take a hint from the following circumstance and put tlour on the top of the hives for pollen ? My father is SO odd years old, and he told me that one of his neighbors, some 70 years ago, set a log hive of bees in an old bar- rel half full of wheat, to keep them out of the cold; and when he took them out of th<^ barrel in the spring they were all right, and had eaten the wheat under the hive until the bran was two or three inches deep. J. D. Whittenburg. Marshfield. Mo.. March 3. [Friend W., your story sounds pretty strong, and yet it may be true. When bees are desti- tute of pollen they will take hold of a great variety of substances ; and as they eat wheat flour with avidity when put out in the open air. it is possible that they learn how to dig the flour out of the wheat and thus raise brood.] PAINTED CLOTH AN EXCELLENT SUBSTITUTE FOR TIN. I see there have been some inquiries in regai'd to painted cloth for hive-covers; and not seeing any thing from any one who has used painted cloths, I ventui'e to give my experience with it. Four years ago I was making some chaff hives; and not having lumber wide enough for half the roof. I used narrow boards and painted them. Then I tacked on some Atlantic A sheeting on the green paint, then painted the sheeting. I have painted them once since. They have been exposed to the weather, winter and summer, ever since, and I consider them good for a good while yet, so far as the cloth is concerned. In these times of high tariff' on tin. I think it would be well for those who use tin for hive-covers to try a few cloth ones and keep them painted. If tliey do, I think they will be pleased with the result. I also believe it would make a better roof for dwellings than a good deal of this roofing that is advertised. If Dr. Miller will try painted cloth he will find it far superior to oil cloth. John Anderson. Oriskany Falls, N. Y., Feb. ~*8. [You have given just the fact we wanted. Now. who else can testify? So far the evi- dence shows that i)ainted cloth will answer. But the great thing in its favor is cheapness, tariff' or no tariff'. Painting the wood first, be- foie the cloth is tacked on, might have the eft'ect of gluing it so firmly to the wood that it would be less likely to receive tears or injury.] MICHKfAN .VPIARIES; STATISTICS FOR 1889-'!)0. According to the Michigan Crop Repoi't of Jan. 1, 1891. the farm statistics for 1889-'90 re- turned last spring by supervisors furnish the following figures: The number of apiarists in the State in the spring of 18VK) was 59(33. The number of colonies of bees on hand in the fall of 1889 was 77,(502, and the number at the time of taking the assessment last spring was (58,404. The number of colonies wintered in cellars was 17,169; in chaff hives, :28,4:*4; in bee-houses, 5(5(5; covered with sawdust, 31(5; otherwise pro- tected, 1810; with no protection, 31,987; protec- tion not reported, 7330. In 1889.(58.440 colonies made 1,192,112 lbs. of comb honey, and 23.349 colonies produced 271.- .5(54 lbs. of extracted honey. The number of lbs. of wax produced in 1889 was 9(525. Compared with the statistics of the previous year there is an increase of 141(5 in the number of apiarists; of 23,744 in the number of colonies on hand in the fall, and of 22,891 in the number on hand in the spring. The quantity of comb honey produced in 1889 was (532,310 lbs. greater thanreported for 1888, and the quantity of ex- tracted honey was 173,9(54 lbs. greater in the latter than in the former year. Concord, Mich. Manly Shotwell. [There (if reliable, and we should think they were not far from right), these statistics are in- teresting and valuable. What is the reason that other States don't do likewise? If they did we could then know pretty accurately the number of colonies, etc.. in the United States. On an average, then, each Michigan bee-keep- er owned, in 1890, 13 colonies. In 1889 he se- cured on an average, from each colony. 17 lbs. of C(nnl) linney and 11 lbs. of extracted per colony, oi- 2S ll)s. of honey in all: but 1889 was a rather poor season all over the conntiy, especially for Michigan.] THICK TOP-BARS USED SUCCESSFULLY FOR EIGHT YEARS. Tlua'B has been considerable said in tJLEAX- iNGs for and against heavy top-bars. I will give you my testimony in favor of them. When 1 comm8 by 1 inch, spaced 1^ from center to center, with % space between frames and super. I used it six seasons and never was bothered with burr or 228 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Mar. 15. brace combs. Tbo light frames were spaced the same; and when I took the super off the tirst hive, the whole of the brood-chamber came with it. In taking off some of the supers I had to lift them up with one hand, and pry the frames loose from the sui)er with a screw- driver. VV. J. Russell. Philmont. Kan.. Feb. 8. [You have given one valuable point; viz.. with thick top-bars one inch wide by % inch thick, even with as large a bee-spa(;e as % inch, no burr-combs will result, even after 8 years. We now know that, by reducing the bee space to a scant quarter-inch, and using lixed dis- tances, top-bars as thick as 1.; inch will do, or possibly less. Let those who do not like those extra-thick bars, use a lesser bee-space and note the result.] REGULATING SPEKD BY THE SLIPPING OF THE BELT. On page 33 you give the experience of one of your boys in changing the speed of machinery. Is not that plan rather hard on the belt, as the change in speed must be caused by the limited amount of belt contact with driver? The driver being constant, the belt speed must be the same, or neaily the same, and the loss in speed must b(; due to the slip and con.sequent greater friction on one edge of the belt, which would mean a shorter life for the same; and while it might answer for a temporary expedi- ent it would look to a man in the woods as though th(; true economy would ri'sult in put- ting in the cones. A. R. Kibbe. New Richmond, Wis., Jan. 7. [We have regulated the speed on one of our presses — a small one — with a slipping belt, as described in Gleanings, for over 10 yeai's, and the sam(i belt is in use yet. We have adopted the same ai-iangcmrnt on a lai'ger platen press — a half-medium — with entire success. The secret lies in the fact that low speed and small power are required. Cones would cei'tainly have to be usc^d when^ something ovei' one- horse-])Owei- work or high siM'cd is lequired, or on latiiework foi' screw - cutting. For small presses the slii)ping of the belt answei's per- fectly.] ^ A LAKY WHO NOT ONLY D0E;S NOT WEAR GLOVES, BUT WORKS AMONG THE BEES WITH BARE HANDS AND ARMS. I see in (Jleanixgs that you wanted to hear from other ladies wlio work among the bi!es. I ' put on a hat and veil, push my sleeves up as far as they will go, so the bees can"t go up inside of theuL They are not so apt to sting my arms with my sleeves up as with them down. A few stings on the hands and arms will get well any- how. I don't wear gloves, for I want my hands fret^ from any thing of the kind. I think if .Miss Wilson will get some heavy jeans and maki' an Jipron, the honey will not run tlirongh luid s-oil the dress. It might be '■ bunglesome ■" and warm. I do all kinds of work tiuit are done among the bees, and help put npsnpi)lies: in fact. ev(M-y thing but nailing up the iiives. I do almost all of the painting and all of my houscwuik — washing, and every thing. I have four small childi-en to tend to. Mrs. 8. D. Cox. Washington. Ind.. Feb. 20. [Very good. Mrs. C. I. too. should prefer to have niy hands and arms bare of every thing, providing I could vvork with bees when they are gathering hoiu^y, and every thing is peaceful and quiet. Oiu' who sells bees and queens, how- ever, and is therefore obliged to overhaul hives both in season and out of season, could not well manage in the way you suggest.] ANOTHER CLAM-SHELI- IDEA; USING SHELLS INSTEAD OF SLATE TABLETS. My plan for keeping record of bees is to use two half clam-shells instead of a slate. I keep one on the front of each hive, in which I write th(^ age of the queen and such other data as I want to go into my book. In the other, on the back end of the hive, I write work done and when, condition, etc. I use a leadpencil. and when a shell is full I pick up another, or rub out with a wet cloth or sponge, and begin again. I live immediately on Lemon Bay, where clams are more plentiful than any thing else (unless it is tish). and clam-siiells are not expensive. They are not flat, like a slate, be- ing rounding, but are just as smooth inside, and as nice to write in. I turn the flat (or open) side down, which lies snug on the hive-cover, so that no water nor any thing else can get under them. They are light, not much in the way. not easily knocked off, and are rather pretty than otherwise. J. H. Hjll. Venice, Manatee Co., Fla., Feb. 21. \XU.\ JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT IS SUPERIOR TO THE SILVERHULL. I find the Japanese buckwheat superior to the silverhull. After a trial of three seasons I have concluded to sow no other kind. One great advantage it has in this country i.s, that we can raise a crop early in the season, and the bees have the benefit of the blossoms when they need them so much. In the fall they do not work so much on it liecause they seem to prefer to gather from heartsease. I raised two crops last season — light crops, of course, on account of dry weather, but it proves that the season is long enough to raise iwo good crops if there is enough rain. The common kind did not fill any earlier in the season. It will also make more flour jier bushel. The miller said it was softer and ground liner. TIku'c^ is. however, one drawback— it is not inclined to grow as tall as the other variety. J. T. Van Petten. Linn, Kan. Feb. 10. A SMALL YIELD OF .JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT, BUT REMARKABI>E UNDER THE CIIiCU.MSTANCES. My Japanese buckwheat made only ten bush- (;ls to the acre, but I thought that was good, for it never had a drop of rain after being sown until cut. My bees did fairly well, but it was so WANTS NOTH- ING BETTER. In Gleanings. Jan. 15, you want to know whether painted muslin on covers of hives will be as good as painted tin. For 4 years I used painted muslin on my hive-covers: and my ex- perience is. that you can find nothing better. It keeps the inside of the hive dry in any kind of weather. Paint and muslin will Stick to the wood during the severest cold or warm weatlier. You never want to re-cover the hive: but every two years give it a coat of paint. But it will be better, where, instead of nailing, the muslin is pasted on the cover. Put the paste on the cov- er, then lay the cloth on: brush over with a hand-broom: cut the sides off wi*h a sharp knife before they are dry: and. when dry. give two coats of paint. The same can be done with outside winter cases. I have muslin on the roof of my honey-house, and partly on my hen- house. And now, friend Root, let me make a sugges- tion about muslin on warm or cold bed-frames. You have several objections to muslin-covered frames, and you are quite right so far: but if. before you nail the muslin on the frames, you nail a piece of poulti y-netting (say four-inch mesh) on. muslin over the netting.it will not make the frame much more exjjensive or heavy — just heavy enough so that it can't be blown about: and duj'ing a rain the cloth will not form a water-basin in the middle. I am go- ing to try it this spring: and if you think it over you wilTperhaps do the same. Henry Schaverdtfeger. Lincoln. Logan Co., 111.. Feb. 3. OLD KEROSENE-CANS FOR CALIFORNIA HONEY, again; a HINT TO CALIFORNIANS. I see by Gleanings that the honey-producers of California are complaining that buyers of their extracted honey want new cans. Let me tell them how old cans lost them one sale. I sold nearly all my honey by Nov. 1.5. and wrote to a commission house in Philadelphia for white-clover extracted honey. I said I prefer- red eastern clover to what tiiey called Califor- nia white clover. When it came it was in old rusted tin cans, and they had the word petro- leum stamped in the tin on the top. No names nor marks wei'e on the box. The honey was light amber, but had an ugly taste. I couldn't eat it. and would not offer it for sale. I return- ed it. The color was such that the honey should have been good in fiavor. About how many pounds of paraffine wax will it take to wax a barrel, one head out'? Pottstown, Pa. W. W. Kulp. [These old square cellar, nor have any trouble from bees flying out. Let me first say right here, that I carry my bees into the cellar alone, as I have never found a man for a helper who was as good as I am alone. On a cool afternoon, when no sun is shining, I go to my hives, put a half- inch block under each corner, and in less than an hour. they are in a good cluster. I then take my strap and hooks, pick u|) my hive and walk off with it to the cellar: and very often I have to raise the enamel cloth to see whether the bees are alive or not. In 7 years I have not had the least bit of trouble in putting them in or can-ying them out. My bees are hybrids from the blacks. Italians, and Cyprians. RUBBER GLOVES BETTER THAN ANY THING ELSE. If Miss Emma Wilson nutst wear gloves, I would advise rubber by all means. We have used them in our family foi- 8 or 9 years, and like them better than all other kinds. Kid gloves or dogskin come next: I would npt use buckskin, for the liees will sting them, and most of the time will lose their lives. There is but one fault with rubber gloves so far as I know: and that is. the tingers are too long. I like to use ai)rons when I am working with the honey, and 1 feel proud when 1 am covered from my neck to my slippers with a nice clean one! Orion. Wis., Feb. K). Fred. L. Snyder. A COLONY OF BEES WHICH SECRETE NO PRO- POLIS. I have an anomaly in the bee-line. I have a strong colony of hybrids whose mother is a ])ure Italian, if I can judge by the markings. The bees use, in a manner, no proi)olis. They gave me two well-tilled :,'8-lb. cases. T supers, from white clover. These were removed at the end of the flow, and replaced by a super reduced to 14, which remained on until late in the fall. Upon neither was any propolis. On the first, the white clover, they were absolutely spotless; on the latter, removed in the fall, only a bare trace, not to b<> observed except by scrutiny. Query: May I expect a conthiuance of this good quality the coming season? If so. may I expect queens raised from this queen to furnish brood having the same peculiarity ? I would attribute this to want of time by reason of the flow: but all other colonies in the yaid found time to glue things i)retty freely. We have an ahundance of the conifene in this region. Guys, Md., Feb. :.'. Wm. S. Adams. [We hope that you will answer your inquiry yourself, friend A., by trying some queens from this non-propolis mother. Just as soon as you know the results, please communicate the facts at once to Gleanings. We should like to know whether it is possible to breed a non-propoliz- ing race of bees. But. hold a minute I Those colonies that daub propolis worst are generally excellent honey-gatherers, and usually come through the winter in splendid condition. There is this much for propolis. It seals the hives air- tight— a thing quite necessary in the production of comb honey, and for successful wintering.] SNY'DER'S method of CARRYING BEES INTO THE CELLAR. In Ernest's Notes of Travel for Feb. 1. Dr. Miller says he can not carry hives of bees into the cellar without bottom -boards, and Ernest ONE TON OF HONEY FROM TEN HIAES. There was a great houey season here last year. I took one ton of honey from ten hives, and then had them in good shape for the win- ter. How is that for an ABC man ? That is more than you have ever done; but I tell you it kept me busy all my spare time. James Robinson. Buffalo. N. Y.. Feb. 19. 18U1 GLEANINGS IN 15EE CULTURE. 231 QrESTION 175 l!ECOXSIDEREI>. Friend Root: -Your respondents to question 175 do not take into consideration cool falls or a cold climate like this, which very seriously in- terferes with the building of comb in supers. I have Tiever been satisfied with my yield of comb honey from fall bloom unless the season was an exceptionally warm one. The bees will gather the nectar, aiid store it in the comb fur- nished them when they can not draw out foun- dation in supers. For this reason I am buying an exti'acting outfit, and will run my apiary for extracted honey after basswood closes. THE HOFFMAN FKAME. I shall order the Hoffman fixed frame, as I am thoroughly disgusted with the loose hanging frame in "the Dovetailed hive. The division- board which goes with the frame is a necessity in every hive. Your addition of follower and wedge in the super will make it perfect, in my opinion. At our last State Fair there was not a good super on exhibition. N. P. ASPIXWALL. Harrison, Minn., Jan. 7. THE WISCOXSIX COXVENTIOX. I inclose a clipping from a Madison paper, showing a little of the business done at our •convention, Feb. 4 and 5. .ZD -^ Officers of tlie Wiscousiu Bee-keepers' Association have been chosen as follows: President, C. A. Hatch, of Itliaca; vice-presidents. T. B. Turner, of Sussex, and Ochsner, of Prairie du Sac; recording- secretary, H. Latlu'op, Browiitown; corresponding secretary, J. W. Vance, Madison; treasurer, M. J. Plumb, Milton. The association decided to ask the legislature for an appropriation of $10U0 to enable it to make a proper showing- of Wisconsin honey at the Woi-ld's fair, and otherwise advance the inter- ests of the industry. It was also decided to secure tlie incorporation of the organization under the State Law. You remember what a jovial time we had a year ago when you and Dr. Miller were with us. Our meeting this year was not as largely at- tended, nor was there the same enthusiasm. Our Wisconsin bee-keepers suffered a failure in crop last year, and doubtless many of them did not feel able to attend the convention. ^Ye had the great good fortune to have with us ]Mr. Thos. G. Newman, who made not a few friends for the Bee-keepers" Union, in whose behalf he addressed the convention. Notwithstanding the small attendance, we believe that business of great importance was transacted. Hakry Lathkop. Browntown. Wis., Feb. 11. .TAI'AXESE AHEAD OF ALL. I now put the Japanese buckwheat ahead of all others. I sow it at three different times — June 15, June 21, June 29. I raised the largest yield from that which I sowed June 29. On 3 acres I sowed l^S bushels of Japanese buck- wiieat, which I got of A. I. Root, and on the 3 acres I had 74 bushels, making 247;j bushels per acre. As to bee-pasture, they worked from sunrise till 10 or 11 o'clock p.m. I will raise no other. J. S. Buiers. West Brownsville, Pa., Feb. 8. ALFALFA FOR SORE THROAT, AGAIN. Seeing in last Gleanings how good alfalfa is for a sore throat, I will say a peddler, who stop- ped this week, had a very sore throat. I fed him on the alfalfa honey, and it helped him at once. It works like magic. I tried it on myself yes- terday, and it cured me at once. This certainly is a valuable discovery, and ought to be in the home of every family. My bees are wintering finely so far. Edgar Briggs. Manchester Bridge, N. Y. A GOOD report FROM CALIFORNIA. Bees are a new thing to me. as I never had any thing to do with them till last April; then I had one swarm enter at one side of a cracker- box. The year before, the bees and I had made an agreement, that, if they would let me alone. I would let them alone. We kept that compact till last April, when I transferred them to a frame hive and commenced to build up an api- ary. I will tell you how I succeeded. We commenced taking bees out of the rocks in the mountains. We took out 17, and ran our apia- ry up to 31 strong swarms. We had 13 new swarms come out. and sold .S93.95 worth of wax and honey, besides what three families used. It seems strange to read in Gleanings about feeding sugar and packing them away for the winter. Here our bees are as busy as at any time of the yeai- to-day. I tried to time a colo- ny that was going in loaded with pollen, but I could not count fast enough. They would alight eight and ten at a time. The manzanita is in full bloom now, and will last about six weeks. Joseph W. Bell. Valle Vista. Cal., Jan. 19. how I MANAGE MY HOME MARKET. On page 55 is a letter from J. Handle, com- plaining of others supplying the home market- after he had built it up. I have built up all the market for honey there is in Braceville. and have sold all I had to sell here, and could have sold more. I have had no trouble in the line he complains of. I furnish each dealer with a small show-case. The dealers here won't han- dle honey without a case, and they would not put other honey in my case. That helps to hold the trade here. John Burr. Braceville, 111. AVHEX TO SPRAY FRUIT-TREES. There seems to be a threatening evil to our bees from spraying fruit-trees when they are in blossom. Could there not be something done to prevent it? I take the Farm Journal, and that advocates very strongly the spraying of trees. Would it not be well for some one to write to the editor of that papei-. and tell him to inform the people when to spray them — when the blossoms are falling? The Farm Journal has a large circulation throughout the United States. George Baker. Poplar Ridge. N. Y., Jan. 16. FROM one TO four IN 30 DAYS. Last summer I had a swarm shipped to me the 19th of April. They swarmed the 31st of May. and again the 27th of June, and the young swarm swarmed the 30th of June, so I got three good young swarms from one. W. F. Naylor. Wrightstown, Minn., Dec. 22. THE EFFECT OF IRON UTENSILS ON WAX. I bought some .50 lbs. of dark-colored wax some years ago. supposing that I could clean it; but I found it permanently colored, being rendered in an iron kettle, and left to stand therein for weeks, so it is not salable. Hayesville, O. H. Butcher. Please tell me what causes the bees to cut up the comb. J. P. H. Wilson. Temple, Tex., Dec. 29. [If your combs are spaced too close, the bees would be likely to gnaw away the comb. Space 1?8 inches from center to center — not closer than IH inch. vVhere robbing is allowed to get under a good headway, the combs of the robbed colony are liable to be torn in to. J 233 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Mak. 15. MY KEPOUT FOR ISltO. I sold 318 queens, and spent ?18.0() in advertis- ing. My receipts were probably meager for the amount spent in advertising, but I have not a dissatistied customer, nor a queen reported impurely mated. Many have wondered, and some have asked, '" How are your books since you advertise 'to be paid for on arrival "? " I am glad to say I have found bee-keepers, as a rule, "gilt edge." and the best class with whom I have ever dealt; and the result is so satisfac- tory I shall advertise that way again another year. THE HONEY CROP the past season was short, and from 100 colo- nies I received IL'OO lbs. (half comb, half extract- ed), which sold on an average at 1.5 cts. per lb. Late in the season, owing to frequent fall rains and mild weather, there was a profusion of bitter-weed from which the bees tilled their hives for winter stores— something that has not occurred in several yeaj's. The honey is very unpalatable, but has a good body, and is about as dark as Spanish n(>edle. The bees are win- tering well, and on the 29th of December they were bringing pollen from elm. The discussion on closed-end frames has caused me to decide to use them with all new swarms another sea- son. W. H. Laws. Lavaca, Ark., Jan. 16. RIPENING OF HONEY NOT ALWAYS A PROOF AGAINST CANDYING. In friend Beach's article, page 780, 1890, he says if the weather is warm and dry while hon- ev is being gathered, and remains so until it is thoroughly ripened and sealed, in his opinion it will rarely ever candy. If friend B. had seen what I did last summer he would have talked different from that. The month of July, 1890. was very warm and dry here. Our bees at that time were working in "the pine-forest and cot- ton-fields. The honey (or sugar, if you choose) would granulate just as fast as it w^as brought in. It was impossible to extract it, as it was just a thick mush. All the way it could be used was to cut it out in the comb, or use it in the building of new colonies. It is needless for me to say that this honey was as good and nice for the table as any honey ever i-aised. Friend B. also says we know when cotton honey is coming in. by the pollen on the bees' backs. If he will notice when bees are working on cotton he will see that very few bees go inside of the blossoms, or at least they do not in Mississippi. The honey is obtained from the outside at the base of the bloom. J. R. Cleveland. Decatur, Miss., Jan. 27. remarks following, he asks for information of others as to whether brace- combs are sometimes built through the honey-board, as Dr. Miller explains. I have had some experience with thick frames: and if you can profit by an A B C scholar's experience, here goes. When I first turned my attention to bees, about three years ago. I had no foot- power saw to make frames with, so I had to make them by hand. I made them the same dimensions as the Langstroth, described in the ABC, with the exception of the top-bar. I made this >sx%, so as to have a shoulder at the end to nail the end-bars to. Now, with these frames I have little or no trou- ble from burr-combsor brace-combs either; and I am inclined to think that a wider frame would be better. In fact. I think if the top-bars were wide enough, after being spaced they would be queen-excluding; and then we could, I think, dispense with the honey-board entiiely. I am going to experiment with this problem the com- ing season, and will report. J. H. Goe. Mossy Rock. Wash., Nov. 2(i. CLOSE SPACING AND FIXED FRAMES. I am very sure that less than %. instead of more, between the bottom-board and the bottom of the frames, is very important. If more, the bees must go up some other way; and, besides, there is much valuable time lost by the bees by too much space at the end of the frames; and for me I want every frame full clear to the bot- tom, so as not to allow any loafers. I know what it is to move hives in and out with frames loose or fixed, to say nothing of the trouble of taking off cases from loose frames. I shall use none but fixed ones of some sort, in the future. It is a wonder there are any in use except fixed. It's too much on the guessing-at-it plan. Hallowell, Me., Jan. lo. E. P. Churchill. WIDTH AND THICKNP:SS OF TOP-BARS. On page 888, 1890. Dr. C. C. Miller gives us a talk about the thickness of brood-frames and the building of burr-combs; and in Ernest's OB.JECTIONS TO THE T SUPER; WIDE FRAMES PREFERRED. As I never see any thing in Gleanings or the American Bee Joiiriial about wide frames, I should like to say a few words in regard to their use. Supers seem to be all the go. I have been using both wide frames and T supers, and I am completely disgusted with the latter. Bees very often build comb between the sections and the top-bars of the brood-frames, and this all has to be scraped off, and the sections are gen- erally soiled or darkened on top by the bees passing over them. Again, you can not take 1, 2. 3. or 4 sections from a T super withont taking the whole case off. Now, with wide frames there can not be any comb built on the under side of the sections, nor are they soiled in the least. You can take off sections where wide frames are used, just as you want them; you can take out a frame, fill with sections, and take 1, 2, 3, or 4, and just put empty ones in theii* places. I have sections in wide frames that have been in them for two years, and I am tak- ing them out now, and they look as bright as they did when I put them in. Who can say this of T supers? W. S. Douglass. Lexington, Tex.. Jan. 18. [There is no need of having biHT-combs or having the T super fastened to the brood- frames if you use a honey-board, or, better still, the right kind of brood-frames, with a bee- space of not more than }i inch above. Your greatest objection to the T super can be obvi- ated if our osvn testimony and that of hundreds of reliable witnesses can be relied upon. But there is one thing which you have mentioned, and which is very true. In a poor season, or for any other cause that sections remain upon the hive for any length of time, the sections will discolor; that is, they will have a soiled, travel -stained, yellow appearance. In wide frames, or even in the section -holder's, if an enameled cloth be laid flat (no bee-space) upon the section tops, the outsides of the sections will be clean and white, no matter how long on the hive.] ONE WHO LIKES THE RUBBER GLOVES. In answer to Miss Emma Wilson's inquiry in Gleanings for apron material, I would sug- gest oiled silk, if not too expensive. The rub- ber gloves are nice; and, every time they are taken off, they should be pulled off' the hand so as to leave them wrong side oat, so as to dry the moisture in them, or they will soon spoil, as they are air-tight. Mrs. C. A. Stebbins. Churchland, Va., Feb. 5. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 233 0U^ P0ME^. What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul ''. — Mark 8:3b. Friend Root:— You may think it strange of me to write j'ou such a letter as I have sat down to write, and may te you will think I am interfering with what does not concern me; but believe me, I have given it no little thought, and am going to do just exactly as I would wish to be dLne by under like cireumstances. I am a Christian, though I am far from being a perfect one. I know what the power of temptation is. and it helps me to have charity for others who make wrong steps. I think the more popular any Christian becomes, and the mt)re good he wants to do in the world, the more untiringly Satan will work to tiip him; and so the more watch- ful and prayerful he must be. I will tell you what I refer to. I am a member of the Southern California Bee-keepers' Association, and at our meeting Jan. 8, at Los Angeles, bids were sent in by the various supply-dealers to furnish the association with needed supplies. You will remem- ber you sent a bid, and then added a postscript, say- ing that, if there were lower bids, let you know, as you could furnish sujiplies as low as any one. Now, can you see where that i)laced you? In the first place, it looked very underhanded and dishon- orable; then it looked very grasping, as though you would wish to sell all the supplies used in the United States, or perhaps in the world. A murmur psissed througli the assembly. Some of tliem, in speaking of it, said they were " glad to tind you out." Otliers said the.v " almost knew youi- spouting on religion was merel.v for the dollars it would bring you." Now, I do not believe you thought twice before you wrote tiiat postscript. I am very sorry, for I often think that we who are trying to further tlie cause of Christ are holding it back by inconsistent lives. See Romans 14:21. Y'ours sincei-elv, Redlands, Cal., Feb. 16. H. P. Luther. May the Lord bless you for your kind letter, friend Luther. By no manner of means do I think you are interfering, dear brother; on the contrary, nothing does me moi'e good than plain outspoken words — that is. where they are spoken or written with the spirit that I am sure actuates you in the above. 1 do believe you are doing exactly as you would be done by.' as you express it. Your thought is a grand one. wliere you speak of having charity for others because you yourself know what "it is to be tempted. And this is one of the good things about trials and temptations — it keeps ns from being over- bearing, and judging others harshly. •'For- give us our debts as we forgive our debtors." Your next thought, too, is an important one. It is indeed true, I believe, that Satan perse- cutes and follows more untiringly any child of God who promises to become populnr. When Finney was doing his great work tlirough Ohio and York State, he was once overheard praying by himself out in the ^^■oods: and the burden of his prayer was that God might help him to bear prosperity in his spiritual work. And I want to thank you again for telling me so plainly and kindly just where you think I am at fault. If you will go back "to that letter. however, which was read at the meeting of the association, you will find the expressions you mention were not the \\'ords of A. I. Root him- self. As all the correspondence, however, that goes out of our establishment is supposed to be authorized by myself. I accept the responsibili- ty, and the rebuke that comes with it. Let me say. however, in extenuation, that there are circumstances connected with this matter which I think your association failed to take into account. In the first place, we were asked to make a bid as early as the ^rst of January. In fact, the letter referred to is dated Jan. 1. Now, at this early season, in this locality, we can not tell very well what we can do. We do not know what the winter will be in affording suitable weather to move logs. We do not know how many aie going into the supply bus- iness before spring: neither can we tell definite- ly what the demand is going to be. Perhaps in our bid we should have suggested something like this, and added that we might be able to do better a little later on. I have looked up the letter you refer to. and the postscript, which reads as follows: " If our quotations on sections and some other- items are not as low as you have received from some otiier party, we should like another opportunity for a bid. We think, taking it all around, we can fur- nish you goods that will please you as well as, or- better, than any other." Now, if it were only one individual who ob- jected to the above, I should be inclined to ac- cuse him of a lack of charity. If. however, it was the voice of an association, perhaps we had better conclude they were right: for I have great faith in the old saying, that " the voice of the people is the voice of God." Permit me to say here, that the writer of the above is our business manager, and my son-in-law; and ta Mr. Calvert is due, ijerhaps more than to any other one person, the fact that our business has. within a few years, extended and enlarged so. that our goods now go to almost every habita- ble part of the earth. Mr. Calvert's special forte seems to be in compassing the whole- earth; and he has a gift that I have never seen equaled for keeping in hand, and under his eye, business transactions not only of great magni- tude, but scattered here and there until an or- dinary mind would become utterly confused and demoralized. Please, dear friend, remem- ber that Mr, Calvert, like you and my.self, is a follower of Chi'ist Jesus, and an enthusiastic- supporter of missionary work throughout the world, and one who gives so liberally of his. earnings to these causes that I often feel like- rebuking him. Now, let us remember that we all have our special individualities. Mr. Cal- vert does not write nor speak in that peculiar way your old friend A. I. Root does; but I am sure he feels just as kindly to his fellow-men as. I do. Perhaps I may say. without any thought of boasting, that God in his mercy and love has. seen fit to give your old friend a peculiar gift in talking to people, and in getting acquainted, and especially in making friends; and it ofteii happens that those who have done business with me. and corresponded with me for years, notice the difference when the magnitude of our business obliges me to delegate to others the task of dictating correspondence. Both Ernest and John say. and with justice in their- favor too, that it is impossible, with the pres- ent amount of business, to explain at length in the way I have been in the habit of doing with ray friends. No other business house does it. In fact, when any business begins to assume- large proportions, people are obliged to take for granted many things or to "read betweea the lines" as it were. As an illustration: When goods decline in value, every good bus- iness house should, as a matter of course, make- the price lower to customers, and I believe this is generally done. When the recipient finds that the goods do not cost what he expected to. pay. he does not demand a letter of explanation. He takes it for granted that there has been a decline in price, but he does not find fault, even if no explanation is made.* On .the other hand^ *A letter has just been placed before me, illus-- tratlng so well the above, and at the same time pay- ing a just tribute to our friend Mr. Calvert, that I have thought best to give it here in a foot-note: Mr. Root;— Your letter of the 28th is received, in which you say you give me an extra credit ot 81.65. because the goods, had become so much cheaper, for which please accept thanks. 234 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Mar. 15. suppose goods advance. In this case I do think that every dealer should make at least some sort of biief explanation, even if it be a class of goods that is going up and down in value al- most constantly. But yet a good many do not do this, relying upon their notice that certain goods are liable to advance without notice. At the present time we are having considerable jangle because alsike is 89.00 a bushel instead of the price printed in our circulars last fall. We write our custoiners, again and again, that we gave notice of the advance in our January Gleanixos: but quite a number stubbornly in- sist that they got the price out of our catalogue — $7.50, and "some say they will not pay any more. You may suggest that we should have written to them of the advance before filling the order. But suppose the proper season for sowing the seed is at hand, and the man wants it right off. Then delays become expensive. Now, if it were possible for me to write a pleas- ant letter, explaining with every such order when goods advance, I could almost always prevent hard feelings. But, dear friends, it is absolutely beyond my strength or powei-. Every few days I come to the verge of overwork, and sometimes this overwork is in consequence of trying to pacify some offended customer in a matter of less than a dollar — sometimes, in fact, only a few cents. He will have it that we are greedy and grasping, and that "A. I. Root's religion is only a shrewd t^cherae to get hold of the dollars," as you ex- press it. I have made all this explanation to let you see how impossible it is for me to dic- tate all these letters in regard to business. Now in regai'd to the postscript I have given above. I presume tliat, if I had written that clause, I should have made it something like this: "My good friends, at this date, Jan. 1. it is hard for us to tell exactly what we can do. We do not dare, at present, to give the close ligui-es we may be able to give a little later when we see how our supply of basswood turns out. If our good friends at the convention do not in- sist on having exact figures right off now. we should be glad to hear from you a little later: and if you do not think it out of the way. we shouldlike to have you tell us what bids you get. before you close the bargain with any one." Well, the above is Ui substance ju.st what Mr. Calvert wrote you. only it is told in my usual familiar way, instead of in a brief, business- like way as he puts it. But, dear friend, luy spirit moves me. I must say I am com- pletely surpiised at your lionesty— so much so that I said to my wife. " Well, this man is surely honest enough. Certainly not one in a hundred -nould give a man the lienertt ui a lower price AFTER the goods had been sent and tht- liiil maiU- out.'' Of course, in the seven years I have been dealing with you I have alwaj's found you to be square and honest, but I did not expect it to go as far as that. Julius Johannsex. IttPort Clinton. O.. March 2. ~Fei-iuips you may wlsii to kuow what lias brouglit fortli such extravag-aiit expressions. Well, it was simply sometluiig- tiiat our friend Mr. Calvert (tlie vei\v mail wiio wrote the tetter to tlie a.ssociatioii» wrote just as lie does almost every day. An esti- mate had been given for some g-oods, tlie price agreed upon. orUer made, and the goods sliipped. But a decline in prices (a weeli later) made it possi- ble to make friend Jtjhannsen's bill a little less; so Mr. Calvert, iu a ueiglib;)rly and Cliristian spirit, wrote as follows: Fribkd J. :— .\swe are g.^ttiiiGr better prices on Planet Jr. implements, we credit you with an cctra discount of 10 per cent on $16.65. the amount charged you for goods which went forward from Philadelphia on the 21st of February. Amount of credit, II 65. A. I Root. Medina, O., Feb. 28. Now, tliis is the way we are trying to do business, dear friends— not because it will prove to be a big advertisement to us, but because we love Christ Je- sus, and try to live in tfie spii-it of our opening text. Yes, I know "that, as our business increases, these Home Papers are going to be criticised and assailed. I feel that it is all the more because there is springing up all over our land a dispo- sition to feel hostile toward those who handle capital, and who have the attendant power and influence that almost always accompany capital. Here in our own town a bitter spirit often comes up against me because I do not employ certain people to the exclusion of others. Of course, these friends do not look from my standpoint, and they do not know the full cir- cumstances of the case. I can illustrate this by a little circumstance that happened only yesterday. On account of a lack of seasoned basswood we were obliged to suspend, for the time being, several hands. One of these came to me and said something like this: •' Mr. Root, will you think it impertinent if I ask you why you stop some of your older hands, and keep others who are no better workmen, and who have come later? Have I done any thing to merit your disapproval, or is there any way in which I can better serve you than I have been doing?" I assured him that he had not offended me, and I had no complaint to make at all. But I told him the individual we were talking about was a stone-mason by trade, who, during a great part of the summer, when we were at work on our new building, refused to have his wages advanced. As you well know, stone- masons command a higher price than people of many occupations who have work all the year round. One day when I urged the matter, and told him he ought to accept more pay for the work he was doing, he replied sometliing like this: " ]\Ir. Root, you put yourself out of the way to give me something to do at a season of the year, and at a time when I could find no work, and when I was needy. You have been giving me work every day in the year, whether it stormed or not: and now that you want some- thing done right in my line, and I see a chance of doing you a favor, just as you did me, I am going to do it. You need not say any thing more about it. I shall not take any more pay. In fact. I rather enjoy showing you that I can remember a favor."' Now. friends, you see I had most excellent reasons for doing just as I did: and yet the out- side world looking on. knew nothing of this; and ev(>n if I had the time, it was not my busi- ness to explain all my motives for action. In this conflict of capital and labor. I get glimpses of just this very state of affairs. My friends who are lawy«i's or bankers, or men who have money to let or factories to run. are criticised and called unjust. They are also accused of being open to bribes: and people say nothing can be done except by wire-pulling and •' get- ting inside of the ring," etc. And yet. when the truth comes out they have reasons for their conduct much like the simple circumstance I have given above. I am afraid, dear brother, that my California friends are disposed to be uncharitable when they say that Mr. Calvert "s postscript " looked underhanded and dishonorable;" neither can I see that they were right in thinking it looked " grasping." and that we "wished to sell all the supplies used in the world.'" A little reflection, it seems to me, should show them that this is not true. Although we have been the pioneers, al- most, in many things pertaining to bee culture, we have no patents on any thing. In fact, if any of you want to start an opposition business to our own, and should write and tell us so, you would get a prompt reply, to the effect that we would give you all the assistance in our power. Y^ou can come here to .our establishment, and ISStl GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 235 take the dimensions of every machine we use. You can bring your " Kodak,"' and take views of the machinery and api)liances that we have been long years in studying up. At tlie Detroit convention a young fi-iend came to me in a sort of bashful way. and told me he had been making Dovetailed hives to some extent. I assured him I was glad to know it. and looked at the samples of his work. He finally told me that he felt a little ashamed of having copied us in the way he had done, without even ask- ing for the privilege. He then asked me how much money he should pay us so that he could go home with a clear conscience, and make Dovetailed hives out of ])ine-trees that grew on his own farm, for lie already had a sawmill. I indulged in a good hearty laugh, and told him I was glad to know they had a man in ISIichi- gan who was enterprising enough to make bee- hives out of his own trees. \Vhen an oppor- tunity offered. I held a sample of his work up to the eyes of the convention, and told them they could save expensive freights by sending their orders to our friend in question. Now, do you think it was any task for me, or that I found any selfishness to overcome in so doing? Why. bless your heart, no. My temptations do not lie in this direction at all. I have doiK^ this thing so many times (I was going to say all my life, but I had better say, since I became a Chrif to juit the sash when it is not wanted over the |)lants. What we are doing just now — in fact, what we have just done this morning, is to pile u]j the sash five high, right on tiie bed. To do this, the men simply have to take two sash and lay them on the top of a third one: then put two sash from tlie other side on th(» same pile. This is very little work, and four-fifths of the bed is uncovered. The next titue the sash are han- dled we will shift them so as to put the pile in a new i)lace every time. When we want the idants to catch an Ai)ril shower, as soon as the bed is thoroughly wet we shift the ])iles of sash. CROSS-SECTION VIEW OF OUR NEW 150-FOOT HOT- BED. Explanation.— A is the sash ; B, soil ; C, manure: D. chestnut strip: E. sui face of the ground: F. plank to walk on: G. 1-ineh sewer-pipe, which should be shown under middle of bed. To enable the workmen to work easily during wet muddy weather we have two planks for a walk, on each side of the bed. The north side is 8 inches higher than the south: and on an average the sash stand two feet from the ground. The planks for the sides are nailed to short cedar posts five feet apart: and the in- side, next to the dirt, is covered with tarred pa- per to keep out frost. On the north side the cedar posts are sawed oflF square, and a 2x6 Norway plank nailed flat on the top of these posts. This piece covers (5 inches of the ground inside of the cold-franu\ so the plants on the north side will have •> inches for the roots to go over and under the six-inch piece. When handling the sash it is very convenient to be able to get the ends of your fingers under the sash to lift it up. To do this, each end rests on a strip of pine one each square. With this ar- rangement for getting under the ends, and the planks to walk on, two smart boys will uncover a 1.50-foot lied very (juickly. The two walls are prevented from spreading by strips of chestnut, nailed from one cedar post to the opposite one. These strips, to be out of the way for spading, are about 18 or more inches below the surface of the bed: and as there is no other connection between the two sides, we can. if we choose, put a horse and cultivator right into the bed. when the sash are out of the way. so as.to fine it up thoroughly, nuich cheaper than it can be done by hand. About 18 inches of manure is put in the bed. and from four to six inches of dirt on top. lam now ready to tell you of an- otlier feature of my new hobby. USING EXHAUST STEAM TO WARM UP HOT- BEDS. GREENHOUSES. ETC. For some years I have been feeling uneasy whenever I see steam puffing out into the open ;>38 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Mar. 1.5. air from anv kind of steam -mills, factories, etc. I have felt 'uneasy that this vast quantity of •heat should not be' utilized for warming build- ings, or. in the spring and winter, for heating the ground and raising plants. Well, the en- gine that runs our i)rinting-press and carries the dvnamo for the electric lights is only about 1.50 feet fi'om my new hot-bed. ^Yhen the bed was made I laid a four-inch tile about a foot under ground, through its whole length, right in the center of the bed. Then with a two-inch iron pipe the exhaust steam from the aforesaid engine was sent into this four-inch drain-tile. I soon found the steam was heating the whole bed, with a huge surplus, so I have given it another line of tile about ;.'(X) feet long. It has not yet gone to the end of this latter line; but during the last few weeks it has prod\iced the most beautiful and luxuriant growth in rhu- barb and strawberry-plants that I ever saw in my life. Micliel's Early, put out perhaps three weeks ago, have made such a growth that they are almost readv to send up blossoms for frniting. This hot-bed was planned particularly with the end in view of getting our choice varieties of strawberries to put out runners as early as pos- sible, in order that we may have young plants to send out. say in xMay or June. This will pre- vent th(^ usual vacancy between plants grown last year and the present: that is. \\v want to be able to till orders for plants during the very time when lh(> sti'awberries are fruiting. For several vears we have had orders for plants right during berry-picking. Of course, we can cut oi¥ the fruit-stalks and take up the plants; but this results in the lo.ss of fruit, and the plant is not exactly what our customer ought to liave. either. Wh shall see. A KIND NOTICE FKOM THE A. B. K. Hehe is a neat compliment from the .ilmej^i- can Bee-heepcr. for which we extend thanks: Old rebable Gleanings keeps on in the even tenor of its way, growing- better and better every montli. Dr. Miller is the " briglit particular star " in its fli^ mament of contriliutors at pi-esent. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not :it -what they stumble. But the path of tlie just is as the shining ligiit, th.-it shineth more and more unto the perfect day.— PROy. 4 : 19. 18. The Ameriam Bec-Kccpcr believes that the winter case will lie in g(>nei-al use in the near future. STERLING STHAWHEIiKY-I'LANTS AVANTED. If you have any for sale, say how many and how much per thousand. THE Al'IflLTTKIST. Theke is something in the Aplculturlst that sparkh^s. It has lots of short, pithy items. SHEET IRON VS. TIN. INI r. El WOOD says that sheet iron is cheaper and better than tin for hive-covers; and. be- sides, it holds the paint better. THE TRADE-MARK. So far, bee-keepers seem to be against the trade-mark — at least, its establishm(>nt in the Bee-keepers' Union, although friend Heddon argues for it. OUR TYl'E-WRITERS. Five Remington type-writers are kept almost constantly going in oiH' otfice, and still we are behind iii our work. We are contemplating putting in a new Hammond. EXTRA MATTER. In the last issue we stated that we were go- ing to give 8 extra pages: but we found we were obliged, at the last minute, to make it 12. But we do not suppose that any will complain. We give Ki pages extra this issue. indications POINT to a rt>markably big year for honey Supply-dealei's are spiinging up all over the country. A year ago the indications were that we should have a splendid season, but yet it was one of the poorest on record. ^Ve wonder whether it will be so again. PROTECTION FOR SIN(iI-E-WALI>ED HIVE.S. The above is the special topic for the Review for March 10. While there is not entire agree- ment, yet tlie general testimony seems to be in favor of a single-walled hive with some sort of removable winter- protecting case, instead of a hive having l)oth walls permanently fixed. TINKER S PERFOBATED ZINC. Dr. a. L. Tinker has just had built for him a new zinc-machine that turns out the zinc much moi'e rapidly than his old one. and yet fully equal to the old samples that he has been sending out. He has just sent us some of his new zinc. It is simply perfect. That man Tinker is hard to beat on nice work. AVHY THE DOVETAILED HIVE IS SUPERIOR TO ANY OTHER FOR LASTING PURPOSES. Said our painter, who had just finished up a lot of Dovetailed hives, "Those joints will never gap to the weather, like halving and mitering, and hence they will outlast any other joint ever brought out. Keep the weather out of a joint, and it will nevei' rot." There is a good deal of l)ith and point in this. ladies" DEPARTMENT. Miss E.mma Wilson's two articles have called forth so many more fi'om the ladies, that we are going to renew the departm(>nt in the next issue, as above. There seems to be a strong bond of sympathy among the sisters. May it continue! We shall be very glad to have the subject of bee-keeping for ladies brought up and discussed a little more. DR. JIASON AND HIS CANE. We leai-n from Mr. Detwiler that the " dia- mond in the rough," spoken of on page 171, last issue, is fast progressing to a nicely finished cane. He says that the stick is dressed and pol- ished. The design will be in imitation of comb foundation, electrotyped in copper, and gold- plated. We hope Dr. Mason will bring the cane to every convention he attends. FIXED frames in THE SOUTH. It would appear, from the article on page 334, that there are some localities where the closed- end or partly closed-end frame will not answer, on account" of the large amount of propolis. We should like to know about how many of our friends in the South use them now. or have discarded them because of the propolis. We want the exact truth, let it come where it will. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 339 THE BENTON CAGE SfCCESSFITI- AGAIN. We are just informed of the sncccssful mail- ing of a seloct tested qneen in a Benton cage, •consigned to W. W. Somerford, San Miguel de Jaruco, Cuba. This makes the second time that the Benton cage lias been siiccessful in mailing queens to the West Indies. DOVETAILED .JOINT IN HIVES, .'50 VEAKS OI,D. While looking through the"^lanual of Hee- keeping." by John Hunter, we ran across a hive with dovetailed corners. This, the author says, •on page 88. was first described by Mr. Wood- bury in the JournaJ of Horticulture in ISUl. There has been some little discussion as to who first introduced the dovetaih-d joint on hives, that has since become so popular. This ought to ))ut an end to the discussion. THAT SHINY PAPER OF GLEANIN(iS. Two or three have complained that our journal paper is too glossy to be i-ead with ease. This same trouble applies to the Century. Cos- iiiopoliian. Scribncr's. Hcr'>^, and other tirst- class standard magazines. To be able to print our half-tone work, and to bring the engravings out with the best effect, we have to use this fine paper. It will give no reflection to the eyes if yon hold it at the right angle to the lamvJ- In the day time it will give no trouble. been opposed to conventions, but now I am half converted." There was a time when the senior editor of this journal was not a '' convention man," but now he is altogether converted, and he goes every chance he gets. SANDPAPERING DOVETAILED HIVES. As the new Dovetailed hive is now sold by nearly all dealei-s, and by the carload, all over the country, a hint on putting together may come in place. After driving the dovetails home, nailing and squaring the hive, you can very greatly improve the appearance of the corners by tlie use of sandpaper where the ends of the tenons, as it were, come even with the surface. When thus treated, and coated with paint, the dovetails disappear, and the hive looks as if it were made of a solid block of wood. IIOAV TO HANDLE FIXED FRAMES. We expect to publisii shortly some articles from Mr. Ehvood and Mr. Hoffman, on how to manipulate fixed frames. These articles will be fully illustrated, and will explain many points which may not be clear. The great mass of bee-keepers do not yet understand how it is that fixed frames can be handled as rai)idly as the loose frame. We have some beautiful pho- tographs which illustrate each step of the mo- (his operandi. BOOMING THE BEE-BUSINESS. Bee-journals have been accused many times of publishing only the Z)rw//(t side of bee- keeping, such as, for instance, reporting big yields, and letting the smaller yields go unpub- lished. The trouble is not so much with the \)ee-journals as it is with the hee-keepers them- selves, who will not send in reports of poor yields. If they have a big yield they like to hand it in. Ijecause it looks well. A poor report may mean a poor bee-keeper, in the eyes of the public, they thinlv^ THE CHIPS AND SHAVINGS DKI'ARTMENT OF THE APICULTURIST. This is edited by E. L. Pratt, and the chips are crisj) and full of hints and hits. Here is a couple of them: Father Root is acting- as "balhist" to Gleanings. He thinks Ernest too progressive. If all the journals are going' into the "cream" business, where are they going to get their milk to skim? Would a skim-milk bee-paper payV The first one is a sort of compliment to us both. Don't you see that it makes our journal broader '? hasty in convention. Hasty is a valuable man in convention. He is brimful of that same vein that appeal's in his printed articles. He seemed to thoroughly enjoy the last meeting at Toledo, of the Ohio State Bee-keepers' Association. Toward the close of the session. Dr. Mason said, bantering- ly: "There, now. Hasty, don't you think that conventions are a good thing?" Hasty seemed to hesitate for a moment, and finally said, with a sly twinkle in his eye, "I have heretofore SURPLUS COMMUNICATIONS. I'erhai's some of our correspondents ai'e won- dering why their ai'ticles do not appear. The fact is. we have a great stack of good articles; and although we use only about half of those sent in. there are others that we fear will have to be left out. though just as good, and in some cases bettei', than some we print. After they have lain a couple of months, many of them are out of date or behind the times; and to publish them later when we have space would be too much on the Rip Van Winkle style. We have enlarged our space to 16 pages for the present, but this does not let us out yet. circular saws; how to file them and KEEP them in OKDER. The best treatise I have ever seen on this sub- ject is a book by Mr. Henry Disston, entitled, •• Handbook for Lumbermen." As the iiook is also an advertisement of their saws and tools, I suppose they give them away — at least they sent us a hundred, and all we had to pay was the express charges. They ought to have been sent us by freight; but as they charged us noth- ing for the books, of course we could not well complain. Now, we will send them to any of our friends who will send us enough to pay postage and express charges mentioned, which would be about 8 cts. In my opinion this book is the best authority on this whole matter of saw -filing of any tliiug the world contains. WASHINGTON ALMOST A MILLIONAIKE. Our friends of the Rural New-Yorker are re- sponsible for the following: After having been twice President, George Wash- ington died, in 1799, worth $9J0.000, the richest man in the United States. Could the richest man in the United States be elected Piesident to-day? Is the change in public opinion with regard to the holders of great wealth due to a change in the cliaracter of tlie millions or of the millionaires? Had not the father of our country been so sit- uated that he could advance money to the fee- ble and struggling colonies at just the time he did, can anybody tell what would have been our condition to-day? History says that Wash- ington accepted no pay for his Revolutionary services of eight years, but simply allowed Con- gress to refund the money he had advanced to pay a starving and almost rebellious army. Of this rich man, Hyron says he was "The first, the last, tlie best. The Cincinnatus of the West." .JOHN H. I,ARRABEE AND THE APICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. Some months ago Prof. Cook wrote to E. R. R., asking whom he thought would be a good man to take charge of the apicultural experi- rnent station at Lansing. After thinking the 240 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Mar. 1.^ matter over for some liino. we finally recom- mended Mr. Larrabeo as above. We stated that, if he conld be obtained, he would be just the man. We heard nothing more about it until a few weel. I,. VIAI.I.OX. Our space is so crowded that we are unable to give obituary notices generally: but we have just learned that P. L. Viallon. one of the rep- resentative bee-keepers of the South, a supply- dealer, an old subscriber and correspondent of Gi.P^ANiNGS, has lost his wife. He writes: Friend Rnat :—0n tlie 3.1 iiist. I took my beloved wife to her last re-tiiig-plae-e. Slie liad an affection of tlie lieart for sevei'al years, aithoiifjli in toltrahle health; but ahout three months since, she took the prevailiiifi; influenza, the giippe, wliich bi'ought on a complication, anrt involved tlie hnigs, and on the 2d of March she bieatlied lier last, in her 49th year. Out of eleven children slie leaves three sons and tlireo daughters, and your unfortunate friend, to mourn lier loss. Only on the 7th of August la.st, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of our wedding', not suspectinar the end so tiear for one of us Bayou Goula, La., March .5. P. L. Viallon. We extend to you oui' sincere sympathy. One of our old employes, Mr. J. C. Olin. who was also for a time in the employ of Mr. Viallon. says Mi'S. V. was an earnest Christian and an estimable woman. It is pleasant, fiiend V.. when .such dear ones ai'e taken away from earth, to feel that they have gone to a better land. <)UT-.\pi.\Rii:s: advantagks of i)ivii)I\(; i'p TIIK ror^ONIES INTO ()rT-Y.\RI)S. INSTKAD OF CONf'ENTHATINO TIIKM INTO TWO OR MOP.E IA)CAI,1TIES: A HINT FUR NEXT .SEASON. RepoPvTs at conventions, and testimonies through th.' bee-journals, have shown, ovei- and over again, tliat. wiiile one b(>e-yard will not give a pound of sur[)lns. another, not more than three miles away, may yield a big crop. This is something that we can sometimes ex- plain. In one section, the farmers have a big rage for peavine clover. I'erhaps a few miles away some non-yielding-nectar crop has a sim- ilar i-age. The nvsult is. that the tirst locality will give a crop of honey while the second will not. Itsometinn>s happens, too. that one yard is located neai' a swamp: and this source will usually give some honey, even during a dry season, while the othei- will give none at all. And, again, an apiary may be located on up- land, among basswoorls. and the latter will give a good deal more honey than the swamp yard. This shows the advantage in having out-yards. In some sections it n\ay be advantageous to divide a yard having only T.'J colonies. Mr. J. B. Hains, of liedford. O., ha'; something like 1.3 apiaries, and the number in each vard vari(>s all the way from a dozen to lifty. His locality is such that no one yard can have profitably more than fifty coloni(>s: and it pays him. therefore, to scatter his bees into small yards around the adjoining country. It is a signifi- cant fact, that occasional yards will not suij- port much over a dozen colonies with profit. ■"While there are those that will suppoi't 1(K). they are rath(n' rare east of the Mississijjpi. The thing for ns is to determine just how many a locality is good for; and then, when the colo- nies increase, beyond the average right number, put tliem in another location. SIEVEi:-PL.\TIXG OUTFITS. ETC.: LOOK OUT FOR THEM. So many inquiries are coming in regard to outfits for siU'cr-ijlating for a. few dollars, that- are advertised ( 1 am sorry to say) in a good many good papers, I feel called upon to make a protcnl- iarity: A ni!{L WOltTH H.WING. After readl'ig Mr. Gray's e.xiiei'ience in Iheplating- business. I .sent S'3 to tlie Lake h'.lectrio V.tt.. Ein/le- wiiifii, [IL, and cleared $~l in a week. Isn't this pi'et- ty good for a girl";' '1 here is tableware and jewelry to plate at every hoirse; then why should any person be poor or out or employment with such an ()pi)or- tunity at hand > " A Sithscribek. Yini will ]n)tice that the above is signed, "A Subscrilier." giving p;'Ople to understand that a subscriber to th(> above paper sends in this re- port, which is an absolute falsehood from be- ginning to end : and the editor who accepts such an advertisement and puts it in his read- ing-columns is a !)arty to arfraud. In another place in the same paper is another, which reads as follows: MONKV FOIl EVEKYBOUy. Mrs. Wells asks, '• Is it ii fact that a person can make $») to S4i) a week in the business y" Yes, I make f I'om $.i to $7 a day, plating- and selling plated ware. The Lake Electric Co., Eng-lewood, III., will give you full instructions. In this business there is money for everybody. A Reader. Just for the fun o it we turned to Dun and Bradstreet, but there is no such concern at En- glewood. 111., at all. Very likely there is some- body there to take the money out of the jiost- ofhce, and possibly they send some sort of appa- ratus. Perhaps some of our readers can tell ns more about it. THE world's COLUMBIAN FAIR. The following is an editorial which we clip from the A)nericn)i Bee Journal. As it con- tains just the information that many State bee- keepers' associations want, we are glad to give it entire: The Illinois State Bee-Keepers' Association decid- ed to ask the Legislature lo apjiropi'late $.5(1(10 ftir the collection and maiiUainaiice of a suitable ex- hibit of bees, honey, wax. and apiaiian aptdiances at the World's Columbian Fair. The committee to form the liill iind i)i'esent its claims are: Thomas G. Newman, Chicag-o. Col. Charles F. Mills. Siniiigfleld. Hon. J. M. Handiangli. Spring:. Hon. John S. Lvnian, Farndngdale. C. P. Dadant, Haniilttin. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. .'41 A. N. Draper, Upper AUVm. S. N. Black, Clayton. All (itliev States sliould take similar action at •once, so as to secni'c tlie approiiriations in good time to command majsrnitieent e.xliibits. P^)i' tlie benefit of commil tees in different States, who will have to present the matli-r to tlie Leg-isla- tures and ask for apprt)i)rialit>ns, we will here rei>l.v to a Question. wliicli lias been propounded to us and to others a s -oi'e of times. Tliat question is— WHAT IS THE MONET NEEDED B'OR? Tlie answer is easy. It is needed to procui-e, trans- port, org-anize. and take ffood care of exhibits, and may be particularized thus: I.'To i)ay a competent jierson for time and dili- gent work for a year or more, to procure, arrang-e, and superintend an exhibit wliicli shall be a credit to tlie State. ?. He will need many assistants during- the entire time of holding the Columbian Fair, to care for, and pi'otect from damage or waste, the manj' articles ^■xhibited, as well as to keep them clean and in proper condition for thorough examination by the millions of visitors. These must be efficient per- sons, and will liave to be suitably paid. 3. Products of the apiary, machinery, and appli- ances, will have to he transported "to the fair- grounds, and this will entail considerable expense. 4. We do not desire a sejiaiate building for the in- dustry of bee-keeping, but it will it will be neces- sary to ^f up n large space in one of the principal buildings devoted to agriculture, horticulture, or floriculture. To make it convenient, and have it attractively decorated, will co.st money; but it will be well spent, nevertheless; for the general verdict at all fairs is, that the "Bee and Hr)ney Depart- men" is the most atti-active thing on tlie gi'ounds. 5. At the close of the World's Fair all the goods exhibited must l)e carefully packed and returned to the owiiei-s. This item of expen.se for laboi-, ma- terial, drayage, and railway transportation, will be very large, on account of the care required in hand- ling and packing, so as not to destroy tlie values. Honey in the comb (in all forms and shapes imagin- able) is delicate and fragile; and the utmost care will be required to prevent its being damaged or ruined entirely. 6. And last, hut not least, cash prizes, medals, and ■diplomas, will of necessity be required to bring out an exhibit which will honor the State. This item must necessarily be a large one, for upon it will de- pend the success of the entire undertaking. These are a few of the tilings that will require mone.v. and for which a liberal apiirojiiiation is de- sired from the public treasury. "THE REASON WHY. On page 214 the writer of tlie above article makes this remark: " Because they a le supply- dealers, and because it was to their interest to do so." Now. it has lately been getting to be •quite fashionable to insist that large enter- prises, either in ptiblishing a journal or dealing in supplies, are built uj) by furthering .selfish interests. No sadder blunder was ever made. The publisher or supjjly-dealer who does every thing for self-interest, never huilds up a busi- ness. Honesty i.s the best policy: and candid, honest truth, is a thousand times more profita- ble than any sort of seltish, underhanded trick- ery. We urge beginners to start out with the standard fianie. just txactly as we would urge a man who wanted to go somewhere, to drive in the road, when he \\as meditating letting down fences and going crosslots with his Iior.se and buggy. We who have built up a business, or who have control of a successful bee-journal, ai'e laboring for the good of our patrons^ especially for the younger ones who are just starting. It is our business to save them from sad mistakes and blunders: and the insinua- tions that are constantly being thrown out. that success in business comes only to those \\ho are sharp, tricky, dishonest, and selfish, and who are only after the almighty dollar, emanate from the evil one himself: and it will not only be the ruin of our people financially, if persist- •ed in. but it will be the ruin of us as a people. body and soul. Hold fast to the little text. '• thinketh no evil:" and for mercv's sake have charity enough to oelieve that voiir neighbor is at least (dmnst as good a man as yourself. FLORIDA AXn ORANGE lU.OSSOMS. A FEW moments ago a beautiful bouquet of orange-blossoms, redolent of pei-fnme. cam through the mails, with the following letter: Mr. Roof.-— Please send me an extra copy of Gleanings for March 1. I think I like Gleanings bettei- every cop.\- I read. I read it through from one end to the other, and then look over the best things again. I took theflist honey of the season on the 5th. It was fi'oni orange, peach, and plum blossoms. I send you some orange-blossoms by this m^Jl- Sidney Smith. Lake Como, Fla., March 10. The flowers are so handsome, and the per- fume so exquisite, that some of our office girls are thinking of going to Florida Mhen thev are ready to get married— that is. if the groom" can scrajie up the stamps for such a "wedding flight.'" I do not mean that they said so. but I judged by their smiles and uleasant looks that they were thinhing of something of the kind as they passed the bouquet from one to another. THE PRE.SENT PRICE OF AL.SIKE. Perhaps noone thing occasions more jangling and hard feelings than the changes in the lirices of alsike clover— especially the rise that almost always comes about sowing time. Illus- trative of this we give below a copy of a letter just at hand, from one of the large" grass and clover-seed dealers in Cleveland: A. I. Bout, Medina. O.: Dear Sir;— Your favor of the 10th inst. is received. We inclose small samples of alsike. which we mark and quote f. o. b., subject to prompt acceptance and unsold, as follows: " Frens," 4 bags, jier bushel. $9.50. "Lawson," No. 1, 3 bags, per bushel, $9.7.5. Hoping to have youi- order, which will command prompt attention, we remain Very truly, etc., H. C. Burt & Son, Dealers in Wool and Grass Seeds. Cleveland, March 11. Now. fi-iends. see where you would have been had you raised a big crop of alsike and kept it till the present time. We have not paid the above price, because it is considerably more than we have been .selling at retail, and we do not propose to pay it unless we are obliged to. All we can promise is this— that, if you send us your* orders, we will do the very best we can. If we are absolutely ohViged to pav the above figures, of course we can not retail it for less than from .?11 to -SIS a bushel. THE NEW WATER CVRE, ETC. One thousand copies of the above little liamphlet were given away in about a week. We are now printing a larger edition of .5000. Many of our friends who sent for ten oi' a dozen disposed of them so quickly that they have or- dered another lot. All right. We believe we can print and mail as many as can be given away where they w ill do good. Several cases have already been reported where they have have gone into towns where agents were can- vassing, at S4 foi- each secret: but ours soon wound up the $4 business. It .seems to me that every good man and woman should be do- ing as much as possible to discourage or stop this system of defrauding people of their hard earnings, by false representation and false pre- tense. KNOWN AND I't'BLISHED IN GERMANY. OVER 40 YEARS AGO. Our pi'oof-reader has translated the following from a clipping taken from a German paper, the name of which we do not know: 242 (JLEANINGS IN BEE CL'LTURE. Mar. 15. Dr. Hall's medical pamphlet has made u.se of not a few of oui- western exchang-es since the beginning- of the year. Dr. Hall makes a good use of secrecy in the application of liis highly recommended reme- dy; but when he is pushed as to its discovery it be- comes evident tliat he is not well posted in medical lore; for there appeared a little book in Reutlingen, more th m forty years ago, in wliich we saw all that Dr. Hall puts f()rth with so much secrecy. Tlie Ger- man la. of Milwaiikcr, took up at first a column of his recommciuhilions; but tinding afterward that there was nothina- original about it, it grave the whole thing awav t) its readers. It contains only about 3J pages, written with great verliiage, and is sold to people for ^i.«>0 liy Dr. Hall and his agents. Now. friends, there is a moral in all this. It transpires, as you see, that the whole of Dr. Hall's discovery was not only in print at the very time in our own country, but in other countries also; and with the multitude of books and periodicals now extant, as well as the mul- titude of thinking people and earnest students, not only in medicine but in all other depart- ments of science and art, shall we not be a lit- tle slow in deciding that any one man has the right to monopolize and make capital out of any thing that comes up, that seems, for the time, to be new? gPEci^ii piewicEg. ALSIKE CLOVEK SEED WANTED. If any of our readers have any choice alsike seed for sale thev will do us a favor by mailing us a small sample, telling what they have and wliat tliey will take for it. The wholesale price still continues quite tirm, and our stock is almost exhausted. TOBACCO DUST FOR KILLING BUGS AND INSECTS. As some of the friends may wish to try some of the tobacco dust spoken of on another page, we will say that we can furnish it as follows: 1 lb., by mail. 2.5 cts. ; .5 lbs., bv express or freight, 3 cts. per lb.; 10 lbs.,2V2 cts. per lb.; 25 lbs., 2 cts. per lb.; 100 lbs., $1.7.5. ADVANCE IN ALSIKE CLOVER SEED. We aie compelled to advance the retail price of alsike to the following, and may without notice have to advance still more, but will always give as good a price as it is possible to do. Hushel, SIO.OO; 1/2 Imsh- el, $5.20; peck, $2.75; lb.. 22 cts. No (.liange is made from the prices quoted in last issue, on white and alfalfa clovers. RUBBER TUBING, ETC. So manv of the friends have cimiiilained that they do not find the soft-rul)ber tubing I descrilied in our last issue at their drugstores, 1 have taken pains to purcliase a quantity that we can send by mail at the rate of five cts. per foot. We can also furnish the hard-rubber terminal tube at 10 cts. each. The above prices will include postage. SMOKER FUEL AT 75 CTS. A BARREL. This is a kind of sawdust and excelsior mixed, that comes from making bee-feeders and other work of this class, that is the best smoker fuel of any thing u'c have ever used, and we liave tried almost every thing. We will dispose of what we have on liand, for to cts. a barrel, barrel included. It can go by freight. When you are ordering other goods you can easily have a barrel of this Included. OUR SEED AND PLANT CATALOGUE FOR 1891. This is just out. and on many things we have been enabled to make the prices even lower than they were in our January numlier. Very few things have advanced much, with the excei>ti()ii of alsike clover. In our locality there is at present no oppor- tunity to get plants outdi)ors, on account of the continued wetness. In fact, we have had more win- ter since the first of March than during all the win- ter months. FOR SALE. Thoroughbred Cheshire Pigs, Plymouth Rock and Light Brahma Eggs, Liglit Brahma Cockerels, and Uiifei'mented Niagara Grape-juice. Write for prices. V. J. BAL.DKII>OI<., 6d Keiidalii, Noiiet-a Co., N. IT. Please mention this paper. A Four-Color Label for Only 75 Cts. Per Thousand. Just think of it I we can furnish you a very neat four-color label, with j-our name and address, with the choice of having either " comb " or " extracted " before the word "honey," for only 75 cts per thou- sand; 50 cts. per 5(10, or 30 cts. for 2.jO. iHist|iaid. The size of the label is 2)^x1 inch— ,iust liglit to go round the neck of a V)ottle, to put on a section, or to adorn the front of a honey-tumbler. Send for our special label catalogue for samples of this and many other pretty designs in label work. A. I. ROOT, Medina, O. Maple Sugar Supplies Maple-sugar-making time is at hand, and some are inquiring the price of supplies. First, you should supply yourself with that excellent book by Prof. Cook, "Maple Sugar and the Sugar-Bush;" price 35 cents; by mail, 38c. By studjiug this you may save- many times the price of it. Notwithstanding the ad- vance in the cost of tin, we are able to otter you sap- buckets and spiles and cans at last year's prices, as below: Above cut shows a bucket hung- on wire lixip, withv hinged tin cover, and manner of emptying. IMPROVED RECORD SAP-SP' )UT. Record sap-spouts, $1.00 per 100; $8.00 per 1000. 10-qt. buckets, IC tin, $1.5.0(1 per 100; IX tin, $17.00. 12-qt. buckets, IC tin, $16.00 per 100; IX tin. $18.00.. Patent hinged covers, $6.00 per 100 .Reversible wood covers, $4.60 per 100. Wire loops for wood pails. 30c- per 100: for tin pails. 2.5c per 100. 1-gal. square cans, .50 or 100 in a crate, $12.00 per 100. Boxed 10 in a box, for re-shipment when filled, $1.50 per box; $14.00 for- 10 boxes. A. I. ROOT, MEDINA, OHIO. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 253 Wants or Exchange Department. WANTED.— To exchange bees for :i tubuhir boil- er from 4 to 8 horjse iiower. CoriesiKiiideiice solicited. D. S. Bassett, 4-tfdb Farnumsville. Worcester Co., Mass. w ANTED.— To excliange 1 lb. thin Vandervort fdn for :i of WAX. Samples and testimonials free. db C. W. Dayton, Clinton, Wis. ^ W ANTED.— To excliange Pekin ducks for maple sugai'. Will exchange eg-gs for sugar. 7cl Chas. McClave, New London, O. WANTED.— To correspond with parties having potati)es, onions, apples, and honey for sale. Prompt attention given to correspondence. Con- signments solicited. Prompt returns made. 19tfdb Earle Clickengek, 121 So. 4th St., Columbus, O. W ANTED.— To exchange piii-e Urown Leghorn eggs for tested Italian queens. Geeij Bros., 5-tfdb St. Marys, Mo. WANTED.— To correspond with parties who wish to improve their poultry. Fair dealing. .5-tfilb D. F. Lashier, Hooper, Broome Co., N.Y. WANTED.- To exchange fruit trees and ))lauts now, bees and queens in May and June, honey from crop of 1891, for bee-hives and fixtures. Address John W. Martin, 6tfdb Greenwood Depot, Alb. Co , Va. WANTED.— To exchange bees in lO-franie Lang- stroth hives at $5.00 per colony, for foundation at market price. A. C. Bugbee, ■ 6-Vd Lochiel, Benton Co., Ind. ANTED.— To exchange bees for young horse. 6-7d A. C. Waldron, Buffalo, Minn. W WANTED.— To exchange a saw, with countershaft, belt, etc., and an Excelsior force-pump. 6-7d L. L. EsENHOWEK, Reading, Pa. W WANTED.— Pure Italian queens, sections, luirserj- stock, or offers, for pure P. Rock eggs or Quinby hive-corner clasps. L. C. Axtell, Rtjseville, 111. 6tfdb ANTED. — To exchange some excellent offers for bees by the pound, and foundation. 6-7d L. L. Esenhower, Reading, Pa. WANTED.— To exchange iirize-winning Brown Leghorn eggs— fl per 16— for floweis, seed, or offers. 7-8d Mrs. Ella Laws, Lavaca, Ark. WANTED.— To exchange pure Italian bees, queens, or hives, for a gentle horse— one that ladies can drive. Send for price list. Mrs. Oliver Cole, 7tfdb Sherburne, Chenango Co., N. Y. WANTED. —To exchange Cutlibert raspberry plants, for honey, comli foundation, onion-sets. Globe artichoke plants, or any thing I can use. Write for particulars, 7cl Wm. H. Weiser, York, York Co., Pa. WANTED.— To exchange black liees and I'aspber- ry sets, etc., for queens, bees, wax, or otters. 7d R. J. Nash, Williamson, Wayne Co., N. Y. WANTED.— For sale, or exchange for smaller farm, 100 acres of choice fruit, hay, and grain land, all under good cultivation, well seeded and well fenced, 3)^ miles north of Cass City, on State Road, in a thickly settled neighborhood of mostly Canadi- ans and Germans; X mile from new M. E. church; one mile from school. Five acres of young, bearing, grafted, apple, pear, plum, and cherry trees; 3i) Con- cord grapevines, plenty of currants, gooseberries, etc. A dwelling-house 18x26. with an addition 16x24; 1 barn, 32x70; also 1 barn, 24x32; sheep-shed, 12x32; 1 work-sho)), 13x16; four good wells; 40 colonies bees In Simp, hives; team, stock, and farming tools. Price of land, $4000. Reason for wanting to sell, wife's health is poor. For further particulars address W.m. Martin, 7-lOdb Cass City, Tuscola Co., Mich. mANTED.- To exchange comb foundation for Ti tjeeswax. J. S. Brooks, Silverton, Marion Co., Ore. WANTED.— To Iniy bees, or exchange for bees, apiarian supplies, secretai-y. hat^rack, bed- room set, or aii.v piece of cabinet work desired. Will send designs for inspection. All work guaran- teed, first-class. 7d Chester Olmstead, East Bloomfleld, N. Y. WANTED. -To exchange P. Rock and L. Wyan- dotte eggs, valued at 15 for 7.5 cts.; L. & H. foundation, l)ecswax, maple syrup, valued at $1.00 per gaUon, for bees. 7d F. W. Dean, New Milford, Pa. W ANTED.— Your wax to work up at lowest living prices. Write at once to 7tfdb J. V. Caldwell, Cambridge, Henry Co., 111. WANTED.— Man who understands the care of tees in movable frames. A few swarms on private place. $20 and lioard per month. References re- quired. Jas. Horrockes, 7-8 Hyde Park, Dutchess Co., N. Y. PURE •:• /TALMN V QUEENS. TESTED, $7.50. UNTESTED, SJ.OO. Misses S. <£ M. Barnes, Please mention Gleanings. IMPORTED MOTHER. PiKETON, Ohio. 6-7-8-9-10-12(1 Cole's Garden-Plow. I will sell one or more garden-plows at 30 per cent off from the retail price, to any one ordering before an agency is established In his place. Send for circular and price. G. W. OOIiE, Canton, 111. Please mention this paper. FOR SALE, My Carniolan and qucen-iaising apiaries, with the agency of the Chicago Bee-Keepei-s' Supply Co. at Topeka, with a large trade established. Reason of change to take charge of our Chicago depot. J. B. KLINE, Topeka, Kan. In writing advertisers please mention this paper. BRONZE TURKEY EGGS, $3.00 per 13. Pe- kin Duck eggs, $l.o;i per 13. Pure stock. 7-d J. C. Provins, Masontown, Pa. FOR fsAI^E.— Eggs of Golden Wyandottes, $2.00 per 13. Silvers, $1.00 per 13. Japanese buck- wheat, 90c per bushel. Sacks free. 7-10-db P. F. Rhodes, New Castle, Ind. I Have SEED POTATOES for SALE, wliich I will put on l)nard cars for $2 per l)ush- el. I have the Everett and Early Ohio in limited quantities. A. J. Kieffek. Nevada, Wyandot Co., O. Please mention this paper. 7(1 FOR SALE.— I bave about 30 choice tested Ital- ian queens at $1.25 each, 3 for f3, $11 per dozen, guarantee satisfaction and safe arrival. 7d D. D. Hammond, Malone, la. tfdb Please mention this paper. CARN I OLANS Are the gentlest, most industrious, and liardiest bees known. Our Carniolans show no yellow bands. Pure Carniolans do not. We have a fine stock of tested queens for early orders. Descriptive price list free; send for it. F. A. LOCKHART & CO., 7-9d Lake George, Warren Co., N. Y. Please mention Gleanings. For Sale— Hybrid Bees. O C GOOD COLONIES in shipping-cases, with 9 S. ^«^ frames, $3.00 each. Also 25 Chaff hives at $1.00 each. Delivered at R. R. station any time after May 1. Reference, A. I. Root. 7tfdb Mabel A. Fenn, Tallmadge, Oliio. Please mention this paper. 254 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Apr. 1. PHILO'S AUTOMATIC SECTION -BOX GLUING- MACHINE, For Putting Together and Automat- ically Clumg the One and Four- Piece Section-Boxes. 5-BANDED GOLDEN ITALIANS. Beauties I Tlu' best W(jrkeis we ever saw. Work on red clover. Very gentle. Di-ones J to % yellow. Won 1st Premium at III. State Fair in 1890. Nearly JJOO booked for 1891. Warranted Queens, May. *1.:.'5, 6 tor 3^6.00; after June 1st *l.t.O, 6 for $5.00. Special discount tor larg-e orders as to dealers. Have your order booked now in order to get tliem when wanted. Satisfaction guaranteed. No foul brood. Select Barred Plymouth Hock Eggs, $1 per 13. Good reference given. Itfdb S. F. & 1. TKEGO, Swedona 111, S^In respond in>rti^ tin- i.iv.i r i-emt- nt ni Glkanings. ^1 TAKE HOTICE. i Our New Factory Is Now Open td To receive ordei's for Bee-Hives, Frames of all kinds, Sliipi>iiig - Crates. Seotloiis, Hone)' - Cans, Comb Fouudatiou, and Smokers. Write for price list to GREGORY BROS. & SON, 5-tfdb Ottumwa, Wapello Co., Iowa. ^^In responding to this .iilveitisenient mention Gleanings. This is the only machine on the market that will put tlie glue right where it belongs witliout wasting the glue or mussing the section. Price of the combined machine, - - - f6.00 For four-piece only. - 5-00 E. W. PHILO, Half-Moon, N.Y. . responding to this advertisement mention (Jleanings. ►^BEST OIT EAUTII-I^ ELEVEN YEARS WITHOUT A PARALLEL. AND THE STAND- ARD IN EVERY CIVILIZED COUNTRY. Bingham & Hetherington Patent Uncapping-Knife, Standard Size. Bingham's Patent Smokers, Six Sizes and Prices. Doctor Smoker, 3>^ in , postpaid ...?2.no Conqueror '• 3 " '" . 1.7-5 Large '■ 3i4 •' " ... 150 Exira (wide shield) 2 " " ... 1 "■if* Plam (narrow " ) 2 " " ... 100 Little Wonder. V% " " 6.") Uncapping Knife 1 !•'> Sent promptly on receipt of price. To sell again, send for dozen and half-dozen rates. Milledgeville. HI , March 8, 1890. S[RS:— Smokers received to-day. and count cor- rectly. Am ready for orders. If others feel as 1 do your trade will boom. Truly, F. A. Sneli,. Vermidion, S. Dak., Feb. 17, 1890. Sirs: — I consider your smokers the best made for any purpose. I have had 1.5 \ ears' experience with 300 or 400 swarms of bees, and know whereof I speak. Very truly, R. A. Morgan. Sarabsville. Ohio, March 13, 1890. Sirs:— The smoker 1 have has done good service since 1883. Yours truly, Daniel Brothers. Send for descriptive circular and testimonials to itt'db BmaEAM & HETEEBmaxoiT, Abronia, Mich. L^I '•"p Italian FOR S.41.C: (for 1S91) cheap, for c: Bees and Queens. Address Otto Kleinow, Apiarist, 6-7d 150 Militaiv Ave., Detroit, Mieh ATTENTION, CALIFORNIANS ! I have for sale 16000 1-lb. V-groove one-piece white basswood sections, fs wide, made bj- A. I. Root. Price f5.00 per M , put on cars at King City, Mon- terey Co., Cal. For .5000 or more, write for special prices to C. K. ERCANBRACK, JUN., Itfdb Lonoak, Monterey Co., Cal. t^"In respoiiilin - ro tiiis iic1vcrii~|.|i,,.iii 'niei n<.ii fii.h:AM,M.... SECTIONS. $2.50 to $3.50 per 711. Bee-Hives and Fix- tures clie^^p. NOVELTY CO., 6tfdb Rock Falls, Illinois. ^yin responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings, rppQI Brown Leghorn, White Leghorn, fl.35. bUUO: Black Minorca, Plymouth Rock, Pekin Duck, f 1.50. Light Brahma, Langshan, Game, $3 per 13 eggs. Strictly pure-bred. Ship safely anywhere. Illustrated circular free. GEEIt BROS., Itfdb St. ITIarys. Wo. •(■m'Xw responding to this advertisement mention Glkanings. VANDERVORT COMB -FOUNDATION MILLS. Send for samples and rcdured [irice list. ittd JNO. VANDERVORT, Laceyville, Pa. IFWln respondinir to this artverti.>>t premium last fall at the Detroit Exjiosition. They are tlie Five-biinded Golden Italitins. The liandsomest and gentlest 1)ees, and tlie yellowest drones I have ever seen. Tliey are not inclined to rol), and it is claimed they work on red clover. After June 1st I sliall offer tlie daughters of this queen for $L00 each, or 6 for $5.0U. I have a number of tested (lueens, reai-ed last season by H. Alley from liis " one-hundred-dollar queen," that I will sell for 12.00 each. In order to secure a few orders early, to all persims who send me, be- fore May 1st, $1.7.5, I will send one five-banded Golden Queen, and the BEE-KEKPERS' RE- VIE %V one yean for $3.7.5 one of the tested Allev queens and the REVIEW one year. The RE- VIEW is published monthly bv W. Z. Hut:;hinson, at $1.00 a year. The REVI K W^ will be sent on re- eoipt of order. Untested queens will be sent after Jvine 1st; tested queens the last of May. All orders will be tilled in I'otation. Make monev oi-ders pay- able at Flint, Mich. Address ELMER HUTCHINSON, Rogersville, Genesee Co., Mich. Please mention this paper. L. C. ROOT ARIARY FOR SALE. A fli-st-class oi)ening for an energetic man. Nice home. BUILT ESPECIALLY FOR BEE-KEEPING. Nice garden, plenty of fruit, etc. Room for out- apiaries. 7tfdl) J. C. HAINES, MOHAWK, N. Y. &"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings. FOR SALE. ■^ 10 colonies of Italian bees cheap, if sold soon. 7d ! — i (Mrs. N. Marks, Newburg, Cuy. Co., O. n PEKIN DUCK EGGS $1.35 per 13, from large tine ducks. Now is the time to buy. A few pairs at $3..50 per pair. Largest breeder in Ohio. CHAS. MCCLAVE, Box 40, 7d New London, O. Please mention Gleanings. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CTLTURE. }I«]\[EY CeMMN. CITY MARKETS. New Yokk.— i/())ict/.— Maiket isenliielybaii', with little or no deniaiici. except foi' some ~-lli. faiiey white, which would reiidilv be taken. Calilornia ex- 11 acted lioney in fair demand at «?4@T; Florida. 7)<;(5'S. Bt'i'.siCirr.— Stocks and supply very small. Prices gradually s'lowiiiir better. We quote, for good yellow. :i7(S*"~8. F. G. Stkohmi'.yer & Co.. Mar. JO. New York. Cincinnati.— //(H.r-iy —There is a good demand for extracted honey at 6@,8c a lb. on arrival. Demand for comb honey is fair at 1.")@17c a lb. for choice white, in a jdbiiing way. Demand is good for beeswax at •Z'i@ztiij a lb. for "good to choice yellow on arrival. Cincinnati, Mar. 18. Chas. F. Muth & Son. Albany.— Himey.— Have receivetV one consign- ment of comb honi'y in pound sections since last is- sue, and sold the clover at 16c and the buckwheat at 13c. \Ve are out of buckwheat in pound sections. Dark extracted lumcy is moving off lively at T@8c. Light sells slow at !I%1 c. Mar. ^1. Chas. McCuLiiOCH & Co. Detroit.— Huiif I/.— Comb honey is selling .slowly at 14@il.5 cents. Extracted, 7@8c. Beeswax Arm at 28@29c. Bell Branch, Mich., Mar. 30. M. H. Hunt. Kansas City.— Hiuiciy.- Demand continues steady for 1-lb. comb. Stocks very light, receipts light. ^Ve (juote 1-lb. comb, white, 16@18c; dark. 12@i13l-; •2-111. California comb, ]4@1."k'. Extracted, 6@7c. Beeswax. 23@;J.5. Clemens, Mason & Co. March 23. San FuANCiSCO. -Honei/. — Extracted lioney, 6c; Comb. 1-lb., 12@1414c; 21b., lWV2c. Beeswax.— 'fio supplies. SCHACHT, Lemcke & Steiner, Mar. 18. San Francisco, Cal. For Sale.— "Choice orange-blossom" extracted honey in dU-lb. tin cans, or kegs holding 14 to 15 gal- lons." Price $1.25 per gallon, f. o. b. cars here. Arthur F. Brown. 6 9db Huntington. Putnam Co., Fla. P'OR Sale.— 1200 lbs. extracted white-clover honey in barrels or 6J-lb. cans, as desired. Itfdb E. J. Baxter. Nauvoo, 111. gPECI^Ii fi0¥ICEg. grapevines FOR SHADING HIVES. By some misunderstanding, our ordinary grape- vine advertisement was left out of our regular cat- alogue, and also out of the seed catalogue. We have a beautiful stock of two-year old Concord grapevines, readv to ship. Price 10 cts. each; 8.5 cts. tor 10, or $7.00 i)er 100. If wanted by mail, add 3 cts. each extra. VEGETABLE-PLANTS FOR THE FIRST OF APRIL. Asparafjus-platits. We hav(> a nice lot of fine ones, but they are only one year old. Price b' cts. for 10; 75 cts. per imi; luUO. $6.00. Cahhane-plant.'t. We have only the Select Early Jersey Wakefield. Price 5 cts. for 10; 40 cts. per 100; $3.(Hl per 1000. Cdld-framc plants, none to spare. Snincliall cauliflower, same as asparagus. Lettucr-plantti. We have Grand Rapids and Hen- derson's New Y'ork. at tlie same prices as cabbage- plants. Celevy-planls. White Plumi-. Self-blanching, ready to ship. Same prices as cabbage-plants. If wanted by mail, add 5c for 10, or 2.5c per 100, on all above lUaiits. Strawhrrry-plaitts. We are .shipping dail.y. as per editay when queen arrives. 7tfdb W. H. Laws, Lavaca, Ark. DON'T FORGET That I am now booking orders f"r th)se beau ifiil ALBINO QUEENS, and the well-known Ital ans. Send in your order and pav when (luecns are ready to ship. A. JL. KILDOW, Sheffield. 111. Plp.ase meiiticn this paper 7d PRICE LIST FREE ON APPLICATION. A. E. MANUM. BRISTOL.. VT. VT^\l\^tl QviEtus. Please mention this paper. FOR SALE. One double-drum. "Ledger Wood,'" hoi.sting-en- gine, cylinders 7x9 in. Used one month. 7-8d W. S. Ammon, Reading. Pa. FRIENDS, if you want three or four L. frame nuclei full of nice Italian bees, queen, and cap- ped brood, or queens, that will give satisfaction, at reasonable prices, write to 7tfdb W. A. Sanders, Oak Bower. Hart Co.. Ga. IMPORTED ITALIAN f^UEENS. I IV. C. FRAZIER, ATLANTIC, Wt IOWA. 7-17ilb Please mention this paper. NEW OHLMNS APlAllIES Italian and Carniolaii bees and queens for sale. Send in j-our orders now. and the money when bees or queens are wanted. Purity and safe ai-- rival guaranteed. Address 7d J. W. WrNDER, 572 MAGAZINE ST., NEW ORLEANS. Mention this paper. SEND TO E. J. SHAY, Thornton. Taylor Co.. W. ^'a.. for illustrated cata- logue of bee-keepers' supplies, both in the flat and set up. 7tfdb E. J. Shay. 100 colonies of bees, Ital- ians and hybrids, in eight- frame, Langstroth, portico, movaljle hives. Price for Italian, $4..50; hybrids, $4.00 each. I guarantee .safe delivery. "7-«-9d CHRISTOPHER GRIMM, Jefferson. Wis. Italian and hybrid liees in Dovetailed and new Heddon hives. Price $6 and $4 respectively. One reliable pit game cock, $3; two pair of steels, $4; one hot-water incubator. 50-egg eajiacity. $6; oiie- hor.se-power engine and boiler in good order, $25. 7-8d J. T. FLETCHER, Clarion, Fa. Please mention this paper. FOR SALE! STOP/ THINK! ACT! Griffith's Italian (jucens will give you strong colo- nies, jijenty of honey, and nice bees. 7-12dli Untested queens in May, $1.00. in June. July, and Aug.. 75c. Tested " in May, $1.25. in June. July, Aug.. & Sept.. $1.00. All queens reared from liest imported • jnai'tical entomologists, and is a real help to those interested in this most fascinating study. Insects accurately named for subscribers, and much valuable assistance given collectors. GIVE IT A TRIAL. Address E. T. Cresson, Treasurer, V-9d Box 1577, Philadelphia, Pa. t^ln respoiiilin;.- to uii,-< aiivcrti.-^eMieiit mention GLEANINGa. BEES & SUPPLIES FOR IOWA. Send for my supplement for 1891, now ready (no new catalogue). Say whether you have my catalogue dated 1889 and 1890. Address OHver FosU-r. 5-tfdb >It. Vernon, Linn Co., Iowa. tr^-lo i-espondin^ to this advertisement mention Rleanings. EVERYTHING USED BV BEE-KEEPERS. EDWAED E. NEWCOMB. Pleasant Valley, N. Y. ^^ A ^^ A •m, o c F R E E \ Please mention this paper. Es-ba.blisli.ed 1Q7S. SMITH & SMITH Wholesale and Eetail Manufacturers of BEE-KEEPERS' SUPPLIES. KENTON, OHIO. Price List Free. 4tfdb Mention Olcanit^gs. DR. TINKER'S SPECIALTIES! The Nonpareil Bee-hive and Winter case, White Poplar Sections, Wood-zinc Queen-Excluders, and the finest and best Perforated Zinc now made. Send for catalogue o£ prices, and iiiclos ;' 35 cts. for the new book. Bee keeping lor Prottt. Address DH. «. 1.. TINKKR, 21tfdb New Pliiladelpliia, O. I^^fa responding: to this ailveili.-ement mention Gi.eakings. Bee - Keepers' * Suppliel We are prepared to furnish bee-keepers with sui> plies promptly and at lowest rates. Estimates gladly furnished, and correspondence solicited. Our goods are all first class in quality and workmanship. Cat- aloQue sent free. Reference, First National Bank, Sterling, 111. Addre.ss \VJ?I ffleCUNE & €0., j 31-20db sterling, Illinois. Cl^In responrtinc: to tiiis advertisement mention fJi.EANING.s. A glimpse of our Factory, now making carloads of Dovetailed Hives, Lang. Simp, hives, plain Lang, hives. Alternating hives, Chaff hives, sections, etc. Many articles not made by others. We can furnish, at wholesale, or I'etail, Every thing of practical construction needed in the apiary, and at Lowest Prices, Satisfac- tion guaranteed. Send for onr New Catalogue, '51 illustrated pages, free to all. -Itfdb £. KRETCHMER, Red Oak, Iowa. C^In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings. • de: ••fo'BE. •andHoNEY'- •MDHOMEL •1NTE.FIEST^ Published by A. I. I^oot, lAedinei, O. Vol. XIX. APRIL 1, 1891. No. 7. FROM DR. C. C. MILLER. Makch 14, 1° below zero! Feed, feed, if the bees need. The first two weeks of March were the severest of the winter. Sepahatoks. according to replies in C. B. J.. are not so popular in Canada as on this side. Tex cents' worth of honey contains more nutriment than 30 cents' worth of fat pork, says Allen Pringle in C. B. J. The bammy breeze of spring Is now upon -the wing. When bees will sting 'Most any thing. •'The Bee-keepers' Union." says Jas. Hed- don in A. B. K., '"will soon take out a patent in the shape of a trade-mark.'' I believe in pat- ents, but not in that one. And now E. R. Root has gone and written a piece which Hutchinson has jjrinted in the Re- view. If that sort of thing isn't stopped, the rival editors will get to be friends yet. A Hi'NGRY queen, I am.somewhat inclined to believe, is more easily introduced. She's so much engaged trying to get something to eat that she doesn't go around raising a row. Heddon thinks {A. B. J.) that, if the trade- mark problem is abandoned, thei-e is "nothing better than to keep still." and let adulteratoi-s have their own way. James, you're off. Doomttle suggests that the reason I did not succeed with his cell-cups was that I did not make the cups as fleep as directed. I tliink it quite possible that he is right, and I'll ti-y again. DooiaTTLE says, in A. B. i : ' '"^ WHY THE 1>AI )ANT BEES DON'T SWARM: NOT LARGE HIVES, BUT RACE (}F BEES. One is, that they have di^veloped a rather nou-swarming bee. The other is a secret that I learned from Mr. J. M. llambaugh, whom I met for the first time in Springlicld last Decem- ber. We were discussing large hives, and working for extracted honey, in connection with the prevention of swarming. I referred to the discussion of the causes of swarming, con- ducted in Gleanings in 188'.). by Di'. Miller and others. I wish you would look uj) the papers on pp. 412, 444, .5.W. .581. When I gave the gist of their views as outlined further on. Mi". Ham- baugh acknowledged that they were about so. I then asserted that plenty of surplus room above, with sections all the way from empty to nearly completed, even over a larg<> brood- chamber, would not prevent swarming, as I had often proven to my entire dissatisfaction. He readily agreed that such was the case. How, then, could the Dadants prevent swarming, as they never extract from the lower slory? Then it was that Mr. Hambaugh said the r(>a- son, perhaps, was that their apiarist kept a close watch, and. as soon as the bees began to get a little crowded for room, he would raise the super and clap on a box of emi)ty combs. I said, " I suppose, then, the idea is. that an en- tire sujjer of empty cells, ready lo rush the lion- ey into, keeps the bees occupied and satisfied, keeps the honey out of the brood-combs so that they never become crowded, and thus keep down the swarming impulse." He I'eplied that that was about it. Now, please do not conclude that I am as- suming too much. Just wait till I get thi'ough. Here are two pro])ositions, as I have given them, worth thinking about, and I ask you to please follow me as I briefly discuss them. Let us see whether there is not a great deal more than mere capacity involved in this subject. First, we must remai'k that, in simple terms, it is natural for bees to swarm. It is nature's plan to till the earth with bees. To bring about swarming, the Author of nature has en- acted certain laws. Here are some of her laws; and, for the sake of brevity, I quote or adapt from the series of papers 1 have mentioned, without fuitliei' leference: " The swarming impulse is the general rest- lessness of jnosperity and enterprise, and the consciousne.ss of powers within, which are not being fully occupied." The thing that most induces swarming is a " turgid condition of the vessels in the bee-anatomy in which are stoi'ed the supplies for future brood-rearing." This tui'gid condition is due to the fact that there is an undue proportion of house-bees to brood re- (piiring feed, caused by the bees storing honey in the brood-nest. Meanwhile, this state of things causes a check of egg-production, which in turn causes the blood of the queen " to as- sume a peculiarly enriched character" — inten- sity, I should say. These are some of the con- ditions that impel bees to swarm out — a sort of hydraulic pressure. I cite these views because they appear to me so evidently correct. If honey could be kept out of the brood-nest, and leally allow the queen unlimited capacity, this state of things might not occur. But we know too well. that, when honey is coming in to any great extent, if there is no store room above, except as the bees build combs they will store it in the combs be- low—aye, and seal it up too. Who. that has often examined a brood - chamber which a swarm has lately left, has not generally found a preponderance of sealed brood, freshly sealed honey in the outskirts of the brood -nest, and many cells, singly and in groups, amid cards of S(^ak'd brood, tilled with honey"? This crowds the lield-bees, and adds another eliMuent of dis- content. It is altogether a cramming, ciowd- ing. pushing, driving process. Now, don't you see where the value of empty combs comes in? Wiiy, tliere is a vast system of storehouses above, already built, ready to garner the inflowing riches. And what can make a fleld-bee happier than a copious flow of nectar and plenty of room to receive it? It is not the disposition of bees lo hamper the queen. That bees, when given combs above at a time when they are crowding tlu' brood-nest with honey, will remove it and store it above, even much of that which they have already sealed, I have ample proofs. Henc<' the queen is al- lowed her full capacity: and to feed the larvie, carry the honey above, ripen and seal it, seems to give the house bees sufficient employment. Thus the swarming fever is allayed, or pi'event- ed altogether. Does it not all look reasonable, probable, all but certain ? This system, over a small brood-chamber, might not avail to pre- vent swarming: but I am very certain that a large hive, and working for comb honey, would not do it. Mr. F. S. Wallace, of Clayton. 111., like the Dadants, is troubled very little with swarming. I had several of his (pieens in my apiary last summer, and not one of them exhibited any dis- position to swarm, although iwo of them were 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 2C,1 run for comb hojicy. ami one of them never saw more than six frames. vSiicli bees are apparent- ly of more contented disposition, less aggressive and enterprising, and therefore, perhaps, if the truth must be told, of less account than the b(M's of the opposite kind. Gko. F. Robhixs. Mechanicsburg, 111., Mar. 10. [You have given us a good article, and I hope youi' position is right. Still, it does not seem to ine that the two factors of race of bees and the giving of empty combs at the right time would account entirely for the non-swarming of the Dadant and France bees. You know, that, where bees have unlimited capacity in garrets, they do not swarm much. I "should like to have the Dadants and Mr. Fi'ance enlighten us further as to their meth- ods, and how much of ii figure their large hives cut in the matter.] H R. PHILO'S SECTION-GLUING MACHINE. A MACHINE THAT PUTS TOGETHER AND GLUES SECTIONS AT THE SAME OPERATION. I inclose a description of my automatic glu- ing-machine. for gluing and putting together sections, which I hope will be of enough inter- est to you and the bee-keeping fraternity to jmblish in Gleanings. About foui- years ago. in the spring. I found, by the condition of my bees, that it would prob- ably be necessary to use quite a number of sec- tions: and after putting some of them together by hand I thought it would be wise to look up a machine for that purpose: and the only thing I could lind was a "Manum machine." which I found in my nearest bee-keeper's shop. After using it a short time I could readily see the im- provement over the formei' way of putting them together with a mallet. MACHINE FOR GLUING SECTIONS. The Manum machine did its work verv nicely indeed: and the thought struck me. if I could devise some plan whereby I could place some glue right in the little grooves of the dovetailed part of the section, without making any extra motions, the machine would come nearer per- fection: and in order to do this I found it would be necessary to change the plan and woi'kings of the machine throughout. I soon had the thing figured out in my mind, and went to work to make a temporary machine of pine, which did its work perfectly: and the same little ma- chine made of pine has worked for the past four years for three different bee-keepers, to their entire satisfaction. A year ago last spi'ing I bought 1000 V-groove one-piece sections for a neighbor, and. after looking the-in ov(>r, he concluded he would rath- er have tiie four-piece sections: so I had the one-piece sections left: and when I went to put them together I found my machine was not yet perfect— liecause I had nothing to glue the "V- groove with. The next thing in order was to make an attachment that would glue the V- grooves with the same motion of the foot that presses the box togeth(u-. I did this by placing a rack in front of the machine that will hold forty or fifty sti'ips with the grooves downwai'd. Under the strips is a glue-pot with a roller in, and three little beveled-edged wheels on it that turn in the glue: and when the dovetailed cor- ner of the box is pressed together, the bottom one of the section strips is pushed over the wheels, causing them to turn in the glue and in the V-grooves at the same time, thus gluing them perfectly. The machine from which tiie photo was ta- ken which 1 send you was nearly all made of wood. I am now making all the small working parts of the machine of metal. Half-Moon. N. Y.. .Jan. 30. E. W. Philo. [While I uas in attendance at the Albany convention last December, my attention was called to the fact that there was a man theie who had got one of the nicest machines ever in- vented by a bee-keeper. I have heard this so many times on other occasions before than I did not think much about it. But shortly afterward I was shown the machine, and was introduced to the inventor, Mr. E. W. Philo. as above. In his hands it certainly worked beautifully. He is a cabinet-maker, and a real genius. Well, I have not tried the machine myself, and it is possible that others could not make it work. Mr. Philo is going to send us a machine, and we hone then to trv i't.l E. R. THE NONPAREIL BEE -HIVE. ITS MANAtiEMENT. It has become an axiom among bee-keepers of experience, that, the more bees a colony lias at the beginning of a honey-flow, the more sur- plus it will make. So true is the axiom, that the best hive ever made is worth little without plenty of bees at the right time: and it can hardly be the best hive unless it affords facili- ties for extensive broud-rearing in spring, and the early development of large colonies. And next, after successful wintering, the most prof- itable bee-keeping will ever turn upon these points. The flowers nuiv bloom, and the nectar flow never so freely : l)ut it will avail the api- arist little profit unless his hives are overflow- ing with bei'S at the opening of the harvest. To get these large colonies, we must not onlj- have protection for the brood against the cold nights and days of spring, but we can utilize the heat of the sun's rays to very great advan- tage. The heat absoi-bed from" the sun by an uncovered, well-protected hive, upon a few hours of exposure at midday, will sensibly affect a colony for days afterward. Heat has been said to be life, and the sun's rays do certainly stimulate the life energies of both the queen and bees when applied in the manner stated. Thus, we may promote extensive brood-rear- ing as well as the economical use of the stores, which will go much further where proper pro- tection and care are given. I have estimated that a third more brood and bees can be obtain- 262 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Apr. 1. ed, at a saving of at least 10 lbs. of stores to every colony in spi'ing by the management ad- vised. The protection given is by packing the brood-chamber in the winter case with excelsior sawdust, chaff, or forest-leaves. But it should be steadily borne in mind, and not foigotten for a moment, tliat any packing that may be used must be kept dry. Active brood-rearing in spring causes the packiirg to become damp, which then, instead of conserving the heat, car- ries it rapidly away, so that the colony would be far better off with no jjacking at all than a lot of wet mateiial about the bi'ood-nest. Here let me say. I consider fine sawdust one of the worst things that can be used, either in winter or spring, for protecting bees, and all because it will get damp, and can not be readily dried out. The packing must be of some coarse material that the air can readily permeate, and two or three inches of such packing is enough. UTILIZING THE SUNSHINE. To get the full benefit of the sunshine, the hive-covers should be removed every pleasant day about 10 a. m., when the bees can lly. or at least every few days, and the packing on top of the brood-chamber taken out, as well as any that may be found damp at the sides. The sun should be allowed to strike full upon the cover- ing of the bi'ood-nest, which I prefer to be a thin (V-i'ich) board, cleated at the sides, placed a bee-space above the frames. About 4 p. m. the packing and hive-covers must be replaced. Now. all this seems like a great deal of labor: but with light covers, and the use of excelsior, I find that it requires only about half an hour each day for the care of .50 colonies, and I do not think that in any spring my hive-covers and packing have been removed to admit the sunshine on more than ten days. The extent of brood-rearing by this manage- ment by the average colony is considerably be- yond the capacity of the hives in common use. in fact, the average queen is capable of occupy- ing 1400 square inches of brood comb with brood, while tlie ten-frame Langstroth hive will contain but l.SoO. But there is required also two or three hundred square inches of comb The spring managenumt of bees requires care and attention, aside fioni the foregoing, that they have plenty of honey or its equivalent — sugar syrup. Every colony should have at least 10 lbs. on hand all the time up to near the time for the honey-flow to begin. Unless this is attended to the bi'Oud -rearing will be limited, and all the care givt^n will prove unavailing in getting lai'ge colonies by the fii'St of June, when the harvest usually opens in this locality. For spring feeding. Cutting's atmospheric bee-feeder is probably the b(!St in existence. It niay be used at the entrance, oi' over the brood -cham- ber. It is best used at the entrance to stimu- late brood-reai'ing. No robbing or daubing or di-owning of bees can take place, and I am sur- prised that an invention so useful and handy as this one should not be moi'e extensively used. Owing to the fact that, in a two-storey hive, the bees always begin brood-rearing in the upper stoi'ey in the spring, the progress of the egg-laying of the queen is the same as in the old box hive. No spi'eading of the brood or fussing with the brood-nest is ever necessary, except where building up a colony in adding a second storey. By the above management our colonies will have from 70 to 80 thousand cells of brood at the opening of the harvest, in- stead of only 40 or .50 thousand possible in the common hive: and every expert bee-keejx'r knows what this will mean. My next will t(>ll how to get comb honey. Dr. G. L. Tinker. N(nv Philadelphia, O. To he continued. THE BRICK EECORD. C.\RNIOI,ANs. The article by C. A. Hatch. Feb. 1. reminds me of one of many neglected duties; viz., call- ing attention to this method of keeping a record of the apiary. I have practiced it for about six years, and will testify to its great valu(>. The great advantage it has ovei' others is. that the ai)iarist can .stand in one spot, and. by simply casting his eyes along the line of hives, see at once its condition: and if ho sees a swarm emerging from a certain hive, he knows at once z .4 1 % 1 i 7 8 1 % 1 - jioHRisoN s mp;thoi) of keeping record. for the stores of honey and bee-bread, so that the capacity of the brood -nest for the best re- sults in spring breeding should not be less than 1()00 square inches of brood comb. As the com- mon eight-frame hive will contain but a little over 10(J0 square inches of comb, it will be seen that one such brood-chambei' is quite too small, and two of them quite too lai'ge. When we use two of the Nonpareil brood-chambers in spring breeding we have the requisite capacity. As one storey* is just right for a swarm forthe best results in working for comb honey with a queen- excluder, it is plain that the proper remedy for the eight-frame hives in use is to cut them down so they will lake a 7-inch brood-fiame: then make winter cases for them, and bee- keepei-s will speedily get on the road to pi'olit- able apiculture. *Di-. Tinker requests tliis sj elliiig-.— Eu. whether it is a first swaim oian after-swarm. If it wer<> not useful at all as a sign. I have always considered a brick on the lid of a hive a necessity to keep the lids from blowing oiT in high winds: and in queen-rearing, of imjjor- tance in i)reventing nucleus hives from blowing over. jNIv method has requiri'd but one brick, and I will give you here the different ])ositions of the bi'ick which I have found to answer every requii'ejnent. (Uther for a honey apiary or a queen-reaiing ai)iai'y. fp.ont of hives. No. 1. brick parallel with and on the rear end of hive. "Has fertile (lueen. and in working order." No. 2. bi-ick on reai-. and at 45° angle. "Queen- less." No. .'i. brick in center, parallel, "(Jave queen or cell." 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 263 No. 4. brick on front, at 4.5°. " Quocn aceopt- «'d.'" or "CpII liatcli(>d." No. ."). parallel on front. "Swarmed." No. lii"st of July extract all. and compai'e with any otiiei' race as to hon- ey gathered: and if the start was fair, the jji'od- uct of the Carniolans will be ahead. S. W. MoKKisox. Coloi'ado Springs, Col.. Feb. (>. DAYTON'S ftUEEN-RESTEICTOR, AGAIN. DAYTOX S KEPLY. If I remember correctly. I sent to yon two ar- ticles— one upon the queen-restrictor, and the other upon contraction alone. You inibli-^hed my article on conti'action. gave the illustration K)f tlip restrictoi". and. in the foot-notes, wi'ote in reference to the I'estrictor fi'om a contraction view, and not from a restrictor view, as you may see from my references. What my articl(> •said about contraction doesn't do justice to the restrictor. You say (in foot-notes, p. H)8), '"It is consid- erable of an art to manage so as to make con- traction a real benetit." which I agree to: but I think that, what is art or science now, will, iiy use and i)ractice, become oi"dinary, and not be ■deemed as extraordinary. The (^arlier the study is begun, the sooner learned. You say. ""An unlimited capacity is (piite apt to discotuagp. if not prevent, all swarming." You dill not notice that the restrictor is pi'o- vided with a revei"sing device wherewith the ■queen-cells may be inverted to pi"event swarm- ing by their being destroyed ht'foi'e they are mature. My restrictor is leversed th(> same as your single combs are reversed — the live combs being handled (and even may be considered) as ■one comb. Forty colonies may be thus manip- ulated in the space of one hour. If the frames were inverted singly it would require four hours for forty hives. You ask whether my restrictor 'Ms not a good deal of work." You have the (lueen-cells, queen, etc.. all in a shape so as to reverse with the same labor that is required to reverse one single reversible frame. Reversion causes- as much brood to be reared i\pon my live frames as is usually contained on seven or eight: and this brood is mostly includ- ed in the restrictor. You appear to think that my zincs between the top. bottom, and end bars are numerous, and require taking off often. AVhen the frames and zinc strips ar(^ once put on they are (tlmost never removed: but the sk7e .s7iccf.s- are easy of manipulation, and require adjustment once each year — just before and after the harvest. A bee-keeper visited me a short time ago, to ex- amine my restrictoi". and said: "AVliy. Mr. Dayton, it would be a great deal of work to take oft' and put on these hoop-like sti"ips of zinc often." I asked. ""Why would you take them off?" He answered. ""To find the queen." ""What would you want the queen for".'" "• To clijj her wings." " Why clip wings'?" ""To prevcMit her going off to the woods." ■' How could she get out of the cage to go to the woods'.' and how could bees swarm when the reversion of the combs destrovs the queen- cells'?" "I did not think to study that out. Why. you would never have a swarm in the world, with such an arrangement." Let the queen remain undipped. The re- strictor will reveise (piicker than you could clip a quei'u's wing, even if you have her already caught. In the notes, the Dadants and Mr. France are quoted as using unlimited space. But you for- get that they are jirincipally producers of ex- tracted honey — when reversion, contraction, and exclusion, are more applicable in the pro- duction of comb honey. Mr. O. O. Poppleton was the most successful honey-producer in my locality— using a 21) or .10 frame hive for extract- ed honey: but when he changed to the produc- tion of comb honey there was a very great change in the size of his hives, to a small size. 1 find no reason for handling brood-nests frame by frame, but all tog(>ther — several frames at once." This handling the frames severally, by learners, is more curiosity than necessity. "As to Heddon hives being" less labor, it is as easy to attach my sheets of zinc as it is to put on the honey-boards you speak of: and my plan enables me "to retain the old su*pend(>d frame as ]Mr. ijangstroth gave it to its. which is the fram<' in size or form that will outwear and out- weigh anv other frame that will ever be invent- ed. C. W. Dayton. Clinton, Wis., March 20. [The first paragraph calls for explanation. By an oversight, the engraving appeared with tlie conti"action article lather than witli the one on queen-restrictors. As the latter did not appear, and as the former involved the subject of restrictors. I concluded that the cut belonged to it. I am vei'y glad to give place to Mr. Dayton's article, as altove. As it covers most of the l)oints brought out in the other article, it will be sulticient. I thoroughly indorse the idea that he emphasizes in tlie next to the last para- graph: namely, that there is "no reason for handling the brood-nest frame by frame." and that they sliould be handled "all togethei — seveial frames at once." Mr. Heddon deserves credit for emphasizing a similar plan. In a majority of cases, with the Hoffman frame, and also the closed-end (^)uinby. I am satisfied that a satisfactory knowledge of the interior of a hive may be obtained by handling three or foui" 264 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Aim:. L frames at a time— that is, I mean in the produc- tion of honey. I have no doubt that friend Dayton can get along in a similar way witli his restrictor. If my memory serves me right, it was decided in the Question-Box tliat reversing does not in- variably destroy queen-cells. How is this. friends?] " E. K. KEEPING A RECORD OF QUEENS. FRIEXD M IXTYRE TELI.S US HOW HK DOES IT. Californians have been feeling a little blue for a few months on account of the absence of rain, hence a scarcity of articles from this quarter. The rule is, no rain, not any thing— not even words: but we have just had 8 indues of rain in 36 hours: and although bridges and roads are washed out, and trains stopped, tlie faces of the people wear a smile. We can go to work now with s6me heart, to prepare tiie bees for the coming season. Clean up your apiary and make it look nice before commencing to overliaul the bees. You will feel happier at your work if the surroundings are pleasant. I find every queen in my apiary in the si)ring, Ijefoi'c the bees get very strong, and clip every on(> not clipped. I know positively, that every queen found with- out her wing clipped was I'cared last season, and mark her in my record -book as oneyeaioid, although her birth-day luis not arrived yet. The age of every queen found witii her ^\ ing clipped is advanced one year: and those marked two years old are usually superseded near the close of the season. above the nuniln'i-s. The page almost explains itself. The ditl'eicnt strains are marked with letters— S for vSyiJau, H for Root's honey strain, etc. The next cohunn gives the age. 1 or :.' years. I often keep breeding-queens three years. The nexi column gives the grade or qual- ity. I mak(> 4 grades — X for extra, 1 good, 2 me- dium..') ])ooi'. Remarks exi)lain themselves. The brood and Iioik'v columns only serve to equalize in the si)riug, and are not kept up through the season. I should take 20 lbs. of honey from No. I), and give it to No. ".'1. and a comb of hatching biood from No. 20. and give it to No. 18, and that row would be all right. I have a system of book memoi'anda for queen-rearing, which suits me much better than slates, cards, stones, or bricks, on the hives. My apiary is 150 feet wide and 300 feet long, over an acre, and it takes too much time to find the colony that needs attention by any system of mai'king on the hives. But I can write about anything better when I am working with it: and as this article is already long enough I will leave it for another timt,. J. F. McTntyre. Fillmore. Cal.. Feb. 24. d QUEEN. 'w -i:- > .5 o ^ KEM.4KKS. X r. W Vj <, a o -^ 1 S, 1 X Breed. 6 3il 2 1 2 Hybrids. . 4 2(1 3 1 T 4 3(1 4 V 1 X Bleed, 5 20 5 1 S. 1 X 5 20 K 2 3 Feeble. 4 .511 7 .A. 1 1 4 20 8 1 2 1 4 25 9 1 H. 1 X 5 3.) 10 2 2 Crii>plc(l. 4 21) 11 H. 1 X 4 25 12 A. 1 X ;i ;^o 13 2 1 ti 20 U 2 •> Dark. 4 20 15 S. 2 X Breed. 7 30 16 (). 2 X (i 40 17 H. 1 X Breed. 5 30 18 1 1 3 20 19 1 1 5 20 3() (). 2 X Breed. 7 30 21 1 1 5 5 22 1 1 Hybrid. 4 30 23 H. 1 X Breed. 6 40 This is a page from my record-book, and con- tains all the record of queens I care to keep. It is small enough to carry in my pocket. When I had few colonies I kept a larger book and gave more space to each colony — often a whole page. As my apiary increased, my record decreased Tintil I got a whole row of 23 hives on one page. My apiary contains 22 rows, and each row is let- tered. When I wish to find tiie recoi'd of a cei-- tain queen. I place my thumb on the, letter on the margin of the book corresponding to the letter on the row, and open the book instantly at the right place. Every hive is numbered. The numbers run from 1 to 23 in each row. and are kept on a piece of board 4x10, driven into the ground by every fourth hive. The letters representing the row ai'e also on the stakes just A DAIRY WELL. HOW TO MAKE OXE. I have never been north, and I don't know what the needs of the people are on the farm: but I do know that every Southern farmer needs- A SVBSTrrUTE FOR ICE HOUSES A>D REFRIG- ERATORS FOR WARM CLIMATES. wiiat I have termed a dairy well. The origina- tor of the idea is Mr. Wm. Bibb, of Westmin- ster. S. C.. formerly of Bartow Co.. Ga. I am awai-e that this is a little out of the line of a bee-journal: but milk is closely associated with honey, in the Bible, and. in fact. I like them 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 2()5 pretty closely associated at the table, with a lit- tle butter thrown in. Besides milk, this well is good to keep p|ork or other fresh meat in, in summer, away from flies; also to keep any thing fi-om fi'eezing in winter. For ordinary use the well should be dug (i ft. by 4 Square, with a gutter, or groov(\ down one side, 18 inches square. It should contain two or three feet of lasting water. It should be in easy reach of the kitchen, and attached to the house if possible. The curbing should he no lai'ger than the well. A platform, which tits inside of the well, slides up and dowu between two timbers, which rest on the bottom of the well, and are long enough to reacli up 3 ft. above the curb. TIk^sc two timhei's should be planed. The framework of the platform has a board nailed on each side of it, forming a groove which fits on the upright timbers at each end of the well. This makes it I'igid, and keeps it levpl. The circular black spots on the platform represent openings for vessels. The i)iece that holds the wheel, over which tiie rop(- passes to the windlass, is prolonged so that, when the platfoim is ju.st even with the top of the curb, an iron pin is inserted through it and the top- bar of the platform frame, and holds it there. There is another rope, and two wheels. This rope has a heavy weight attached, to assist in raising the platform from the bottom of the well, with heavy loads. These weights go down into a box formed of four wide planks, which occupy the gutter, or groove. One lid opens up against the weight-box. and fastens with a thumb-button. The other is hinged so as to hang down by the side of the curb when open. I think what I have said, and the sketch, will make it plain. R. W. J. Stewart. Sonoraville, Ga., Feb. 2. [Friend S.. you liave given us something of very great value. I am sure. The custom of letting down a jiail of l)utter and other kinds of food into the well, to keep tlnun cool, is almost as old as the hills, and I have se\-eral times wondered why somebody did not invent a dum- my or elevator to run i)rovisions into the cellar, or, still deeper, into a well, where ice is not to be had. or is inconvenient; and most farm homes find it a good dcnil of trouble to have an ice-house simply for their own use. It is my opinion, however, that, to have the water real cool and nice, it should be used for watering stock or something of that sort. I saw a state- ment recently in one of our agricultural i)apers like this: A certain well gave such cool nice water that it had a reputation for some dis- tance around. As this well was close to the house, liowevej-, and some distance from the barn, the owner dug another on(> by the barn, for greater convenience in watering his farm stock. As soon as they stopped drawing heavi- ly on the water near the house, however, it be- gan to get warm and insipid, and the water at the stables improved in the same proportion as they began to draw on it. This taking water away, or removing it from the well, jiroduces a running stream or running si)ring. Of course, the clicapi'St way to get this superfluous water out of the way is to do it with a windmill, pro- viding you can afford tiie first expense. By the way. friend S., why would not tiie arrangement you have given us take the place of a cellar to a considerable extent, and at the same time save the good wife the labor of running up and down stairs? Another thing: A good many have discovered that rain water is more whole- some for them than the hard water from many of our wells; therefore you can catch your rain water fi'om a roof in clean vessels, and tlien let it down into a deep well to cool.] DEACON HOMESPUN AND HIS " KNOWIN' BEES." AI.SO SOME OF THE DEACON'S PLAIN-SPOKEN OPINIONS IN REGARD TO " BKO. RUTE." Having been a reader of Gleanings for the last 13 yeai's, I have become very much pleased with it and attached to it, and I often recom- mend it to others, and have now and then in- duced one to subscribe for it. But I found one who did not want it at all. I went over to Dea- con Homespun's to make a call, see his bees, and I naturally asked him to take Gleanings. He said that he did not want it. for the reason that he liad decided •' not to read any more of Rute"s writing till he wrote something kinter interestin'." I remarked that I considered it all very inter- esting. Well, he said that he "had got Rute's A B C book, and did not think much of it." "Whv have you ari'ived at such a conclusion about tiie A B C book ?" " Wal. ile tell you. Now, he says a great deal about interducih' of queens; and I don't think much of his way. for I have got a way that beats it all holler." "Now, deacon, have you any objections to telling your plan of iuti'oducing queens?" "No, sir. I hain't. It is this: When you have a queenless colony, jest hang in a keard of brude, and the bees will raze a queen right there in the hive. Now, don't you see that this way will save all this fussin' about interducin'?" •' Yes, deacon, that is very true. You can get a queen in a hive by placing in the hive a card of brood, and the queen will hatch there and be there without much trouble, etc. But you see the honey season is short: and while you are waiting for your queen to hatch and get ready to lay, much valuable time is lost so far as that swarm is concerned; for, you see, it takes about a month after the queen commences to lay be- fore her bees are ready to work; therefore by that time the swarm will be very small, and be of little profit to you for that season, for the old bees are all the time dying." '■ Well, that ain't the case with my bees— they dou"t die off fast at all." " What kind are your bees?" •'Well, they are a mixture of bees from the Southern States, with my kind. \"ou see, a few years ago I lost most of my bees, and in the spring I sent south and bought some to make up my loss in the winter." "Did you get queens with your bees from the South?" " No. I only jest got bees, and put with mine. I had queens." " Well, don't you know that the bees you had from the South soon died, and therefore you had only your ]I) BY US- ING THE WATER TREATMENT. Is it not well to caution your readers about taking cold, after making use of the warm- water treatment, of which you addressed us at length in Gleanings for March 1st, particular- ly if it occurs in the ordinary place out of doors? When hot water is used, perspiration ensues — esijecially if more than one injection is taken, and absorption through the kidneys and internal memliranes is occurring. T. C. P. Cedar Falls, Iowa, ^Nlar. 14. [Thank you. Bro. P. I knew all the while when our big guns (begging their pardon) were telling us that wire cloth over the entrance would not do, that they were not quite ortho- dox. Tlianks for your suggestion In regard to propolis, and also for your caution. I have tak- en cold once in the way you suggest, but since then I have been more careful.] 1891 uLEANiNrrS IN bp:e culture. 2iM OUTSIDE CASES FOR WINTERING. .1. A. GltKKN KKVIEWS TIIF: MATTKH. If there is one tiling inor« tlian anotlier tliat 1 have felt disponed to criticise in the way (ii,i<;ANr>{fts is edited, it is. tliat, in your foot- notcis to articles, you seem to tiiink it necessary to iind some fault with the ideas thej'ein pre- sented, and that, under the pressui-e of tiiis seeming necessity, objections are made, that, while usually real and vital oms. ai'c often un- important, to say the least. Vour supposition tiiat snow would beat under my covers of cor- i-ugated iron is well taken. It would he a I'eal objection if it wei-e true: but I am happy to say that I have not had the least trouble from tliat source. I might, jiei'haps, if it were not that the cases ai'e iilled to ovei'tlowing with packing material, upon and into which the corrugated cover is crowded tightly, and tlicii liehl there. But when you find fault with the board and stone as too much rigging, I must smile. Tlie stone is all that is really necessary, though there are few bee-keepers who can not easily find some kind of board eigiiteen inches or so long for each hive, and duplicate them every year if necessary. Some of my covers have a strip Ixl'o, nailed across each end of the sheet. \Vith tliese the cross-boards ai'e altogether un- necessary, and the .-^tone may be reijlaced \\\\\\ liooks, or something similar: but I do not like tluun, as they are moie expensive and because they can not be nested together. With the plain sheets, twenty-tive m^y be stored away out of the weatlier in the space that one of vour covei's will occupy. The stone, or its equiva- lent. I regard as a necessary part of each hive's furniture, summer and Winter. I have some large paving-bricks that are a little more orna- mental. When it comes to looks, it may be that my packing-case might be imiiroved upon — at pro- poitioiiate expense. I must confess, though, that, while I take some pride in the appeai'ance of my apiary during the siimmei'. I do not care (juite so much about its looks in the winter. A mantle of snow softens and beautifies all harsh outlines: and if there is none, the severe plain- ness of the packing-cases is only in keeping with the genei'al bareness and desolation of objects of nature. vStill. it the cases are made of better lumber, and painted, tliey may be made to look very neat. I doubt very much whether a good cover can be made that will not cost much more than the corrugated iron, especially w lii'ii tiurability is considered. I'aiiited muslin may do. I have never tried it: but I think it would be found unsatisfactory, and. in the long run, (expensive. Rooting-iiaper I have tested thoi-nughly. It is undesirable, except for something cheap and temporary. The material for a tin roof costs as much as the ircjn. tiesides the expense of mak- ing it. S'our cases, allowing only ?4 of an inch on each side for packing, are not nearly large enough. It is well enough to talk about put- ting tlie packing material into a cushion in the shape of a thin ring, to go within this %-inch space: but did you ever try it? I do not think the "dead-air space" at all practical. Theoretically it is all right when it is a dead-air space: but in practice this can never be secured, and can only be approximated at greater cost than packing. One very real advantage of packing is. that, in the spring, it absorbs heat from the sun during the day time, thus keeping up the temperature of tlie hive at night. If you want to test this, take two ves- sels of glass, tin, or any thing you clioose. Tln'y should be air-tight to make the experi- ment conclusive. Fill one with sawdust, and leave th(! other empty. Put them in an oven or otiiei' warm place until tliey are thoroughly heated through: then put them in a cool place and see which retains heat longer. I have just received a letter from M. M. Baldridge. in which he says: "The Oatmans discarded cellar wintering (say ten years ago), and thereafter left their b(!es on suminer stands, packed in larg(> boxes w itli chaff on all sides. Tlieir packing-boxes were made large enough to hold four colonies, and they had an entrance on each of the four sides. They put up their bees thus veiy early — say in September or October, and did not remove them from the packing-boxes until June following. The Oatmans wintereil bees thus for several winters with tine success. They are now nearly out of the bee-business: Init if they were to begin again they would pursue the same plan. At one time they had some TOO col- onies scattered about the country Their jiacking-boxes had bottoms, were made of cheap lumber, and cost about SI.OO each." The Oatmans, I suppose you know, wei'e very successful honey - producers at Dundee, 111. They are now owners of several creameries. I believe. J. A. Gkeen. Dayton, III.. Maich 10. [If I criticise in' a foot-note I do not do so for the sake of it. I do not Ititoid to make any criticism unless there is something that appears as a real objection. Very often, to call out further discussion, I enter a criticism in order to get the writer to elucidate a little more fully. I did not do so with that in view in your last article: but whatever the intention was, that foot-note has called forth a valuable communi- cation in defense. This time, friend tJreen, I shall have to as- sume the defensive, as you assume the offensive. You have cornered me up in several places, and I do not really know w iiether 1 can get out or not. Now, then, to the points of your ai'ticle: I am glad to know. that, while tlie snow would appai'ently beat iindei' tln^ covei'S, it does not in reality. So, my criticism No. 1 is washed out. About that board and stone. I may be wrong. but I still lunui to the point that they make a good deal of extra I'igging. I know there are a good i]iany iiractical I; keejx'rs who u.se them. They want them summer and winter. But when you add to the toil of going through the ii'hoJe apiai-y. by lifting off a ten or fifteen pound stone for evcnj liirc, you add just so much to the cost of producing a pound of honey, to say nothing of the extra lal)or and wear on the man. We have nev<'r used stones in our yard. It is only rarely that we hav(^ winds that lift the covers off' th<' hives: and W. Z. Hutch- inson, of the Revieir, expr<'sses himself in a similar way. Perhajis this ditt'ei'ence of opin- ion might he explain<'d by locality. As to looks, I do not know tliat I would urge that point very hard. Voui- outside packing- cases, I must admit, are rather jiretty than otherwise, although I am opinion that a case such as I have described would look neater. After all. it is not looks, but dollars and cents, w(f are aftei', in bee-keeping, so I will yield to you on that point. Now about that air-space. At (irst I did not think it was possible to maintain practically a f?Cfrd-air space; but those outside cases that I described, made of % lumber, and dov(!tailed, with a tin cover, will. I think, hold water. When they were put together I told. the painter to be sure to chink in paint wherever the joints seemed to be possibly a little loose, and he did so. Now, these outside cases are pushed down 2(58 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Al'K. 1. into a oankingof sawdust, which, being more or less A'et, freezes around tlie outside bottom edge of the case; so you see tiiat we liave, practical- ly, a dead-air space. In time these cases might, however, get a little leaky. Now as to results. So far in our apiary we can detect no difference between the air-" pack- ed "and chaff-packed. Yet I will admit that. Ijefore spring, we may see a woeful difference. I might say further, that, on account of dysen- tei-y. three colonies died in chaff hives, and one died in dead-air-space hives. Still, one straw does not show which way the wind blows. I consider it only negative testimony: that is, so far there is nothing particular agni)ist the dead- air space. I have never tried the experiment, but I believe the packed space will cool slower than the air-space. But, mark this: We want all the sunshine we can have. One writei' — I do not know who it was — intimated that air- spaces were better because they would warm up quicker, and so give the bees a chance to turn over in their dose. You see, this fact will partially compensate for the extra protection of packed spaces. About those rings of packing. No. I never tried them — that is, not exactly that thing. You know I spoke of this as being one of the provisional things. If the thing worked suc- cessfully here at the Home of the Honey-bees, it is no sign that it would do so in other locali- ties. I merely outlined a few things that I wanted to test, and I wanted others to try, and this was one of them. Now, friend Green, I thank you for your crit- icisms, and I am quite willing to have my air- space idea snowed under. My air-space, did I say? No. I do not quite mean that. It is a very old thing that I have been reviving of late, just as I did thick top-bars and fixed distances.] E. K. R. THE HAYES FOUNDATION-FASTENER. A GOOD MACHINE. Friend Root: — As per request I herewith in- close a photograph of my foundation-fastener. I can imagine some one exclaiming, "'This is an improved Miller machine, as the principle is a metal plate." But the fact is, I claim entire originality, not knowing that any other persons were working or had worked on the same line. How true the saying, " There is nothing new under the sun."' Really, I imagined I was go- ing to present to the fratei'nity something that would certainly place me in an enviable posi- tion among the great in bee culture. I had al- ready imagined myself in one of those beautiful half-tones in the leading apicultural journal of the world, including anautobiogiaphical sketch of the inventor. But. alas for my fond liopesi Miller gets there, and I am left. But notwithstanding. I claim the only practi- cal machine extant. The model was construct- ed over a year ago. I have since manufactured several for supply-dealers and practical apia- rists, and they are pronounced by all an unquali- fied success. The rapidity and perfection of its work an^ astonishing. I can readily put in 10 full sheets in one minute. This is about as fast as one can handle the pieces, beijig perfectly centered in the section, and I defy one to be loosened from the S(>ctioii without tearing it off. For putting in foundation (t Ui C. C. Miller, 'il^ at top and % at bottom, it works to pei'fection. It requires no warming preparation of the foundation, it simply should be warm enough to bend without breaking. Its work during the winter months, when other methods are so an- noying, is simply perfection. The most important feature of the machine, as compared with any other in the same line, is the guide-block, which centers the foundation without any effort from the oi)eratoi'. The steel plate c is controlled by the treadle, not seen in the picture; consequently it is*adjusted on the floor at the right of the machine. The i)late projects below the head-block a. sufficiently far to extend beyond the centerrof the section. There is be- neath the plate space, so that, when a section is placed on the guide-block, it i)asses beneath the steel plate. The contact of the hot plate with the wood is controlled by the treadle, as you can hold it back until you desire to use it. But I HAY?:.S' FOUNDATION-FASTEXEK. find the instant occupied in picking up the foundation gives the section the proper warmth to caus(> perfect adhesion. The foundation is Iticked up betwe(>n the thumb and forefinger of each hand, and the lower edge is pressed against the guide-block, coming in contact with the hot plate, which is instantly withdrawn by pressure on the treadle; at the same time the foundation is dropped on the section, firmly adhering to the same. 1 consider this the only correct principle bv w Inch to fasten foundation. Mem, R. Hayes. Washington. Kan., Nov. ;.'(). [Oui' experience with machines for putting foundation into sections by the aid of a sliding heated i)late or tongue has not heretofore been satisfactory. But Mr. Hayes sent one of his machines, "with a request that we give it a trial. We did so. It does the work neatly, raiddly. and accurately. It has this advantage over machines that press the foundation into \\u\ wood, (( la Clark, in that there is no foundation wasted — an edge turned o\er and pressed into the wood. Youi- humble servant. E. R.. tiled it a good deal: and although it worked rather hard (through no fault of the principle, how- ever, but because the working parts were a little tight) I feltsatistied there was something in the principle. I said, when I first looked at it, that it was copied after Arthur C. Miller's machine; but Ml'. Hayes' letter shows that he also was original. It lias the advantage over the Miller nuichine in that the block A guides the founda- tion to the center of the section. Briefly, the mode of operation is this: A sec- 1S91 CxLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 369 tion is slid under tho tongue C, and all around the block A. the latter being just half the width of the section. A strip of foundation is picked up. and held against the surfac<' A. The foun- dation is allowed to slide down and strike tlie heated tongue C. which, being withdrawn by the treadle, in connection with the cord F. leaves the foundation witli a melted edge when it strikes the section. In an instant it cools and ndhn-es. The principle is all right; but the machine as made, it seems to me, is a little expensive, and possiblv may be simplified a little more than this.] ^ E. R. R. ^m tct them for winter. When spring arrives, the bees in these hives thus fixed are stimulated to rear the greatest amount of brood possible, by one or all of the known plans to accomplisia this object, till the nine frames which fill the brood-chamber proper are filled with brood. As the weather is always changeable in the spring and early summer, the chaff packing is a great help to the bees, by way of enabling them to maintain an even temperature, and thus the hives are filled with brood a little ear- lier in the season than they otherwise would be, as all know who are now recommending chaff-packed boxes for single-walled hives as soon as set from the cellar. To digress a little: I must say that I think those who are telling that an air-space is as good as a space filled with chaff or straw are making a great mis- take. Let me prove it to you. On several oc- casions, from ants working in my packing, and for other reasons, the chaff or fine straw was taken out of one side, or perhaps one side and one end. during the summer and left out till cold weather came in the late fall or early winter. At this time, when I came to pack these vacant spaces I invariably found the bees clustered up against the side or sides which were i)acked, and away from those where the packing was removed. If the packing was re- moved from one side I would find the bees clus- tered in a half -sphere against the opposite side: if remov(^d from a side and an end, the bees would be clustered up against the inside opposite corner, lying right up against the wood along the two packed sides as far out as the cluster came. If all four sides were packed, then I found the bees clustered in the center of the hive in all directions. If this does not show the value of chaff packing, then I was wrong in allowing it to convince me that it were bet- ter to have my bees, all of them, in fully chaff- packed hives, as they are now. But, to return: When these nine frames are filled with brood it is generally too early for swarms to issue to the best advantage for the production of honey: and desiring all the bees possible at this season of the year (these bees are in reality our crop of honey), I remove one of the chaff cushions from one of the five-inch spaces, and place three frames of brood, taken from the brood-chamber beyond the .slotted I4 - inch division - board (which was placed there when I used side box- es, the bees passing through this slotted board to the boxes) when empty combs are placed in the brood-nest in place of the removed frames of brood. In a week the other end of the hive is served in the same way, which gives me, as will ho seen, 1.5 frames in a hive, thus securing a large force of bees right at the commence- ment of the honey harvest, with little disposi- tion to swarm thus far. As the brood in the frames set over in the five-inch spaces should be as nearly all sealed when set there as possi- ble, it will "be seen that, in 1;.' days, the brood from these combs should be all matured: and as the queen rarely goes into these spaces to de- posit eggs, I have these combs em])ty of brood, or neady so. by the time the wide frames of sections used on the lateral plan need to come out over these side apartments. They can now be taken out and reserved for new swarms, or used for tiering up for extracted honey. If any of the combs I wish to take out still have brood in them.theyare just as good for the extracting su- per over a queen-excluder, or they can be used in forming nuclei or building up those already formed. As the frames are taken out. the chaff cushions are returned, they having. been stored in the hive all the while, and the wide frames of sections allowed to go right on out over them, as I gave in my former article. When this hive swarms, the brood, with enough adhering bees to care for it, is set in a new hive on another stand. Six frames of comb founda- tion, or empty frames, as I think best according to the time of year, together with dummies to take the place of three frames, are set in the brood-chamber, and the swarm allowed to re- turn, or hived back in the same hive (when the queen's wing is not clipped), when the work in the sections goes right along without interrup- tion on account of the swarming. I need not en- large on this matter. All will see at a glance that colonies treated as here given will far sur- pass in numbers, at just the tune we want nuin- hcrs, those^kept in an eight-frame hive, and re- strict the •' mouths to feed '" after the harvest is past, and yet give us sufficient bees for winter. What we want is a rousing colony at just the right time, and I know of no plan that will give such, equal to the contraction plan as outlined above. G. M. Doolittle. Borodino. N. Y., Mar. 16. [You and friend Dayton are bound. I see. to put me in a hole. Now, may be I had better keep still, and, as Dr. Mason says, pull the hole in after me. No. I won't keep stiU. Friend 370 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Al'K. 1. Dayton iisos a twelvc-fnimc L. liivc. wliile you use a nine to fifteen frame Callup liive with or witliont a five-inch pacivecl spaec on eacli side. My i-(inarlrTTIN(i TWO Cor.OXIKS TOfiETHER IN SI'HIXO. Howevei' bee-keepers may diff'er on othersub- jects. I think all are agreed on this. I^ast sea- son was a poor one: and although my colonies were fairly strong. I thought I would liiake sure of having at least ])art of them give good re- sults, so 1 doubled up a nuinbei'. It was a very simple matter to double then, for my hives stand in !)airs. each pair standing close side bv side, and it w as easy to take one away and move the otiiei- a little, so as to stand in the middle of tlie placi' where thi' pair stood. The retuining bees from each hive seemed very little troubled by the cliange. The hives had eight fi-ames, and "none of the fiaiues were taken away, but a second story given, one queen being taken away. The question may b(^ asked as to what I should gain so long as i did not increase tli(> number of workers. Well, suppose each hive would give a surijlus of 10 lbs., and the two united would give :.'() lbs., there would be only one colony instead of two to haiuile. Besides, there ought to he ivwer luifinishcd sections. Now forthe results. I can not sav for certain, but. judging fi'om what other colonies did. I think I didn't get as much honey from these doubled -up colonies as I should ha%^e done if they had been left separate. '•Why?'" I don't know. Thafs one troul)le with my bees — they have so little consideration for eitlier my tlieo- ries or my feelings. I had counted on liiaking (luite a splurge on reporting the considerable gain by my scheme, and it is no little humilia- tion to own u|) a failure. But the bees don't seem to care. Nearly always, when I iilan something smart, the bees spoil it all. liut 1 don't always tell about it. ] don't like to. I've too much consideration for the feelings of other people. Altogether, I had some 3(J0 two-story affairs, at least part of the season, although most of them had only thi'ee or foiu' frames in the low- story. A division-board was put beside th<>se frames, and the empty space lilled up with hay. To prevent comb-building between the two sto- ries, a thin board was iiuf in some cases, but generally a jiicce of cloth of some kind, iierhajis an old bee-(juilt. This allows nocomniunication between tlie two stories, excejjf a strip of one oi- two inches, the width of the hive, at the front or back end. If the queen was left in the upi)er story. I'm not sure that she ever went down to the lower story of her own accord; but if she was left in the lower story, she was pretty sure to go up. «KAKIN(4 ror,ONIE:S UNDEK THE REOUI.AK BUOOD-XEST. ETC. By means of this two-story business I made a discovery of some value. Put a cloth or a board between th(> upper and lower story, leav- ing free communication between the two at front or back, having the queen in the upper story, and you may rely quite sureljon having the bees stait queen-cells in the lower story. It is much the same as Doolittle's plan of hav- ing queen-cells above a queen-excluder. Bj^ the way, if I'm not mistaken, the first public mention of having queens raised in an upper story with a laying (lueen below was made by me in the columns of Gi.EANixcis, and I think Doolittle refers to it in his book. At first I was much elated with the idea of let- ting a young queen be raised to supeivsede the old one. But in this I succeeded. I think, in only a single instance. The young queen, in all oth- er cases, was duly hatched. Iiut disappeared lie- fore laying. If I were allowed to guess. I should say she got along all right till, in her wander- ings, she got upstairs, when tlu^ bees killed her. It might be worth w hile to see w hat would be the outcome if an exchuler were used so that th(^ young queen could not get above. In Doo- little's experience, when the old and the young queens got together it was the old one that was kill(>d. No matti'i' whether tli(> young (|ueen was i'ais(Hl in an npp(U' or low (»r story, she was the one to be killed with me. What made the difference? Could the bad seastm have had any thing to do with it? Let me tell you the use I made of the discov- ery. It proved, in the first place, that a young queen can be rai.-ed in a hive with a laying (pieen. without the use of a queen-excluder. Such queen se(uns to lie raised by the bees on the same pi'inciph^ as superseding, and may be ex- pected to b(> of the best quality. If I wanted to save the queen I took her away just before oi' just after hatching. If I wanted to start a nu- cleus, all I had to do was to take away the low- er story, bees and all. and set it in a new place. Enotigh bees would adhere to it to take care of the brood; and that brood, hatching out. would make quite a colony by the time tlu' young queen commenced to lay. Of course, taking the brood away in this way deprived the colony of the young bees it would have had later. If I wanted these younger bees to be left with the old colony, or, rathei. if I wanted to return to the old colony all the field- bees of the nucleus, aftei' the young que<'n be- ban to lay. my plan w as a little different. In- stead of taking the lower story to a new jilace. I set it on top of the supers on the old place. Of 1881 (JLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 371 courso. there was no communication witii tiie hive below: and after the young queen began laying I then set the nucleus in a new place, and all its flying force would unite with tiie old colony. Here's a plan that might work foi- those who want increase but prefer to have no swarm- ing. Just l)efoi'e then^ is danger of swarming, make the hive two-story, putting only one frame of lu'ood in the upper stoiy, and the rest in the lower story \\ith a cloth lietween. leaving the queen in the upper story. In about twelve days, set the lower story in a new location. This latter will be so i-ediic.ed in bees by the re- moval that I think it will not swai'in. and the old cohmy will be left in nearly the same condi- tion as if it had cast a s\\ arm. But that's only my guess in the matter, and the bees would have to be consulted about it before the plan could be trusted. C. C. Mii.i,ki!. Marengo, 111., Mar. lo. [Friend M.. we decided, about as you have, that uniting two colonies that are fairly started in spring, is, if any thing, a detriment in results. Of course, it is a good idea to unite two colonies so weak in numbers they wonld not])ull through: but where they are fairly started, and have got things fixed to go right on when fruit-blossoms open, I do not believe it best to break up their arrangements, as we must do more or less to put two together. If one has more bees than he wants to care for. and no market for them, he might thus reduce his number of stock.s, it is true. I DEWEY'S PEET CAGE. THE NEW SIIIPI'IXK AM) IN TKODUCING CAGE. Mr. Root:— We hand you an electrotype for Gleanings, which you kindly offered to insert. If agreeable we would add a word to the read- ers unfamiliar with the iinu)vation. DEWEY S improved PEET CAGE. This is a standard Peet cage, save in having a wire-cloth slide beneath the tin slide, and tliree openings u|)on the edge into the candy. The original Peet cage is convenient in weight, shape, and size foi- the summer transport of queens. The objections upon different grounds made to it in Gleanings by Dr. Miller, Mr. Doolittle. and others, need not be repeated. It may be recalled how they demonstrated that time, combs, and queens, are too valuable to be devoted and sacrificed to the use of the Peet cage as originally devised. The Peet idea of introduction, indeed, is ob- solete: but the cage has advantages not inhe- rent in the Benton, the Pratt, and other popular cages. There is the chief objection, that it has but one apartment. The new cage, as entitled above, has received this criticism, with the ob- jection of extra cost: but it bears lightly these disparagements, trusting that time will show them both to be more or less immaterial. The improved cage will diop between the coaibs, with very little spacing, into the midst of the bees, where its two gauze sidles invite speedy acquaintanceship. What other cage has these two advantages— location in the clus- ter, and publicity of the queen? The time of liberation is dependent upon the number of passages uncorked to the outside bees. The Benton cage has itut one opening, and is too thick to slide between the combs. Will bees be shaken about moi-e by transit in a shallow cage like the improved Peet. than in high-walled compartments of the other trans- mitters? There seems to be an answer- upon theory. We will let experience give the ver- dict. Again, the bees are not in immediate contact with a chilling tin surface. Mr. I*. H. Elwood suggests that wax applied to the inside of the slide in cold weather might tend to re- tain the warmth. This may be done, or a pa- l)er may be slipped between the tin and the gauze. For those yet desirous of using an old and fa- miliar method of introduction, the improved cage will be a Peet cage still by removing tiie gauze slide. On the other hand, when the tin slide is di'awn away the queen may be intro- duced by almost any method now in vogue, and as soon, or as remotely as desired. All are free to use the cage. It has good points: do not sweepingly condemn it. The saving of queens in introduction will cover its extra cost, which is not large. The Falconer Manufacturing Co. are now making the cage. It will probably never come into luiiversal use, but has a place to fill for a considerable class who desire at once a fair shipping and a reliable intiodut*ing cage. F. H. i^c E. H. Dewkv. Westfield. Mass.. P'eb. 2r>. [The cage as you have changed it is certainly improved: hut it just occurs to us now. that, if you had gone just one step further, you could have improved it still more, and still have retained many of the featui'es valuable in the original and new Peet cage: besides all this, it would cost less. Why have the tin slide at all ? This, you remetuber, is one of the naughty featui-es of the old Peet cage. The wood will shiink or swell so the slide will he either too loose or too tight. We would make the cage this way: The tr ire- cloth slide you have adopted is a good thing. Go a little further and make tivo wire-cloth slides, and groove both sides of the cages alike, and shove the wire-cloth slides, one on each side, into the grooves. Cover both sides with a light sti'ip of wood \ inch thick, and the size of the cnge. These are to be held in place by nailing. The purchaser, on receiving his queen, simply pi-ies off one of the wooden sides and then inti'odiices by the candy or Peet method. If by the Peet method, he fastens the cage against the comb, in the regular way. and withdraws the wire cloth in place of the tin slide. Why. friend Dewey, you have given a suggestion that ena- bles those who still like the old Peet method of introducing, and still do not like some of the disagreeable features of the Peet cage, to have just what they have been looking for, without most of the objections. Still, for all this we think the Benton cnge is supeiior. It ix the one cage thot has carried queens snrcessfnUij by rtviil to A}istralia. bach and forth to Europe, (tcroi^s continents, and to the i'slands of tlie sea. One great reason foi- this is the tliree small compartments instead of the oiu' lai'ge one.] E. K. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Apr. 1. WASH YE, MAKE YOU CLEAN. THE NEW WATER fl^RK AT THE PRESENT TIME. When I proposed sending our little pamphlets out by the thousand, as I did in our issue for March 1, I expected a flood of testimonials from a grateful people; but I confess I had no com- prehension that we should get such astounding testimonials in regard to its power in curing disease and alleviating suffering a§ have been coming for the past few \\eeks. I have been saj'iug to mj'self again and again. " This is a new thing, and it is fashionable. Everybody is talking about it, and we must make allowances for the efl'ect of imaginaticm." It is not very many years ago since people wei'e buying elec- tric medals, or buttons — yes. whole factories were engaged in making them. Even the hands in our establishment, in spite of all I could say, wore these senseless trinkets, and de- clared they felt stronger, had more vigor and energy, etc. I tried to remonstrate, and proved to them the device had no electricity about it at all — that electiicity did not work in that way, etc. I finally gave it up in despair, and inwardly groanedin anguish to think that peo- ple of good sense should have faith in a silly trap that was just about on a par with nailing a horseshoe over your door for good luck. I do not know how long tiiey stuck to their electric medals, but I think they are pretty much all gone now, and the electric belts and all such traps with them. Now, the question that confronts us is. ".What part (tf the wonderful cures that are told of in every mail, come from this same queer trait of humanity, and wiiat comes from downright actual relief?" I am sure that a good deal comes from the latter; for it is as plain as an o])eration in surgery, or as plain as the remedying of a defect in a mechanical ap- Ijliance: and along with the testimony comes a great string of facts in regard to relieving and saving the lives of (Jomestic animals in the same way. For this purpose, any of the com- mon fountain pumps to be found now in almost every household will answer an excellent pur- pose. One writer tells of finding a valuable ox just at the point of death, from a stoppage. He happened to know what could be done with water, so he borrowed a cheap pump of a neighbor, and the animal was relieved and on its feet in just a little while. I sup])ose that hundi'eds of valuable horses, cattle, and other stock are lost every little while just through ig- norance of tiie simple means in the reach of every one to relieve them. You need not be afraid of using too much water. As I expected, the question arises continually. " What shall be done with this large amount of water, to get it out of the way and avoid un- pleasant smells and laborious carrying?" Vei-y few bee-keepers' homes are provided with water-closet arrangements to dispose of this ac- cumulation. The best arrangement I know of is one I have described before, which we have had in use for some years. The grpund back of our outbuilding slopes downward for perhai)S ten rods. Some years ago I dug a ditch, three or four feet deep and two or three feet wide, filling it within a foot of the top with stones. tinware, and any old rubbish I could pick up on the premises. Ovei- the top I put flat stones, old tinware, sheet iron, and whatever else I could gathei- up: then it was covered with good rich soil. The covering was placed low enough so the plow would not disturb it. This is on the plan of father Cole's " new agricul- ture." as you may remember. The upper end of this covered ditch communicates \\ ith our out-building: b)it. i)lease notice our whole ground is thoroughly underdrained. and the underdi'ains are just below this reservoir, so It can not stand full of water. Right over this covered ditch we have planted rhubarb, oi' pie- plant: and it supplies our whole town with im- mense stalks of " pie timber " almost the year round. It anybody wislies to take excei)tions to this way of raising garden-stuflf, he is at lib- erty to do so; but I have never seen one who could tell a particle of difference between this product and that raised with an abundance of stable manure. In fact, there (-v no difference. Now. the above arrangement will dispose of just as much water as you feel inclined to use. The objection to Terry's plan of having heavy buckets of galvanized iron. is. that they sooii become full, and heavy to carry away. One good friend suggests that Terry should "modify his plans for an outbuilding, so as to accommo- date the new water cure. We have not space to mention a tenth part of the wonderful cures narrated; but I may s])eak of one or two. One friend was taken with a pain in the back while out in the woods chopping. He had great difficulty in getting home. The doctor was called, and he pro- nounced it rheumatism of the bowels. He did every thing he could for his patient, but it amounted to but very little. Other physicians and different medicines were used, but to no avail, and he and his friends began to think he \\ ould nevei' be able to work any more. How- ever, a thorough use of the new cure enabled him to get up and go to work in less than three (l((ys. His backache was the result of a stop- page that the water removed. It took nearly a month, however, to effect a permanent cure. I must not fail to mention, that quite a num- ber have testified to the effect tluxt the new water cure has a wonderful effect in the modern disease called "grippe." Sudden acute attacks are driven away almost instantly by the use of hot water. One friend says that, by using dai- ly, he entirely escaped a series of severe colds that affected the whole neighborhood around him. Several have suggested having a short tube through the bottom of the pail, just large enough so the rubber tube will slip over it. Of course, there can be no objection to this plan, but it spoils the pail for other puri)oses, and I do not see that it is any more convenient. To facilitate using the water, I have a light tin pail, and the water is dipped from the hot- water reservoir that stands on our Stewait stove. This pail hangs on a hook right back of the stove. The rubber tube is on a little shelf (out of sight) right beside the aforesaid hook. This is simply dropped into the water, and a lit- tle bent wire near one end of the tube is slipjjed over the edge of the pail. As soon as the other end is dropped down the water begins to flow. The length of the rubber tube and the height of the pail determine the force of the jet of water. DR. Salisbury's method of treating dis- ease. AND his use of HOT WATER. Mr. Root: — In your article, "A New Method of Treating Disease Without Medicine." in (tle.\nings of March 1. there is a brief allusion to Dr. Salisbury's method, which is somewhat inaccurate. It is quite true, that the doctor has accomplished and is still accomplishing much for suffering humanity, but he doesn't feed his patients on hot water. In his system the hot water is used solely for flushing the stomach and intestines, cleansing the former from slimy, pasty growths, which interfeiv with good digestion, and the latter from fecu- lent deposits. To feed his patients, the doctor prescribes beef — lean steak, free from fat and 1S91 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. •176 gristle, reduced to mince meat in a chopper, and tlien pressed into calces or meat balls, and then broiled. According to Dr. Salisburj-'s the- ory, man is two-thirds carnivorous and one- third herbivorous: and his food should follow the same proportions. In some countries — In- dia for example — the people, in the course of generations, have become herbivorous, and are able to live on a purely vegetable diet: but. few people can digest a purely vegetable or farina- ceous diet in the United States. The doctor holds that most diseases are caused by a long course of eating improper foods which ferment in the stomach or bowels, and do not properly digest. His remedy is. first, to wash away of- fending and offensive matters by taking a pint or more of hot water at about a temperature of 110°. an hour before each meal, and the same interval before bedtime. Then lie prescribes an exclusive meat diet, or as nearly exclusive as the patient can take it, forbidding sugary, starchy foods, and any thing prone to easy fer- mentation. Medicine is given, if necessary to help digestion. With good digestion the sys- tem begins to make good blood: and with a supply of good blood, all the organs of the body perform their functions well, and normal health is restored. This, of course, is not done in a day, for nature works slowly, and the result of a long course of wrong living can not be cor- rected by a short course of right living. In the case of serious diseases, like, for instance, con- sumption, it takes probably a year or two of treatment to get thoroughly well: but the im- provement usually begins at once; and the end, if slow, is pretty certain. The doctor's" plan, you see, differs from the one you describe, in that it is more extensive — flushing the whole of the internal man, and not simply the colon, though the latter is good so far as it goes — and more natural. It may interest some of your I'eaders to know- that Dr. Salisbury is an Ohio man, hailing. I believe, from Cleveland, though now living in New York, at 170 W. .i9th St. New York. March 7. E. Coxxoi-i.y. [My good friend, we are exceedingly glad to hear something which comes so near being di- rect from our old friend Dr. vSalisbury. Perhaps I may remark, that I was at one time an enthu- siastic patient of the doctor's — so much so, that, for eighteen weeks. I scarcely ate so much as a crumb of bread: thei'efore when anybody tells you that a man can not live on animal food alone you may know he is mistaken. At an eai'ly period ofmy life, for almost four years I ate only vegetable food. It were no more than fair, however, to say that I used plenty of milk and butter. I was a-t that time an ardent dis- ciple of Fowler & Wells. In regard to animal or vegetable diet, my opinion is, that the great Father has given us a system so adapted to a variety of foods that nature can, without much effort, get along with eitlier the one or the other: and I believe there are times, or special conditions of the system when either the one or the other almost "exclusively may be a benefit: and I think one marked benefit I received in both cases was that I got so tired of my food that I was very certain not to overload the stomach: and I believe that almost everyone who is ailing may receive benefit by eating sparingly. Find out. by careful experiment, just how much food is needed to enable you to get along comfortably, and then stop right square off when this limit is reached, always remembering that too little is far safer than too much. Hot water, taken in large quantities a full hour before meals, is many times an excel- lent thing. For myself, however, I greatly prefer it in the shape of hot lemonade. My good friend Dr. Salisbury, however, with most patients, would bid them omit the sugar part of the above beverage. I beg pardon for my pleasantry in regard to feeding patients hot water: for if anybody knows that Dr. Salisbury chooses for his pa- tients the most concentrated and hearty food there is to be found. I certainly ought to. Hot water of itself, without any other diet, would probablv prove to be a rather " thin " food.] " INTERNAL BATHING— I.S A CAUTION NEEDKD? Regarding your suggestions in regard to th(^ use of water in cleansing the body internally, I should like to inquire whether, the use of water once adopted, it is not necessary to persist in it always thereafter. I have been told of cases in which defecation has not occurred for years without the use of water. H. M. Whkei.ock. Fergus Falls. Minn.. March 14. [Friend W., two or three physicians have de- clared that there is danger in the way you in- dicate. I am inclined to think, however, that there can not be \'ery much danger, for we have testimonies now from hundreds who have used it for from several months to several years: and I myself have used it daily for a week or two. and then stopped, and I did not experience any difificulfcy in the line you indicate.] '• TIIHOW PHYSIC TO THE DOGS." [I have several times felt that I should like to be able to cleanse the whole small intestines, in the same way we cleanse the colon. A good friend who has been for many years an invalid gives us a suggestion in this line in the commu- nication below:] In Gleanings for March 1st I notice a clear statement of the drugless remedy, and the ben- efits to be derived by its use. I have been a great sufferer from sick-headache, having it frequently, sometimes every week, and lasting three and four days, without intermission — one of the three or four days, often unfit for any business, or even to see a friend. My ailment was not like yours. Bro. Root— diarrhea, but the opposite — constipation — and of the most ob- stinate natui-e. so that pills and drugs of all kinds, thought to be h(>lpful. were resorted to. I was also very careful as to the regimen of diet. These generally gave some temporary relief: but after a while, each in turn would, in a great measure, lose its power, until I had almost given up all hoi)e of having any com- fortable degree of health in this life. When I heard of this "new method of treat- ing disease without medicine " I gave it a thorough practical test. With me it did its work )rcU just as you described, but did only half of the work. While the colon was cleans- ed, and apparently entirely relieved, the small intestines remained in their dormant and con- sequently diseased condition. I tnld our faith- ful family physician ray dithculty, and it is f(ir the sake of giving to any who have suffered as I have, the benefit of his reply that I now write this article. Take a hearty drink of water, cold or warm (warm is best) on retiring at night. And as soon as you rise in the morning, use flaxseed (that which is not ground is best): pick all the straws or other refuse mattei' out of it. of course. Eat enough of it so that the bowels will liave a free natural movement. It may take three tablespoonfuls — with others, much more, even to a pint a day. Be sure to take enough: it can not do any hurt. It will cleanse the stomach: and. as it passes the small intes- tines, will clear thi'in; then, entering the colon. ;)74 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Al'K. 1. with the watpr treatnient their united action will prove most effectual. The flaxset^d leaves the whole system lubricated, so that the work of digestion goc^s on more pei'tectly — at least. this has been the result in ray case. My bowels now move full and fi'eely; and although I am 55 years of age. my general health is much im- proved. The headaches have almost entii-ely disappeared. As my ailmtMit was of long stand- ing, it is probable I shall have to keep up the use of tiaxsei'd or the combined treatment for some time, oi-, perhaps, more or less thi'ough life. But if I shall I'ecelve as much benefit from them in the future as I have In the past, I can hardly say enough in their praise. L. I have been using it for the past six weeks foi' what tlie doctoi' calls neuralgia of the blad- der and bowels, and ulceration of the bowels. He gave me medicine to take internally, but I did not take it. as I wanted to test the hot wa- tei-. I find I am perfectly free from pain, and am able to do my usual work. I used about three (luarts every morning and night for the pastmontb; since that the same quantity once a day. There are large numbers of people who have i)aid $4.00 for the cui'e, and they speak very highly of it; but they are bound not to di- vulge the secret, if It is a secret; but the public will owe you a debt that money can not pay. Alvinston, Can., Mar. 14. jAAtEs Okchaud. We notice in the C(tn^x has [)ub- lished tlie water-cure treatment exactly as given by Dr. Hall. llHDIE^' DRP^RTMEN^^. BEE-KEEPING FOR WOMEN. I.KillTER AITLIANCES FOK Ol'H LADV FRIENDS. After I'eading the letter signed Emma Wilson, on page 8.i. I thought, why can we not have a corner to discuss gloves, aprons, etc.? There are lots of questions we wonnni bee-keepers could ask of one anotiuM', while the ukmi an^ discuss- ing thick top-bars, closed ends, and dovetailed hives, with which they till the paper, and I am not the least bit inten^sted iii, because the thing on my mind is section-cases for next season: what shall I get? One that will hold :H sec- tions, will with propolis and all compli>te. weigh 30 lbs.; this is too heavy for a woman to lift, es- pecially when there are many and she Is in a hurry. I have 33 hives, and have to do every thing around the bees myself: as they are so cross, none of the family will touch them. But if they are cross they are good workers. Last season they averaged 30 lbs. to the hive, while many others got nothing. Those "Blessed Bees" have been a success with me, for in the very poorest years I always get a little. I have used the wide frames.to hold sections, six of them holding :i\ sections on the 8-frame Langsti'oth hive, but they are too heavy; so I took three of them and nailed on grooved stiips and put in glass, or sometimes pieces of shingle or wood separators, and tied them together with cord. They are some ti'ouble to fix, but when they are done they are very handy, as they are easy to lift and jnit on the hives, and they can be piled up two or three stories high, or turned around. I have thought if A. f Root could see them he would say: "'Oh dear! how very shiftless and untidy I " but I did it because it was easy to lift them. Mhs. W. Giu^hb. Deausville, Ueane Co., Wis., Mar. :.'. [Years ago W(^ had what we called a Ladies' Depai'tment, but for some reason or other it was dropped. There is no reason why it could not be resiimcKi // the sisters will be sure to write for it. Miss Wilson has already made a good start; and if the ladies will discuss some things all by themselves, we men will not stand in the way. In regard to a suitable surplus arrangement, why wouldn't a dovetailed section-holder sur- plus case answer the purpose? Twenty-foui' pounds is too heavy to lift all at one time, you say. But. bless you. with the super as modified with a follower, you need not lift juore than four sections at a time. Say, now, what is the use ofolifting 34 lbs. so much, any way? If you don't want to bother with four sections at a time, just have a light, handy wheelbarrow close to the hive, and then sort o" tilt the case up on the barrow. Yon know you can handle a good many heavy things by simply getting the advantage of them in the right way, and still not be obliged to do any heavy lifting or straining. You remember years ago, Mrs. Jen- nie Culp used to produce some big crops of honey, and she used one of A. I. Root's handy wheelbarrows as her '* best man " in the apiary. She made him (i. e.. the wheelbai'row) do all the carrying, and managed the yai'd with profit and pleasure. " There, there, now." some of you will say, "just like all supply-dealers. They like to get in an advertisement of some of their implements in a foot-note." For con- science" sake! Can't we mention a good thing, even if we do sell it?] E. R. R. GLOVES FOR BEE-KEEPERS. liUKHEi; (iLOVES. COTTON <;LOVES, ETC. Miss Emma Wilson wishes the experience of some of her bee-keeping sisters with regaixl to gloves in the bee-yard. In th(> beginning of our bee-keeping we tried rubber gloves, and promptly condemned them for reasons similar to those' given by Mrs. Harrison. Were it not that Miss Wilson expects to handle Italians instead of hybi'ids next sum- mer. I slumld not think it worth while to hiing to her notice the gloves we us(% for they are by no means sting-proof. But with Italians the liands are in little dangei', except such as pro- . ceeds from one^sown carelessness. We use white cotton gloves, two or three buttoned, so that the wrists ai'e prot<'cted. loose fitting, and with each Hngei' cut otf — and the edges stayed— just above the first fingi^r- joint. To tell the truth. I find the unembarrassed use of my fingers soindlspen- sible in handling frames and sections, that 1 dis- like even this slight incumbrance, to which, nevertheless. 1 submit for the sake of some pro- tection from pi'opolis and a shade or two less of tan. The gloves are very cheap— fifteen or twenty cents per pair; and as they need fre(|uent washing, half a doz(^n pair should be ])rovided for a season. I wish Miss Wilson would try these with her gentle Italians next sunimei'. I can assun^ her that they \\\\\ prov<' moi'c com- fortable than buckskin, and, moi-eover, she will be able to place herself socomi)letely c» rapjxjvt with her bees that she need fear no stings except those that she may deserve. A pinched bee has a right to sting. DO DEES DISTINGUISH COLORS IX A HEE-KEEI'- EIl's CLOTIIIN(i? 1 was Interested in Miss Wilson's remark, that bees seldom if s when it is one hundred in the shade. I put on over this one skii't, a wet head cap. and then tie on my bee-hat, and i)ut on a linen sacque, which keeps all bees fi'om getting uiidei- the cape of the hat. and gloves with gauntlets. As soon as I am 27!3 (ILEAXINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Apr. 1. through with active woik in the snii I wash, and change to warmer clotliing. to keep from chilling. I always have an vnnbrclla at hand, attached to a statf, such as artists use. so 1 can stick it in the ground, to shade me when at work. When I hear, " Bees are swarming !" the first thing 1 get is the umbrella, to raise and shelter me while I am watching to see where they are go- ing to cluster. With the staff I'esting upon the ground, it makes it easier to hold. Heat may not affect all heads as it does mine: yet comfort and In^alth shonld be considered before looks. If I worked at out-apiaries I should have to wear much warmer clothing, going and returning, than I could endure while at woi'k. It refreshes me very much, when I am hot. to eat a pint bowl of ice with a tablespoon, or a lemon cut up with the ice. and sugar. If I should drink a glass of ice-cold water it would make me sick: but the ice never does, melting slowly. INIks. L. Harrison. Peoria, 111.. Mar. ;.'l. [Now. dear friend, we are quite willing to submit, or. perhaps, to stay in some other de- partment, when you are talking about clothing for women in the apiary: but when you wind up by talking about a i)lnt bowl of ice. with lemons and sugar, to eat with a spoon, we want to be around with the sisters. Why. my good friend, you hit right squarely on my fa- vorite beverage and luxury in the summer time. We have a great big icu^-house of our own, chock full of ice from the carp-))ond. Then we got a little machine, for ai)()ut four or five dol- lars, that turns with a crank. Put in a piece of ice and set your pint bowl under the hopper: turn the crank and the ice is broken up in pieces about the size of peas. With a lemon- squeezer, put in lemon-juice and sugar to taste, then sit down in some quiet place to eat it with a spoon, just as you would mush and milk. I got the idea years ago from some of the health journals, that one could eat pound<'d ice where he could not stand a glass of ice water, and it has been worth ever so much to me. But to enjoy it. and have it do me nnil good. I want to take it slowly. And now here is a suggestion for poor unfortunates who at some tiiue In their lives have been intemperate. I used to enjoy greatly (at least I thought I did) a glass of beer from a pitcher with a lump of ice in it: and a great many times old memories will come back and tantalize me: but after I have had my bowl of " lemon ice,"' as I call it. I would not give a fig for all the b(>er in tln^ world. Now. if there are any among our read(n's who have found it hard work to give up the be(>r. let them try our plan. ]\Irs. H. and I do not propose to monopolize the idea, by any means. A good many times lemons and sugar are cheaper than high-priced fruit: and my opinion is. that they answer the purpose just about as well.] RUBBER GLOVES. SUITKD FOR BKE-WORK: MISS WILSOX DIS- CUSSES CONVE.VIEXrES FOR EADIES. ■J. No matter how dry one's hands may l)e or- dinarily, the perspiration will condense inside them, and the hands will be all the time wet. 3. They will almost always turn inside out in taking them off'. In case they fail to tui'n, you must turn thiMu to allow them to dry. and then they must be tui'ued back again to weai'. 4. They are tolerably expensive, and do not last long unless perfectly cared for. 5. (and biggest). The combined smell of rub- ber and i)ci-spiration. after the gloves have been used awliile. will leave one of tTie most horrible combinations in the shape of an odor clinging to one's hands that he ever experienced. Foi' two yeais Mr. Thomas has used a glove called sealskin. They are smooth and shiny on the outside, like kid. but somewhat heavier, whit«^ and pliable. He has never been stung through them. After some little ditticulty I have succeeded in getting a pair, and mean to try them this summei-. Mr. Coldwell. of Nebraska, has used dogskin, which he likes very much. Mr. R. McKnight. after exijerimentiug a good deal, has decided to use kid. He also says that a cotton duck grain- bag, costing about 2n cents, makes a very good apron; and although a man, like a very sensi- ble one lie weai'S such an apron himself. Mrs. Slireve. of Ohio, has used calfskin gloves, and likes them. Although there is such a strong feeling against using gloves, it seems a good many can not get along without them. As often said, it is the little things that make our work hard or easy. Having every thing convenient for our work is half the battle. Tools convenient, a good supply of smoker fuel in a handy place, etc.. all make a big difference in our day's woi-k. Every step saved is a help. I don't know of any one thing that is as great a comfort in the apiary as a good seat, light and strong— one that is easy to catch up when you are in a hurry. Use it whenever it's possible. That is my trouble— so many times I think I am in too big a hurry to stop to sit down, when I have no doubt I could save time by doing so. But I might as well confess I would not do it if Dr. Miller did not insist: and I am ashamed to say I .sometimes feel fretted because he does in- sist, when I ought to know at tlie time that it is best. Although you may gain a few minutes at the time, not to stop to sit down, you become sotinnl that you will not accomplish as much in the course of the day. Whenever we have any special work that will take some time to do. Dr. Miller will spend con- siderable time in planning how to make that work easier. For instance, if we are making shipping-cases he has a form to hold the pieces securely in place while we nail them: another form for making supers, etc. In glassing ship- ping-cases, unless you are very careful you will crack the glass. You want to drive the nail in just as deep as possible without breaking the glass: and it is a difficult matter to tell when that point is reached. Dr. Miller obviated the difficultv for me in a very simple nutnner. He took a piece of section, a little thicker than the glass, cut it the width of the glass, with a little notch where I wanted to drive the nail, some- thing like this: I have had so many good letters, and so much valuable information, in regard to gloves since my article on that subject, that I feel as if I should like to give at least a part of it to the readers of Gleanings. One and all agree that they want nothing to do with rubber gloves. By pressing this against the gla drive my nail without fear, knowing xney wani noining lo uo wiin luooer gioves. hammer would Strike the wood befor Mr. Thomas, of Nebraska, gives five such good of the nail could reach the glass. reasons for not using them that I will copy know how much faster I could work them. of this simi)le arrangement. Emma 1. They are not handy about getting on. Marengo. III.. Mar. 7. >s I could that tiie e the head You don't by means Wilson. isyi GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. [W,o aiv glad to gia this testimony against rubber gloves: and it has been agreed so nni- fonnlv. that they are not suited for bee-woik. There has been' a protest incur catalogue all along, but still a good many customers buy them. Something cheap would be better: for when they get too badly worn or soiled they can be thrown away. • I always use a seat while working among the bees: but I don't want any thing to lug around all day. so I sit on the hive-covers, and I don"t want any thing better. I will shortly illus- trate how I manage.] E. R. R. BEE-KEEPING AND HOUSEWORK. SUNDRY ITEMS FROM MRS. AXTEI.I.. 'Women who make bee-keeping a business, as well as others, should learn how to make their housework light and easy. No work is more la- borious than our washing. I have tried many ways of doing mine, and I find that a good washing-machine that covers up and keeps the suds hot is a great help: also borax dissolved in the water, a piece as lai-ge as a hickorynut. for a small washing, or a piece twice or three times as large for a large washing, with plenty of soap, will loosen the dirt and cause the clothes to be white and clean, and not injure the fabric. It causes flannels to be soft and clean. I buy bor- ax by the pound, and u-^e it in preference to any kind" of washing-lluid or patent soaps. SHORT vs. ABUNDANT STORES. The talk about short winter stores being a saving seems very nice to the bee-keepei-: but the bees are like a man with a pocketful of money — he is in better condition to take advan- tage of the times, and make more money, than one living from hand to month: and just so I think it is with the bees — they make us more money with their jjockets tilled: or. in other words", with plenty of honey at all times, when not able to gather it from the (lowers. An old and experienced bee-keepei' might be able to make more from his bees by keeping them with short stores at certain times of the year if he has i)lenty of time to be tinkering with them: but beginners would let them starve. They would be m.ore likely to waste a pound to save a penny: and also those who have much other woi'k to do had better not try to see how short of honey they can run their bees, or they will forget and run them oveiboard. out-apiarip:s. Considerable has been written ujjon out-apia- ries. The first object sought should be a good location, which generally is best neai' swampy or pasture lands: yet in this vicinity, where the most of the land is worked and planted to corn and oats, we often have rich fall crops of smart- weed that comes up after the oats are harvest- ed, and in thin places in the corn. The next oljject should be to plant the apiary in a per- manent location whei'e the man owns tiie prop- erty, and is not likely to move away: also, that the people are obliging, and likely to be patient with the bees. It is extremely unpleasant if the people are afraid of them, and all the time com- plaining of them. shade, and WH.\T MRS. AXTELL RECOJt.MENDS. I would not be so very much influenced by the matte)- of shade, as to where to plant my bees, if all things else were satisfactory: but I would secure it atonce: and immediately, whether fall or spring, plant out quite thickly some fast- growing trees, such as soft or ash-leaved ma- ples— some call them box-elders. I would not plant fruit-ti'ees. even in a home apiary, as thev are almost sure to be barked and killed. and are of too slow growth. I should plant the tices twice as thick as I wished them to be when grown. One will be surprised to see how much shade they will make, even the lirst sea- son, if they are" planted carefully, and. if dry weather sets in. are mulched. The large Rus- sian sunflower will mak(» a nice shade for the first season, if planted so as to throw its shade directlv upon the apiary in the InnU of the day. The only objection to it would be the large (piantities of propolis it secretes. It is visited by the b(vs moi'e for its propolis than lion<>y, I think, and more by the common small wild bee than the honey-bee. One of our neighbois had his apiary thus shaded, and, when in bloom, it was quite picturesque. If the apiarist has any doubts of being able to secure a i)ermanent place for the apiary, he should not build a house, but use empty hives to hold what arti- cles need to be covered: or I would build a small house that could be easily moved by placing it upon a sled in winter time. HOW TO MAKE THE WORK EASY FOR WOMEN. But it is a great convenience, if a permanent location can be secured, to have two houses — one a small plastered one. with a window, a bee-escape, and a tight door, to keep all the honey and combs in. and another that a small stove can be set up in, where the apiarist can warm his coffee and dinner, and rest in cool days. It need be but a small room with only a ])ane of glass in the dooi-. with no furniture but the stove and what can be made of the bee-fix- tures: and yet it adds greatly to one's comfort. Such a i-oon") we have. When we go to our out- apiary to work \^•e do not try to rush through the work so hard that our help will never want to go again, but we take along our reading, and rest awhile at dinner lime. and either read or chat, and generally try to have a good dinner, so that our li(>li) often say they would rather go to the out-apiary to work than to woi'k at home. Indeed, nearly all our girls (and I do myself) look forward to a trip to the out-apiary as' a soi't of picnic: then we try to get home so early in the evening as to be not too much fa- tigit"ed for the next day's work. In the course of time we accomplish more irnrh by not crowd- ing our help or ourselves too much. If we push bee-w(.)rk too hard, and the help gets vexed by the stings, it makes it more difficult to hire help to work with the bees: but if they have it rather easy, and a good time with the work, but siiil have' the stings to endiu'e. they will be more likely to excuse the stings, either in work- ing with tiie bees at home or at out-apiaries. HAMMOCKS. niTCHING-POSTS. ETC. A hammock, too. is a great comfort to the api- arist, or. what I like blotter, a small bench with a raised head-board, that I can carry to any part of the apiary. A hammock swings too eas- ily—one can not rise quickly from it to catch queens in swarming time: and in an out-apiary it tempts children to come there for a swing. Last, but not least, should a good strong feed and hitching post be put up for the horses, un- der tlie shade of a tree if possible. If a feed- trough is just in front of the hitching-post they stand miich more contented, and I know of nothing more annoying in connection with out- apiaries than to have the horses uneasy, and sometimes break away, and oblige one to leave the apiary with half a dozen or more bees fol- lowing, to run to catch the horses. As Miss Wilson says. " It is the little things that help to make our work hard or easy." Mrs. L. C. Axtelu. [I heartily indorse what you say in regard to these little conveniences in the apiary: and they make all the difference between hard and pleasant work. In regard to hitching-i)osts. I GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Al'K. 1. suspect that, if I had had a good one at our basswood yard, I should have saved the life of a valuable hoi'se. But you remember that, contrai'y to what I knew was best, we were in the habit of hitching oui' horse to a young sap- ling: and you remember how he broke the thill and pushed the jagged end of it into his heart. For colts, at least. 1 would have a couple of posts and a ci'oss-rail, so they can not catch the thill around the post and snap it in two. A feed-trough would be a good tliihg, and would help no little toward keeping horses quiet. I know how unpleasant it is to be working at an out-yard, and to be obliged to look every few minutes to see whether th(> horses are all right. And while we are talking about hitching-posts. I should prefer the side of a barn, with a ring in it about five or six feet from the gi'ound. Not even a colt then can get its foot tangled or get into any trouble. I believe I would always hitch with a strong neck-strap, passing the 5 comfort to know that a horse is safely stabled, and away from Hi(>s and bees, ■when working at an out-yard; and as this de- partment is especially for ladies, it behooves the men to see that there are good hitching ac- commodations, and that all parts of thf harness are secure. Never drive to an out -yard with a pair of pool' thills. Whenever driving within the vicinity of bees, or drawing loads of honey, bees are inclined to follow, and, at best, acci- dents are liable to happen; so it behooves us to have every thing in good shape.] E. R. 00^ QaEg3FI6N-B6^, With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees. Question 181. ]. In cellar winterimj, hoic much ventilation do the liiiies need, and how would i/ou secure it f 3. Hoio much does the /'cllar need, and lunr n^ouM j/ou secure itf I don't know. We winter all out of doors. Wisconsin. S. W. E. Fkance. I would not bothci' with any ventilation at all. Keep your tempei-atui'c up to 4.5° or ,50°, and never mind the ventilation. Michigan. S. W. James Heddon. Raise the hives fi'om the bottom-board two or more inches, paying no attention to the ven- tilation of the cellar, provitling you can keep the temperature at from 4:2° to 4.")°. New York. C. (i. M. Dooi.itti-e. No ventilation at the top, but all you can readily secure at the bottom. Usually, leaving the entrance wide open does very well; but to have the whole bottom oflf would he better. Illinois. N. C. J. A. (hjEEN. I ought to have more experience before an- swering. I should say. percli the whole hive up on two pieces of scantling. Where this is done I do not think the cellar needs any special ventilation. Ohio. N. W. E. E. Hasty. My best wintering was in a cellar in old box hives, inverted, standing entirely open, a hole four inches square at bottom of cellar, and the same at the top of the oi)posite side. These holes were covered so as to ))revent strong winds from blowing in. California. S. R. Wilkin. 1. Raise one inch from the bottom-board, with an inch block under each corner. I use loose bottom -l)oards. 2. Three-eighths-inch venti- lators runying through the roof, and one sub- earth, same size. Wisconsin. S. W. S. I. Fkeehohn. We remove the entrance-block, and some- times the whole bottom-board. We also re- move the caj) and a corner of the quilt. We ventilate the cellar only by opening the win- dows occasionally. Illinois. N. W. Dadant & Son. There is no use in being too scientific in such matters. The exact amount of ventilation for hive or cellar would be only conjecture. Let the air in your repositories of bees be comfort- able for yourself, and then vou will be all right. Ohio. S. W. C. F. MuTii. 1. If the bottom-board is left on, leave the entrance open full width for ventilation. I winter with bottom-boards removed, '.l. Enough to keep the air fairly pure. If I could I would secure it by means of a stove set, in the cellar, the draft of which would be ventilation enough. Ohio. N. W. A. B. Mason. Leave the tly-entrance open. The cellar needs enough to keep the air pure, and we se- cure it with a sub-earth ventilator. Before this was i)ut in. comb honey would become watery and burst the cells; but now it does not, and the air is as ])uie as in any room in the house. Illinois. N. W. C. Miis. L. Haukison. 1. I would remove the board cover, spread a |)iece of cloth (ducking) over the frames and cover with a cushion 3 or 4 inches thick, stuffed with fine hay or chaff, or dry planer-shavings, and give a very small entrance. 2. For a cellar 20x.3()x7. I would use a .")-inch ventilator con- n(^cted with the kitchen or some other stove- pil)e. V^ermont. N. W. A. E. Manum. I think the usual summer ojjening enough. If the hives are so made that they could be raised an inch or two from the bottom-board I should like it: then dead bees will not shut off the ventilation. I doubt whether it is necessa- ry to ventilate the cellar. I do think it very imi)ortant to keep the temperature of the cellar uniform, from ?,^° to 4.5° V. Michigan. C. A. J. Cook. 1. That depends largely upon the cellar— its tempei'ature. moisture, etc. We usually give 20 square inches or more at the bottom, as that in our hives is the most convenient point to ventilate. 2. With a small number of colonies, the natural ventilation in most cellars will be sufficient. By natural ventilation I mean that passing through the walls, crevices, etc. With a larger number of colonies, more ventilation luust be given. For more particular informa- tion on this point I shall have to refer you to articles I have written on that subject. New York. C. P. H. Ei.wood. Give the hives abundant ventilation at the bottom. I secure it by placing the first row of hives on stringers, with the hives (5 inches apart; or, instead of the stringers, lay down hive-covers (> inches apart, placing each hive over the space thus left. This gives a similar space between the iiives. over which i)lace the 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 379 next tier of hives, and so on as high as you ■choose to pile them. This is for open-bottom hives. I should be at a loss to know how to se- -cnre the needed ventilation in a fixed-bottom hive. The cellar needs but little ventilation- very little, so long as the proijer temperature ■ can be maintained. Ohio. N. W. H. R. Boahdman. I use the same rim mentioned in answer 180 — M) cubic inches of air space, but with generous ventilators upon the sides, covered with wire cloth: a slot on each side 1x12 inches: the en- trance is left open full size. I do not pay so much attention to cellar ventilation as former- ly. I think the ordinary cellar will have plenty of means for the entrance of pure air. I believe a rapid cnange of air is detrimental to the bees. My i-ule is to test the air once a week with my no-*e. If sweet and healthful, the ventilation will take care of itself. New York. E. Rambler. 1. None above, but all you can conveniently give below. For the sake of the bees, I'd like to have the bottom entirely open; but for my own convenience I like a deep bottom-board, leaving two inches of space under the bees, and the fiont entirely open. On one account this is better for the bees, for then they can be piled straight up, and jarring of one pile will not affect others. 2. ^lore than some think it • does. It needs enough so that it will seem fresh and sweet every time you go into it. In a windy time it needs no" attention; but when still, if warm enough I'd open dooi'S and win- dows. A sub-ventilator helps, and a pipe open- ing into a chimney is about absolutely necessa- ry. A low tire in a st()\ c \\iien weather is not too warm, gets uj) \entilati()n. Illinois. N. C. C. Miij.ek. FROM DIFFERENT F-ELDS, WAX QVESTIOX REVIVED AGAIN; HOW MAXY I'OUXDS OF HONfiY TO ONE POUND OF WAX? Seeing so much in the bee- journals about how much honey it takes to make a pound of comb, I can not overlook all these articles without saying something relative to my experience. I rather cling to the old ti'adition of 20 pounds of honey to make one of comb. Now for my rea- sons: In the summer of 1878 I found an after- swarm of bees on a limb of a small tree. It was the 8th of July when I got them. I put them in a raisin-box which I found. As I knew noth- ing about bees, I thought it would do all rignt. This raisin-box was 14 inches long, 10 wide, 8 deep. Now, you see this was a small hive. I did nothing "more with them till September, when a friend of mine, who understood bees, •came to see me. He took the box up and looked at them closely. He said they would need feed- ing. The box was about a third full of comb, but not much honey, so I began feeding sugar. I fed ^r, worth of sugar, or 50 lbs. The water that was added to this would make it over (iO lbs. Now comes the test. When I began this feeding, the honey season was all over. The hive was only a third full of comb, very little honey in it. Now. when I got through feeding this amount, the hive was tilled with comb to the bottom; and when I carried them into win- ter quarters the hive. bees, syrup and all. weighed 20 lbs. Now. I should like to know what became of all this syrup if they did not use a lot of it for comb-building. Suppose the bees used 2.5 lbs. of this syrup for brood-rearing, and 15 Ibs.foi' winter stores. You see how much would be left. I hav(^ been keeping bees ever since I got this hive, and I have had good suc- cess. Some years I have had tons of honey. Birr, Out, Jan. 26. Wm. Coleman. [Your raisin-box, if we figure rightly, would contain about 2 pounds of comb: hence the bees must have built, after feeding, l):; lbs. If there were 15 lbs. of stores, and the be(>s consumed 25 in brood-rearing (they probably did not con- sume so much), there would be 20 lbs. left for comb-building, or 15 llis. of honey to a pound of wax. As the bees pioliably did not consume so much in brood -n^aring, tiie proportion in this case would come pretty near that of the " ven- erable falsehood," as it has been called; but it should be said, that there are many more re- ports of experiments in this line that make the proportion all the way from 1 to 3. to 1 to 15. The geneial avei-age has been perhaps one of wax to ten of honey. It has been shown that pollen makes considerable difference in results. You do not say so. but we judge that at the time you fed your bees they were not gathering much pollen, though it is evident they must have had some for brood-rearing. If you were to rej.eat the experiment at a time of year when there is an abundance of pollen, using honey instead of sugar syiup, yon might see a differ- ence in results.] the per cent of avax obtained by a solar wax-extractor. I made a solar wax-extractor last summer, and extracted all my wax nicely: l)ut toward the end of the summer I discovered that only about <)0 or 70 per cent was exti'acted. I boiled a lot (half a market-basketful) of refuse, and it yield- ed almost a pound of second-grade wax: but I had to squeeze it l)y hand through a cloth, and then boil it in water to collect it and wash it. Honey is up high now. 15 and 25 cts. Ml'. Doolittle measured to get the distance between combs in some box hives he had; but he says that he measured the marks where the comb was built on to the top-board, and found the distance was ,% inch between the combs. I bought some comb in old-fashioned box hives from a neighbor last summer, and measiu'ed on the top-boai'd and in the broud-nest, and I found that the distance varied fi'om 34 to }^ inch all over. They do not always build straight unless the one next to it is straight. Geo. E. Fra den burg. Kansas City, Mo., Jan. 18. [Your observation agrees with ours.] esparcette; another promising honey- plant. I wish to call the attention of all bee-keep- ers to what I believe is destined to be the most valuable honey-plant known in the irrigated district. It is the forage-plant called esparcette, or sanfoin, and descril^ed in the catalogue of F. Bai'teldes tt Co., Lawrence. Kan., page 7(), as be- longing to the same family as alfalfa, and well adapted to light chalky "soils, sands, gravels, and bai'ren i'(>gions. where rainfall is not plen- tiful and ii'i'igation is not obtainable. It is a perennial. wii;h hard woody roots; but I am told by those who are acquainted with it, that it can be plowed under. And now for its honey virtues. A small |)iece is under cultivation at the Government experimental farm near my apiary (about threes-fourths of a mile): and while in bloom itwas more thickly covei'ed with bees than any other blossoms I have ever seen. This was at a time when they could get nectar from othei' blos.soms. such as apples, a little 2cS0 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURU Apr. 1. white clover, etc. As it is iiientioned in Glean- ings as a valuable hoiiev-lJlautiu Ensland. and grown there for hay. I think it would be valuable in tlie Eastern States, esp(!cially on lands where other grasses do not succeed. Mr. S. Simmins, of England, mentions the plant in Gleanings, Vol. X.. page 4UU. It would take up too much space here to mention all the good things said about tliis plant. I hope to hear from others in regard to its adaijtability to heavy soils under irrigation. .1. B.' Colton. Gaklen City, Kan., INIarch .">. rambler's outside winter cases: yel- low OIL CLOTH instead ()F WOOD FOR OLTTSIDE CASES. Herewith find photo of the hive winter cases I described to you. In November I pi'epared two Heddon hives, each hive with two cases and a thiv<'-inch rim under the cases. I then covered all with sever- al thicknesses of newspapers, and put over them a hood of yellow oil cloth. This oil cloth is of the same material that oil-cloth coats are made from, and is called " lish brand,"' as it is prepared with some kind of lish-oil. Coats made from this material will turn water much better than an ordinaiy rubber coat, and do not crack in cold weather. These two colo- nies are in splendid condition, though the weather has been quite severe. I give them the entire entrance. This oil cloth can be prepared by the bee-keeper by getting the lish-oil from the manufacturers. I tliink tills is not a new idea, for it has bei'u in use in some apiaries for some time, only upon a different packing. The cost of the oil-cloth case, as I purchased it all prepared, is about :i5 to 30 cts., or 20 cts. if made by the bee-keeper. Rambler. [Won't those oil-cloth cases or sacks, after several seasons, get rotten and torn? They are cheap, I know.] E. R. PAINTED CLOTH INSTEAD OF TIN FOI{ HIVES. Friend Root: — You inquire in Gleanings, " Who lias had lots of experience in cotton roofs for hives? "' My experience is somewhat limit- ed, as I i)urehas"e my hives and use the covers as manufactured: but I have one chaff hive, made as per A B C. on which, iiaving no new cloth handy. I used an old piece of black calico painted with two coats of white i)aint. It has stood out six years: and although the i)aint is all worn off it has never leaked a diop. and the bees have occu])ied it the whole time, it being the only colony I have not been obliged to feed to keep alive. My experience justifies the as- sertion that I would rather ha\e cotton cloth painted than either tin or wood. It is lighter and warmer than tin. and never shrinks or swells, like wood. In Florida, the second floor of two-story verandas are frequently covered with 8 or 10 oz. duck, and painted, giving much better satisfaction than wood, as it keeps wat(M' out of the joints, prevents decay, and wears longer than flooring if kept painted. Pecatonica, 111.. Jan. 20. (i. D. Rodgeks. [Thanks. These are just the facts we are aftei'. Whom shall we liear from next?] A glimpse from FLORIDA: HONEY AND ORANGES FROM THE SAME TRI-iE AT THE SAME TIME. Mr. iJoot.-— Can you gather two crops off the same tree at the same time? We are doing it to-day. While we gathered the oranges, the bees were much more busy gathering the honey from the flowers. Two friends, one from Min- nesota, the other fi'om New Hampshire, helped us. just for the fun of it; and didn't they eat or- anges I The trees are quite full of bloom, and; the bees are just booming. They were so in- tent in getting the sweets that they let us Ivuock them around pretty roughly. Prospects for a big crop are good. This time last year our bees were starving, but now they have lots of full honey, and ai'e storing now more honey than I ever knew so early in the year. W. J. Drumwright. Sarasota, Fla., March 3. CASSAVA — A NEW SOURCE OF HONEY. send you a specimen pf cassava honey. As. you are aware, cassava is grown as far north as middle ^lississipjii foi' the root, which is an ex- cellent fond for man and tieast. \\liich lattei' in- cludes hogs, cow s.sheej). chickens, etc. From it is made an excellentstarch, and tapioca is also a pi'oduct. I had quite a patch, and ray bees boomed on it almost like buckwheat. It is in bloom from September till frost, or Jan. 1, at least. I have never seen it mentioned as a hon- ey-i)lant, and I think there can be no mistake as to the source from which it was obtained. Irving Keck. Bowling Gnnni. Fla., March 14. [Friend K.. I believe you have the credit of being the fii'St one to mention honey from the cassava, and we have no doubt that you are right about it. If we can find plants that pro- duce a regular ai'ticle of commerce, like tapioca, we shall be getting ahead some. Will other readersof Gleanings who live where this plant is in cultivation, please give ns tlieir experi- ence? Perhaps we had l^etter commence using tapioca more largely, thatthere maybe a great- er acreage of the plant grown. Tlie sample of honey is very fair, though a little off in color, and having a faint taste that would suggest honey from the vicinity of the tropics. Alto- gether, however. I think it would compare fa- vorably with lioney from palmetto and other similar sources.] boardman's solar wax-extractor: A correction. In regard to the solar wax-extractoi- and hon- ey-evaporator, described in Gleanings of Jan. l.'>, make as many as you please. I do not pro- pose to go into tlie supply-business, and shall at most make but a few of the extractors, in an ex- perimental way. I noticed in the description two rather mis- leading ei'i'oi'S. On page 50, second column. (Uh line from the top. the description reads, " The lower end of the extractor is covered." It should read, "cornercc?."' The corner is taken off. Again, near the end of the description it reads, "painted a drab color." It should read. " a dark color." H. R. Boardman. East Townsend, ()., Feb. 2. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. iSl JIOW TO GET HID OF A FEHTII.E WORKER: AN EASY WAY. I for one like to have Gleanings sent aftei' the time paid for expires. I noticed in Glean- ings for Dec. 1.5. one writer (C. C. Miller, I think) tells how to get rid of fertile workers. I read of a way in the Afd., I think, which I tried last summer. No doubt you "old fellows" know all about it. but it is an easy way for a beginner. Set the hive with the fertile worker on top of one of the strongest colonies you have. My strong colony had a case of sections on, which I took off and put on top of the now two- story hive. I left them there about four weeks. I had a good deal of troubhi in handling tiiis double colony, not because the bees were cross, but because there were so many of them. They just hailed over whenever the hive was opened. When I sepai'ated them the queen was with the top hive. The lower hive started 14 queen-cells. I cut out all but t\\'o. and in a few days one of these, and I soon had a laying queen. Both col- onies were in good condition for wintering with a, little surplus. Joseph F. Barton. Chicago, Jan. L CLOSED-END FRAMES HANGING FROM THE CENTER. I use a closed -end frame that hangs fi'om the •center, on tin rabbets on the ends of the hive. This frame is cheap to make, and I think it is perhaps easier to handle than some. It is real- ly a hanging frame, and is also a very simple reversible one as it rests (or hangs) from the •center. Hanging, as it does, from the center, on tin rabbets, out of the way of the bees, they do not stick them down much if any. so yon can slide a body of these frames apart and ascertain the condition of the center of your colony with- out distui'bing them much. I have used this style of frame two seasons. At first I thought they might be more objected to in handling than a swinging or loose frame; but now I find I can get at what I want to ascertain at the center of a colony, in much less time than with any other frame I have ever used. I think there isn't any gain in handling a bi'ood-cham- ber over too often; and for many advantages, I think the closed-end frames will be of common use. W. H. Norton. Skowhegan, Me. ANOTHER SWARM THAT LIVED AND PROSPERED IN THE OPEN AIR. Did you ever know or hear of a swarm of bees building their comb in the oi)en air, in the limbs of a tree, in this country? I believe th(>y do in tropical countries. In going through my pear ■orchard in November, after the leaves had fall- <'n, I saw what I took to be a hornet's nest; but on examination I found it was a large bunch of comb, built by a swarm of bees. I got a ladder, and took it down. It is quite a cuiiosity. and I think it ought to be preserved. If you would like to have it to show to your visiting friends, I will send it to you. ' W. W. Young. VVorthington, Ky.. Dec. 18. [Bees don't very often build combs in the open air, but we get reports of it from time to time, but more particularly from California. The comb might be a curiosity for the World's Co- lumbian Fair. Dr. Mason, can't you use it? If so, give our fri(Mid instructions how and whei'c to send it.J IS IT CHEAPER TO RAISE 15EES RY THE I'OINI) THAN TO HUY THEM? What will it cost to raise, say, 100 lbs. of bees by feeding sugar to the reqtiired number of hives, supposing the weather warm, plenty of pollen to be gathered within a shoi't distance. but no honey, or too little of it to be consider- ed ? Or is it cheapei' to buy than to raise them by the pound ? Knoxville, Tenn. Adrian Getaz. [It is cheaper to raise the bees by feeding, usually, than tobuy: just how much, we can not tell. A good deal depends upon locality as to the price of bees. In a good many places, bees that are blacks and hybrids can be bought for a mere song after a poor' honey season.] QUESTIONS REGARDING FIXED FRAMES. 1. In adopting the fixed distance with closed- end-bar frame, will it interfere with the inter- changing of frames thi-oughout the apiary? 2. Is it possible to get combs built so true and straight that they may be used anyivhere and in anil hive, without i)inching bees, or uice versa — widening the fixed distance between combs? 3. Will it be practicable at all times to clamp the fi'ames tight together with follower and wedge? I should like vei'y much to hear the opinion of the Solons. E. S. Brooks. Silverton. Or., Jan. 21. [1. There is no trouble about interchanging frames for fixed distances; at least, bee-keepers who own colonies by the 500 seem to experience no trouble. 3. Yes, sir. That is just the way to get combs straight and true, by having fixed distances. 3. There will be no trouble if your hive is made right. If the Solons of fixed distances disagree with the answers made above, will they please correct?] SAWDUST IN PLACE OF CHAFF. ETC. 1. Is sawdust good packing for chaff' hives? 2. Is the Gallup hive as good or better than the Langstroth ? 3. I have a larg<' underground basement under the barn. Would it be a good place to winter bees in one end, and have stock in the other, by taking up the floor where the bees are? It is a stone- wall basement, well ventilated. It hardly ever freezes in it. Lewis Leit. Mayville, Tuscola Co., Mich. [1. \''es. nearly as good, only it makes hives too heavy. Wheat chaff is the lightest of pack- ings unless we except dried leaves. 2. There is no difference — at least, reports show none. It is not so much the frame as the bee-keeper, and the protection, he gives the bees. 3. We should think so.] ■ MANUM's WINTERING. My be(is had their first fly this season March 11. I opened them up in two apiaries, and found them in good condition. They appear to have wintered well. We Vermonters are very hopeful that the coming season will be a good one — at h^ast, the prospects ai'e good. Bristol, Vt., March ]7. A. E. Manum. A CAUTION IN THE USE OF SULPHURIC ACID. Wiiydid you not caution th(! friendsabout the danger of putting svilphuric acid into hot water when commenting on F. A. Salisbury's article, on page Til ? I call youi- attention to this, lest some one should lose an eye, or be badly in- jured otherwise. J. S. Hughes. Mt. Zion, III., Feb. 1<). [There have been a great many accidents with sulphuric acid ; but, used as given in r applying the label I press a damp cloth over it to press out and wipe off any sui'plus glue that nuiy come to the edge. Mt. Vernon, la., Feb. 14. Oliver Foster. [The following is what Mr. Brubaker himself says regarding it. in answer to a letter from Mr. Foster:] Oliver Fatder—Dear Sir;— In reply to youv inquiry as to wlietlier 1 would have any objections to your {j-ivinj^ the readers of Gleanings my I'scipe for Killing- on labels. 1 will say, most assuredly, I liave none, and I ftel that the readers of that excellent paper are entitled to it. I have foimd the prepara- tion to g-ive entire satisfaction for the past ten years. From my experience you can reconunend it with entire conlideuce. D. E. Brubaker. Mt. Morris, 111., Fel). 11. [We tried a sample of the glud with indigestion. A good many told me, during the past year, they could not get good graham flour since the roller process came into use for making white flour, and that the graham they now get seem- ed more like poor white flour mixed with bj-an, which can not be nearly so healthful as to get good wheat and make our own flour, which mak(\s very sw(M't bread. As it is difficult to get an oven hot enough to bake graham g(uus made of only flour and wa- ter, so as to be light, I usually make my graham bread with yeast, as I do other light bread, first setting the sponge of white flour, and, when light, mix with graham flour. Mix just as stiff as can be stirred with an iron spoon, or just as soft as a loaf can be formed with the hands, and place in pans to bake, or let it stand to rise once after putting in the graham flour. In that case a little soda should be added, as gi'a- ham bread soui's more quickly than white. It also rises more quickly, and should be kept cooler while rising, if intended to be baked at the same time as the white bread. HOW TO COOK eggs. Not until a few weeks ago did I learn how to cook eggs so as to be healthful, so that the white will be thickened like starch, but not be hard and leathery, and at the same time the yolk will be set also. Put fresh eggs into a cup or kettle of cold water, and let it stand on the stove till they come to a boil; then remove im- mediately. If the stove was not too hot or too cold vou will find them cooked very nicely. Roseville. 111. Mrs. L. C. Axtell. SPRAYING fruit-trees. I want to spray my pear, cherry, and plum trees, when in blossom, with Paris green. My^ bee-stands are all aboutthem. Will the poison, affect the bees or honey ? A. T. White. Antioch, 111., Feb. 5. [Spray your trees just after the blossoms have fallen off —earlier or later will do but lit- tle good to the trees. After the blossoms are gone, of course the bees will not visit the trees, and no harm will result.] 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 283 :SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOE A. I. ROOT, AND HIS FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS. A WONDKRFUI. AND STAIiTMNG niSCOVERY, EMANATING FHOM OUR EXPERIMENT (STATIONS. Just now WO have something that seems in- deed too good to be true. I do not know who first suggested the idea, but our Oliio Bulletin gives the credit of the experiment to the Cornell University, at Ithaca. N. Y. Like many other great strides, it seems tliat sevei'al of the Ex- periment Stations have had a hand in it. For some time back, reports have shown that va- rieties of strawberries that do not bear pollen have grown greater crops and larger berries than the perfect (or pollen-bearing) varieties; and it was suggested that this was due to the fact that it requires mucli of the energy and strength of the plant to perfect the pollen. Recently our Ohio Station discovered that as- paragus-plants are both pollen-bearing and non-pollen-bearing, or male and female: and that, if we select only the male plants, or those that produce no ])lossoms oi' berries, we shall get much stronger shoots. And now Cornell comes in and tells us that we may cut the tas- sels from every other row of corn in our corn- fields; and that those stalks or hills not allowed to bear tassels will give — what do you suppose? Why, not only lai'g(u- and better corn, but 50 per cent more in quantity. In the experiments, the tassel was snapi^ed olt just as soon as it could be done handily, and the field was gone •over three times. In the Bulletin, a full record is made of the experiments. That there might be no mistake in the conclusions reached, "•the aggregate results of '?A distinct duplicate exper- iments" were taken, "'each of which alone showed the same thing as the aggregate of all." If this is really true, it bids fair to be one of the greatest achievements the world has ever known in agricultural science: and, of course, the same thing, or something similar, may be applied to all plants that beai- pollen on one plant and fruit on another. In oi'der to test it early we have planted some corn in our hot-bed across the way: and just as soon as the tassel is visible, "amputation "■ is to be commenced. Of course, enough pollen-bearing stalks must be in the vicinity to insure perfect fertilization. The success of the expei'iments is based on the fact that nature furnishes a great surplus of pollen, as plants are ordinarily grown and close- ly cropped on our fields. A parallel case is the restriction of drone pioduction in our bee-hives. In their native state it is quite important that every hive should rear many thousands of •di'ones; but what would be thought of the api- arist nowadays who would permit drones to mature and issue by the thousands in every hive of an apiary of 100 colonies or more? One hive in a hundred could nearly if not quite rear drones for them all: and the wonderful fact that confronts us now is. that possibly one stalk of corn can furnish pollen-dust enough for not only two. six. a dozen, but may be tuienUj stalks • of corn. Who knows? And is it not ])ossihle, dear friends, that farming is going to pay after all, when we just get the hanij of things, and get acquainted with old Dame Nature? Now, friends, this is serious business. Farm- ers are complaining bitterly already that their crops do not pay cost. If in addition to this they are paying out their hard earnings for commercial fertilizei'S that don't pay, it is a fearful thing to contemplate. The trouble seems to be, that so many experiments are made without testing alternulc rows with no fertilizers. The use of phosphate on rye and buckwheat, on oui'own grounds, pays, without (luestion. But I have never lieen able to dem- onstrate to my satisfaction that any of the chemical fertilizers do any good whatever on sweet corn and most other market-garden crops. Stable manure, guano, ashes, and, in some cases, lime, pi'oduce marked results. But I have for years been coming to the conclusion that it paid us to put our money into stable manure: and for vegetable-plants in our plant-beds, guano often pays, unquestionably. Lime or ashes used with guano, or with stable manure, often make it act more promptly. The lime also destroys insects, and, where used in suffi- cient quantities, it destroys angleworms by the thousands. Now then: Before you invest" very much money in any commercial fertilizers, ex- periment by putting the fertilizer on strips clear through your fields. After you have shown conclusively, by experimenting in this way. that it is woi'th what it costs, then invest, and not before. Two or thi'ee years ago I saw so much said in the papers about the nitrate of soda that I got a bagful. As we had a very pretty lawn in front of the house I thought I would astonish the family and the neighbors by showing them what it would do. So I mark- ed out the letters on the lawn, "'A. I. R." Then I sprinkled nitrate of soda along the letters. As I did not know just how much to jnit on. I put it veiy heavily on some lettei's, and lighter on others, and watched anxiously for the extra growth and color where the nitrate was put. Well, the lawn. got to be very nice and green all over: but during the whole summer I saw nothing that enabled me to detect a particle of difference in the growth or color of the gi-ass where the nitrate was put on the letters. Then I tried the nitrate on other things; but at the present writing I have never found it to pro- duce any benefit pei'ceptible to the eye or to other tests, exci'[)t on a crop of spinach. Just now I have been testing it on spinach in the greenhouse; but even thei'e no one can see a particle of difference where the nitrate was put. Since writing the above I have been reading what "Joseph" has to say in the Furm and Fircskle about the use of nitrate of soda. Here is a sliort extract: I have repeatedly spoken of the really wonderful effects often noticed from tlie use of nitrate of soda. 1 shall never fail to use it larsrely on spinach, onions, cabbajie, celei'y-phiuts, etc., Iiereafter. Other writers have spoken of it in the same way. Now. there is something about this that troiililes me. I wonder whether it is possible that our poor success is on account of the heavy rains we have l)een having for two or three seasons back. Joseph speaks in the same ar- ticle of thei]' severe and long- continued drouth. Is it possible that nitrate of soda would over- count to some extent a lack of moisture? Can't our experiment stations explain these wonder- ful differences in results? DO COMMEUCIAL FERTILIZERS PAY'' In the report on corn of the Ohio Experiment Station for February, 1891, we find the follow- ing: No practical benefit was received from the use of commercial fertilizei-s. The increased yields from the use of stalile manure probably repaid the cost of the application, and left some piofit. SOME HINTS FOR SOWING CELERY AND OTHER SMALL SEEDS. Cultivate your flower-g-arden ; All weeds and thorns subdue; Neg'lig'ence is bard to i)ardon. And a ways will lx> cli;irg-ed to you. Localities differ. This should always be borne in mind. For instance, when celery is :.>84 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Apk. L sown ill the open g-ioiuul. where it rains ciJerj/ d/fiy nothing wouhl be required but a border of a few inches around the elevated seed-bed. to keep the seed from washing away. In a place where the seed-bed miglit get very dry, liow- ever, a coarse fabric, say a coveiing made of bran-sacks', should be us(>d. Vov the Hi-st few days, until the seed germinates, lay it flat on the ground, and it will keep the soil and seed from being disturbed while using the sprinkler, and guard against too heavy rains, and to give, partly, sun and shade. The bed is also warmed better by the sun, whei'e thus covei-ed. I have observed that a great amount of seed, money, time, and work, is annually lost because seeds y were not so well attended as formerly, but there were many young peo])le present. The pastor invited me to talk 15 minutes the last evening. Some way, when I planned my talk those boys and the young people kept com- ing up before me in my mind's eye again and again. I chose for my "text, " The wages of sin is death; but the gift of (iod is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Before I be- gan speaking, the pastor said something like this: "Mr. Root, the people of Medina could not liave paid you any higher compliment than they have. See the youthful faces before you, and especially a lot of boys who have come to hear you talk. If we get the children we shall have the parents by and by." At the close of my talk, two more boys rose up and declared before the congregation that it was their put'-, pose to serve Christ Jesus henceforth and for ever. At the close of the meeting the good pastor called them all up around him; and by encour- aging words, each boy rose to his feet, one after another, and gave his testimony in a tew simple words. Manv of these boys were so exceedingly bashful and timid that it was a very great cross 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 387 indeed for them to speak in public at all. But their bright and smiling faces, after they had borii(> their cross in their own boyish way, would certainly have convinced anyliody of the honesty and sincerity of the work in their own hearts. One young friend, who assists in the counter store, spoke something like this: "It pays to be a Christian, because it makes one fee! happy while about his work, all through the day." Most of the testimonies were about as brief, and much in this line; and when I meet these boys as I pass along through our different departments, the very sight of them does me good. The I'eport comes from the bosses of the different looms, that they could not ask for better boys than we have now. And yet this is the repoit we get of some who had made us the most trouble before our revival meetings. Now, friends, does it very often, if ever, happen that any one starts out to follow Christ before he is old enough? Remember the injunction, "Feed my lambs." through their articles. We are much more apt to choose such, when they are plainly written, than we are articles with no head-lines and no indication what tiiey are about. Very often, by glancing through a manuscript, the head- lines give a hint that the article should be used at once, if at all. While there i's such a great stack of uiHised manuscripts, and good ones too, those published will usually be the ones that are prepared and ready for the printer, other things being equal. C'IA)SED-KNI> FRAMES FOl! MISSOUKI. TnK editor of the Missouri Bee-keeper says that closed-end frames are his choice. He says: " We can handle them better than any hanging frame, and they are always properly spaced." Elsewhere in the same issue he says: " We put a few closed-end frames in our apiary three years ago. and have been increasing the num- ber ever since Our best yield has al- ways been from colonies on closed-end frames. They build up early in the spring. A hive with closed-end frames and winter case is the com- ing hive." Last issue we asked whether closed- end frames were practical in the South, and in- timated that possibly pi'opolis might be so bad as to make them intolerable. As far south as Mis.souri they are not as intolerable as they might be. How is it further south, friends? And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. Luke 22 ; 32. Bee.s in "our cellar" are doing well — none lost so far, that we can see. April 1.5th may tell a different tale, however. Dr. Mili.ek tells how. without perforated zinc, to raise queens in a colony already having a laying queen, on page 270. It's a good sug- gestion. We learn from one of our French exchanges that thei-e are in Germany over 2(),()0() members in the various apicultural societies of that country, and that the annual product of the bees exceeds 22 million francs. It takes extraordinarily good editing to boom a bee-journal that uses poor papei' and ink, and is otherwise slovenly in typographical appear- ance. Perhaps some of the bee-journals that have started this year may take a hint. Bee- keepers are good judges of printing as well as some other folks. EDITORIALS AND .STRAY STAAVS. Dr. Miller says, on the first page of the journal, that the editorials are "covering so much ground in an interesting manner that, in a little while, I shall have nothing to manufac- ture Straws from." Why, doctor, you are crowding on one end of the journal, and we on the other. We shall have to quit crowding you, that's all. ANOTHER NEW BEE-.IOVRNAL. Vol. I. No. 1 of the Missouri Bee-keeper, a monthly edited by E. F. Quigley, is before us. It contains 16 pages, with a neat tinted cover, and its first appearance is good, compared with the way a good many bee-journals start. Let's see: A month ago or so we said we counted up seven bee-journals that had started since Jan. 1, and this one makes the eighth. THE USES OF BASSWOOD IN LINN CO., IOWA. We are informed that there is a county in Iowa, named after the great number of bass- wood (or linn) trees, and it bears, therefore, the- name of Linn Co. Mr. J. S. Stoneking. residing in that county at Bartram, says there is a plen- ty of basswood timber in the county, and. in fact, in all eastei'n Iowa. The railroad com- panies bought at Bartram, his postofifice. 3,500 cords of wood, at $2.00 a cord, in 1891, a fourth of which was basswood. It makes the heart of a bee-keeper fairly ache to think of desecrating basswood for cordwood. It is bad enough to use it for sections.' furniture, packing-boxes, and paper. Our correspondent says they also use the wood very largely in his vicinity for making kegs and barrels. This is certainly a better use to make of such valuable timber. A SUfiGESTION TO CORRESPONDENTS. We should be obliged to the writers for Gleanings if they would scatter head-lines LARGE OR S.MALL HEE-KEEPPIUS: THE DIFFER- ENCE BETWEEN THEM. We do not despise the small bee-keepers — oh, no! They often give us some of the best ideas and short cuts: but when a large bee-keepei', who owns over .-)(K), (iOi), oi'. if you please, over 1000 colonies, is enthusiastic over a certain de- vice, and he knows from long practical experi- ence of its successful working, we feel as if his statement could not be lightly esteemed. Edit- ors have been accused of overlooking the little b(H^-keepers. and seeking articles fi'om the big bee-guns. There is some truth in it, but they naturally go where they can get the best infor- mation—that which rings with experience, and is redolent of the aroma of honey and the wax, and of the much-despised propolis. If a man with his thousand colonies finds a thing to be a success that is a money-maker, it will pmhaJ)!}/ work pretty well, even with as small a number as ten colonies: but, mind you, yon can not re- verse this. What gives good satisfaction with ten or even a hundred colonies may not neces- sarily do for several hundred stocks. foreca,sting re.sults IN experimenting: a suggestion for experimental stations. An experimenter should be unbiased. When he starts out on a series of experiments to prove oi' disprove, he should be just as willing to arrive at one conclusion as another. The trouble with 288 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Apk. 1. so iiuieli experiiiKnitingis. too much forecasting of conclusions; and the expc^rinicnter himself is quite inclined to make the thing come out just as he wants it to. on the ijrinciple of '" I thought so." or, " I told you so."' In other words, he should be just as willing to have his pet theories utterly annihilated as to have them substantiated. The man who says. " I told you so," or. '"I thought so,'' when a thing happens to come out so and so, shows that he uuinted the result to be so and so, no matter whether it be good or evil. It is just this disposition in human nature that makes the- world a great deal of trouble; and, barring the one factor of locality, it explains more differences of opinion and more differences in conclusion than any other thing in apiculture. E. R. R. ALITMINRTM — THE NKW METAL. We have just received 100 beautiful three- inch machinist's rules, made of pure alummi- ■um. divided into 8tlis. lOths, and 32ds of an inch. This metal is almost as hard as silver, and so light that the rule will lloat on water if laid very carefully on the surface. Tliis seems al- most incredible. In fact, \\'hen one takes it in his hand he is almost startled to find that, al- though it looks like steel, it is almost as light as wood. It is as i)roof against rust and tar- nish as gold itself, and even at its present price (about SI.OO pel' lb.) you f/t;f .so much it already promises to be a formidable rival to brass; and when we recognize that it is better than silver to hold its luster, it seems to be destined at once to take the place — at least to a great extent — of both silver and coi)i)er. We can send you one postpaid by mail for only :.':") cts. Steel rules, inade as accurately as these are, usually cost .50 cts. or more. MOVING A CARLOAP OF BEES TO COLORADO IN THE DEAD OF WINTER— A SUCCESS. The project of sending a carload of bees from Eastern New York to Fort Collins, Colorado (see p. 70), in the dead of winter, proved to be a success. We have just received a card to-day, March 26, which reads as follows: My carload of liees came through to this place Saturday evening', and were iill unloiided tlie same nigrht, and they liad ;i good fly yesterday. I had un- expected success in getting thi-ni here in good con- dition. I will rei)ort partictdars later. Fort Collins. Col., March 'iS. O. R. COE. This success is phenomenal, and our friend Coe is to be congratulated. We were afraid he might have trouble in the dead of winter. He is not only now in a place where he is free from losses in winter and spring dwindling, but he has his bees where they commence gather- ing alfalfa honey soon — quite a scheme. HOLDING A GKl'DGE. Our friend W. T. Chamberlain gives us a bright thought in the Ohio Farmer, as follows: Then here is another man whose name is a " com- mon noun. Smith." He thinks T don't like him be- cause he once criticised an article of mine in the New York Tribune (which I hart forgotten if I ever knew it), and once asked some hard questions at an institute (which also I had foigottcn). Bless his dearlieart! if I had laid up a grudgt' against every mm of that sort, my soul would need a thousand pigeon-holes, all marked "grudge," and variously classified. How many times this comes up through our correspondence! Somebody will have it that I am prejudiced, or that I have a grudge over something that has happened in the way of business. It reminds me of what Prof. Cook once said when I told him I feared I had hurt his feelings by something I had said carelessly. He replied: " Why, bless your heart, Bro. Root, this world is too full of important matters for us to take time to feel hurt, especially when we know each other as you and I do." AN INGENIOUS COMPLIMENT. Sometimes we get orders to stop Gleanings; but here is a subscribe!' who says he does not want it any lorujer. See: I do not want yon to send Gleanings any Iniicier; l)Ut how I wish it were a little wider and a good deal thicker'. Chester Olmstead. East Bloonifleld, N. Y., March 28. GOOD Np;WS AT t1(E HOME OF THE HONEY-BEES. Just at the last moment, as we go to jjress, all things are brought to a standstill to an- nounce the advent of a grandson to the founder of the Home of the Honey-bees. Ernest is go- ing around full of smiles, and is as proud as — well, as proud as a young man ought to be when he first feels the thrill of being father to a eight- pound boy. He arrived Easter Sunday. March 39. A. I. R. SOMETHING NEAV. IN THE LINE OF SMOKERS. Our friend Hill, of the Bee-keepers' Q-uide (it just now occurs to us that he has not been quite as friendly as he might have been, but never mind), has just gotten out something in the line of smokers, that, so far as we can judge by en- gravings, is, in many respects, ahead of any thing heretofore offered. The idea is so novel and unlipie that one feels ashamed of himself because he did not invent it long ago. My im- pression is, at the present writing, that he is entirely original in the idea. It is a cold-blast smokei', but it has a straight barrel, like the Bingham. The blast-tube is straight, so it is the easiest thing in the world to clean it, and yet it opens and shuts to put in fuel, handier and easier than any thing heretofore brought out; and the whole thing, when held in the hand, comes in just the most convenient shape for use. Send us an electrotype, friend Hill, and we will give your invention the notice it deserves, free of charge. DAD ant's latest MASTERPIECE. As if not satisfied with the laurels which he has just won in the English-speaking apicul- tnral world in his revision of Langstroth's book, y\Y. Dadant has just given to his own fellow- counti'ymen of France the same work, adapted, as nearly as can be, to that land. Side by side, the two books look exactly alike at first glance. The English book is a little thicker than the French, although the latter contains 7.3 pages more than the English woi'k. One of the hap- piest things about this great undertaking is the just prominence which Mr. Dadant gives to those who helped him— particularly Mi". Charles F. Muth, of Cincinnati. In this connection we beg leave to translate a few lines. After speak- ing of Mr. Langstroth's inability to revise his own book, on account of his brain troubles, Mr. Dadant says: Having had knowledge of his desire, and of his futile attemi)ts to accomplish so heavy a tusk, we thought (my son and I) that we would offer him our assistance. By the aid of our friend Charles F. Muth, who was enthusiastic over our project, the plan was soon carried out. After our conferences Mr. Langstroth was to pass in review all of our work, pointing out our oversights, suggesting ideas, etc. In consequence, the i-evision should have been called "Langstroth and Dadant." Unfortunately our friend's sickness rendered him incapable of do- ing the work. We continued writing, nevertheless, and, quite naturally, inserted Ins beautiful periods without mai'king them, thinking always that his name wonl(i appear in tlie title-page of the work. Finally it hi'came necessary to do entirely without his assistance, bvit the idea did not occur to us to in- sert, in the English edition, published by us in 1889, some mark to indicate what we bori'owed. Mr. Bertrand, of Nyon, Switzei'land, having pointed out this omission, we have made every effort todiscover what we copied, and have insei'ted it in brackets in tlie French edition, liai)pj' to render to our friend the honoi' that belongs to him. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 295 HUBBARD SECTION PRESS, HUBBARD BEE HIVE, And other Apiarian Supplies. Seiul for descriptive circular, C. K. HUBBARD, Fort Wayne, Ind. This Section Press (Pat June 17, 1890) isfar in advance of anything else ofthe kind on themarket. It is practically automatic. Both hands can be used to handle the sec- tions, and a slight forward pusli forces together the dovetailing, thus completing the sections with marvelous rapidity. Price 52.50. Ask your supply dealer for it. Supply dealers, send for whole- sale prices. The Hubbard Hive has been in use 8 years, and has stood the test nobly. I'rade has been con- stantly growing, owing to the ex- cellent satisfaction it gives. If you are ever annoyed by the .scraping and breaking of combs; killing bees when setting a frame to one side or hanging it in the hive; sagging at the bottom and getting waxed fast; shaking about when moving a hive; in short, if you dislike to pry and wrench your frames, brealc combs and kill bees while handlinar them you will be pleased with this hive. The Man AVho is 'Williiis to "Work cau make monev fast sell- ing these hives S5.00 to SIO.OO o To reduce my stock I will sell 50 colonies of Carni olan bees. All with carefully bred, prolific young queens. Prices reasonable. .5-8clb T. E. TURNEK, Templeton, Wis. SECTIONS! SECTIONS! SECTIONS! On and after Feb. 1, 1890. we will sell our No. 1 V- proove sections, in lots of .500, as follows: Less than 2000, f 3.50 per 1000; 3000 to 6000, f 3.(X) per 1000. Write for special prices on larger quantities. No. 2 sec- tions at S2.00 per 1000. Send for price list on hives, foundation, cases, etc. J. STAUFFER & SONS, 16 tfdb Successors to B. J. Miller & Co., Nappanee. Ind. In writing advertisers please mention this paper. 29() GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Apr. 15. Advanced Bee CaltuiT^e ; Its Methods and Management. I am now t'lifiagert in writing and piintiiig a book that is to bear this title. It is to talie tbe place of my other book, The Pniductum of Comb Honey, which will not be re-pub- lislied. Although tlie new book will contain at least five or six times as much matter as The Prtiduction of Vomh Honev, j-et the price will be only 50 cts. The book is already partly printed, and will probably be out some time in April or May. If any of the friends would like to " help me along- " in meeting- the expenses of g-etting- out the book, tliey can do so by sending- their orders in advance. Such orders will be most thankfully received, and tilled the voy day the book is out. I will send the Review one year and the book for f 1.25. The Review will be sent on receipt of order (I have plenty of back numbers to send it from the beg-inning- of the year), and tlie book as soon as it is out. Stamps taken, either U. S. or Canadian. lOtfdb W. Z. HlJTCHlNSOfl, Flint, :|V[ieh. t??"In respoiKjinir to this advertisement mention (Jleanings. Leakf IITg Co., — UNDOUBTEDLV THE— LARGEST PLANT IN THE WEST, Built exclusivoJv for the manufactitre of Api- arian Supplies. " One and One-Half Acres Floor Space. We sell as Cheap as the Cheapest, and our goods are as Good as the Best. Parlies will do v^^ell to write us for estimates on large orders. We will send you our catalogue for your name on a postal card. Address LEAHY MFG. CO., 7tfdb Hig-ginsville, Mo. Please mention this paper. $5.00 IN MAY, AND S4.50 IN JUNE, — WII.I. BUY— A Strong Fall Colons of Pure Italian Bees in Root's new Dovetailed or the old Sinii'hcity hive, as you prefer. Each to contain a tine tested cjueen and plenty of bees and brocd. Everything- tiist -class. Pure Japanese Buckwheat, per bu., fl; )4 bu., 60c; X bu., 350, bag- included. Scotch Collie Pups, $4 each. N. A. K.NAPP, K-ocliester, Lioraiii Co., O. 6tfdb Please mention this paper. SECTIONS. $2.50 to $3.50 per M. Bee-Hives and Fix- tures clieup. NOVELTY CO., 6tfdb Rock Falls, Illinois. CPPQ! Brown Leghorn, White Leg-horn, $1.25. C.UUO: Black Minorca, Plymouth Rock, Pekin Duck, $1..50. Light Brahma, Lang-shan, Game, $2 per 13 eggs. Strictly pure-bred. Sliip safely anywhere. Illustrated circular tree. GEKK BK4»S., Itfdb St. Marys, Mo. Orin respondlni; to this advertisement mention Gleanings. OAK HILL POULTRY FARM. The home of the best general - pur- jiose fowl for the farmers and the tanciei-s, the Barred PLYMOUTH EOCKS. 'this year, as in he past, I will de- ote my five large lops to Plymoutli locks only, and try () fill all orders promjitly from first class stock. Bg-g-s at $1.50 per 13, and fl.OO for each additional set- tnig- in the same sliipment. 6d E. J. KENNEDY, Troy, Pa. i^In responding to this advertisement mention Uleanings. BUCKWHEAT. MARTIN'S PROLIFIC. This buckwlieat under favorable conditions will jield 70 bushels per acre, as it is an enormous yield- er— stands up well and endures drouth remarkably well. La.st season it yielded double the quantity per acre sown, under the same or rather worse coii- ditions than my Japanese, 100 rods distant, and did not blast one-half as bad. I tliink it will supersede the Japanese when better known. Price $1..50 per bushel, 8.5c i)cr half bushel, bag-s included. #1.;25 per bu. for 5 to 10 Inishels. ReiTiit by P. O. order, bank draft or registeied letter to the oiigiuator, 7-lOdl) WM. MARTIN, CASS CITY, Tuscola CO.. mich. Please mention this paper. GOLDEN ITALIANS. AND THE bee-keeper:^- REVIEW. 1 liave purciiased the queen that, together witli her bees, took fir»t |»reiiiiiiiu last fall at the Detroit E.xposition. They are the Five-banded Golden Italians. Tbe Iiaiid»iuiii) st and gentlest bees, and the yellowest drones I have ever seen. They are not inclined to rob, and it is claimed tliey work on red clover. After June 1st 1 shall offer the daughters of this queen for fl.OO each, or 6 for $5.00. I have a number of tested queens, reared last season by H. Alley from liis "one-hundred-dollar queen," that I will sell for }3. 00 each. In order to secure a few orders early, to all persons wlio send me, be- fore Wlay Ist, |l.75, I will send one five-banded Golden Queen, and the BEE-K.EEHERJ*' RE- VIE W one year; feu- *3. 75 one of the tested Alley queens and the KEVIEW one year. The RE- VIEW is i)ublished monthly bv W. Z. Hut?hinson, at fl.dO a year. The REVIKW will be sent on re- ••elpt of order. Untested queens will besent after June 1st; tested queens the last of May. All orders will be filled in rotation. Make money orders pay- able at Flint, Jtlleli. Address ELMER HUTCHINSON, Rogersville, Genesee Co., Mich. Please mention this paper. NEW^ FACTORY- No. 1 Sections, |;3..50; No. :.', f3.75. Fine Comb Foundation a specialty. 2^. S. ROOF*, 520 East Broadway, 6-l7tlb Council Bluffs, la. t^"In responding to this advertisement mention Glkanings. FOR 8ALE.-2: Crude and refined. We have con- stantly in stock large quantities of Beeswa.x, and supply the prominent manufacturers of comb foundation throughout the country. We g-uarantee every pound of Beeswa.x purchased from us absolutely pure. Write for our prices, stating- quantity wanted. ECKERMANN Sl WILL, Bleachers, Eefiners, and Importers cf Beeswax, 5-16db Syracuse, N. Y. t^"In responding to this advertisement mention GLEANlNGSk 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 297 " I tell you what, Jones, Lev- ering Bros, sell the best goods and at the lowest prices of any one I've struck yet." The LARGEST and BEST EQUIPPED BEE-HIVE FACTORY IN THE WEST. THE NEW DOVETAILED HIVE A SPECIALTY. Every thing- used by prnctical bee-keepers by wholesale and retail. Send for our '91 illustrated price list :ind save money. Address 4-15dl) LEVERING BROS.,Wiota, Cass Co., la. tS'"In re.sinJiiilii'K to tlu> ni.KA.MNGS. Please mention this paper. SAVE FREIGHT By buying your supplies near home. Catalog-ue for your name on a postal card. Address 4-8db J. W. ROrSE & CO., Mexico, JWo. d Please mention this paper. NEW * FACTORY. Bee-Hives, Sections, Frames, Etc. We have moved into our new factory, which is the larg-est and most complete in the world. We make the best goods, and sell them at the lowest prices. Write for free illustrated catalogue. G. B. LEWIS CO., ntfdb WAT£RTOWN, WIS. t^In respondiny to this advt-t Lj>eiin_iji Jin-uiuni (iLKaxings. 1891. NEW BEE-HIYE FACTORY. 1891. Root's Dovetailed Hive a specialty. Price List free. Save your freight, and order early of Itfdb GEO. \V. COOK, Spring Hlll,.rolinNoii Co.,Kan. Please mention this paper. Syracuse, New York, IS A DEPOT FOR THE EAST FOR ALL OF A. I. ROOT'S APIARIAN SUPPLIES. FOUIVDATION ii!) Our Own Make. Don't buj- foundation of us, for it would please you. F. A. SALISBURY. Our Foundation is kept for sale by HENRY ALLEY, Wenham, Mass. In writing to advertisers please mention this paper. Itfdb Early Italian queens from bees bred for business. Each $1.00; six $4..50. Order now. paj" when queen arrives. Vtfdb W, H. Laws, Lavaca, Ark. ■pOK SAIiE. Black Minorcas and Pekin duck *■ eggs, $1.00 per 13. Bear-paw corn. 7oc peck, $3.7.5 per bush. J. V. Hurless, Archer, Harri.son Co., O. NEBRASKA For Nuclei Colonies and Italian Queens. Circular and price list now readv. 7tfdb J. M. YOUNG. Box 874. Piattemontli, Neb. BEE-KEEPERS' SUPPLIES. We uiaiiufacture all kinds of bee-keepers' supplies and novelties, for wholesale and retail trade. aj- :.'3c cash, or 2.5c in trade, for fair average BEESW'aX, delivered here. 3-8db A. A. WBAVEE, Warrensburg, Johnson Co., Mo. l^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleajstngs. 398 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Apr. 1.5. KIND WORDS FROM OUR CUSTOMERS. I bought one of j-our Popular Histories of tlie Civil War last fall for 75 cts., and I would not take $5 for it if I could not get anotlier. It is a fine book for so small a price. W. A. Peck. Brunswick, O., Jan. 9. KIND WORDS FOR OUR 1891 SECTIONS. The goods you shipijcd to me bj' freig:ht came through all right. The freight on tlie wliole amount of 81.5 lbs. was only $10.40. The sections are just simply beautiful. Nothing- was damaged in the least. Willie Douglas. Lexington, Tex., Jan. 18. The shears came to hand. They were for a Christ- mas present for my better half, and she was so highly pleased with them that slie has shown them to lier lady friends, and they are so pleased with them that"they all want a pair, so I oi-der ten pairs. Hastings Minn., Jan. 4. Wm. Dyer. OUR $13 sewing-machine. Our sewing-machine came to hand in good order, and uoes as good work as a fifty-dollar macliine. It certainly is a marvel for the money. Freight was $1.60. ' J- H. Archer. Mt. Calm, Tex., Jan. 1. gleanings FOR ADVERTISING. Please discontinue my advertisement, as I have received a consideralile number of replies, and can surely make a selei-tion from them. I find Glean- ings is a splendid i)lace to put an adv't to reacli the eye of the public. Please accept thanks. Monongah, W. Va., Feb. 28. S. Ray. Holbert. WASH and be clean. What you say under the head of " Wash and be clean " is just what I have been looking for in every number of Gleanings; for I felt sure that it would come, sooner or later; and I thank you for it — not on my own account (for I had found out the remedy without the $4.U0), but for humanity's sake. Leon, Wis., Mar. "L B. F. Fox. HOW OUR compound ENGINE WORKS. The engine works all right, except the bolts that connect the boxing on the main-sliaft journal. They will work loose wliile the engine is running, and I have to stop very often to tigliteu them up. Per- haps you can suggest a remedy. I wish to tell you the good points about the engine that I have learned so far. My boiler is onlj- 16 inches in diameter by 40 incties high. I have no troulile in keeping the steam at 12j lbs., and we run our hive machinery and a heavy 12-inch emery plow-share grinder at the same time, without any trouble, only as noted above. A. B. Herman. Burnett's Creek, Ind.. Mar. I". My goods were received in San Francisco Dec. 31. Every thing was correct. I am esi)ecially pleased with the section-former. It does beautiful work. Rate from Reno, $1.18; only about $3.(X3 saved. Bouldin Island, Jan. 26. H. S. Thomas. THE NEW IMPROVED DOVETAILED HIVE. You have made some grand improvements on the Dovetailed hive, for I find the hone.y-board stuck fast everj' time with the old hive. However, I think the improved hive will do better. Don't go back on that outside shell lor wintering. That strikes me as just about riglit, if it is put up well so it can be painted, as the senior said. A. T. McKibben. Flag Spring, Ky. A GOOD TESTIMONIAL FOR OUR ANEROID BAROMETER. The aneroid barometer came to hand in good or- der. Tuesday last. I am more than pleased with it, and ot)nsi(U'r it the best investment foi- the money I liave made for some time. I have used both mercu- rial and aneroid instruments costing several times the amount; but I ask for no better than the one you sent me. J. Y. Detwiler. ' Toledo, O., Feb. 28. BEE-KEEPER'S GUIDE. 16th THOUSAND JUST OUT. Plain, Practical, Scientilic. Every farmer and bee- keeper should have it. PRICE REDUCED TO $1.00. Liberal discount to dealers. Address A. J. COOK, Agricultural College, Mich. Pleu^e mention Glkanlnus. UNTESTED QUEENS, until June 1st. $1.00; after June lst,',75 cts.; $8.00 per doz. Tested queens, after June 1st, $1.50. Select tested, $2.00. Bees by the pound until June 1st, $1; after June 1st, 75 cts. Can supply any demand froiu first of May. Stfdb PAUL L. VIALLON, BAYOU GOULA, LA. ^^In respond) rig to this advertisement mention Gleanings. CHOICE ITALIAN Queens reared in full colonies. Tested, $2.00; Untested, $1.00; Select tested, $3.00. One lb. of bees. $1 50; half lb., $1.0(1. 8d I. L. PARKER, TRACY CITY, TEKN. Please mention thit. paper. ANTED.— To exchange apiar.\- of 150 colonies of bees. Will take any kind of faim stock, goods ■roceries. Anthony Opp, Helena, Ark. w SUPERIOR COLD-EYED NEEDLES. Cut shows the contents of the ixickage, half size. The bod- . each. A. I. Root, Medina, Ohio, ^KTire Clotli. For door and window screens, tackinu over hives and nuclei for shipping, making- bee and queen cages, and a varii-ty of purposes. We have the fol- lowing list of green and black wire cloth which is not exacily first class, but is practically as good for the purposes mentioned, and at prices much below the ordinary price. You can no doubt select from this list a piece to suit your needs Price In full pieces, lU cts. per square foot. When we have to cut it, 2 cts. In case the piece you order may have been taken by some one else before your order comes, please say whether we shall send the nearest in size, or cut one the size ordered at 2 cts. per ft., or give a second or third choice. Pieces less than 100 ft. long. These figures are the number of square 1 feet In each piece. Multiply by 1% cents for the price of piece. 10 green 25 green 5 green 35 green 14 green 1-5 green 6 green 18 green 6 black 5 green 3 black 7 black 15 green m « a ta J3 n is hJ 8 100 v^ 1(K» u 100 «1.17 1 1.75 I 3.50 3.50 •2.J0 4 37 m 4 «7 m) .') tS) 317 b.hi 317 5 iA ;m 5 «:< 360 6.12 65, 64,63,63,63.62,33 140. 8, green; 200 black. This is below reg. pr. of 1% c. 224. 224, green. 269, black ; price 84.70 100 I 250 I 4.3' M I 4.3/ 1 A. I. ROOT, Medina, Ohio. Cash for Beeswax! Will p;iy 28c per lb. cash, or 30c in trade fur any quantityof good, fair, average beeswax, delivered at our R. R. station. The same will be sold to those who wish to purchase, at 33c per lb., or 37c for best selected wax. Unless you put your name on the b x, and notify us by mail of amount sent, I can not hold myself responsible for mistakes. It will not pay as a gen- eral thing to send wax by expreas. A. I. ROOT, Medina, Ohio. Job Lot of Wire Netting. CUT PIECES AT A LOWER PRICE THAX FULL ROLLS. Having bought from the factory, at our own price, five or six hundred remnants, as listed below, we are able to give you the choice of a great variety of pieces at the piice of a full roll or lower. Full rolls of netting are 1-50 ft. long, and when they are cut we have to charge nearly double the full-roll rate, be- cause it is so much trouble to unroll, measure, and cut, and run the risk of having a lot of remnants on hand. No doubt it is in this way that the following remnants have accumulated. It costs a good deal to get all this in shape so we can easily pick out from the lot the piece you want. But to move it off quick- ly, we put the price down so you can all have a chance at it. Remember, first come, first served. In ordering, therefore, name a .second or third choice, or say that we may send the nearest we can if the piece selected is gone. On 5 pieces deduct 5 per cent, on 10 pieces 10 per cent. These remnants are shipped only from here. If any of you want to secure some, and don't want them shipped till later, when you will order something else, so as to save freight, pick out the pieces you want, send remittance with the order, with request to lay by till called for, and we will mark them as belonging to you. We prefer to ship them right out, however. LIST OF POtTLTRY-KBTTING REMNANTS. Length of each piece. Multiply by the width in feet to get the number of square feet in each piece. Then multiplj- by the price per foot for the price per piece. ■ii\lV, 20 1 ^ I 95, -27; 60 in., 32, -~ ' "' 32 28 25 I 1-25. 103. ioo. 100. 94, 88, 81, 73. 68, 67, 50, 48, 19. 60. 25: 12 in., 107. 19 19 1 % 18 I 1 18 I 1 18 ...20. 61. 53. 48, 47, 37, 35, 22, 22. 23 15; 24 in. wide, 77; 60 in , 25, 78; 18 in. wide, 72, 72, 40; 24 in. wide, 94. 88 34. 32. 23; 30 in. wide, 46. 44, 24; 48 in. wide. 48. 60, 58, .56; 48 in. wide, 48. 87.61.30: 12 in. wide, 100. 100. 90. 69, 52, 33. 33, 13, 12. 127. 21, 6; 60 in. wide, 21, 20. 17, 13, 7, 7, 7. 6, 5. 1-21. 35, 26 23. 20. 8; 72 in. wide, 36. 33 9. 72. 49, 48, 4.5. 38. 37. 30, 29, 26, 14. 29; 42 in., 71; .54 in. wide, rj2. ]8in. wide, 14; 30 in., 14. 85. 71.. 59. 3'i. 33. 36 in. wide. 47, 47. 85, 59; 60 in., 56; 72 in., 64, 63, 10. 40, 14; 54 in., 12; 60 in., 34. 65. 19. 79; 36 in., 14, 7; 42 in., 34; 48 in., 92. 22. 48, 12, 10; 24 in.. 42; 30 in., 75; 48 in.. 78 15,11,10; 30 in., 6; 42 in.. 80; 48 in., 22; 72 in. 8. 53; 72 in., 51; 3D in., 96; 9 in.. 40. 26; 9 in., 24; 42 in., 50, 34; 48 in., 100, 40. -25; 60 in. 26; 18 in... 50. 85.32; 9 in.. 3-2; 10 in.. 20; -24 in., 23; 30 in.. 69, 51. 37; 48 in., 30; 60 in., 59. 33,7; 36 in., 75.55. 128. 46.19; 36 in.. 86; 42 in., 14. 63; 48 in.. 60. 45; 72 in., 100, 70. 166, 52, 35, 23 107, 68, 35, 17. 15. .52.47,36,33,30 29 19,18,13,9. 43. 37. 34. -25. 24 23,18. 144, 117, 68, 62, 62, 60, 23, 22, 22, 15, 12, 12, 12, 8, 6. 82,50.44.11.5. 68 ft.; 36 in., 200 ft. at 4c; 45 in., 247 ft. at 5e. Four and eight inch fencing. Price in fourth column is the price per foot in length. .A.. Z. ROOT, l^ediiaa., O. 18 1 15< 18 1>^ 16 2k. •20 lUi 19 IK 18 2 20 r»C 19 2 18 2K 18 2t<; 20 2^ 19 3 16 1 15 IJ^ 14 1« 14 3 14 4 14 m 14 i^ 14 5 14 bVj 13 'i 300 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Apr. 1.5. COr^THOli YOU^ SWAf^lWS. M. D. AVest's coil wire queeu-cell protectors will do it. and you can REQUEEN your apiary duiing the swarming: season. Pronounced the BEST by sucli nuMi us Cart. J. E. Hetherington, Cherry Vauley, n. y., p. H. EL.WOOD, STARKVU-LE, N. Y., and others. Cell-inotcctors, sfJUid per 100, or 12 for 60e, bv mail. Cages, *5.00 per 100, or 13 foi' $1.00, by mail. Samples of both, with circular explainuig-, 25 cts. See cut and description on page 321. Patent applied for. Address N. D. WEST, MIDOLEBURGH, SCHOHARIE CO., N. Y. lyin respondinir to thisadveitisenieiit Tiientiem HLKANEGa ~lEEST¥PPLiES"FOR IOWA. ._ Send for my supplement for 1891, now ready (no new catalogue). Say whether you have my catalogue dated 18f-9 and 1890. Address Olix^*^k. c CO J SE'A/D '"O" '91 CIRCULAR * 5 Dovetailed and Simplicity hives, Snow- 3 ) white Sections, Foundation, wholesale O ) and retail. Golden Italian Queens, 265 2 ; colonies of bees, etc. We furnish every 5 ) thing needed in an apiary. Address Ca ) JOHN NEBEL <£ SON, HIGH HILL, MO. In writing to advertisers please mention this paper. 3-8db s Please mention this paper. Bee -Keepers' * Supplies. We are prepared to furnish bee-keepers with sup- plies prom])tly and at lowest rates. Estimates gladly furnished, and correspondence solicited. Our goods are all first class in quality and workmanship. Cat- alogue nent free. Keference, First National Bank, Sterling, 111. Addre.ss WM McCUNE & CO., 21-20db Sterling, Illinois. It3-ln responding to tliis adverti.--enient mention Gi.eaninos. FRUIT TREES I VINES Wormy Fruit and Leaf Blight of Apples, Pears, Cherries, CypCI QinD SIMiAYING Gr I pe and P.jtato Rot, Plum Curculia prevented byusin^ UAuLLOiUn H^PERP^CT FRUIT ALWAYS SFLLS AT COOD PRICES.Catalogueshow- M. ■ing all injurious insects to Fruits mailed free. I^arge Ntock of Fruit Trees, Vines, ^^and Berry I'lants at Bottom Prices. Address VViU. STAHL, Qiiincx, Ills. tyin responding to tliis advertisement mention Gleaninos. OUTFITS. PATENT WIRED FOUNDATION. The Greatest FOLLY of MODERN BEE-KEEPING is -WIRING BROOD-PKAMBS^ ^.^^^^^ OUR WIRED BROOD FOUNDATION is BETTER, CHE APER, and not HALF the trouble touse that itlsto WIRE FRAMES Many may confound the two, but they are ENTIRELY different. J. VAN OEHSEN «Jc SONS, Sole Manufacturers, Sprout Brook, Mont. Co., N. \ . C^"lii le.spoiidinir to this advertisement mention Olfanthos. A glimpse of our Factory, now making carloads of Dovetailed Hives, Lang. Simp, hives, plain Lang, hives. Alternating hives. Chaff hives, sections, etc. Many articles not made by others. We can furnish, at wholesale or retail. Every thing of practical construction needed in the apiary, and at Lowest Prices. -Satisfac- tion guaranteed. Send forour New Catalogue, 51 illustrated pages, free to all. -itfdb £. KRETCHMER, Red Oak, Iowa. lt^"In responding to this advertisement mention Gleanings. • DELVoTELDi •ANDHoNEY--. •AND home:- •1NTE.F^EST^ Published by R. I. Hoot, JVTedina, O. Vol. XIX. APRIL 15, 1891. No. 8. FROM DR. C. C. MILLER. Don't tinker with your bees unnecessarily. Sugar has a two-eent bounty. How about honey ? A GENERAL CALL for State associations. World's Fair. B.E.Rice (A. B. ,T.) thinks painting hives "a loss of both time and money." Queen-excluders, says the B. B. J., are in- dispensable in working for extracted hcmey. A STANDARD FRAME may yet be adopted in California, according to a report in C. B. K. I WISH friend Cornell had included a double wall without packing, in the experiments re- ported on page 207. .St. Patrick's Day. March 17. my four colo- nies outdoors had a gdod fly — I think the first full flight in four months. Eggs are destroyed for me in queenless colonies in the hottest weather, as well as cool- er. This in reply to G. E. Fradenburg. p. 329. Another. The Mi-^aouri Bee-kecpcr. Union- ville. Mo. Nicely printed, in type big enough for those hard of hearing. E. F. Quigley, editor. Adulteration I St van says that xtvdws get into the cream he fuiiiishi's in C. B. K. Still, that may be borne if he doesn't water his cream too much. "A little mixed " is that last item on p. 239. Mr. James uses hives of bees to hatch chickens, but the Medina folks use hives without bees. Isn't an old hen bettei? A big country- this. I didn't realize how big when I wi-ote my little hymn, " In January . . . . the bees store nary a drop.'' The C«/"- if or Ilia Bee-keeper says that won't do down there. Wooden shoes are worn and liked by ]\Irs. Hai-iison. They keep the feet warm and dry. I had a pair. I don't know what became of them. I think my wife didn't like the looks of them. An item on page 230 is headed, "A colony of bees which secrete no pi-opolis,'' as if that vvere something strange. None of my bees secrete propolis. They just gather it from trees or something. Porcelain door-knobs get loose. One of ours got loose the other day. and. instead of throwing it away as usual, I put it into the fire with the metal shank in it. took it out when the lead melted, and it was as solid as when new. But it cracked the porcelain somewhat. Cowan's new book. I've read it all through, although some of it was pretty hard to under- stand. It was like taking a dose of medicine a little, but I feel the better for it afterward. It's a capital book. That old Frenchman. Ch. Dadant. is not in his dotage, by any means. A strong and well-written article from his pen, of four pages, in the Revue Internatiomile, defends Father Langstroth against the charge of copying De- beauvoys and others. A NEW THEORY' of foul brood. A. Leech, in A. B. J., says the moth-miller lays eggs in the cells beside the queen's eggs, which hatch out. suck the food from the bee larvte, which die, causing foul brood. As the newspapers say, this lacks confirmation. The chickens scratch up the posy-beds every now and then, and then your wife sheds a few quiet tears. I'll tell you how to make her happy. Fence in the beds with poultry- netting two feet high. You can step over it. but the hens don't know enough to fly over — at least our Plymouths and Banties don't. After putting my bees in the cellar I no- ticed that they didn't hang in as large clusters under the frames as in the preceding winter. I didn't know why. To-day, March 18, the cel- lar being colder than early in the winter, the clusters are much larger than then. I don't know why. Do you? Here's a " wrinkle"' from Walter Marshall, in B. B. J. He thinks the reason that some have trouble in using, for the second time, sec- tions partially filled, is because of propolis on the edges of the cells. So he scrapes off the surface of the comb to within '% of an inch of the midrib, early in the season, when the wax is brittle with cold. There's no slow working, and no old look when done. Melilot. Bignens, in Revue Internotionnle, reports a ijrofitable crop of melilot. getting a good crop of honey during its bloom, while sur- rounding bee-keepers a mile oi- two distant got little or nothing. It was sown with barley, and sheep and cattle ate the straw greedily.' Mr. Bertrand. the editor, says his pony ate'a mix- ture of oats aud melilot. and the'pouy much preferred it thus -perfumed" to the clear oats. '•We" or '"I"? Bro. Newman savs ''we'' has the indorsement of Ernest on account of the plurality of editors. Yes, it's all right to say "we" for two. We do at our house. But when it's I, say I. I see the "I" is used in Gleanings in 1.5 different editorials where "I" was meant. Bro. Newman thinks "we" looks better. That's a matter of taste. He savs " we'' '■has the indorsement of manv centuries." True, and so it has for the chief ruler of a na- tion, and yet to-day the chief ruler of the great- est nation on earth savs " I." 302 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Apr. 1.5. Wax scales ai'e found, plenty of them, wasted on the bottom-board, when a swarm is hived in an empty hive without foundation or comb. Few or no wax scales a^re found on the bottom-boai'd of a colony run for extracted honey, if they have abundance of empty combs. The case should be exactly reversed, if bees se- crete wa\ whethei- needed or not. See the bearing on page 213. friend Root? I'm with Prof. Cook, but I can't answer your argument. ForL BROOD. S. Cornell, in C. B. J., says foul brood may be carried in foundation. Melt- ing in a sun extractor will not kill it. and heat- ing to 1(50° in making foundation will not kill it. To be entirely safe, it must be heated to 257°, or kept at 200° for some days. D. A. Jones thinks this a case where "science and practice do not agree." He thinks " the heat necessary in mak- ing foundation is great enough to destroy the germs of foul brood." The thing needs careful consideration. See editorial, page 341. gENER^Ii C^RRE^P^NDENCE. MANTJM'S NEW METHODS OF RUNNING SEV- ERAL APIARIES ALONE. SIX OUT-APIARIES AND ONE AT HOME, AND NO HELP TO BE HIRED. "Why, how do you do, Henry? Walk in, and have a seat. How do the chickens prosper, and how many have you?" " Well. Manum, I am pretty well; and as to the chicks, they are doing well. I have now .500, from two to six weeks old, and 500 eggs in the incubator." "W^ell, well, Henry: you are going into the broiler business rather heavy, I should judge. You must think it a profitable business, or you would be more moderate in your new venture." " Yes, I think it will pay better than the bees have for a few years past, though I shall not give up the bees, but work the two together; for, you see, the main work and attention with the chicks comes at a time when I can do noth- ing with th(^ bees, as I start my incubators in December, and aim to dispose of my chickens by June 15th, after which my whole time is devoted to the bees." "I believe, Henry, you raised a few broilers last year. Did you keep an account of the cost of raising them, so you know for a certainty that there is a proHt in raising them? " •' Yes. I kept both debit and credit, and 1 know iust what profit was made. Myself and part- ner cleared just SlOii.OO on 175 chicks, and ex- pect to make a better average per cent this vear with our new brooder-house, and better facilities. But, Manum, I came over to talk bees with you, and to ask yoit how you propose running your bees without help this season, if your method is no secret." " No, Henry, I have no secrets pertaining to the bee-business, therefore I will try to explain to you, as best I can, just how I propose to manage. " First, I shall do all in my power, through the month of May— by contracting and feeding —to stimulate bi'ood -rearing, in order to get a large force of workers hatched out by the time clover blossoms, which is usually about June lOth; and as then is the time swarming com- mences, I shall remove the queens from such colonies as have started queen-cells, or that show any signs of preparing to swarm: then in eight days I remove all queen-cells found in these hives, except, perhaps, from one or two that I wish to rear queens from. In these I al- low the cells to remain until they are old enough to transfer to the queen-nursery to hatch: and perhaps at this second visit I re- move fifteen or twenty more queens, and in six or eight days more I again visit this yard and cut out queen-cells as before, both from the first lot where the queens were taken out — should there be any — and the second lot, and remove queens from as many more as I find preparing to swarm. Now, by the time 1 make the third visit I shall find a lot of young queens hatched in the nursery; and the colonies from which I removed the first queens will be in condition to receive and accept a virgin queen, so that I will run in a virgin queen in each colony. All this time I must manage to have a supply of virgin queens on hand, to introduce at each visit until 1 have gone over the whole yard: and. besides, I have all the other work to do in each yard, such as putting on and taking off sections, look- ing after the nuclei in which I have many queens fertilized for tlie market, caging ani mailing queens, etc. In this way I can attend to six out-apiaries by going to each once a week. The seventh, being the home apiary of only (30 colonies, I can look after nights and mornings, or as I can best catch the time. By this method I can prevent swarming, and dispense with high-priced help; and, moreover, I am sure that each colony has a young queen in the fall." " Well, Manum. do you think you can take care of seven apiaries alone? " "Yes, Henry, I think I could; but I expect Fred to help me loolc after the sections and nu- clei, and help other ways." •• What do you propose to do with the queens you remove ? " "I expect to sell a good many of them. As I offer them at a lovv' price, many bee-keepers will avail themselves of this opportunity to in- troduce my strain into their apiaries. What I do not Sell I shall use in making artificial swarms; for I must increase a little — at least enough to k<'ep my number of colonies good." "'Do you think you will secure as much hon- ey by this method as you would by allowing natural swarming?" "Well. Henry, that is a question I am not fully prepared to answer. But my opinion is, I shail not. and I shall have to work harder my- self. But I think, after deducting the expense of hired help, the result in dollm-i^ will be about the same with one method as the other, in a good season: while in a poor season I can save money by this plan of removing queens." " What if there should come a rainy day or two— wouldn't that disarrange your visits to the out-apiaries?" " No, not very much, for I aim to have at least one day's leeway, though I often am obliged to visit my apiaries in the rain: but by having my record-book constantly with me I know every morning just what must be done that day; and as 1 can, itpon a pincli, visit two and even three yards in one day, I can many times manage to avoid being out in rainy weather, because I can work two yards in one day when it is necessary, in order to catch up with my work." " How do you introduce viigin queens so suc- cessfully as you do?" ■'I do that simply by rendering the colony hopelessly queenless, as I have stated above, by removing the old queen and keeping all queen- cells cut out until they have neither eggs nor larvie with which to rear a queen, and then simply run the virgin queen in without cere- mony. I tisually run them in about the 1.5th day after removing the old queen, though the time varies from the 12th to the 30th day after, according as I have the time and the virgins to introduce." 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 303 '■ Do you run them in at the entrance or at the top of the hive?"' "Usually at the top. At the time this work is done the sections are on the hives, and I sim- ply raise one corner of the enameled cloth that covers the sections, and let the queen run down among the bees in the sections. This is done so carefully that the bees are not disturbed in the least, and the queen is tisually accepted. I inti-oduced over 500 last season, and did not lose over a dozen."' ■' Would it not be better to give them a fertile queen instead of a virgin"'"" "No. Henry. 1 think not. because such a queen would at once commence laying, and soon till the combs with eggs, and there would be a large amount of honey consumed in rearing the brood, the bees from which would be useless to me as honey-gatheiers. as the honey season would be over before such brood would hatch: while, on the other hand, by leaving them queenless 1.5 days, and ten to tifteen days more before the yoiing queen commences to lay, makes at least 25 days, right in the best of the honey season, that they are without biood to feed: hence the honey they would have con- sumed is stored in the hive, and the colony is just as well otf (for bees) in the fall as though a laying queen had been given them, because they have a part of July and the months of August and September in which to rear a stock of bees to carry the colony through the winter." '•Have you "ever triedother methods to pre- vent swarming?" "Yes. two or three of them, one of which I think is practical, and I shall practice it some- what this season, and I believe it is original with me: and if you are in no hurry I will ex- plain it to you. as I should like to have you try it this season."" "I don"t think I had better stop nosv. as my chicks must be calling me by this time. I will call again in a few days, and shall be pleased to listen to the new ways: so, good-day."" "Why. what is the ni after with you? What makes you so lame. Henry? '" "Ohl* nothing, only a corn on one of my toes. I have sat here so long that it harts at first starting off." " Well, it must be a bad one, sure. You just undress your foot while I get something to put on that will surely cure it. There. I will satu- rate this little wad of cotton batting with ex- tracted honey, and bind around the toe — so. There, now. dress your foot again, and I'll guar- antee that to-morrow you will be thankful for the discovery.'" "Well. Manum, you beat all the men I ever saw. I never have visited you yet without get- ting some new idea from you." "For any new thought I may give you, or any one else, Henry. I take no credit to myself, as "they originate with a higher intellect than my own. 1 am, like all other mortals, simply a medium through which an unseen force gives to the woi'ld these new ideas. Though many of these things I have gleaned from other mortals, through whom the same unseen force has ex- pressed itself for the good of all, yet we should entertain no dispositit)n to keep any good thing from our neighbors." A. E. Manvm. Bristol. Vt. [Vei-y good, friend M. I suppose we are to understand by your concluding remark, that, if you should make some valuable discoveiy in regard to alleviating human suffering, you would not be one of the sort who would want ?4.00 each from every man to whom you gave the secret. Here is our hand. Shake! But, hold onl While we are shaking hands cordial- ly over this matter of curing a corn with ex- tracted honey, I fear we shall not agree quite as well on the probability that you can run six out-apiaries, besides one at home, and do all the work yourfielf. If there should not be very much honey, and therefore not very much work to do, perhaps you might get along very well. But suppose we have a real old-fashioned sea- son, whei'e the honey comes day after day. as if it rained down, then where would one man be with six out-apiaries and one at home? Wljen I was in Wisconsin I saw an apiary of toward 100 hives, with the hives so full of honey that the greater part of the bees were crowded out. and lay on the outside and in front. The pro- prietor said he knew the bees were losing their time in the very height of the season: but he had taken out honey all day. and it was then after four o"clock. and he was not going to work any more .for (tinjbody. I suppose that, in the town of Boscobel. pi-ople could be hii'ed to woi'k after supper as well as in other places. I remonstrated with him some, because he was going to let that harvest go to waste be- cause of the lack of a little help. Never mind; we will not argue the case with you. But please tell us, thi'ough your notes, how you get along. Many others are interested in this very same problem of hiring help.] CHIPS FROM E. FRANCE. THE FLAT BOARD COVER AND ITS SLIDING MOTION. In March 15th Gleanings, page 211, E. R. Root says, at the bottom of the tirst column, "You know that, when we put a flat cover on a hive, we kill bees if we set it flat down on the square edges of the hive: but with a sliding motion, in the hands of those who use that cov- er, there is not the least excuse for killing bees." Now, I just want to object to any thing being put on over the bees with a slklinij motion. If there are bees over the frames, or on the square edges of the hive, that sliding motion rolls them up in bunches and kills them. My hives are all square edged on top. and we use a flat wood honey-board. When we put ihe honey-board on we use a little smoke to drive the bees down between the combs, and with a brush we brush the edges of the hive clean, and then put the board on flat, and kill no bees. RAPID GROWTH OF BAS8WOOD-SPROUTS. About those basswood-sprouts (see page 223), two vears ago I cleared ofT a yard for a new apiary. About the center of the yard there is a basswood stump two feet in diameter. The flrst year spi'outs grew from that stump ten feet high and ly, to 2 inches thi'ough near the ground. We "cut them all off: but last year, sprouts grew again nearly as tall and large. Now. if only two or three of those sprouts had been left to take all the gi'owth from the old roots. I think 10 years would have made a fair- sized saw-log. ABSURD theories: a genuine chicken- story. Again, page 227. J. D. Whittenburg, did the bees eat that wheat? No. What then? Mice. There are lots of false notions about bees. I have heard several men say, that, if bees we)-e short of honev. if boiled chicken be placed un- der the hive, they would eat it and winter on it. Do I believe it? No. Mice again. My son Newel has just got back from the bee-keepers' convention, and says the chicken story was ad- vanced there as a fact. Several years ago a man told me he had a swarm of bees wintering on chicken. I went to 304 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Apr. 1.5. see it. They had eaten up one cliicken, and he was going to put in anotlier. They were in an old box hive, and were a new swai'ni, and tlie hive was half full of combs. We tipped it up. Chicken bones were thei-e, picked clean. "There," he said, "see, meat all gone." "Did the bees eat it?" '"Yes," he said. I said, "Let me take the hive down. I want to investigate this case." I took the hive off the stand and turned it over. "See, there is a mouse-nest up on the cross- sticks, just at the bottom of the combs.'" I put in my hand to takeout the nest. As I took out the nest, out jumped a mouse — two or three of them, and away they ran. " See," I said, "mice eat your chicken." "No," he said, "the bees eat the chicken." We cleaned out the nest and mice, and clean- ed off the bottom-board. This was in the middle of winter. I could see a little capped honey up in the combs yet. I told him I thought his bees would live until about the tii'st of March, and then starve. "Oil, no!" he said; "I will put in another chicken." He had one ready cooked and cool. "All right, but let us keep the mice out this time." We put the hive back, put in the chick- en, and fixed the hive to keep out mice. About the middle of March I saw the man in town. " Well, how are the bees ?" "Oh! the bees are dead." " How about the chicken— did they eat it?" "No." And just then he saw a man across the street whom he must see light off. Now, this man was a bee-keeper, had 30 colo- nies of bees, and had kept them a long time. He was a man of good common sense otherwise; but he was very superstitious about bees, and had a good many notions just as absurd as his chicken theory. RENDERING WITH WAX AND STEAM. In Feb. 1.5th Gleanings, pages 130 and 131, Mr. F. A. Salisbury gives us an excellent article on rendering wax with steam and acid. I am satisfied that all he says is true, and am glad he wrote that article; also E. R.'s comments about the Dadants. All right; that will do first rate for you chaps who have steam; but how are we poor chaps going to raise the steam? Can a man who makes from .50 to 100 lbs. of wax per year afford to put in steam-works on purpose to render out his wax? Now, give us some cheap way of raising steam, and I am with you. THAT TRADE-MAKK. Let every tub stand on its own bottom. I want my own trade-mark. If the name of E. France & Son pasted on a package of honey is not a sufficient guarantee of a first-class article, I don't want to ride into market on some other name, and I don'twant some other fellow using our reputation. E. Fr.\nce. Platteville, Wis., March 31. [If I ever said any thing I felt sure of, fi'iend F., it is the statement regarding the flat board cover which you call in question. I generally slide the cover on the hive, and so do all our boys, and we don't roll the bees up and kill them as you speak of. Of course, we use smoke to drive down most of the bees; but there are al- ways a few there that will run up around the edges. By using a great deal of smoke we can drive them «ft down; but it is cruelty to the bees, and unnecessary. By your plan you have to bother with a bee-brusli; but by our plan we use nothing but the smoker. Now, I know that I am not alone. Witness Dr. C. C. Millei-. W. Z. Hutchinson, James Heddon. R. L. Taylor. Prof. Cook, and a good many others who might be mentioned, all of whom use their flat cover sub- stantially as I have indicated. With your ar- rangement, however, I hardly think you can slide the cover on. You have and desire burr- combs, and, of course, it would be impossible to slide the cover with bridges built, to the top of the frames and to the cover. With the right kind of top-bars and the right bee-space and right spacing, you do not need to have burr- combs. But you say you want them for the bees to climb up on. Call upon those who do not have burr-combs, and ask them whether they get any less honey than some of those who do. I have investigated this matter quite thor- oughly, and I do not believe that burr-combs make any difference one way or the other. I join hands with you in regard tothegrowth of basswoods. You know that Dot)little, on page '1:!'-',. seemed to ((uestion my statement that bass- wood fioni old stumps would gi'ow large enough in ten years to make basswood lumber. If trees will make such growth in Wisconsin and Ohio, I feel sure they would do so in York State,where the basswoods grow equally thrifty, or even more so. Young trees set out. or growing from seed, will not begin to make such a growth. The communication by F. A. Salisbury, on rendering wax by steam and acid, was designed for foundation-makers, and those who have a large quantity of wax to refine. The articles in Gi-eanings can not always hit all classes. For instance, those on wintering are of no interest to those in the Southland those in regard to making foundation are of no value to those who buy the article. Those about extracted honey are of no particular moment to those who pro- duce the product in the comb. After all, it is not a very difficult matter to produce a jet of steam. Take an ordinary square tin can, and have your tinner attach to it a tin pipe, and let the same communicate with a barrel near the stove. I have tiled a five-gallon tin boiler on the stove, and find that it will generate quite a pressure t)f steam. In fact, it will heat hot a coil of pipes in my bath- room; but the probabilities are that the wax- press and the ordinary methods of rendering wax will answer perfectly well for those who have only a hundred pounds or so.] E. R. R. [Now, I too want to say a word about sliding a flat cover on th(> hive. This thing was talked of by patent-right venders more than twenty years ago; and when the hives were new, say during the first season, the whole thing worked beautifully. Just visit the same apiary, how- ever, say three years later, then how do the sliding covers work, with every thing covered with wax and propolis — covers and hives, per- haps, warped and twisted ? Why, it worked exactly as friend France has said; and I confess that my experience with such arrangements was such that I began to feel bitter and sarcas- tic toward any one who talked about such an arrangement. Now comes the point that makes this difference in testimony. Of late, an cir/Zit- frame hive is getting to be fashionable. The cover is narrower and lighter than any thing we have had heretofore. Another thing, these lioys have gone and banished, or pretty nearly banished, the burr-combs and bits of wax that used to daub the covers, tops of the frames, and every thing else. If the hives are made nice and accurate, the bee-spaces just right, and kept so, I begin to have faith that the careful bee-keeper may keep his covers and the tops of his frames so clean that he can. even after five years of use, slide the covers on without killing a bee— at least, I hope so. But there will have to be a big reform. I tell you, in a good many 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 305 apiaries. How many are there wlio liave hives that have been in nse for five years, where it is practical to slide the cover on without killing or rolling up bees'? Raise your hands, please. Friend F.. I want to congratulate you on your Iveen, sharp observation and common sense in having exploded that old humbug about feed- ing bees a chicken. How stupid we have been all these years ! Now. is it not possible, that, after the mice had worked in th(^ wheat, the bees also used the biiin ? The strong moral is. that mice should never have access to a hive of bees at all; and stores of sugar syrup are prob- ablv cheaper and safer than wlieat, ov fliichens either.] A. 1. R. PROTECTION VS. NO PEOTECTION. A VALUAIil.K EXPEKIENCP:. Friend Botjt: — In tlic spiing of 1890 I conclud- ed to test thoroughly the advantage of spring protection for single-walled hives. My bee- yard is laid out in three circles of 50 feet diame- ter, with a smaller circle witiiin the large ones. The hive-stands holding two hives each, are placed around these circles. Hi on the outer cir- cle, 8 in the inside smaller one. and all facing outward. This is the mostsatisfaetoi'y ari'ange- ment I have ever tried, as it gives a distinct individuality to each stand. In setting out the bees in the spring. I selected one of these circles and tilled the 24 stands with 48 of my best swarms as nearly equal in quality as possible. I then took lath and made 12 handsome outside cases large enough to set over t^^'0 hives, with four-inch space on all sides for packing, and six inches on top. I placed one of these cases on every other stand, leaving one half of the hives unprotected. The cases were then filled neatly with excelsior sawdust from the section ma- chine. There were double bottom -boards, and bottom protection to the packed hives. Tiie cases were made in four pieces, so that, by tack- ing foul' small tinishi ng nails, one in each corner, the whole case could be knocked down in a mo- ment, and laid away in the flat when not in use; and when the 12 stands were packed in their neat cases, and securely covered with a water- proof roof, I said to myself. "Well, this is just splendid." The 24 other hives were left entirely unprotected, except that each hive was covered with a shallow rim three inches deep, with building-paper nailed on one side for a bottom. Each of these shallow boxes was tilled with sawdust. A square of burlap was spread over each hive, the boxes S(^t on these, and covered with a good roof. The spring was excedingly cold and late — just such a one as would give spring protection its best chance to prove its value. I then gave watchful care to all alike, and awaited results with great interest. I re- solved atthe start that I would let all those be(>s swarm naturally, and then keep strict account of the time of swarming as well as the honey produced by each class of swarms. They all did swarm somewhat late, as the season was the poorest for honey in all my 45 years' experience. I will not lengthen this ai'ticle by giving de- tails of the I'esults of this experiment. It is suf- ficient to say, that, wiiile the cost of material for making the cases wasonly 25 cents each, and the work of making them was lujt very great, yet the incn-ased result was not greatenough to warrant this small outlay. I shall try the same experiment with some new ones again this year. and again note results. But my present impres- sions are. that plain hives, cellar wintering, with spring protection in the shape of warm bottom-boards, and warm covers for the top of the hives, are the thing. The bottom is where the cold enters, and the top is where the heat escapes. Both of these points should be care- fully protected. My observation has led me to fear that the danger (jf enticing the b(>es to leave their warmly packed hives on unsuitable cold days, and perisliing in the cold- winds, will counterbalance all the good they will do. BaKNETT TAYLOIt. Foi-estville, Minn., March 23. [Look here, B. Taylor. You have given u-> the result of a very valuable ((xperinnuit just, now; but as you i)repared your bees, I am sure they all wintered pretty well; for, in fiu't, both those that were chaff-packed and tliose that were not, were in very good good sluipe for win- ter. You have omitted to say to our readers that you have them in these shallow half-depth frames; but the fact is. in those shallow brood- chambers, with a good warm tiottom-board, and your chaff packing on toj). you I'eally have a pretty good chaff hive; and I should not wonder that, with such good protection for both top and liottom, and then allowing the sun to strike directly on the sides of the hives whenever it shines, we shall have an arrangement pretty nearly as good as a i-egular chaff hive. J BEE-ESCAPES. THEIR REQUISITES, USES, AND ADVANTAGES. During the season now rapidly approaching, many bee-keepers will use the new bee-escapes who have never tried them before. The hori- zontal escape has passed the experimental stage, and is an accomplished fact; and of its uses and advantages there is no longer any doubt. When I invented the horizontal escape I discovered a syxteni rather than any particular form of es- cape; and when I look over the many catalogues now advertising the"Dibbern" (or horizontal) bee-escapes I often wonder what they are really like. There seems to be a general disposition to simplify and cheapen every thing used in the apiary, and the bee-escape is no exception. In- deed, I expect to greatly simplify it myself the coming season; but past experience has taught me that it is entirely safe to "go slow" in the matter. The pear-shaped escape between met- al sheets was entirely successful last year, and I shall make no radical changes till something better, simpler, and cheaper has been fully test- ed. I fully believe this to be a great invention, and I want all bee-keepers to have the advan- tages that it secures; and all are free to make, or buy them where they please; my only concern is, that escapes sent out under my name should be rightly made, and give good satisfaction. With this idea in view, it seems to me it would be well at the present time to give a few of the requisites of a perfect bee-es- cape. The first thing required is the escape itself; and it should be so made that it will fit into a board without any projections, and no empty boxes or supers should be required The next thing is the escape- board, to cut the bees in the super off from the main hive. This should be made of boards not more than half an inch thick, and should be provided with bee- spaces, so that, when it is placed under the su- per, there will be a bee-space on both sides. The escape should be i-emovable from the board, so that a piece of board can be substituted for the escape; when desired. There must be neither brood nor t]ueen in the super, or the escape will not clear it entirely of bees. If a wood-zinc honey-board is used, there will be no trouble on 306 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Apr. 15. this point. The escape should be made with not too many or too large openings, as the bees are no fools, and readily find their way back through them where there is a fair chance. The escape should also be so placed that there will be no more than a bee-space under it, for the bees to cluster in, for I have learned that, where they can cluster on the cone, they are much more apt to find their way back through it. I have also found that bees can not cluster and hang on to a piece of smooth tin as they do on a wire-cloth cone. If cones are made of wire cloth I would place them on the upper side of the board, with a piece of tin, with small holes punched in it, for the bees to pass out, for the lower side. This is a form of escape I shall ex- periment with this season. I have many other experiments in view on this line, having no less tnan a dozen forms of escapes ready to try as soon as there is any chance to test them. I do not see that there can be any doubt as to the advantages of the bee-escape. It makes it not only easier and pleasanter for the apiarist, but irritates the bees much less than any other method. The escape-board can be slipped un- der the super in less than a minute, and the bees will escape into the super or hive below, so gradually and peacefully that they do not seem to know what has happened. Cases can be placed over the escapes, and in a few hoiu's the honey can be carried away without disturbing the bees from their work in the least. The escape is particularly useful in the man- agement of out-apiaries. Last fall, when I got. ready to remove what honey there wasin the su- ' pers at my out-apiary, I found that robbing was "just fearful," as there was no honey coming in; and as I had neither shop nor honey-house there, I hardly see how I could have managed without the bee-escape. I was digging a "'bee- cave"' at the time: and as I had many otiier things to look aftei' when out, I had to make good use of my time. When I got oat there in the morning I would place these escapes un- der as many supers as I could haul in my light wagon, and then go about my regular work. When I got i-eady to go home I would load up my honey, with scarcely a single bee to bother. Once I placed the escape-board under a super that had a small knot-hole in it, that had escaped my attention. A few hours after, I heard the shrill note of the robber, and soon found that the bees were robbing through this knot-hole, there being no longer any bees there to defend it. I fully believe that the escape will prove as valuable for extracted as for comb hon- ey. What we want is to get the "hang" of the proper management. Last year some of our California friends objected, on account of the honey becoming too cold if leftover night on hives over the escapes. But, why not put the escapes on in the morning, and at intervals dur- ing the day, so that there would be a succession of supers that the bees had just vacated '? The sun, which I believe nearly always shines there, would certainly keep them warm enough. Of course, the bee-escape presupposes a super of some kind; and such bee-keepers as remove their honey in single wide frames or sections, like Doolittle, will not find much use for them. It is not strange that all bee-keepers do not take readily to the bee-escape. When we remember that we are not at all agreed as to the advan- tages of comb foundation, the extractor, and many other things, it is not to be wondered at. All the same, the bee-escape has "come to stay." and many who arenowshaking their heads will " jome into the agency" by and by. There is yet another use for the bee-escape be- sides removing the surplus, that is, in hiving swarms, that promises good results. Last year I tried a sort of combination Heddon-Tiiiker bee-escape system, that pleased me greatly. I simply hived the swarm on the old stand and removed the partly filled super to it from the old hive. I then put on the escape-board, with escape in place, and the old hive on top of that, giving them a small entrance of their own. I would leave it there for seven days, during which time bees were constantly escaping to the new colony. On the seventh day the old hive was removed to a new stand, and a hive-cover laid on the escape-board, still leaving the small entrance for th(^ returning bees ti> enter the bee- space under the cover, and escape to the new colony below. To my notjon this works much lietter than the Heddon system, as you are not required to shift the hives every day, and hav- ing them standing around in all sorts of awk- ward positions. Then, too. tlie bees from the old hive are never at a loss to know where to go, and tiie old hive is so reduced in bees that the chances of any further swarming are very small. Pei'haps there are yet other uses for the bee-escape. Time only can tell. Milan, III., April 1. C. H. Dibbern. [Years ago, neighbor Dean and myself rode 20 miles to see a honse-apia^'y all complete and in running order. The thing seemed to work very W(>ll. with the exception of the difficulty of tak- ing honey from the bees. During that whole twenty-mile ride we two talked the plan over, with the view of getting the honey away from the bees, without shaking or brushing them oflf. My neighbor thought it might possibly be done by waiting until cold weather drove the bees out of the supers. He said he didn't believe it could b<' managed profitably in any other way. I presume such a thing as a bee-escape was at that time used to some extent; but we did not think of it, or did not know one could be made to do the work that they are now doing. Who knows but that bee-escapes may finally revive house-apiaries'? I suggest in the A B C book, that one might have a hive of bees in one cor- ner of the pantry, letting them go out through the wall of the house. Then the good wife can take a section of honey right out of the hive, and put it on the tabh\ provided she can get it without gettliKj the bees aUo. Can't a bee-es- cape be arranged so as to accomplish this?] RAMBLE NO. 40. I5EE-ST1NGS AND RHEUMATISM. While upon my travels I have found many people afflicted with the various phases of rheumatism; and many of the cases that have come under my observation have really been of such a nature as to call out all of my sympathy. Rheumatism that will draw the limbs out of shape, making great knots on the muscles and joints, and inflicting const uit and torturing pains! and rendering the patient as helpless as a child, are cases that we can not think of but with sorrow; and in their presence the joke about bee-stings as a cure for rheumatism would not bespoken; for nothing but the divine hand of love could ever make those limbs straight. One of these rheumatic cases, who had enough, but not of the severest kind, has been known to the Rambler for several years. I will, with the aid of the camera, introduce you to Mr. John I. Finch and his apiary in North Greenwich. N. Y. Mr. Finch is a black- smith by ti'ade, and for many years wielded the hammer industriously in the little shop by the roadside. But rheumatism gradually slack- ened the blows upon the anvil, and active work was suspended. His attention was thereafter 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 307 directed to bees, and he now has about thh-tA^ ing that it was only necessary to get the poison colonies, which he thinks is about enough for into the circulation. Our neighbor swite,hear- a man to care for who is obliged to get around to all of his work upon crutches. Mr. F. has had his ups and downs in the bee- business, having the usual yields and the usual successes and losses in wintering, and. on the whole, for the number of colonies and the dis- advantages under which he labors, he has been quite successful. His colonies are run for ex- tracted honey, and. with the exception of a few in chaff hives, they are wintered in the cellar. Though Mr. Finch has manipulated bees for several years, and has been stung an immense number of tiine.s, his rheumatism shows no sign ine of this remarkable cure, sent to the Ram- bler for bees in midwinter. Remonstrances .JOHN I. FlXC'il AND HIS APIAKY. •of abatement. He had heard so much about the cure of rheumatism by the sting remedy that he has been careful to watch the effect. A few stings have no effect, except the usual smarting and pain; but a large number, in his case, caused nausea, which is not an uncommon feeling with those having no rheumatism. Mr. F. said that the sting of a single white-faced hornet is more effective than a dozen bpc-stings, and he attributed it to the depth to which it is plunged, and thinks that Apis dorsaUi. oi' some bee with a sting that would penetrate half an APPLICATIOX OF BEE-STING. against disturbing the bees at this time were of no avail: and seeing it was a case of life or death, the bees were procured and placed in a cage, and directions given to applv one at a time upon retii'ing. As usual, directions were not followed, and the whole dozen were let loose at once. Fi-om accounts i-eceived from the family next day, I make the following sketch; and if not literallv true, it must ap- proach it. fi-om the nature of the elements em- ployed. The next day she sent for Warner's iSafe Cure. Another case reported is where a lady who was afflicted with rheumatism in the foot. She had read .Ino. Nebel ifc Son's advertisement in relation to their rheumatism bees. and. having nothing els(^ to think about, a neighboring bee'^ keeper was sent for. and anxious inquiries were made about the qualities of the Nebel bees over others for the cure of rheumatism. The neighbor argued that his bees were just as powerful as Nebel's: '"And," said he, '-a sting is a sting whether in Mexico or Canada, or on High Hill Mo.; and to i)rove it I will run over and get a few bees and cure your rheumatism."' The bees were produced; and the patient, being nervous at the approach of the test, tim- idly asked the neighbor whether the sting of a bee hurt much. "Oh, no!" said he jocosely; "just a little smart, and all is over. Just keep calm. My bees are just as good as Nebel's." The application was made, and the result, as the sketch will show, was highly satisfactory to all parties concerned, and has hot ceased to be the talk of the entire neighborhood, even unto this day. BEE-STINGS AND RHEUMATISM; THEIK AP- PLICATION AT BED-TIME. inch into the flesh would possibly effect a cure. A bee-sting, he thought, might cure a local rheumatic pain, but his case was over too much surface to be thus affected. After studying Bro. Finch's case, several others came to mind. A friend was greatly troubled with local rheumatism under the shoulder-blade; but after keeping bees a few years the rheumatism disappeared entirely; and, though the stings were never applied di- rectly to the spot, he sang the praises of bee- stings at all times and on all occasions, clalm- I am happy to see, however, that Bros. Nebel have dropped the rheumatic attachment to their advertisement this spring, and it is fortu- 308 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE. Apr. 15. nate they did; for it stirred up a t(>rrible rum- pus among the nervous rlieumatics; and, as far as learned, but little good has been accomplish- ed, and the cure of rheumatism bj- the apjilica- tion of bee-stings is a skeptical point with the Rambi,ei:. [But. friend R., why didn't ycm tell us wheth- er the bee-sting cured the woman's rheumatism or not? The picture tells us all about how your neighbor got jjiled up in a heai): but after things were restored to rights, the cat soothed, and the bees had got out of the room, was the rheumatic ankle ajiy bettei*. and did she look happy and thankful, just as she does when the application was being made? It is true, you say. in a sort of general way, in your concluding sentence, that you are skeptical in regard to the whole matter." and may be that is intended to answer the question.] CHIPS FROM THE FEB. 1st NUMBER. BY WUODCUOPI'ER. R. M. Reynolds is right. Queens will lay in supers just as soon with 2-inch sections as with 1}^. I have tried both. Bait sections (page 83) nuiy prevent A. C. TyrreFs from swarming, but they don't have any effect that way on mine. Tell Rambler to go ahead and develop the best bee (see page S3), and the rest of us will be ready to help reap the I'esults. Yes. Quinhy did invent tin combs, but the bees would not use them. Tliey were not ready for metallic caskets then. Ai'c they yet ? Dr. Miller. \\hy are bees better broodless in February ? Nature sets queens to laying short- ly after Jan. 1st. sometimes sooner. Doesn't she know what's right ? WIDTH OF TOP-BARS. You are right about the width of your to])- bars, but I would space an eigbtli further apail. I have used thousands of them.- and they go in and out much better. EXTRACTED HONKY FROM DARK COMBS. Dark combs do affect the color of the iioney. friend Andrews (see page 98), if it remains in them long; and if bee-bi-ead is stored in them it will make the honey rank. LEATHER APRONS. Tell Emma Wilson to make aprons of leather, as a blacksmith dofs: and it would look all right for E. R. too; and liglit calfskin makes the best glove. It must be smooth, or bees will sting through it. SHINGLES FOR HIVE-ROOFS. These are much the best of any thing I ever tried, costing less than any other good roof, and making a neat job. They will last 20 years or more, according to quality. Tin lasts well: but it gets so hot if the sun shines on it that it makes a regular furnace of the surplus arrange- ments under it. OUT OF THE BUSINESS. J. T. Fletcher. i)age 97, is liable, with some others, to tind himself out of the business some fine spring morning, as I have seen a number of others do. When we have a really severe winter, the chaflf hives will winter bees, and the outer cases will prove failures. The last three win- ters have been no i-eal test. HONEY FROM KEGS OR BARRELS. I never saw any first-class honey come out of a keg or barrel if it had been there any length of time. It is much better in tin cans. I'erhaps the New Yorkers prefer their honey half soured. which it is pretty sure to be in wooden pack- ages. I have several times bought honey in kegs and barrels, but I never got any tluit was really fine. CLOSED-END AND HOFFMAN FRAMES. I used closed-end frames 15 years, and I like them first rate: but I discarded them for hang- ing frames li<>cause they were not good to win- ter in on summer stands. I did not use them inside of a liive. but let them form the ends of the hive. There \Aas no trouble about propolis: and for interchanging they can not be su]-i)assed. if they are made right so as to space l'^ inches apart. PAINTED MUSLIN VS. SHINGLES. I tried painted muslin on a few hives some years ago, but it was not worth the cost. It lasted about six years. So far as the muslin is concei'ned. it do(>sn"t cost very much: but. oh myl as Uncle Amos S(mietimes exclaims, whata lot of paint and time it took! I had to paint about six times befoi'e I got them water-proof: and a gallon of paint would cover only about tw o hives — just the roof. CLOSE SPACING. ETC. Say, fiiend Scothan (page 1()0), do you charge your good yield of snri)]us and heavy hives for winter to close spacing? or did the clover and basswood pan out better than ours? and that nice field of buckwheat, didn't it help to make the hive heavy in the fall ? If the close spacing did it. we'll s|)ace up tight after tliis. for we got no sui'i)lus. and some of the bees didn't have any thing to winter on. and we had to double up and feed, etc. SF.LLING SECTIONS BY THE PIECE. Friend Whitlock, that is a sharp trick of the grocer, buying by the ])Ound and selling by the l)iece. and so mak(» two profits: and are we as ])roilucers going to allow it? First, we have to buy more sections. i)ut in foundation, then it is more work to crate them: and when we are done, what are we but partakt^-s of other men's sins, foi' most of them sell them for pounds? That little shoi'tage in weight is the reason they don't want to weigh them. Isn't it time to call a halt before we all get to selling short-weight goods? SPRING DWINDLING. AND THE CAUSE. I think E. S. Fowler, of Bartlett, O., is partly right about sjjring dwindling. There is another cause more frequent. It is this: When we have a long cold spell of weathei', say two months or more of downright hard freezing, then, unless the bees are in waim hives, tiieir constitutions are used up in the endeavor to ke(^p up the necessary h(>at in the hive: and if they don't succeed in it they get cold and go in- to dysentery, which I call " cold-weatherdysen- tery."' and very different from that cau.sed by ])oor honey, but nearly as fatal, as they die off as soon as they begin work in spring, simjjly be- ing worn out by being obliged to fire u]) so much in cold weather. REMEDY FOR BLACK ANTS: HOW TO GET RII> OF 'EM. If they are the large ones, get a cent's worth of tartar emetic and mix abouta quarter of it in a little lioney (about an ounce or two), and place in their haunts. After they have eaten it you will see no more of them for about three or four months, when they will begin to come back. A second dose has cleaicd our house for three years. It will not work on the small ants, for they won't eat it: and if the coal tar (page 101) will clean out the small kinds, then with both you can be "ant clear," both in the hives and the house. This recipe came from the House- keeper. ^Minneapolis. Minn. Don't let the bees eat it. for it may lay them u)) till the harvest is over. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 309 THE WII.EY CAXAKI). I should have supi)Osod tliat our friend Prof. Cook woukl have known that he might expect to raise a buzz of indijwiation at a convention of l)ee-keepers by giving that wiley (liar) a chance to put himself on recoi-d against tiie honey interests again, and then he goes to apologizing for him, and says he has done lots of good in other departments of science. lie will never be able to undo the mischief he has done the bee- keepei-s of America, even if he lives to be 100 years old. The story of the machine-made comb honey is still traveling. Only three months ago I went into a grocery in a neighbor- ing town, and the pioprietor said he was selling lioney made without the aid of bees; and when I asked him where he got it he said in Cleve- land, and of a certain commission man. naming a well-known honey-d(>aler. He said that said commission man told him that tln^ honey was not bees' honey, but manufactured by machin- ery; and he took it all in dead earnest, and told his customers the same story, and it took a good deal of talk to get the idea out of his head; and then I could see that, like the tree that is dug up, the small roots were still there, ready to come up again as soon as the weather was fa- vorable. Now, if this does not find the xvay into the waste-basket, I may send another basket for the next tire if chips are good kindlings. WOODCHOI'PEK. [Well, well, Mr. Woodchopper, if you can do as well as this every time we hope you will send us more baskets of chips. They are too good for kindling-wood. Never saw any good honey from kegs and barrels? What were the barrels made of, and what had they previously contained? Cypress kegs, and oaken alcohol-barrels give no taint to the honey— at least, so say some of the large honey- producers. We are glad to get your testimony in regard to painted muslin; but there are some of the other bee-keepers who say the muslin is good.] E. R. R. [And I, friend W., want to say that I really felt glad to tind some one with large experience and good sound judgment to so entii'(>ly agree with myself on so many points. Let me correct you, however, in saying that bees would not use Quinby's tin combs. They used them right along, and no fault was found with them ex- cept expense, that I heard of. It is true, the bees did not winter in them; but. you see, when the boys weighed the hives to se(^ lu)w much honey "the hive contained, they forgot about the metal, and did not calculate; therefore, long before winter was over, the bees had lots of tin hut not a drop of stores in the tin cells. — My ex- perience with kegs and barrels is exactly like yours; also with painted cloth for covers. Shingles are too heavy and untidy for hive- roofs.] A. I. R. ^ I ^ THE PKOPER TIME TO SPRAY TREES. BY A FRUIT-GKOWEK AND BEE-KREPER; VAL- UABLE HINTS ON THE SUB.JECT. According to my promise to you on my way home from the Albany convention, I will write an article on the above topic. I thought it would be of most benefit app(>aringon the 1st or 1.5th of April, as May is the month in which we do the most of our spraying. The first thing to learn is the habits of the insects we wish to destroy. Apple-trees are sprayed to destroy the larva of the coddling moth. The moth deposits her eggs in the calyx of the apple, or blossom, from about the falling of bloom until lOorl.") days after. The larva hatches in a few days, according to the temper- ature; and, if not "killed, it begins to eat its way into the fruit. About three or five days after blossoms fall is the best time to spray, and continue so doing for about 20 days, as often as rain washes off the poison. If, after the first spraying, it should not rain for a week or ten days, you will kill 75 per cent of the larva\ The cuVculio does not attack the plum until the fruit is about the size of peas, which, in or- dinai'y weather, is a week or ten days after the blossoms fall. Spray plums the same as apples; viz., with Paris green, at the rate of 1 lb. to 200 gallons of water, applied with a good spraying- pump. Some use the same pioportion of Lon- don purple on apples; but it should be avoided on all fitoiic fndtx, as it is liable to injure the foliage. You will see by the above that it is time and material thrown away to spray trees while in bloom; for, nine times out of ten. the rain will wash away the i)oison before the larva is on hand to eat it. I have my doubts whether bees can be poisoned in this way. I "don't know" that it will Hot kill them. With such a deli- cately constructetl tool for collecting nectar; I think it highly probable that they can gather what they want, and rej(>ct the poison. Paris gi-een is insoluble in water, and I think the bees can easily leave it in the blossoms, and take the nectar. I have heard of several cases of bees being poisoned in that way, but was not satisfied with the proof that spraying caused their death. My apiary is mostly under large apple-trees, and I always spray, just as though they were not there. The poisoned water will stand on hives, alighting-boards, and grass; and if the day is a warm one, I always see a great many bees sipping it, and have never noticed any bad results. I have impiisoned bees loaded with such water, for 24 houi'S, and they came out lively. Those writing upon the subject should not say, "Don't spray while in bloom, for it will poison the bees." but strive to satisfy people that, by so doing, they will throw time "and money away; and if you do satisfy them to that effect, why, that ends it. In other words, show them, not how it will injure other people, but themselves. I live in one of the greatest fruit-growing counties of the United States, and I know of but one man who sprays his trees while in bloom, and he wants to kill the moth that lays the eggs, instead of ihe lar- va from the egg. The matun^ motli does not eat either the foliage or the fruit, and I hope we shall make him see it soon. I have yet to tind an entomologist who recommends spraying trees while in bloom. We have arrived at a point in fruit culture where we have got to use insecticides and fungicides intelligently, or give up the business. As bee-keepers we must lose no opportunity to educate fruit-growers in re- gard to their own interests, and by so doing further our own. I raise both fruit and honey, and never los(^ an opportunity of speaking a good word for both pursuits, and showing their dependence on each other when at our farmers' club meetings, agricultural institutes, county fairs, or elsewhere. (r. H. Ashby. Sec'y Orleans Co. Farmers' Club. Albion, N. Y. HOME-MADE HIVES. HOW TO MAKE THEM CHEAPLY'. I think I saw a notice somewhere in Glean- ings of a dovetailed hive some one was offering cheap made of h lumber. The editor was afraid it would be "too thin," but I rather like the 310 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Apr. 15. idea. Being made dovetailed, It would be strong enough; but its strongest point would be its cheapness, for I believe the time has gone by when bee-keepers can afford expensive hives. But if the price were the same. I should still prefer them made of thin lumber, say K or ^ inch. Flat covers of ^a and }■.;: inch lumber are much the best, as they are lighter, and keep their place better, as I have proved in actual use for several years; and this brings me to my subject of HOME-MADE HIVES. I make hive bodies, bottoms, and covers, in- stead of buying, preferring to put money into foundation, as good straight worker combs and sections tilled /u/7 of foundation, I believe, pay every time. I also buy my brood-frames, sec- tions, and supers. The materials are boot and shoe boxes, generally Vi" and K inch in thick- ness. The best boot- boxes are 3}.; feet long, and will cut two lengths of hive stuff, while shoe- boxes are short and will cut but one length, leaving short pieces that will work in crosswise in making bottoms. The boxes can be bought here for 10 and 5 cents apiece for long and short ones. The short boxes, if in good condition, will each make a one-story hive with bottom and cover, and the long ones a two-story hive for ex- tracting. The ends of the boxes being thicker, thev are used for ends of hives, rabbeting them for the hanging frame. A rabbet-plane can be bought for 50 or (iO cents; and some little strips can be nailed on so it will cut just the right width, and stop cutting at the right depth. Of course, the stuff NEEDS NO PLANING unless you want to plane off the stencil-marks. For my part I rather like to see them; for the slight trace of the letters showing through the paint reminds me of money saved; and I take pride in saying to visitors, " See that hive? I made it myself, and it cost me only Jive cents out, except the paint." When I first made them, six or seven years ago, I made them like A HOME-MADE BEE -HIVE, MADE OF SHOE- BOXES. the Heddon-Langstroth, witii tight bottom; but I now make them with Dr. Miller's reversible bottom, so as to have upper and lower stories interchangeable. THE COVERS. These are made of the sides of boxes which are matched. They are made long enough so they can be reversed, and the bees propolize the joints so they will shed rain. They make a light handy hive for carrying in and out if win- tered in the cellar, but I have wintered in them on summer stands with excellent results since 1884, by the following mode of packing for win- ter: The bees are supplied with six frames con- taining their stores, with a dummy or division- board on each side. Corncobs are laid crosswise over the frames, instead of the Hill device; but latterly I use the large-sized wooden butter- dishes turned bottom up over the cluster, and I like them much better. A piece of burlap is spread over, and then a thing I will call THE HILL TRAY is put on (see cut). I learned the use of this from Mr. Hill, of Mount Healthv. Ohio, when visiting at his h(Mne in the fall of 1884. It is simply a light rim five or six inches high, with SHOE-BOX HIVE, WITII BUTTER-TRAV AND TRAV WITH BLTRLAP BOTTOM FOR WINTERING. burlap tack(Hl on for a bottom. He ex])lained that it would fit up in the corners better than a cushion. He used them on old-style Langstroth hives. I find them cheapei-, too, as tliey take less burlap. After covering the bees with this tray about two thirds full of chaff, a five-cent shoe-box is turned over the whole. It comes down over the hive usually two-thirds or three-fourths the way down, and so protects the hive a good deal. They ai'e always longer than the hive, so they are put up close behind, and left sticking over in front. This gives a chance for ventilation through the hole covered with screen in the front end of the tray. It will be seen that this makes but little additional expense in prepar- ing the bees for winter, and but little packing material is used. One thing I will mention that I consider essential to success in wintering out- doors in this latitude, and that is— ofcZ combs. Oberlin. O., Feb. 21. Chalon Fowls. [Hives made of thin stuff' had a run some 30 or 25 years ago. They wei'e discarded because they were so liable to injury, and most of us thought they were not as efficient protection against the frost as hives made of inch lumber. Some 12 or 15 years ago I revived the idea again with what I called the " hoop " hive. These had covers ^^ inch thick. But every little while_ somebody would sit down on these thin covers," and smasii them in. They also troul)led me by getting split and coming to ])ieces. I decided that they were not as good weather protection, either in winter or summer. I have made some very pretty bee-hives from boxes bought at dry- goods stores; but unless one has much spare time to pull them to i)ieces and get the nails out, and considerable skill and ingenuity in making things work together, I decided it did not pay. Now. in contrast with the above, I have several times thought that thin hives, sit- ting right in the sun, work better, especially in- the spring of the year, than thick ones. Such hives will certainly answer very well, for many of us have tried them when we could not get any better.] 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 311 BIOGRAPHICAL. .TAMES A. GREEX. Seest tliou a man dillg-ent in liis [bee-keeping-] business? He sliall stand before kinprs; he sliall not stand before mean men.— Prov. 23: 29. James A. Green, the subject of this sketch, while still in his teens decided to make the road leading through the apiary his royal road to fortune. Giving to his chosen profession the close study and hard work always necessary to make a success of any profession, bringing to it the stimulus of a decided taste for bee-keeping, and a natural aptitude for its details, he is likely, before he is much older, to find ''plenty of room at the top." Mr. Green was born about thirty years ago in the little town of Dayton, on the banks of Fox River, in Illinois. While he has built up an extensive business and quite a national reputa- tion among bee-keepers, this town always has been and continues to be his home. JAMES A. GREEN. His practical experience with bees began in 1878, during the absence of his father, who was at that time a bee-keeper on a small scale. Swarming-time came on. the colonies needed attention, and James and his mother stepped promptly into the breach. All went well with the experiment: and when ]\Ii'. Gi'een I'eturned from Colorado the boy had found his vocation. He began with twenty swarms in old-fashion- ed box hives. He found it hard to gather infor- mation about his new business, and, for lack of this knowK'dge. carried it on for some time in a primitive way, which the modern bee-keeper would consider very antiquated indeed. IJut James was a very determined boy. and he did not believe there was any need of standing still or going back because the way ahead looked rather difficult. So he diligently read on, gath- ering from books and magazines some knowl- edge, and a little insight into the ways of bees. At last, in the ABC of Bee Culture he found the solution of his difficulties, and the best and strongest of foundations for a novice in bee- keeping to build upon. The A B C of Bee Cul- ture very wisely assumes that the beginner knows as little about his future work as the child does of written language. So he, like the child, is required to begin with the alphabet, and when he has gained a thorough mastery of this he is also a long way on the road to the mastery of the bee-profession. James learned his A B C's thoroughly, and henceforth his upward path became compara- tively easy. " Progressive and determined '' make a very good combination, and this boy had both qualities. Gradually the old-fashion- ed methods and appliances gave place to new, improved, and scientific ones. The ingenious hand of the master of the bee-yard supplement- ed his tools with handy contrivances of his own, and the apiary grew and grew until now, 1891, it numbers 300 colonies, and the sale of its prod- uct goes to many of the great cities of the cou ntry. More than this, while Mi-. Green is still, and always will be, a student, his knowledge of bees and their culture is so wide, accurate, and prac- tical, that he takes i-ank among the best au- thorities in these matters. His name was re- ci'iitly sent in by the secretary of the Smithso- nian Institute for admission to one of the great scientific societies of France — a high honor for so young a man who has been only eleven years in the work. Back of every good man is a good mother. Hack of nearly every successful man is a sym- pathetic mother or wife. Mr. Green is not an I'xecption to this rule. From their babyhood. ]Mrs. Green took an interest in all that her boys eared to do — an interest no less wise and thoughtful than it was devoted. Each boy felt that mother was his i)ai'ticular partner, giving an iiiti'lliii-cnt appi'cciation to all the details of his boyish plans for tiie future, and sympathiz- ing with all his ups and downs. When Frank, the chemist, hid his beloved bottles on the high shelf of the dining-room cupboard, mother did not scold, nor ever ask to have them taken away. She only told Frank to be very careful how near he placed them to the eatables. When Kent, the bookworm, buried his face in the dear volume, and shut out all the world beside, she found out what he was reading, and. just as much as her busy life would allow, read with him. When Jimmy began to work among the bees, she armed herself with veil and gloves, and went with him. And she has read so intelligently the books and magazines concerning the honey-bee — she has studied so carefully its habits — that she is very good au- thority on the way of making it profitable to its owner. So that it is certainly true that Mr. Green owes much of his pi-esent"standing in the profession, and his success financially, to his best friend, his excellent mother. Mr. Green is not a man of one idea solely, nor does he believe in moving in the rut of one's own business. As an extensive and successful bee-keeper, he has been honored by his brethren with the vice-presidency of the Northwestern Bee-keepers' Association, and it is needless to say that he fills the office well. A justice of the peace in his native town, his office gives him the power to bind in one two loving hearts. A graduate of the Ottawa High School, he has supplemented an excellent education by a course of careful and valuable reading. A lover of, and also a judge of first-class poetry, Mr. Green has many an apt quotation at his fingers' ends, and he gives them on suitable occasions with point and grace. This love of choice and thoughtful reading led him very naturally into the Chautauqua Liter- 313 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Apk. 15. :uy and Scipiititif Cirele. of which h(^ is a very faitiiful and conscii'iitioiis mcnibor. He belongs to the class of 18'.i2. and has for .rs for Gleanings that I iiave not yet written the i)romised article on ])oisonous snakes, and so I will defer it no longer, especially as it is a subject of unusual interest to all. As is well known, we had. thanks to Glean- ings and its I'eaders. several rattlesnakes last summer in confinement and under observation. and with them we had two or three copper- heads and one highland moccasin, or cotton- mouth. These snakes are veiy interesting, as being justly the most dreaded enemies of man. Their concealment, readiness to bite, and the terrible nature of a wound from their fangs, make them peculiarly interesting. All of our i>oisonoiis snakes have broad. Hat. triangular heads, and two curved movable fangs in the uppei' jaw. These are either hol- low or grooved, and connect with a poisonous sac in which is stored the venomous liquid which is so much dreaded — justly dreaded — as il is a deadly i)oison. This is said to be safe if taken into the stomach: but once introduced in- to the blood it bi'ings severe ])ain. paialysis, and death. When a venomous snake strikes, it straightens its fangs at the same time: and the same muscles that raise the head and e.xtend the fangs also compi'ess the i)oison-sac, and ex- ti'ude the |)oison. It is said by some authors that the snake may strike without extruding the venom. I do not know that this is not so; but I do know that they often thiow drops of l)oison when they strike, even though they may not bite at all. Last summer our moccasin would strike at a stick, and we often saw the venom fly, and also saw drops of poison on the stick. In the form of the head and structure of the biting apparatus oui' poisonous snakes are like th(> same of the Orient. But all otn- poisonous snakes have a deep pit on the outside of the head, between the eyes and the nasal ojiening or openings of the nose. This pit is absent in the venomous snakes of the Old World. Our poisonous snakes, then, are easily known by their broad, flat, triangular heads, movable poi- son-fangs, and the pits between the eyes and opening of the nose. These ai'e the only ready means to distinguish the copperheads and moccasins, wliile the several si)ecies of rattle- snakes are further marked by the conspicuous rattles that adorn their tails. These I'attles are simply ovei'lapping ring-like scales, which are connected some like the swivel link of a log- chain. The rapid vibration of the snake's tail causes these scales to move on each other, and produce the jjeculiar whirr which gives the common name to these venomous reptiles. It is a veiy curious and interesting fact, that the copperhead will vibrate its tail against a board, stick, or box, so that one could scarcely dis- tinguish it from a real rattlesnake. We noted that specially last summer. The only poisonous snake we have in Michi- gan is the massasauga, or i)raiiie rattlesnake. This is short, heavy, dark in color, and beauti- ful neither in color, form, noi' habit. Usually this snake, like the other venomous species, coils when it strikes, but not always. It will strike if circumstances pi'event its coiling. The young of our massasauga are born alive — that is, the eggs hatch within the mother. Such snakes are called ovovivipai'ous or viviparous. I think all of the venomous snakes are like these in their reproduction. The young mass- asaugas. when very small, will run, as I have witnessed, when dangei- threatens, into the mouth of their juother. It hardly need be said that they seek a very safe place. Rattlesnakes are grouped in genera from the l)eculiar arrangements of the plates on the back of the head. Thus our massasauga belongs to the genus Candisona. It is C. tenieinliKt. There are two other species of this genus in the southwest of our country. The rattlesnak'es of the East and South are longer, slimmer, and handsomer than the mas- sasauga. The lai'ge eastern one is Crotalus horrldjis. and is aptly named. They vary from yellow to black, and are marked with spots, so that often they are quite handsome. They may grow to be four feet long. There are several species of this genus in the South. Southwest, and West. One, C. (uhniKoiteus, or diamond rattlesnake, is very handsome. We had several from the Gulf States last season, and they were beautiful. The color is yellowish brown, and they are ornamented with thirty or more dark- brown diamond-shaped spots. They are slim and graceful, and are objects of great beauty and interest as they strike — that is. if removed at a safe distance from the observer. One of these bit a cat in my laboi'atory last summei'. 1S91 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 313 The poor cat seemed to be in terrible pain im- iiiediately, and In less than two niiniUes her hind :liinb — the one bitten — was so paralyzed that she dragged her hind parts. She was in snch teiril)le i)ain that \vv gave her chloroform and placed her b(>yond suffering. The copperhead is also a handsome snake. It is light reddish brown, spotted with darker Ijrown, and has a copper-colored head. It seems less brainy tlian the rattlesnakes, for it would strike, or strike at, a stick, and throw its poJson, while the rattlesnakes could not be fooled in any such way. They would attack only n^al game. The moccasin, like the cop- jjerhead, was easily tantalized to strike at a stick. It .is darker, and not so handsome as the coi)perhead and diamond I'attlesnake. From our experiment with the cat I can not but believe that thes(^ snakes are fearfully venomous. Were I bitten. I would adopt radi- cal measures to effect a cure. If on the hand, finger, arm. or leg, I would tie a string very tiglitly above the place, and try to keep the poison from entering the circulation. If I could get a hot iron, or some acid, at once, I would cauterize the wound: but it would not do to wait any. Sucking the poison out would al- ways be in order. This is safe, for, as we have seen, no hai'm would come, even if some of the venom were swallowed, though this would be .unnecessary. The advice to drink whisky freely is so stoutly urged that I have only to say ihat it 7naii do good. THE CHAIN, OR KING SNAKE. I am indebted to one of your Georgia subscrib- ■ers, Mr. J. F. McCord, Covington, Ga., for a beautiful chain-snake. This, one of the com- monest snakes of the South, is also called king- snake, and JNIr. McCord refers to it as the pilot- snake. The scientific name of this handsome snake is Ophibolus getidus. We see it belongs to the same genus as the common milk-snake of both North and South {OpltibolKK trimiijii- l((.s), which it much resembles in form. It is also about the same size, from 23 to 40 inches. This milk-snake is often called house-snake, as it is not infrequently found in cellars and out- houses. Both of these snakes are entirely •harmless. The chain-snake is jet-black, and ringed with narrow yellow lines which fork below, inclosing black si)ots. Below it is white, spotted with black. The intense black, lined with yellow, gives a remarkably pleasing combination, which, together with the slim elongated form, jnakes this one of our very handsomest snakes. The negroes are said to regard this snake with respect, and even awe. They claim that it rules the reptile world, and will even attack and subdue the terrible rattler. This is doubtless why they call it the king- snake. The chain-snake feeds on lizards, mice, .and other snakes. Like our milk-snakes, this is entirely harmless. It can not do harm, should it attempt to bite; and the probability is, it would never essay to bite. The many teeth, jn'ojecting from the jaw and somarine bones, are too weak to do more than hold on to its victim as it attempts to swallow its live and Jively food whole. These teeth point back, and so make every struggle of its prey help on the operation of swallowing. I am very glad of this specimen, as I always am to receive speci- mens from the South. I will always gladly ])ay express, and shall be very grateful for new specimens. A. J. Cook. Agricultural College, Mich. [Some little time ago one of our correspondents disked to have his Gleanings discontinued be- .cause it was too " snaky." We think, however, that no one will complain in this line after hav- ing read the wondei-ful facts which Prof. Cook gives us. They are all the more interesting to me because I know they are true; but if it were almost anybody else than oui- caieful friend, I might be a little suspicious— especially in re- gard to that startling statement that the young seek refuge in their mother's mouth. Now, I am just Yankee enough to want to ask a lot of questions. Do not snakes breathe? If so, how are thos(> young chaps going to breatfie when the mothei- has swallowed them? and does she swallow half a dozen or so at once? After the danger is past, I suppose they turn around and crawl out again. Do they hold their breath all this time? I have heard this statement before, but I did not believe it. Our proof- reader suggests, how ever, that you only say they find refuge in theii- mother's mouth. V.ut. dear friend Cook, do you mean to say that the mouth is large enough to give place to a brood of young snakes? The story was told me that she swal- lowed them to give them a place of safety.] THE NOISE OF BEES IN THE CELLAR. DR. MILLER DISCTSSES THE CAUSE.^ I wish I could clearly interpret what the bees mean by the noise they make in the cellar. Do they make the same kind of noise at all times? Does a noise aluHiys mean that something is not quite right? I have thought that, when bees are making a noise because too cold, they make a kind of sharp, rattling noise, different from the noise made when they are wai'm. Per- haps others can tell better about it. This rat- tling noise must be made with the wings, for bees have a true voice, aside from the noise made by the wings. Cheshire says the wings make the buzzing, and the humming is made by the interrupted air passing through the spira- cles, or breathing-tubes. This latter is the true voice. Landois recognizes a third tone in the flight sound — that made by the vibrations of the abdominal rings. Differently from what might be supposed, the most acute and intense noise is that made by the true vocal apparatus. These three tones are all made at the same time during flight: and, if I undei'stand the matter rightly, they are inseparably connected with the muscular effort made in Hying. We all know very well the difference there is in some of the sounds made by a bee on the wing as it leaves the hive or returns heavily laden, or flies scold- ing about our heads. Now, does a bee, or can a bee, make the same variety of sounds in the hive as on the wing ? When a colony of bees in the cellar are as quiet and still as if dead, and are disturbed, they al- ways seem to me to make a kind of sleepy sound. If a colony is too cold, it makes a noise. Does the noise make it warm? Hardly. On a cold day a man slaps his arms around him to warm himself. The exercise warms him, and the noise he makes is a necessary accompani- ment. Isn't it just the same with the bees? But if the bees get too warm they make a noise. Surely, e.xercise doesn't cool them, does it? If you get too warm, do you go to jumping around or slapping your arms together to cool off? Well, you may use a certain kind of exercise to cool off', and that is by plying a fan — precisely what the bees do. only I suspect that, generally, the only feeling they recognize is a desire for pui'er air. Dzierzon intimates that the main reason why bees are noisy in cellars is because of impure air. If cold, do they ever get i^enj noisy? But when warm, they do get very noisy. It is generally believed, and I think it is cor- rect, that, in summer, bees keep the air in their hives pure by ventilating, and it is the same, I 314 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Apr. 1.">. suppose, in the cellar. That ventilation is al- ways accompanied by a certain amount of sound, is it not, whether in summer or winter ? If the bees recognize the presence of impure air in the hive, the natural thing is to ventilate. If the air in the hive is exactly the same temperature as that outside, and there is nothing to create any motion of the air either in or out of the hive, then, as the air becomes impure by breath- ing, the bees must necessarily purify it by ven- tilating. If, however, the air outside the hive is enough colder than that within, the greater weight of the outside air will make it displace that within, so that, if it be just enough colder, there will be no need of action on the part of the bees, either to get up heat or to purify the air. That particular point of temperature is supposed to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 45°, possiblv a little above it. This is on the supposition that the air outside the hive is pure. Now. suppose a colony gets to work ventilat- ing, and the air they introduce is just as im- pure as that driven out. The effort to change the air will become more violent, until the whole hive is in a roar: and, if the cold does not force them to stay in the hive, they will collect on the outside, just where their instinct tells them thev may find the purest air. Just this state of things I have seen- many a time on warm, muggy days toward spring. On the evening of such a day, I have opened wide the cellar-door, so a.s to let in better air. Did that quiet the bees? So far from it. the noise in- creased so much that the roaring could be heard at a distance of sevei'al rods fi'om the cellar. Why? Perhaps the bees had understood that a stock of fresh air had been brought into the cellar, and that now it was worth while to work harder than ever to get some of it while it was going. At any rate, they seenuul to go to work with a will: but when they had filled their hives with the precious breathing material, they stopped ventilating; and by the nextmorn- ing'the cellar was almost as quiet as death, and not a bee would stir from the hives, though the full light of day .streamed in. So far. then, "we seem to have noise of two kinds— that made when the bees are warming up, and that made when they are ventilat- ing. The noise of cold bees seems a little in the cellai' like the sound of a soft wind blowing through the pine-trees. Ai'e there any diffei-- ent sounds? Are we to understand that, when a colony is somewhat noisy, something is not quite right? I don't know for sure, but I think not. Is it not necessai'y for a colony, after sucli a length of tim(>, to make a stir and take a lunch, and, pos- siblv. make other changes? Did you ever no- tice'them rousing u]) i)eriodically, and then qui- eting down again? Unless you are quite close to the colony you may not hear it, and it makes hardly a perceptible difference in the mui'mur of the cellar. So I would say you may find single colonies noisy, without any harm; but if all the cellar is noisy, something needs attention. Now, am I right "in all this? Can any one tell us more about it? C. C. Mii.i.ee. Marengo, 111., Mar. (5. [This noise in a bee-cellar has always been somewhat of a mystery to me, and I believe your suggestions on the catise are good. There is one thing I feel pretty sure of— that is, if the cellar is above 50 degrees in temperature, and the bees are noisy, by lowering the tempei-ature down to 4(3 they will become quiet. The only means of lowering the temperature with me has been to open the windows at night. That did two things— let in ])ure air, and the lower temperature creat(>d a circulation. Another thing I have noticed: If the tempei'ature goes down too low, bees are apt to be noisy again. By closing the windows next morning, they would be quiet. As you say, the noise in one case is caused by a lack of ventilation, and in the other the cause was a lack of warmth. Perhaps some one else will argue that the temperature was not right. I have not been troubled much with extreme temperature in my cellar, but I have allowed it to become low in ordei- to see what the effects would be. I have noticed one other thing: That one or two hybrid cokmies that we had in the cellar would be making a roar when all the rest of the bees were quiet. I accounted for this on the ground that they were so exceedingly sensitive to a slight dis- turbance that they immcdialcly entered their protest. These same bees, if outdoors, would have done it in a rather more forcible way.] E. R. R. ^ I ^ OBJECTIONS TO FIXED DISTANCES. C. A. HATCH KECOUNTS TIIKM. While we are hearing so much about the ad- vantages of closed-end frames and fixed dis- tances, would it not be well to look at some of the disadvantages of them, and the advan- tages of hanging, or, rather, swinging frames? Is rapidity of handling the only thing to be considered? and is it really so that the closed- end, or any frame having a device for keeping them a certain distance from each other, can be handled faster than common L. frames? It is said that one can take three frames at o\w time, and therefore can get along, presumably, three times as fast. Can not three fi'amesof any kind (if one wants to lift so much at once) be taken at one time by putting your fingers between the frames to keep them apart. I have done it many times; but two heavy frames at once are about all the average bee-man will care to lift, and follow it up for any length of time. If frames having end-pieces wide enough to fill comi)letely the spac(>, like the Quinby and new Heddon hive, I have foiuid it necessary to loosen the frame at both ends, and simietimes they are so glued with propolis that they are fixed indeed: and in the Heddon hive I have had to spoil the first frame in order to get at the rest. Perhaps this may be owing to the frames filling the hive endwise: but suppose a space is left there, what a fine place for moth to hide, or for more proijolis to be stowed I When bees bring in propolis and fill every crack and cran- ny with chunks as large as hazelnuts, and some- times larger, we have to beware of the chances for storage left around the hive. " But." says one, " we are going to have the frames wedged so closely that no crack for propolis is left be- tween.'" Can any form of wedge and follower bring them closer than a screw which was used in my case? and what is to prevent that wedge from being stuck solid with propolis? and can you get frames made so square and true that they will all come up chock against each neigh- bor? If you can, you have found a better work- man than we have, and we have had some good work done. What is the matter with the round-headed nails recommended by Dr. Mil- ler? You must always put the frame in the hive the same way it came out, which makes an ex- tra item to watch, and sometimes it is a real ad- vantage to change ends with a frame. Thc^ nails are also always catching on the hive or on other frames, and bothering, especially if one wants to handle them rapidly, and that is just the point we are after. We had several hun- dred fi'ames fixed this way some years ago, but used them only one year, when we nmioved ev- ery one, at n(i little expense and labor. The 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 315 nails are also much in the way abo\it using tlie uncapping-ivnife. This last point would con- demn them for all extracted-honey men. The Hottman frame, which has closed ends only part way down, as I understand it. is per- haps open to less objections: but there are the same ones in regard to being stuck with propo- lis. What a tine place the V point between two frames is for it ! Still, if the frames are wedg- ed close.and tit snug, the part in contact is so short that not much effort will be needed to sep- arate them. It also has the end projection to lift and handle it by. which with me is quite im- portant. If we are to have frames fixing the dis- tances automatically, li't us try to get a good ■one, adopting the Jacksonian motto. "Be sure y^ou are right, then go ahead." Remember what a boom was made only two •or three yeai's ago on reversing frames, and then see hf)w many ai'e in use to-day. Are we not too much like a flock of sheep — when one leader goes, all make a ru.sh, regardless of what we require. C. A. Hatch. Ithaca. Wis.. Mar. 2<;. f I am glad of your article, friend H.: and be- lieve me when I say I am just as much pleased to have the other side discussed as to have the one toward which I am leaning: the more so. be- cause 1 know you are a successful bee-keeper, and caudid and fair in your judgments. I do not know that it is so in every one's hands, that the closed-end or Hoffman frame ■can be bandied faster than loose frames. I know I saw Hoffman and El wood handle their respective fixed frames faster than the average man will the loose frame. But as Mr. H(jffman In the next issue will touch upon this point and Ml'. Elwood in the present isstie, 1 will let them speak for themselves. Hanging frames with nails for spacers, and such like contrivances, would be an intolerable nuisance, and I do not wonder that you discard- ed them. To handle the closed-end or Hoffman rapidly, they should be picked up in pairs, and some- times in trios. If they are full of honey, two will be enough to lift. If empty or nearly so, in the spring, then you can handle as many as you ■can span with your fingers. I know you can handle loose frames after a fashion in pairs, but not with the same facility that the Hoffman frames can be thus handled. I liave ti'ied both ways. Those of tis who have defended fixed dis- tances did not intend to convey the impression that fixed frames could be handled in speed in proportion to the number of frames handled at once, as you seem to take it. We meant that the handling in pairs and in trios assisted. For rapid manipulation there is another very Important consideration. For closed-end or Hoffman frames a hive with a movable side, or, better, one with a loose follower, should be used and then you get lateral movement in its perfec- tion. Your experience with the Heddon closed-end frame is different from ours, so that we shall have to account for that on the score of local- ity. W'hat you say regarding closed-end frames in close-fitting cases may be a serious objection in many localities; and if so. we should be warned of it in advance; but this does not apply at all to the Hoffman frames or closed-end frames, used as Quinby advised. And now about tln' propolis between the ci'acks. We have had no very great trouble on that score. So far. compression has obviated the trouble. But perhaps I should remark right here, that the Italians do not deposit propolis like hybrids or blacks. But in .spite of all you say, everywhere in New York I saw every thing smeared with propolis; and if there is any place in the United States where propolis is de- posited freely, it is in York State; Elwood says he never saw any more propolis than in his lo- cality, and yet neither he nor HofTman experi- ences any trouble fi-om it with their frames. You say. with fixed distances you must always put the frame in the hive in the same way "it came out. On this point I just won't agree. This may be true, however, if you take old hanging frames and make them into fixed dis- tances with nails. But take frames that have always been fixed (tbat is, those that have nev- er been subiected to the hit-and-miss spacing), and have always been handled properly. I am pretty sure there will be no trouble. "Notice what Mr. Hoffman says in the following article. Mr. Elwood has told me the same thing. Tliere was a boom made in revei'sing, and it rather died out; but lam pretty sure that it is going to come up when the proper appliances permit of its more easy operation. Reversing with ordinary loose frames is impracticable; but with fixed frames inversion is not only more feasible but practicable; and, as friend Dayton said in the last issue, and as Mr. Chalon Fowls and others have insisted. I believe that more brood can be secured in a certain number of frames by reversing than by not reversing. If this is true — and our experience in the apiary inclines me to this opinion — then here is a point that we can not very well overlocjk. Fixed dis- tances are going to make reversing possible where before it was impracticable (because the whole hive can easily be turned upside down and the combs won't topple over either), and there is nothing that makes such beautiful combs as reversing. I am very glad to refer you to an article from Mr. Hoffman, which appears next: and I would also advise you to read an- other from the pen of >[r. Elwood.] E. R. R. THE HOFFMAN FRAME DEFENDED. HINTS ON ITS MAXIPULATIOX BY THE IXVEN- TOK HIMSELF — MR. .JULIUS HOFFMAN. In Gleanings of Mar. 15th, Mr. W. W. Som- erford is condemning closed-end frames in quite a severe and jjositive way. I have but very little time to write, and perhaps still less inclination and ability to do so: but Mr. Som- erford"s sweeping assertion, and the apparent tendency in his article to warn beginners against the Hoffman frame, induces me to make a few remarks in your valuable paper — unless Gleanings has closed its pages to any further testimony on the Hoffman side, as that gentleman calls it, I will begin by saying that I never made the slightest attempt, in word or writing, to per- suade or induce anybody to adopt or use my style of frame until quite recently. When the now so-called Hoffman frame was brought to notice in (tLeanings I thought it best to state how I make and use tbe suspended, partly closed-end frame, and tried to explain what I thought their advantages. What induced the editors of Gleanings to bring tliis fi-ame before the public, I do not know: but I was much surprised, like Mr. Soraerford, that my style of frame had worked its way into so many apiaries, even to most of the distant States. I can assure Mr. Somerford. too, that I know of a good many beginners who started with the Hoffman frame, and are quite successful with it. I also know of many good practical honey- raisers who have worked with the common 316 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Apk. 15. loose or swinging frame, and use the Hoffman now exclusively. If Mr. !Somerford has used the Hoffman frame as made by me, and de- scribed in Gleanings, will he please tell the readers of Gleanings in how many colonies and for how many years he has used them ? If he is of his friend Woodward's type, who has sometimes to leave the close-fitting frames apart a little, on account of ii'regular combs, and can not interchange tlu^m vei\v well be- cause his combs differ so. and as he can not keep his hives level, the combs are out of true. If he is that kind of bee-keeper it will. I think, be better for him not to handle a spaced or close-fitting frame: or. better yet. work the old box hive. We have, in the working season, from eight to t(ui thousand frames to handle and in use, and any of them will fit in any col- ony between any two combs. Is Mi'. Somerford not aware of the fact that some of our most practical and extensive honey - raisers have used a close-fitting frame for a great many years'? Please ask them whether the frame they use is abominable and unbearable to them. I have no doubt that these successful men can handle their close-fitting frames quite as fast and conveniently as Mr. Somerford his swing- ing or loose frame. Has Mr. Somerford ever moved several hundred colonies to different lo- calities and back again every season? If so. will he please tell us how he would fix his swinging frames to load and unload to take his bees to different localities over rough and hilly roads, or take his filled combs home for extract- ing from the different apiaries as we have to do ? My hired man (I often have a green or inex- perienced man to do it) can. and has often done all the moving of the bees to five and six differ- ent yards in spring and fall, without any assist- ance. If I used a loose swinging frame it would I'e- quire such an amount of time, laboi-. and car(>. to move the bees evei'y year, that I should not want to do it at all. It would be " abominable and unbearable " business, and I would give it up. I>OES THE HOFFMAN FRAME KILL BEE,S ? I'KO- I'OLIS: DOES IT HINDKR OK ASSIST MANIPULATION ? In regard to bee-glue, I will say that we have no trouble from it with our frames and in our climate, when the frames fit as well as they ought to. and are always pushed togethei- well. I, indeed, prefer the gluing together of the frames by the bees to a loose shifting frame, as I can lift and carry the hives more handily. I hardly believe that Mr. Somerford gave the Hoffman frame a fair trial: for if he had. he would not say it kills bees. In examining or working a colony of bees, the frames ought not to be pressed quite close together until the work with that hive is done, when all the frames of the hive should be pressed together firmly in a lot. If a little smoke is used before, to drive the bees down where the irames are not close fitting, no bees will be killed. Any person at all fitted for the bee-business will soon handle such frames without killing bees. In conclusion I wish to say. that, if a bee- keeper can not become expert enough to handle a close-fitting franu^. well, he should not dis- courage others from trying them, because I am certain there ai-e many in our great country who are progressive and clever enough to make a success in honey-raising by using improved appliances or fixtures. Julius IIoffman. Canajoharie, N. Y.. Mar. 33. [I will say to our n^aders that Mr. Hoffman is modest and retiring in disposition, and one who is but little inclined to push the merits of any of his devices. He has no interest in bee-sup- plies, and, in fact, never had. that T know of. What he says above, I am sure was influenced only by his free-hearted disposition to dio the bee-keeping world good. He has used exten- sively the loose hanging frame, and I think he can prove every statement made, just as he did to me when I visiti'd his place some six months ago. His success with 600 colonies, and his big crops of honey, secured largely by his own in- dividual labor, means something. The reason why wo thought best to introduce his frame was because, here and there all over the countiy (when we were agitating fixed dis- tances) bee-keepers were asking us to look into its merits. So many of these came in, and they argued with so much show of reason, that this was largely influential in inducing me to make a visit east, to see Mr. Hoffman handle his frames; and the result was, that I was so thor- oughly convinced of their mei'its I knew we should be doing bee-keepers a good turn by of- fering them to the public. J. H. Nellis advertised Hoff'man frames some- thing like ten years ago: and after his journal ceased publication in 1882, comparatively noth- ing more was said in regard to them: but it seems they have during these years been silent- ly working their way throughout the countiy among bee - keepers, solely on their' merits. Supply-dealers may boom a poor article, and get it generally introduced; b\it when an arti- cle, without any booming foi- ten years, works- its own way into favor.it must have intrinsic value, or it would die out. I believe the Hoffman frame is better adapt- ed to beginners tlian any other frame T know of.. They can not help getting their combs spaced right: and I know by experience that begin- ners seldom if ever space loose frames properly, and then they write to know why bees bulge their combs so badly, or why their combs are so crooked, etc. In the next issue Mr. Hoffman will show how to handle the Hoffman frame, bv an illustrated article.! " E. R. R. THE HETHERINGTON QUINBY HIVE. MR. ELWOOI) TELLS HOW TO HANDLE IT, ANI> EXPLAINS ONE OF THE SECRETS OF ITS RAPID MANIPUI-ATION. The junior editor of (Ji-eanings has can- vassed the subject so exhaustively as to leave little to be said on fixed distances with closed- end frames. I was glad of an opportunity of showing the workings of our hive to a practical bee-keeper familiar with the swinging-frame hive in its various modifications: for I had sur- mised, as Mr. Root admits, that my statements as to rapid andlsafe work were, by many, disbe- lieved. However. I am pleased to know that my advocacy for these many years of fixed dis- tances and closed-end frames, while counted a serious blunder, was attributed to nothing worse than ignorance. THE TWO requirements OF A GOOD BEE-IIIVE. A good bee-hive must fill two requii'ements reasonably well to be worthy of that name. 1. It must be a good liome for the bees: 2. It must in addition be so constructed as to be conven- ient to perform the various operations required by modern bee-keeping. The first of these re- (|uirements is filled very well by a good box or straw hive. Bees will store as much honey in these hives as in any, and in the North they will winter and spring as well in a straw hive as in any other. They do not. however, fill the- 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 317 second ivqiiireraenl: and to meet tliis the mov- able-frame hive was invented. WHY yUINBY IXVENTED THE CLOSED-END FKAME. Mr. Quinby observed, soon after the introduc- tion of the Langstroth hive, that bees did not winter as well in them as in box hives, on ac- count of the open frame: and he remedied It by making his frames closed end. Dzlerzon also dlscov<'red that the opi-n frame Infringed upon the welfai'c of the bees, and says: -'These pas- sages are unnatural, and they carry off the nec- essary heat and moisture from the brood-nest and winter ((iiarters of the bees, so that colonies generally winter badly." Abbott, late editor of the BrUisJi Bee Jouriidl. says: " There is noth- ing more unnatural in hive arrangement than the absurd practic(! of making or leaving spaces round the fi'ame ends." Bees usually close up the space between the combs and frame ends or side walls of hives, as far down as honey extends, and undoubtedly our frames should be closed as fai- down as i-he instinct of the bees teaches them to close this space, which is often to the very bottom of the frame. This close space saves much heat, and enables weak colonies to build up in the spi'ing that in an open-end frame would have no chance what- ever. Our division-boards, or panels, as we call th(Mn. are close titling at toi). bot- tom, and ends. Tiu'v are always at hand, thus making it very convenient to contract the brood-ni^st to suit the requirements of the smallest colony, or to enlarge it to suit thi- largest col- ony. With a quilt over the top of the frames, every space between the combs is made so close that it is easily kept warm, and really gives our hive nearly all the advantagi'S of the box hive, with the additional one of combs re- ..«_v_ movable at pleasure. .MOVING BEES ON CLOSED-END FRAMES. Our hive is portable. No cumber- some rack is need<'d in moving bees, for two hives sit side by side in the bot- tom of the wagon, and one hive pih\s on top of another, without need of sticks between. In pre|)aring a colony for moving, we shove out the entrance slide in llie bottom uf the hive, and put in its place a wire-cloth slide to give the necessary ventilation. Then two screws are put in — one through each side of the bottom-board into the edge of the hive. An average man will con- sume about a hundred minutes from the time he reaches a yard until he drives out with a load of thirty- three swarms. The two screws mentioned fasten the bottom on so securely that we have had no accid(!nts on the road serious enough to warrant luihitching the team from the wagon. Our bees are usually drawn over rough, stony, and hilly roads, but we have no queens or bees killed from frames flopping together, nor do we have any combs broken. It is a long time since I saw a comb that had been broken on the road.* When our bees were housed in Nt)vember, two men in the cellar and three outside with a team put them in at the rate of two colonies per minute. #'^ Witli the s^^■inging frame they could hardly have handled them so rapidly, saying nothing about their safety. Not only is our hive movable, but our frames are also movable. In walking up to a hive, one motion lifts the hive proper from its bottom- board, and places it at the side of the exposed frames, where it forms a seat of convenient height. The ii'on roof is nailed to the hive, and. of coursn. always goes with it. Only in the hottest weathei' is there a shade-board to be removed. Another motion with one hand removes the quilt covc^i-ing the frames, and the other hand blows a puff or two of smoke from Jumbo, while the first removes the cord holding the frames more lightly together. You are then ready for business. If you are looking for the quantity of brood in the hive, you can re- move the frames in pairs; for they are easily and rapidiv handled in this way, and one side of a comb is usually a duplicate of the other side. The bottom-i)oard is large enough so that the frames removed can be hooked on the bottom near you, and far enough away from the others to have ample room to get a good look at the next comb (see Fig. 1).* This is a valuable feature of the hive, as you can have always a good place for cotnbs without setting them' upon the ground where you are in danger *Mi-. Root lius told you something' about oui' roads, wliicli were at their best wlieii he wjis liei'e. Per- liaps tliej- \vere iu)t very smooth tlien, as, on ooming down one steep hill. I caught liini holding' fast to the seat with both hands. This was not \vhen our bees were objecting- to having' theii' pietiues taken, for his hands were busy tlien, and I remember that f was i' 1 went a little further. I urged that bees secnte only whi'u the wax is needed, as a I'ule. and gave, as th(> best hypothesis explain- ing this that quiet was the probabi(> explana- tion. I should add. quiet under full nutrition. That is, the bee is functionally active, eats much, but exercises very little. In your foot-note you remai'k that you for- merly thought as I do; but you add. that abun- dant wax scales, produced while feeding sugar 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 319 syrup — so abundant that they fall to the bot- tom of the hive — makes yon skeptical. I have noticed the same thins that yon speak of, and it the rather contirmed my view. If we feed syrup in quantities, the bees are nervously stim- ulated, and I think the functional activity is by no means slight: yet. how little they exercisf-"! There is no occasicm for much exercise. With a chance they will build comb very rapidly. Sup- ply them a full set of combs, and they liave no use for the .scales, and the latter lie thick on tlie bottom-board. This strengthens me in the view that wax is secreted only under those con- ditions which usually prevail when wax is needed. That is. the bees are functionally ac- tive undei- high nervous tension, and yet are not exercising much, either from choice or be- cause, as in case of feeding, there is little or no occasion for much exercise. The fact that they do not Secrete wax except when it is ueeded. I feel certain is. as a rule, well grounded. If any one can give a better solution of this piobleiii than is affojxled in the theory of physical quiet in conjunction with a stimulated condition, I should like to hear it. A. J. Cook. Agricultural College. Mich. E. FRAXCE GIVES ITS SOME SHARI^ FACTS THAT WE CAIS' NOT WELL GET AROUND. In March 15th Gleanings, page 212, Prof. Cook gives us an excellent article on wax secre- tion, and A. I. Root makes some good remarks. Now, I don"t intend to criticise either of you; in fact. I agree with both of you. But I have a theory of my own as to when and why bees se- crete wax. They secrete wax whenever they have more honey than they have combs iii which to store it away. At such times they have to hold their honey in their sacs — they have no other place to put it. The wax is se- creted as a consequence of holding the honey in their sacs. Now. this is the whole sum and substance of wax secretion. Give a new swarm of bees a full set of empty combs, and will they secrete wax? No. not mi'ich; but give them ah ■empty hive when honey is plentiful, but no combs, then the secretion goes on rapidly. Why? Because the bees" sacs are full of honey, and they have to hold it until combs are built to store it away. Another case: Hive a swarm in an empty hive when there is a dearth of honey. When the bees have to eat all the honey they can get to keep alive, will they secrete wax? Not any. They have no honey in their sacs. I hived a swarm last September — a good-sized one — and they lived until cold weather, but never built an inch of comb— then starved. Why did they not secrete wax? No honey. I have seen it stated in "the bee-papers that only young bees secrete wax. Now. I think that is a mistake. I have no doubt that young bees do secrete wax; but that they never se- crete wax after they are old enough to go to the fields and gather honey is not so. I know that bees will secrete wax and build combs until they are six weeks old. Can I prove it? Yes. Several years ago a bee-man near here hived a swarm of bees in a frame hive that I sold him. Just 21 days after, they had filled the hive full of combs, and a set of boxes with honey, and swarmed. That day the swarm was put into another hive, and they filled that hive also, in three weeks. Now. don't you see that this last swarm of bees w(>re at least a part of the first swarm? or in other words, every bee in the last swarm was one of the first swarm, and was not less than 21 days old. and they could not get young bees in the second hive in less than 21 days more? So the same lot of bees were se- creting \\ ax and building comb for six weeks. I believe that, as long as a bee lives, it can se- crete wax and build comb with it. and that old bees can secrete wax as freely as young ones, and that wax is never secreted to any amount unless the bees have to hold their honey for the lack of room to store it away, and they can not secrete wax unless they are holding ' honey in their sacs. E. France. Platteville, Wis. [Friend France. I congratulate you on the point you make in regard to bees siKM'cting wax when they are six weeks old. I never tiiought of it before, but your argument is unanswera- ble. A swarm that casts another swarm inside of 21 days must surely.send out only old bees. I have been satisfied for years that old bees can secrete wax, nurse brood, oi- do almost any thing else, on a pinch.] A. I. R. DOOLITTLE TELLS US WHAT HE THINKS OF MILLIONAIRES, AS WELL AS WAX. I read with interest Prof. Cook"s article on page 212 of Gleanings for March 1.5. and heart- ily wish he were correct. He may be so during a time of moderate flow of honey, with no de- sire on the part of the bees to swarm; but with a good honey-flow, and a disposition on the part of the bees to swarm. I can only think him in error, in the light of past experience. Take his example of the "'cow secreting milk when there is a young calf that must have milk;'" and instead of proving what he wishes it to, it most surely proves that wax must be wasted when a swarm of bees is hived in a hive fully provided with comb, when we come to apply that ex- ample to the bees. The cow secretes milk ac- cording to "nature's aiTanging"" before the birth of the calf, so that it may have a supply when it enters into the world; so the bees begin to prepare for their future home some length of time before they leave the parent colony by se- creting wax, so that they may be prepared with the needed material when they enter their new hive, which, as a rule, is all "swept and gar- nished,'" only as man's hand changes their usual surroundings. If the professor has ever exam- ined a swarm of bees as they hang on a limb, waiting for the scouts to return and report "' a future home,"' and failed to find wax secreted in the wax-pockets, he has found a state of af- fairs that I never did. With this wax already secreted, what is to become of it when the swarm is hived in a hive already fully furnish- ed, unless it is wasted ? That it is not found on the bottom of the hive is no proof that there was no secretion, or that it has not been wast- ed; for I have repeatedly seen bees leaving the hive with wax scales in their mouth, and once or twice have seen them drop them soon after taking wing, although I believe that the great- er part of this waste comes about by an unnec- essary thickening of the combs, and a useless daubing of wax about the hive. I have seen the limbs of trees, on which swarms have clus- tered, plastered over with wax. the secretion was so great: and when swarms have been hived on full sheets of foundation. I have scraped the cells off the foundation, which most would call ■'foundation drawn out."' only to find the found- ation in as perfect condition as it was when it was placed in the hive, the bees simply adding their wax to the side walls of the foundation. I may be wrong, but I can see in this only a waste of wax, or a waste of the foundation: have it which way you please. In times of a slow yield of honey, and perhaps I might say at all times, I do not think as much wax would be secreted when the swarm was hived on empty combs as there would be in an empty hive, for the contin- uous secretion which goes on after the swarm is 320 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Al'K. 15. hived ill an empty liive till the hive is filled with comb would be avoided, and thus a part of the secretion would be stoi)i)ed. It is for this reason that I have advised using only starters in the sections if the hive is filled with combs below, or using only starters in the frames be- low, if the sections are tilled with combs or with foundation. In this way the wax which the bees have already secreted, and that which is in the process of secretion, is saved, hence no waste at any point. THOSE MII.I.IONAIKES. I was taken by surprise at what I found on pages 313 and 214 of the same number of Gleax- INGS; and, friend Root, as you took a column and a half to reply to friend Heselton's half- column, and then called a halt, perhaps you will allow me to say a few words for both of you in the column still due Bro. H. With yon. I agree that a man is not necessarily wicked because he is in possession of much money, nor is he in a wicked calling because he is a lawyer: but if his money comes to him through fraud or dishonest practices, in which his poor neighbors are rob- bed of tiie amount he gains, above what he earns, then he can only be classed with sinners, no matter how many charitable institutions he helps or founds: and if he is a lawyer, and lends his influence toward the framing of unjust laws, laws which oppress the widow and the father- less, then the ci'ies of these "laborers will enter into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth." and hap- py will you and I be, friend Root, if we are found in opposition to such practices, and if we lift up our voices and our ballots against a state of things which allows of this oppression: for then we are not partakers in these crimes, even if they do not cease to exist. There are only three ways in which money can be secured: By earning, by charity, and by fraud (theft). When "old Hutch."' secured his millions by the wheat corner a few years ago, did he earn a cent of it? No, he stole it: and by his becoming that much richer, those who earned the money which ac- cumulated in his hands were just so much poor- er. If he had given all this pile to good instit\i- tions, tlie Lord would not have blessed him for the gift, although he might have blessed the in- stitution. So of railroad wrecking, trusts in oil, sugar, coal, etc.. which rob the laborer of his hire, which things are allowed to exist in our land by the votes of the people, votes which they cast ignorantly, by allowing their minds to be drawn aside from the right and real issuesofthe day by scheming politicians. Then.by our pres- ent tariflf laws the poor laborer of our country is compelled to give charities to the rich, just in proportion to what he is obliged to consume: and so we see tliousands and millions of our people suffering for the actual necessities of life that a few thousands of our people may become rich. John D. Rockefeller is reported to be an eminent Christian gentleman, and yet thou- sands of the poor seamstresses of our land are spoiling their eyes, and have been foi' the past years, because they could not earn the where- with to buy oil enough to have sufficient light to sew during the hours of the night which they were obliged to work to keep soul and body to- gether. Now. Bro. Root, sometliing is wrong soniewiiere, and it becomes you and me to see that we are on the right side, and tiuit is why I write on this theme. I know a bee-paper is not the proper place for a discussion of politics or re- ligious doctrines: but as yon took a column ex- tra on that subject. I thought you would allow the same space to me, if I were not abusive, and I have tried not to be. G. M. Dooijtti-e. Borodino, N. Y., Marches. [Friend Doolittle. Prof. Cook \\ill have to answei- you in regard to the wax problem; and if I really took a column and a half before. T cei'tainly ought not to occupy any sjjace jnst now. But we should ail be careful to look on both sides of these great national questions, anti we should also beware of uncharitable ex- tremes. There is a safe ground, and a right one in all these questions, and we who are striving to follo\\' Christ Jesus ought not to be very far from each other in our opinions.] THE VALUE OF EMPTY COMBS: A VALIAULE EXPERIMENT, SHOWING THAT BEES SE- CRETE AVAX WHEN COMPELLED TO BX'ILD COMB. With Prof. Cook, I greatly doubt whether bees have to secrete wax unless there is a great honey-flow, and no place provided for them to deposit it. A few years ago this same subject was talked up in the bee-journals: and as I had helped some in an apiai-y for over 20 years, and had read so many different opinions and theo- ries on the secretion of beeswax, I felt very much like making a few observations, and it was not long before an opportunity presented itself. It was a very warm morning in the smarming season. Mr. ISI. was called from home, and I was left alone to care for the bees. In a short time the swarming- note was sounded,, and "the bees had swarmed." We were mak- ing use of some drawn-out c(mibs at the time, and I got a hive, tilled it with some of them, and hived the bees: then I wiped the sweat fi'oni my face, and returned to my labor. This w as swarm No. 1. I had hardly got settled down to work, when "buzz, buzz."' and out came another swarm of bees. " Ha. ha !"" I said to myself. " now is my time to experiment a little."" So I went and got a hive, tilled it with empty frames, and hived swarm No. 2, and then awaited results. The next day I went to look at them. Swarm No. 1 I found very busy at w (Mk bringing honej- from the field, and depositing it in the combs: and on the alighting-board and bottom of the hive there was quite a quantity of those little wax scales; but it was very diflicnlt to find any scales in the wax-pockets on the bees. Then I went to No. 2 and found there were not more than half as many bees going and coming from the field as tiiere were from No. 1. I very gently raised the cover and looked in, and found the rest of them hanging in festoons to the top- bars, quietly working at their trade of comb- building, while those that came from the field seemed to be bringing honey for them to con- sume, to produce the wax to build the comb from: and the secretion of wax was very plenti- ful on the bees, but there was none onthe bot- tom-board nor around the entrance to the hive. They \\ orked on in tills way for a few days, and built comb very fast: then the yield of hon- ey in the Held diminished, so they could get but a" little: and although they were still inactive, the wax secretion diminished, and comb-build- ing progressed very slowly. Therefore I think consumption causes production; and if circum- stances are such that the bees consume a lai'ge amount of honey, they they will seciete a large amount of wax. But this is no saving: for, if the honey that they consume to fill the hive or boxes were stored in surplus boxes or comb.it would pay for combs or foundation to fill a number of hives. Observer. [My good friend, you have given us a most valuable experience. First, it indicates beyond question that a colony will store more honey for the extractor when they have a full set of combs. Sheets of foundation would i)robably come next to full combs: bnt emjjty frames are away behind. Our older readers may remem- bei' that I made experiments in just this line 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. :«i nearly twenty years ago. A new swarm, witli a full set of empty eomhs. does, however, se- crete quite a little wax. They i)ut it on lop of the toii-l)ars, extend out tlie length of the cells wherever the space will admit of it. and often put little tins around the end-hais. The point of great value to liee-lvcepei's is this: A new swann. hived on empty frames, will at once — at least the greater part of them — hang idly until tiie wax scales are secreted: whereas, with full sets of combs, nearly all these bees could go at once to the tiekls for stores.] WEST'S CELL-PROTECTOR. A NEW AND VAr,UABI,E DEVICE. The cell-protector was woi'th over $1(X) to me two years ago in swarming-time, as I requeened over 100 swarms with cells from my choicest stocks, and at the same time stopped swarming where the cells were introduced. My bees win- tered well and came out strong the following spring, while others lost very heavily all around me. I dare not say that it is a positive fact that the method I practiced two years ago will al- ways prevent swarming, but it did with me in four different yards, and it was a swarming year too. The hives that I did not treat that way nearly all swarmed, and in many of them we killed the queen while the swarm was on the wing, and destroyed the cells in the hive and gave them a choice queen-cell in the protector, from a hive that had cast a swarm five or six days before. This is easily done while the bees are on the wing. This way of requeening a yard of bees costs nothing, and gives you a chance of doing it when swarming-celis are plentiful, and this is the time to do it. because we can get better queens: and by going to a hive that has not swarmed, and especially if for any cause the queen is condemned, kill her anddestroy the cells if any are started, and give them a choice cell in the i)rotector at once. Fig. 1. D. west's spiral PIUXO CEI>I,-l'K()TECTOi; If you want to I'aise any vii'gin queens, go to a hive that has cast a swarm live or six days previously, cut out carefully all the cells ycm wish to save; place the min the protectors: lay them in a box of cotton, or have a block with a number of holes to set them in until you are ready to use them. Now. when all cells are cut out, j'ust place the cell, as it is already in the protector, on the side of a comb in the same hive. By pushing the spur of the protector (see Fig. 1) into the comb it will stay thei'e: and with the long queen-cage placed below (see Fig. 2). it, with its spur push(>d into the ccmib. will also stay, and there is queen food in the bottom of this cage, so that, when the queen hatches, she will run down into this cage. In this way you can have a queen-nursery in any hive, and hatch out as many queens as you wish. Now. after the cells are hatched you can make as many nuclei as you have queens, by just taking one frame with adhering bees, and place in an empty hive: place another comb by the side of this: give them one of these virgin queens; close the hive, and so on until the cells are used up, and wait until they lay: then do with them what you please. HOW TO USE THE CELI.-PKOTECTOR. Hold the small end of the pi'otector between the thumb and first and second fingers of the left hand. Hold the queen-cell by the big end in the right hand in the same way. Now you are ready to put the cell in: and as soon as the fingers of the I'ight hand touch the cage, it will shorten up by pushing slightly, so as to fix the point of the cell just through the small end of the protector. Let loose with the rigiit hand, and the coil will spring back and cover the butt end of the cell: then slip the tin cover in be- tween the wire coil, just above the butt end of the cell: then you are ready to put the cell in a hive. Then just spread the combs apart far enough to put your hand in; now push the spur of the protector in the comb where you want it (see Fig. I). I leave them just below the top- bar. Now place your frames, and you are done. The top of the protector is in plain sight when the hive is open. Care should be used to handle the cells right side up, without a jar. It is a satisfaction to look in a few days and find your cells all whole except where the queen has helped herself out. The bees can not destroy the cell before she hatches, if properly put in: neitherwill it be destroyed by spreading the frames if you wish to do so. N. D. West. Middleburg. N. Y., Feb. 3. [Mr. N. D. West is one of those bee-keepers at whose place I stopped in my bicycling tour. He owns some -too colonies distributed in three yards. Although I made at his place a very brief call of only some fifteen or twenty minutes. I became convinced of the fact, by looking around with his son (the father was absent), that he is one of the b(>e-keepers who ought to let their light shine a little more. I met him for the first time at the Albany convention, and tliere he showed me a spiral-spring cell-protect- or. Several bee-keepers who have tried them said that they \\ere a good thing. I have since been informed that Capt. Heiherington con- siders them so good that he has ordered 500, and that P. H. Elwood also wants a lot of them, and that both say they are ahead of any thing else they evei- saw for a piotector. ^Ir. W. L. Ten- nant said he would rather do without comb foundation than to do without these protectors. This I'stinuite is perhaps a little strong. I am well aware that this looks like free ad- vertising: but when so many good bee-keepers assure me it is a good thing. Ii; am ' glad to give it this notice, particularly as Mr. West charges a very reasonable jnice for them. As he pays for advertising space t'iscwhere. he can not be accused of taking advantage of this notice free. We are well aware that the principle of the protectors is old. and that Doolittle has used a wire-cloth cone for years, but 1 believe the idea of using a spiral spring is new. The point of superiority over wire-cloth cone-protectors is. that^the spirals adjust themselves to the size of the cell, causing the tin slide shown in the en- 3:i2 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Apk. 15. graving to press down on the top of the cell, so that the end. or point, of the cell is squeezed against the apex of the cone. With the wire- cloth protectors I have known bees to push the cell up. crawl inside of the cone, and gnaw into the side of the cell; but they could notverj' well do it with INIr. West's spirals. The point he makes, that the requeening can be done during swarraing-time. is a good one. as is also the point that an extra-long-cone can be attached to shorter ones, the queen hatched out. and be retained a day or two until a place is found for her. The facility with which these cones can be attached to the combs is another point in their favor.J E. R. R. EVAPORATING HONEY BY SOLAR HEAT IN FLORIDA. w. s. hart's device, and how he does it ON A i.arge scale: he thinks solak evaporated honey is not inferior to that ripened by the bees. By request of some of your southern corres- pondents, backed by your own, I give you a de- scription ofmy method of curing extracted honey. But first let me say I had a short interview with the editor of The' Florida Farmer and Fruit Grower. The editor, in commenting on my honey, said. "Not content with the desiccation done by the bees, he reduces it in a sun evapo- rator, in a lai'ge pan under glass, to a consisten- cy so dense that it will keep a long time without candying." The honey shown to editor Powers was cured more than that which I usually send to market. I cured it while testing the evapo- rator to see what it would do, and to see wheth- er thorough curing with solar heat would dark- en the color. His description of the honey was a correct one. and shows that there is no i-easou for uneasiness on that point. My honey-house is set upon a concrete base. about two feet high, bringing tlie floor of the lower room below the surface of tlie ground, and the sills a few inches above ground. Here in this lower room I store extracted honey in barrels. From this room there is a lai'ge aii'- pipe running out at the top of the building, w'hich keeps up a circulation of air. Work for the apiaiy, such as extracting, is done on the next floor above, while the third floor is used for storing empty hives. From my large geared Stanley extractor the honey runs into a tank capable of holding 13.50 lbs., that rests on the floor in the northeast cor- ner of the extracting-room. The honey passes from this to the evaporating-pan by way of a faucet and a tin pipe projecting through the side of the building. The evaporator is made of heavy tin, and is incased in wood, as are the tanks also. It is 8 teet long, 4 wide, and with sides '2}4 inches high. Eveiy four inches of its length "there is a tin partition ;.' inches high, running from one side to within 4 inches of the opposite side, and alternate ones soldei-ed to the opposite sides, so that the honey flows back and forth across the pan. a distance of about a hundred feet, before reaching the faucet at the lower end. through which it falls into a tank be- low, of the same capacity as the flrst mention- ed. Any one who has seen a syrup evaporator will fully understand the workings of this one. The tank below runs on trucks and a track, and. when fllled.itis rolled out to the large slid- ing-door that divides the evaporating-room from lower stoi-y of the main building. From the faucet in the tank, the honey runs directly into the barrels, which are placed on end on the floor of the storing-room. I till all my barrels at the end, for several good reasons. When full the bairels are bung- ed up tight, and are ready for market, except that I always di-ive up the hoops just before sliipping, and put double-pointed tacks behind them to prevent the possibility of slipping. The evaporating-room is built on to. and runs out 11 feet from, the north side of the honey- house, and flush with the east side. The east wall is 5 ft. (i in. high above the floor: the back wall 0 ft. 9 in., and the room is 5 ft. 4 in. wide. Three sash, 3x(i ft., are used to cover the room, except next to the main building, where the shadow falls. The evaporator is arranged to go close up to the glass, and can be lowei-ed or raised at the north end to increase or diminish the si)eed of the honey-flow according to the heat and amount of curing desired. The evap- orating-pan can be taken down and carried into the storing-room wheii not in use. In both the front and back wall of the evapo- rating-i'oom there are two I'ows of 3'^-inch holes, bored and covered with wire netting, to allow a free circulation of air over the honey. The past season I have also left the door of the room open most of the time, as I And that, the greater the circulation of air. the quicker the honey cures. The evaporating-pan is put quite close up to the east side of the room, leaving a space on the west side for a person to work over the pan to scour it or clean honey out of it when a light grade is following a dark one. The tank below is laid on casings that raise them a foot above the floor. This makes it more convenient to handle the tank or to draw honey from it into pails for home sales. The utility of the evapo- I'ator consists in the fact that honey can be ta- ken from the hives when not over a third capped, and it can then be cured more thoroughly than could be done in the hives by the bees, thereby very hu'g(>ly increasing the crop. Capping hon- ey is a slow and expensive process. By this sys- tem an even grade of honey is obtained, with much less labor and expense than when left longer in tlie hives. Some able men claim that honey is better flavored when ripened by the bees. I can not agree with them in this, nor do the returns and reports from those who sell ray honey indicate the correctii(>ss of this theory. Nor could any bee-keeper, who has ever tried, tell mo with any certainty which sample of hon- ey handed him was ripened in the hive, and which by sun's heat. Usually they select the latter for the former, as it is usually of a heavier body. With the arrangement here described I have no trouble in thoroughly curing my crop of fifteen to twenty-five thousand pounds, and I could handle still more without enlarging my outfit, though a larger evaporating-pan would be an improvement. I have to-day 113 colonies, perhaps, of bees. W. S. Hart. Hawks Park. Fla.. March KJ. [Many thanks for the full details of your ar- rangements, friend H. Although we have de- scribed similar ones before, we have not here- tofore liad such a report from dii-ect practical use. My experience has been, that, for drying lumber, evaporating fruit or vegetables, or any. tiling of this sort, a very large volume of dry air should be made to pass ov(>r or through the product. You did not tell us how long it took to evaporate a barrel of honey. Of course, it would depend upon how thick it is to start with. Very likely your locality would give you more and stronger sunshine than we get here, espe- cially in March and April. This present spring, up to date of writing, April 4. has been cloudy and rainy, as a rule, while smishine has been the exception.] 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 323 THE HONEY-BEE. A REVIEW OF COWAX S NEW SCFEXTIFIC WOKK, I5Y ERNE.ST K. ROOT. Agreeably to my promise made some time ago. I will now try to give you a taste of some of the good things that appear in that new scientific work entitled. ■" The Honey-Bee: Its Natural History, Anatomy, and Physiology, by Thomas William Cowan."' The book is a small one, 632 hy l^i. and contains 192 pages; but it represents an immense amount of painstaking work. It is neatly bound, and api)ropriately embossed in gilt. It is wholly scientlhc. and therefore it has little or noth- ing to say regarding practical apiculture, that part being entirely delegated to a former work of the author's. During my spare half - hours in the evening I have been studying the work with a good deal of pleasure. It is not a book that can be read like a story, but it is one that requires at- •tentiouand careful study. Un- like some of the largei- works, it is condensed, but still seems to cover the most that is im- portant from a scientilic point of view regarding our little friends the bees. One thing that struck my eye particularly, was the beautiful frontispiece engrav- ing, showing almost the en- tire anatomy of the bee: and I became so much interested in studying it that I here re- produce it for the lienetit of our readers. Now, if you will have a lit- tle patience I will try to give you the gist of my reading, and at the same time avoid the use of scientific terms, .so fai" as possible. I may remark, in passing, that the anatomy of the bee is, in many respects. similar to that of the human body: and in describing the various organs and functions I will endeavor to call atten- tion to those that are similar in our own frames. I will first call your atten- tion to the alimentary canal — that is. the organs of diges- tion and assimilation. What is digestion? Our author says, '• It is the separation of the nutrient part of food from the non-nutrient, and the con- version of the nutrient into a liquid fit to mingle with the blood, and thus nourish the body of the insect." We all know how the bee gathers up his food thiough his wondei-ful and delicate little tongue. It then passes into a little tube just below the i)oint A. in the engraving, and is called the o'sophagus. or gullet. We find a similar organ in our own bodies, leading from the mouth and communicating directly to the stomach. This o-sophagns passes through the waist of the bee, or thorax, as it is called, and to the honey-stomach G in the abdomen. It is in this little sac. although it can hold but a tiny drop at a time, that millions and millions of pounds of nectar are carried annually and stored in our combs. This sac G is located in the fore part of the abdomen, or " liinder " part of the bee. as the boy said. Several years ago I had a curiosity to know what the bees were working on. I suspected that they were gathering juices from over- ripened raspberries on the vines. In order to satisfy my.self I grasped a bee by her waist and abdomen, and pulled until the parts were sepa- rated, and then was nwealed the little honey- sac, which had disengaged itself from the ab- domen. This contained a light purple or wine- colcn^d liquid. The size of this honey-sac. asn(>ar- ly as I can ri>collect now, was a good big eighth of an inch: and I should remark that the bee had all that she could contain in her little pocket. 4-^ ECTION OF BEE. f^HOWING ITS INTERiN'AI> ORGAN.S. Cheshire says that, when the honey -sac is full, it is i of an inch in diameter. This would agree with my observations. STOMACH-MOUTH. The next thing that engages our attention is a sort of valve, which has been call the stom- ach-mouth, and is located between the honey- stomach and the trne stomach; viz.. at II. This is one of the most interesting of organs: audi suppose that no part of the internal anatomy of the bee has been studied more, theorized about, dissected, and examined, than this delicate and 324 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Ai'i:. 15. Ix-auliful littlr valvt\ At H its true structure does not appear. It has been likened In api)ear- ance to a bud just alwut to open. It is a st)rt of valve, fringed on the inside with rows of bi'is- tles, or hairs, the object of which seems to be to separate the pollen grains fioni the nectar, the former passing into the stomach L. \Vith- out special engravings which I may yet copy from ^lv. Cowan's book, I can not explain ex- actly the manner in which tlii:> valve per- forins its functions. TRUE STOMACH. This corresponds to the stomach in our own bodies, and pei'forms the samt^ function in the way of digestion in converting the nutrient particles of the food into blood. The inside walls of the stomach have certain cells which perform certain offices; but without more defi- nite engravings it will be impossible to describe them in detail. The next organ is the small intestine, or, as it is sometimes called, the •' ilion."' In the hu- man bodv the small intestines are much more elaborate. It is in this that the food, after its digestion, passes, and where, by absorption, the nutrient particles not already absorbed pass into the blood, and soon throughout the system. You will notice, also, at L, some small radiat- ing filaments. These are called the inalphy- gian tubes. It is not certain what their office is, but it is thought that these are the urinary organs. At the end of the small intestine, K. you will notice an enlargement, M. This is what is called the colou. Those who have been study- ing the water-cure remedy, as given in Glean- ings lately, will know something what this is in the human body. Although the appearance of the colon in the bee is ditterent from that in the human body, yet its functions are very much the same; and if allowed to become dammed up by excreta (that is, by retention during winter) it is liable to cause disease in the bee, just the same as in the human body. On page 112 Mr. Cowan says: From tlie colon, what lemaiiis of the undigested foiKl is expelled by the anal opening- (frontispiece, o). For this purpose strong' muscles exist, l)y which the colon is compre-sed and tlie excreta ejected. The quantity of the exci-eta voided, usually of a dark brown color, is regulated by the nature of the food; bad honey, an improper substitute for honey isuch as glucose) producing a larger amount, while good hon^y and good syrup produce less, a larger proportion of it being digested and absorbed. It is, therefore, important that bees should have good food, as, in a healthy condition, worljers never void their fajces in the hive, but on the wing. In the winter it is retained luitil voided on their flrst flight. So you see, then, that bad food makes mis- chief, just the same as it does in the human body, and it is in this that the ovei'plus of fteces is stored during winter. HOAV THE BEE "MAKES" HONEY. After the nectar is gathered, it is then trans- ferred from the tongue to the oesophagus and thence to the honey-stomach. G. It has been shown repeatedly by experiment that there are a great many more pollen grains in the nectar than in honey; hence the little stomach-mouth H comes into play in separating the grains from the mouth. On arrival at the hive, the bee regurgitates — that is, expels the contents of the honey-sac into the cell; but during its stay in the honey-sac the nectar has undergone a change; that is, it has been converted, says Mr. Cowan, from the cane sugar of nectar into the grape sugar of honey, by the agency of a certain gland. This sustains the position held so persistently by Prof. Cook, and his view is doubtless correct; for when two such doctors agree, and cite the authority of almost all of the eminent scientists of Eui'ope in its support, th(> i-est of us will have to fall into line. Hut the bee may not regurgitate the honey, for it may pass directly into the chyle-stomach. We see. tlierefoi'e. that, when a swarm issues. the bees. ;ifter lilling their honey-sacs to their full cai)acity (a veiy small drop), can caixy with them a supply of food to last thein for sev- eral clays: and even while on the wing, through that little stonuich-mouth. II. they may take nouiishmi'n.t. .So much for the alimentary ca- nal, its office in digestion, and the honey- stomach. THE NEIJVOUS SYSTEM. Let us now turn our attention to the nervous system. By referring to the engraving you will see parallel and medial lines passing the entire length of the bee, and Hnally communicating with the brain A. Along at iri'egular intervals will be seen thickened masse-; called " ganglia." These are really little brains, and, as in our own bodies, preside over the involuntary muscles. The largest ganglion is the brain, at A, and is the seat of voluntary action and intelligence. One is surpiised in reading through chapters 10 and 11 of Mr. Cowan"s work, how thoroughly scientists have studied the structure of the nervous system as found in the bee. Even the tiny brain has been dissected, and its various functions pointed out— that is. what parts com- municate with the antennic. what part with the eyes, etc. I was greatly interested, in look- ing over the sizes of the different brains found in different insects. I quote here a paragraph from page 70: It is generally admitted, that the size of the brain is in proportion to tlie development of intelligence; and Dujardin, who made careful measurements, gives the following sizes: In the worker bee the brain is the tU of the body; in the ant, .i^b; the ieli- neumon, jflo; the cockcliafer, sg'so; the dytiseus, or watei'-beetle, tj'oh. In man the proportion is 1 to 40, 1 believe; but we all know that he is of the very highest order of intelligence. However, we are not very much siu'prised to learn that the bee has the largest brain of any of the insects, exceeding by far even that of the ant, whose intelligence we have admired over and over again. THE RESPIKATOKV SYSTEM. It is also interesting to inquire how the bee breathes, and chapter 8 points out to us the wonders of the nervous system in the bee. By referring to the engraving given, we observe a couple of large air-sacs, called the " trachea," and correspond somewhat to the lungs. These are located on either side of the abdomen, as at T. These are divided and subdivided into smaller trachea, and these in turn ramify all through the entire body. Instead of fresh air being received in at the month, as with us. fresh supplies are admitted through 14 little mouths called " si)iracles."" Ten of these are located on the abdomen — live on each side — and are situated just about on the margin of the scales, between the dorsal and ventral seg- ments. Four others are situated on the thorax, or waist, *^^wo on each sid(\ You may, there- fore, decapitate a bee and he will continue breathing as before. If you place a pencil dip- ped in ammonia near his body, th(> headless in- sect will struggle to get away: and if the pen- cil touches his feet, the ganglia already spoken of communicate the sensation to the other gan- glia, and at once all the feet come to the I'escue to i)ush off the offending object, or, it may be, to take a closer hold so the sting may do its work. Besides that, if bees are daubed with honey they will die very soon from stran- gulation, because these little mouths orspiracles are closed. A bee may swim aroiuid in a trough 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 325 ■of water, and. though his head be entirely out, he will drown just the same, because these spiracles, or breathiiig-inoutlis. are submerged under water. On a hot day. if tlie entrance of a hive be closed, the bees will soon begin to t^weat: and. thus becoming daubed, the delicate spiracles are closed, and the bees die. KOYAI, .JELI.Y. AXD WHAT IS IT? Nothing in the book interested me more than the discussion in chapter 18 in regard to the roval jelly. Cheshire insists that it is a secre- tion from' one of the glands: but Prof. Cook has maintained that it is the product of the chyle- stomach: and Mr. Cow an proves conclusively that this is the right view, and eminent author- itv is not wanting to sustain them. This chyle is produced in what is called tiie chyle-stomach, shown at L. in the engraving: and worker larva? are fed on this concentrated food for three days, after which they are wean- ^■d. "On the fourth day this food is changed and the larva is weaned: for the first pap has a large quantity of honey added, but no undi- gested pollen, as Prof. Leuckhart had stated. The drone larvie are also weaned, but in a dif- ferent way: for. in addition to honey, a large quantity of pollen is added after the fourth day." And right here 1 can not do better than (luote from Mr. Cowan: Microscopic examination showed that, in tlie rest. I think you are right in ex- posing this great swindle, and also in giving to the people a simple remedy of such great value. The great jttdgment only can tell the amount of good you are doing in this way. There is another subject 1 should be glad to see you take up in Gleanings, and that is na- sal catarrh. It can be treated and cured in the same way you describe. Dr. Pierce, of Butfalo, N. Y., gets up his nasal douche, a tin holding perhaps a pint, with a tin tube near the bottom (on the order of the honey-gate in an extractor). Take a small rubber tube, some two feet long: slip one end on the tin tube and the other end on a little nozzle to go into one nostril. Dr. Pierce, of course, sells medicine for catarrh which is good, but not necessary In every case. Simple warm water,witha little salt in it, is good, and this, with a suds made from castile soap, has cured some bad cases. Put the liquid in the can; set it oveihead; hold the rubber tube so Ti2S GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Apk. 15. the liquid can not How; insert the nozzle in one nostril, breathing through the nose, and let the liquid flow. It will flow up one nostril and down the other, cleansing and healing the nasal passages as nothing else can. Use the warm salt water and the suds (warm of course) each once a day. and it will cure any ordinary case. J. H. Hill. Venice. Fla., March 31. [Well done, fri(>nd Hill. While 1 was looking over Dr. Kellogg's book In regai'd to the Hall discovery, I noticed the apparatus you mention illnslrated tliere. A few days ago I had quite a severe cold, and toward its winding up it seem- ed to me that it would just be fun to get Dr. Kellogg's apparatus and give my nostrils a good rinsing out. I did not know just how to go at it, however, and I was afraid I might get stran- gled, and therefore I let it go. Now yon have made it as plain as A B C. But are you posi- tively sure, my good friend, that there Is any thing at all needed but pure water? Just listen. A poor woman was grievously afllicted with some kind of rheumatism. She and her hus- band scraped np money, and she went to a cele- brated water-cure. Sure enough, she began to improve right away, and in a few weeks she was comparatively well. After she went back home, however, the old symptoms returned, ^nd finally she was about as bad as before. It cost an awful lot of money to get to the cele- brated springs, and they could not afford it. As a drowning man catches at a straw, how- ever, one of the twain, I do not remember which, suggested that she take a daily bath with the water that was at hand, using it in the same manner she used tlie water at the medical spring. What do you think the re- sult was? Why. a daily bath, with simply common watei', relieved her of her trouble just as well in her own home as it did at the ex- pensive watering-place. By the way, how much does it cost to go to a high- toned medical spring, and take a course of treatment, paying the doc- tor, traveling expenses, high-priced board, and all that? May be some of you can tell. And is it not humiliating to be obliged to confess that the whole thing amounts to nothing more nor less, Ji/iaHj/, than the old-fashioned water-cure treatment of Fowler & Wells, published so freely all over our land more than forty years ago? On page 273 of our last issue, a friend, who has been an invalid for years, tells us about using flaxseed in connection with flushing with water, for cleansing the small int(^stines as well as the colon. By the way. friends. I have been expecting all along that somebody would take exceptions to the way in which we were dis- cussing not only subjects that are usually con- sidered delicate, but matters that might be considered by some out of place, or lacking in dignity. Well, thei-e has not been a single such protest that I kno\\' of, unless it was a little bit of pleasantry now and then. I suppose the reason is, that so many of us have been longing for relief in this vei'y line, and pei-haps longing for any thing that would give us aid in this matter of keeping the human frame divine sweet and clean, "tit places for the dwelling of the Holy Spirit. Well, I have been eating flax- seed, as recommendf'd, and I am rejoiced to tell you that, in my case, it answei-s the purpose perfectly. Please bear with me if I tell you just why I feel s(j certain that it is a valuable adjunct. I diank a great lot of hot water about S(>ven o'clock in the evening — so much, in fact, that it mad(> me feel uncomfortable to some ex- tent through the night. Then in the morning I commenced, the fli'St thing, eating flaxseed. It is not the pleasantest stuft to eat, by the way and I kept thinking, while I chewed it up fine, that I should prefer to have it cooked in some way, if it would answer the same purpose. I used the flushing rem(>dy the niglit before, so that I could be s\ire that it was the flaxseed that did the cleansing if there was any. Well, within an houi' after taking it I began to feel its effect. And now comes the whole point of my story. The ott'ensive smell that I told you of when I first began the flushing, has not been noticeable for perhaps months. On this par- ticular occasion, however, the old familiar and exceedingly offensive smell was present, indi- cating unmistakably that the flaxseed had loosened up and brought away accumulations that had been perhaps for a long while lodging in the small intestines, and matter that the water itself had not reached. We are surely making progress; and is there any other sub- ject, in the whole range of human intelligence, of more moment and more importance than this one of making ourselves clean — of following the injunction found in the Scripture t(^xts which I have so often quoted to you — "Wash ye, make you clean " ? A great wave is going through our land, and possibly other lands, in this direction of thorough washing; and I tell you, it is a hopeful sign. When we bend our energies, and the intelligence of the thinking people of the world toward this matter of clean- liness, and of making our bodies not only clean without but clean within, wherever pure water can be made to go with the aid of all modern appliances, I tell you we are on the highway to some great achievement. One happy thing about it is, that it is within the reach of all — the poorest as well as the richest, and there should be no excuse hereafter for uncleanness in any shape or form. Our country has been given to booms— first one thing and then an- other. Sometimes these booms are wholesome and sometimes not. But if there is going to be a great big boom all over the world in wasliing the body more thoroughly than has ever been done before since the world began, it is certain- ly going to prove to be a good thing, and a great many steps heavenward; for "cleanliness is next to godliness." Let rus wash our bodies, our feet, our hands, our heads, our ears. Small boys can have a share in this latter. How my good mother did used to exhort and reprove me because my ears and finger-nails were not clean ! After we have got the ears and scalp washed and cleansed, then our noses must be overhaul- ed, as our friend Hill advises. Then let us pro- vide plenty of tooth-brushes, and wash our mouths and our teeth. Very likely some nice soap with the soft water, or perhaps some clean sand or charcoal dust, might help along. We want flesh-brushes and nail-brushes as well as tooth-brushes. And, by the way, who knows whether we shall not succeed in doing away with this disagreeable thing of a bad-smelling breath that atflicts some people? My dear friend, how many do you know among your ac- quaintances whose breath is offensive? May be you have been told that your own breath is offensive. If so, what would you give to have it sweet,, pure, and clean, like the breath of a baby? Well, I am inclined to think that, with the information that has been given in these pages of Gleanings, the whole thing may be accomplished. Let us first put th(> whole body in the right shape with energy. You see, your friends do not always tell you when your breath isoflfensiVe; but your wife will; and next time vou give her a kiss (I really hope it will not be three or four weeks before you do), just ask her to tell you whether or not your breath is im- proving. Oh! by the way, if you are in the habit of using tobacco, after you get cleaned up nicely, inside and out, you will be in excellent 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 339 trim to leave oft' the foul weed. Why, it would be ii great piiy to df'tilc the holy temi)k' after having been made clean in the way we have indicated. And all this great work in cleanli- ness, and its resulting health, is to be accom- plished in your own home, by means of ])ure water, pure air, plenty of sunshin(>. and all the rest of God's free gifts. What will the doctors do? Why. bl(>ss you. we will pay them a good salary, and aitpoint them as inspectors to over- haul us, say twice a weel\. and see that we are doing our duty on the aViove line. GIVING AWAY THE WATEII-CURE SFX'KET AMONO THE FAK.MEKS. There is an agent in our neighborhood selling Dr. Hall's recipes. He hasn't sold any in this neighborhood, for I haven't been very still. The farmers are oi'ganized all over this part of the country, and it is an easy matter to get news around in a very short time. Solitude. Ind., March 17. .1. P. Utley. WHAT A DOCTOR SAYS OF THE WATER CURE, AND ITS OI.DNESS. We have one of Dr. Hall's agents here selling the "secret" for #4.0(). I am a graduate of the Hygeio-Therapeutic College, of New York, of the class of 18(35, and have used the drugless remedy for 30 years. When I first heard of Dr. Hall's '"secret" I said I could guess what it was; and I told the agent that, if there was one part of the water-cure system of more impor- tance than another, it was the use of water in- jected into the colon. I am not practicing now, but I could give numerous instances of the re- lief administered by the syringe. I know of no better motto for health than "Trust in God. and keep your bowels clean." Ezra Yoder. Paola, Kan., March 11. WATER CrRE — USING IT TO EXCESS. I think you extremely modest in putting the internal water tivatment before the public. While others, through greed and avarice, are making money selling this as a new and secret remedy, I am glad that you are so magnani- mous as to print and furnish it for distribution free of cost. Only lately I paid four dollars just to find that one Hall had learned this treatment about the same time I did. Now a word of caution. Old men sometimes ride hob- bies, and it is said that old cranks are the worst of cranks. Don't come to regard this as a uni- versal panacea. Don't recommend it on all occasions and for all persons. It is possible to practice it to such an extent that nature will cease to perfoi-m lier functions, and the person be left dependent on artificial means for the operations that nature is intended to produce. I suppos(^ you remember a ease reported of a typhoid patient dying by using this remedy. Please send me oO to KM) co|nes of the treatment. Philipsburg, Pa., March 10. .Inc. D. Chi.i.. WATER-CURE TREATMENT: WASHING OUT THE STOMACH. I wish to say a word about that "drugless remedy." There is one point you have not touched upon. An acquaintance of mine was sick for a long time with a sUmiach trouble. The usual prescriptions were administei'ed with but little effect. Finally the doctor brought a long rubber tube, about three or four feet long, with a funnel atone (>nd. The small end was introduced into the stomach, and warm water poured into it until the stomach and tube were full. In a short time the funnel end was dropped low down over a pi'oper I'eceptacle, and the contents of the stomach all came out through the tube. All that was not digested was removed: and when food was taken again, th(^ man had a clean slomach to starti on. and his improvement was jinmediate ami marked: and thus what di-ugs failed to effect the water accomplished. This doctor giv<'s the same treatment to others alllicted in like manner. I sujjpose this means is known to you. but I think it should be nu'ntioned in connection with your other "wash and be clean" arrangement. I know that the us(! of water will relieve th(» painful ettects of piles, and am not sure but a frequent application will result in a p when there is no tiering up, I like the 9-inch height. I can use the 13-inch quite com- fortably: but the 17-inch would be very uncom- fortable, unless working at an upper story, when it is quite convenient. So you see the advantage of having different heights. HANDY bee-keeper's SEAT FOI! DIFFERENT HEIGHTS. Pine is good material for this seat; but some- thing a little tougher might be better. It is very handy indeed to have a number of them in each apiary. It is nice to be able to offer com- pany a comfortable seat, aside from the con- venience it is to yourself to have an extra one or more lying around handy. They are quickly and easily made, and almost any bee-keeper will have plenty of waste boxes or other lumber that can be utilized in making them. So the item of expense need not be counted. It's a 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 331 good time to get them ready now. so as to have them all ready when the busy time comes. The way we came to use them in the first place was bv having so many empty glass boxes lying around, which we used for seats: but they were not quite substantial enough with one open side. Dr. Miller always sat on the (>nd: and after being in use for a while they would split, sooner or later, although the ends were of >i- Inch stuff. Nailing up the open side makes them very strong. HOW TO LOSE TOOLS. Do you ever have any trouble losing your tools in the apiary? You are a model bee- keeper if you don't: for brushes, chisels, etc.. have a habit of hiding just at the moment you want them most. Dr. Miller is very orderly about his tools (I'm not going to tell you how I am with mine). He usually lays them on top of a hive in plain sight: never on the ground. If he accidentally drops one on the ground, he stops immediately and picks it up. no matter what he is doing. " He says if he doesn't he will forget all about dropping it and it is hopelessly lost. But even then, he sometimes loses them. It is funny how you can look for something in vain when it is right before you. If you have any difficulty with yours, an excellent way is to tie your brush, chisel, etc., to your apron, or button-hole, with a good strong cord. Then you are sure of them, and can drop them at will. Dr. Miller had an arrangement which he liked very well. He had a strong cord fastened together so that he could slip it on over one shoulder and under the opposite arm, and the string of each tool was fastened to this cord in- stead of the button-hole. Emma Wil.sox. Marengo, 111., April. 1S91. [Your box looks as if it might be real handy, though I would about as soon use a hive-cover. Yet if I were to use that light handy box. with its patent adjustable heights. I might like it. Yes, we do lose things, just the way you speak of: but more oftw of those little red cocoons. I should think they were, under the leaves. BKE-FEEDEKS. Last fall, when we fed up some colonies foi' winter, we tried several feeders, and none gave better satisfaction than cheap t^in milk-pans. If one buys quite a number they can be bought very cheap; and then we are sure of no loss of the syi'up. We had cotton cloths over the top of the pans, and we tilled them full and set them on top of the frames and covered the rest of the frames up, except large entrances for the bees to go above: and in one night they would take down two quarts or more, and worked vig- orously until all was gone. We had some old wooden feeders we tliouglit wei'e glued and pro- polized so tight they would not leak; but if fill- ed above, where tried. w(> found them leaking in the hive; and one that stood outdoors in th(^ rain several days, out of which we had to pour the water, when put into the hive they let a gal- lon of rich syrup run out, and caused bad rob- bing of that colony the next day ; indeed, it near- ly ruined the colony, as the bees came in and took all the honey they had in the hive before we noticed the robbing was so serious. I men- tion the abov(» fact to warn others to be careful of wooden or leaky feeders. This spring we in- tend to try large deep pie-tins, just shoved under the brood-frames, as we shall have to feed some. As our colonies are all set up an inch higher than in summer, we can take down a side board and shove the pie-tin under, first laying in the pie-tin a cotton cloth to make footholds for bees to walk out and in. A large pie-tin will hold from two-thirds of a quart to a full quait. and can be bought for three cents each, and will last a lifetime. Rosevillc. 111. Mks. L. C. Axtei,l. [Your suggestion in regard to wliy queens are destroyed after being clipped are, some of them, new to me: but I think you are no doubt right, my good friend. — I am glad to see that you agree so nearly with Dr. Miller and others in this matterof uniting weak colonies in the spring. A weak colony that is making progi'ess. and is pretty surely building up. should be let alone. Two queens (in a very little time at least), will produce more brood than one queen; and if they are doubled up, one (pieen must take tlie place of two. — I wish tocniphasizc t lie danger pointed out, of opening and spreading the brood in chilly weather. It is like taking delicate plants from the greenhouse and putting them out into the frosty air. — Yes, the bee-keeper should plan certain kinds of woi'k to be done when the hon- ey does not happen to come. — Probably Pi'of. Cook can tell you the cause of the honey-dew on your house-plants, fi-om the description you give. — Yes, 1 know that a tin pan can be made to answer the purpose of an expensive feeder; and this is the point I had in view when we made the machinery for making our bread-pan feeder. It is some trouble to fuss with cloths, etc. One day I found the women-folks wash- ing out a lot of cloths that had been used over the tin-pan feedeis. I soon figured up that the labor of washing them was more than the cloth would cost in the first place. Of course, where one has nothing else to do this might not be so bad: but we should be careful about letting hired help do work that costs more than it comes to. If you put your pie-plate feeders under the frames, there is a way to manage without being annoyed by the cloths at all. Have your pie-tins made just as large as the bottom of the hive; then have the sides reach high enough so that,when tilled with syru|j, the lower part of th<' frames will dip into it. A bee will never drown in such a tin pan as this, and you can till it up by pouring the syrup on toj) of the frames, so as to run down between them. You want to have the lowest side of your tin in sight, however, so as not to get so much syrup in as to run it over. We have used such feeders very successfully; but it is a little trouble to get them out of the hiv(! when you are through with them, unless your hive has a movable bot- tom-board. In that case, an assistant can lift the hive while you take out the feeders.] HONEY FOR EXHIBITION PURPOSES. A 8TANDAKI) XEEDED. Mr. Root:— At the convention in Albany, the desirability of a standard of comparison iu awarding premiums on bees at fairs and exposi- tions was touched upon. It is a good idea, and I have long thought that a similar standard, oi" scale of points, should be furnished the judges of honey at such exhibitions. Better justice would be done exhibitors, awards being many times made* without intelligent inspection. That is to say, they are made (with the best of intentions on the part of judges) in an oflf-hand manner. A case in point occurred at a State fair. After an award had been made upon a specimen of comb honey, some of the other ex- hibitors decided to examine it. when it was found that the case contained a few sections of" white honey wiiile the remainder was dark and inferior. The case was closed, and nothing, so far as I am aware, was ever said; but certainly the superficial examinafion of the judge result- ed in injtistice to exhibitois of iietter honey. If the idea should meet with approval it is per- haps not too late to induce officials to put it into the premium lists of fairs and expositions- to take place during the coming summer and fall. Brought thus to the notice of bee-keepers it would have an educational value, the effect of wliich would appear in the better grading of honey for market. I submit the following scale for amendments: ( Color. .5. Honey — - Body. 5. ( flavor, 5 15. i vStraightness. n. Comb—- Color of capping, 5. ( Completeness of capping. 5. . . 15 LTniformity 10 Style 10 Possible 50 By ■■ unifoi'mity " is meant the closeness of resemblance in the sections composing the specimen. " Style " includes the attractiveness of section and case, also absence of propolis. kecipe fob canning pumpkin, fob MB. CIIALON FOWLS. stew and sift the pumpkin, as for immediate use. Add sugar, ginger, and cinnamon, to taste. Return to the stove and add water if too dry. It should be .somewhat soft to settle down in the can without air-bubbles, and the water can be evai)orated when wanted for use. When boil- ing hot. pack solid in air-tight cans, and it will keep well. HOAV TO KEEP MOLD FBOM CANNED FBUIT. Perhaps it will not be amiss to make further comment on canning fruit. I have been very fortunate in exhibiting canned fruit at fairs, where many make inquiry as to my method. I very seldom have mold on my fruit, while many 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 333 wltli whom I havp talked regard it as unavoid- able. Mold is a plant. When it is found on canned fruit its germs were either in the can when tlie fruit was put in or they got in aft(>r- ward. If the can was air-tight, which can be ascertained on opening it, the mold spores could not have gotten iu. and must, thei-efore. have been in the can wiien the fruit was put in. ! The majority of us use the Mason can with porcelain-lined top. They are musty when new from their straw packing, and. when emp- tied of fruit and stored upon the pantry shelf, there is abundant chance for them to iiecome thickly sown with mold spores floating about in the atmosphere. It is almost impossible to thoi'oughly clean the tojjs and behind tlie por- celain lining. Mold flourishes where it can not be dislodged with ordiuary scalding. However, hot strong borax water will desti'oy the ger- minating power of the S[)ores. so I lnul the tops and scald the cans in it the last thing before the fruit is init in. I shall use. hereafter, the Woodbury can. with glass top. made at Wood- bui'v. New Jersev. Emii,y E. Wf;st. Flint. Mich.. Mar. 12. 00^ QaEgTi0]^.g@;^, With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees. Question 183. Where I live v'e don't usual- ly have settled weather till well along in April. Sometimes my bees get uneasy early In March. If a warm day comes idxnit that time, would you set out the uneasy ones and let them .stay out, or u-ould you put them bach after a flight,, or would you let tlieii} to\tgh it through in the cellar ? We would not put them back at any time. Illinois. N. W. Dadaxt & Sox. If very restless, set them out; then set them in. If not verv restless, leave them in until spring. California. S. R. Wilkin. "Tough it through in the cellar,'" but give plenty of ventilation and a drink. They get too dry. Illinois. N. W. C. Mrs. L. Harrison. I would take them out if the weather were warm, and let them stay out, unless the weath- er should turn cold again. Louisiana. E. C. P. L. Viai.lon. I would let them "tough it" through in the cellar, and not set them out until outside bees weie gathering pollen. Michigan. S. W. James Heddon. I would not set them back, and it would be a bad cas<' if I set them out much before the usual time. New York. C. P. H. Elwood. Set out tlie uneasy ones, and give them pro- tection with an outer case, and jjack with chaff, fine-cut straw, or hay. or an equivalent. Ohio. N. W. A. B. Ma.son. It might pay in sonif instances to get the noisy ones away from the rest, and sometimes a flight will make them more quiet for a while. In such instances it will pay to take them out for a fly. and return. Early in March would be too early to leave them out, here. Wisconsin. S. W. S. I. Freeborn. I think I would try to cool them off somehow, and let them remain until after the next cold spell: that is. for this latitude. Wisconsin. S. W. E. France. Give them water, and leave them in the cellar if they are healthy. But if they have diari-hea, setting them out for a flight! and returning them, might give them relief. Vermont. N. W. A. E. Manum. Sometimes, and sometimes. If they were daubing things up I should incline to set them out for a flight, and put them back again. If they were tidy I think I should make them stay where they were, somehow or other. Ohio. N. W. E. E. Hasty. I don't feel entirely sure about it. but I think I"d let them tough" it through. Last spring mine got that way. and I made a lire, heated the cellar, then opened every thing wide at night, and bv morning thev were quieted down. Illinois. N. " C. C. Miller. In my climate, let them "tough it through in the cellar." There is nothing gained by toting out and back again. If it is really necessary to put them out I would let them " tough it " outdoors. New York. E. Rambler. If I could take the uneasy ones out without disturbing the rest. I would give them a fly and return tnein. Usually this can not be done, so it is best to let them take their chances in the cellar. Illinois. N. C. J. A. Green. If I could not quiet them by cooling off the cellar — opening up cool nights — I would take the uneasy ones out and return ihem after a good flight. I do not believe this wise or neces- sary if we are cautious in our management. Michigan. C. A. J. Cook. If the above party would give his location, his question could be answered more intelli- gently. It appears to me, that, if I were a cel- lar winterer. I would try to quiet my bees in some manner until it was time to set them out for good. A saturated sponge on the entrance or on top of the frames answers the purpose sometimes. Ohio. S. W. C. F. Mtjth. After trying all the plans yet devised for wintering bees in safety, my idea is this: Put the bees in the cellar early: "keep the tempera- ture at from 43° to 4,5° while they are in the cel- lar, and leave them undisturbed till you are ready to set them out for good — say when the pollen from soft maple and elm is being gather- ed by bees left on their summer stands. New York. C. G. M. Doolittle. If the bees become uneasy in the cellar, and a bad condition is likely to result from it, they may be beneflted by setting out on a warm day for a flight. But unless the weather is warm they will be damaged instead of benefited. Up- on the whole the chances are about as good to leave them undisturbed until the weather is warm enough to set them out and leave them. If set out early, put back again, especially if light. Ohio. N. W. H. R. Boardman. [Well, friends. I am a little glad to notice that you do not recommend very strongly carrying bees out and putting them back again, and I believe I agree with vou. In fact. I think I 334 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Apk. 15. would not take thorn out and put them hack, even if it did no good. And, hy tlio way, I still think that, for localities like oiirs, I would not have any cellar or any out or in ahout it. When Ernest brings his bees out of his cellar, however, I may have more faith, for the past winter has be(Mi a trying one.] FROM DIFFERENT F*ELDS, MASTER LELAND IVES ROOT. cake of gkandfather amos ives root, Medina, Medina Co., O. My dear Leland hies: — Unless you have an imagination beyond the ordinary, you can not imagine my delight at hearing from you. I am especially gratified that you have chosen for your stopping-place the home of my very dear friends, Mr. and Mrs. E. R. Root. As you be- come better acquainted with them I am sure you will like them. Demure as Mr. E. R. no doubt appears to you now. when he becomes better acquainted that little stiffness of manner toward you will disappear, and I think you and he will be very fa?t friends. Being so very nearly the same age. it is not strange that a warm" intimacy should exist between him and me, and our mutual friendship for you will bind us still closer together. Please give my love and best wishes to your host and hostess, also to your grandmother and grandfather, also to the circle of uncles and aunts. Yours as of old, C. C. Miller. I'. S. — Do be careful of your health, my dear fellow, and take particular care to wrap up well when you go out. Don't go in the mud without your rubbers. Have you seen A. I.'s windmill ? a bill, before the MICHIGAN LEGISLATITRE TO MAKE THE SPRAYING OF FRUIT WHILE IN BLOOM A MISDEMEANOR. Mr. Root: — Please announce as early as ])os- sible in yotu' i)aper. that there is a bill before the Michigan Legislature, which, if enacted, makes spraying fruit while in blossom a misde- meanor. There is some oppijsition on the ground of justice to fruit-men. Yet our State Horti- cultui'al Society and a second large association, the '■ (irand River Valley Association," have luianimously resolved urging the passage of the bill. Please urge all fruit-men to petition their senator, and the State legislatures generally, to vote for and pass the bill. The petitions should come from fruit-men. They are interested in preserving the bees, as well as are the bee-men. All well-informed fruit-men believe this fully. A. J. Cook. Agricultural College, Mich., March 37. [We are exceedingly glad to see you moving along in this matter, especially as the State of Illinois has already got the matter well in hand. See page 33().] HOW TO TELL ADULTERATED AVAX. What is the best way to tell adulterated bees- wax, and in what way does grease or paraffins injure wax? J. H. A. Andes, N. Y., Feb. 10. [Friend A., we detect adulteration by the smell, and by ch(nving the wax. Beeswax and tallow will make very fair chewing-gum. But wax alone will crumble all to bits, and can not be chewed — at least very long. The addition of paraffin*' has somewluit the same effect: and even a very little parafline makes the wax melt at a much lower teniperatuiv. so that it is en- tirely unfit for foinidation. If the sami)le in question should, with very mild heat, become soft and mushy, you may suspect paraffine. Beeswax. how(W(>r, is tough and leathery, and easily rolled at a temperature where paralffne would have no toughness at all.] ILLINOIS STATE BEE-KEEPEKS' ASSOCIATION. The Illinois State Bee-Keepers' Association A\as organized on the 2(M\ day of February, ISitl, at Springfield. It officers elected were: President. P. J. England. Fancy Prairie. Vice-presidents, Mrs. L. Harrison, Peoria; C. P. Dadant, Hamilton: W. T. F. Pettv. Pitts- field: Hon. J. M. llambaugh. Spring; Dr. C. C. Miller, Marengo. Seci'etary, Jas. A. Stone. Bradfordtou. Treasurer, A. N. Draper. U])per Alton. A constitution was adopted, fixing Sjtringfield as its principal place of business. Thos. G. Newman, of the American Bee Jowrnaf, was made its first honorary memlier. Its executive committee are the president, secretary, and treasurer. The meeting at which the organization was formed was one of enthu- siasm, and all seemed to feel that a day had been ])rofitably spent. Adjourned at a late hour, to me(>t at the call of the executive com- mittee. Jas. a. Stone. Bradfordtou. 111.. March 39. WHICH IS THE CHEAPER— GRANULATED OR COFFEE A SUGAR? I had occasion to buy a barrel of sugar for feeding bees yesterday^ and intended to buy A 'sugar. The wholesaler asked for what purpose I wanted it, and. aftei' saying for feeding bees, he said I wanted granulated, as there was more sugar for the money. Theii' sales of sugar, as he showed me by their books, run .5 barrels of granulated to 1 of all other kinds. Granulated is () per cent water. A 19 per cent. They had yesterday morning 27 carloads of sugar. I write this as I was intending to try A sugar as you sometimes use it. It is an (>asy matter to figure out the cost of sweet by using the percenta'ge given. F. A. Salisbury. Syracuse, N. Y.. April 2. BEES ALL RIGHT IN THE CELLAR. Bees are quiet yet, and seem to be all right in the cellar. Clover seems to be in good condi- tion yet. Prospects are good for this season. I am not discouraged yet. I am building a shop 1(5x24, two stories, in hopes of a good crop this year. N. Staininger. Tipton, Iowa, March 26. CATCHING FISH THAT WEIGH OVER 100 LBS.. WITH A HOOK AND LINE. Inclosed find a tarpon scale, taken from a tarpon caught by John D. Wattles, of Phila- delphia, publisher of the Sunday- School Times. This fish was taken with a rod and reel, mea- sured 6 ft. (5 inches, and weighed 130 lbs. An- other was caught to-day by Leslie Pell Clark, weighing 110 lbs. The silver t)U scale is all that shows on the fish, giving it the name (by some) of Silver King. Bees are booming. Sarasota, Fla., March 21. S. C. Corwin. DRAINING THE CARP-POND. Tell Huber he should have been here in No- vember when we drained our carp-pond, to help to take out the thousands of carp, from two inches in length to 20 inches. We now have them in one supply-tank, 10x10 ft., by 10 ft. high; 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 335 and some of the large fish we have iu a low tank, so we can get them to eat. We had a nice one for Christmas dinner. G. J. Klein. Conrad Grove, la., Jan. ;.*4. SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT, AND HIS FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS. COMMON DKAIN TILE FOR CAKKYING EXHAUST STEAM IN HOT-BEDS. When I first thonghtof this I greatly feared that the dampness and wet of the steam would keep the hot-bed not only warm, but wet and soggy; that is, where steam is run thi'ough tile of only one-foot lengths, every joint permits the steam to get out more or less; but to my sur- prise and joy I found it just the other way. The ground dries over the tile a good deal as it does over a hot-air flue. Where the tile runs under a pathway between the beds, tlie ground is dry, even now while it is raining. The ex- haust steam warms perfectly a string of beds 6 feet wide and 250 feet long, and the waste sieam goes out at each end — enough in quantity to do considerable more work if needed. Strawberry- plants are now in bloom; corn and beans are do- ing nicely, even though we have had the most severe weather of the winter within the past two weeks. There has been no lack of bottom heat; but once or twice, when we omitted to ventilate promptly, the whole bed got so hot that some of the plants were injured slightly. A NEW WAY OF VENTILATING HOT-BEDS AND COLD-FKAMES. Now, it may not be new to the rest of you, but it is new to me. Instead of pulling the sash off, or even tilting them, simply spread them two inches apart. When placed thus, there is noth- ing that can be injured by the heat of the sun, neither is there any danger from quite a freeze; and in transplanting it gives the best results of any I have tried — that is, unless the sun is very hot. If we strip the sasli clear olT. the sun and wind would often dry up the ground too rapidly, and the plants look shriveled. A drying wind is rather worse than the sun. Now, by spread- ing the sash as I have mentioned, the wind is practically excluded, and yet the plants have a free circulation of air — almost equal to out- doors. But for some reason which I do not quite understand, these separated sashes almost always have more or less dew on the under side •of the glass. Sometimes the quantity is so great that it falls in drops on the plants underneath, and with this amount of dampness they do just boom. To-day is the last day of March, and we are having a veritable A])ril shower. TREE TOMATOES. As considerable has been said about these in our catalogues and some of the papers, we have thought best to give an extract from a little circular, as follows: HOW TO GROW THE WM. MANSFIELD TREE TOMATO. Get s(raie ricb nlcl earth for boxes iu your house, hot-bed, or jJitfuhoiise; sow seed, cover lig-htly, wet down well every day, keep wirm with all the sun possible. When up ten days, transplant to other boxes, six inches apart, in dirt not less than cfoiir inches deep. Keep tliein wet, give all light and sun you can ; and by the time it is safe to set them in the ground outdoors they should stand from twelve to twenty-four inches in height, witli bodies one-half inch tlirougli. Now for the ground, and liow to prepare it. First •select a spot as near your water as possible. Let your rows run east and west. Tlu-ow out dirt two spades deep, then put in tliree or four Inches of iiig-ht soil, if you can get it. If not, use hen manure .and wood ashes, equal parts, or some otlier strong manure in the bottom of trench. Then fill up trench with the best dirt you can get, well mixed with old rotten stable manure; there must no strong, new, raw manure come in contact witli the roots nm' bark above the ground, as it will destroy them ; but from bottom of the trencli it is sale, and will throw up strength for the wliole season. Now your ground is I'cady. Set out your plants (without dis- turliiug any of the dirt around the roots) about eighteen inches apart; have the dirt in your trench a little lower tlian the sides. Have a strong staKe for eacii plant, or a trellis, and tie tlieni to it as fast as you set them. Water ininiediately, and ever aft- er. Run a trougli or small ditch from your pump to your plants; and every day, unless it rains, send a stream of water into the trench where your trees are set. Hard water, soft water, cold or warm wa- ter, are all right if they only have enougli, eithei- from the clouds or pump about once every day. As your plants begin to grow, just above each leaf will start a sucker. LettTietop of plant, and only one or two of the best top branches grow so that you have not over two or three stems to nin up. Now, by close observation you will see always that the buds for blossom show themselves on'thetopsof the trees, and a few inches below them; and just above each leaf the sucker starts. Nip off every one of these just as fast as they appear; also, as tlie lower leaves get brown and old, pick them off. Train the fruit as it grows, to the sun. Tie often and well. Let no useless wood grow. Give all the sun possible, and water, water, water— then you will he able to pick ripe fruit of the finest quality from about the Fourth of July until frost comes. Joluisons Creek, Wis. Wm. Mansfield. The writer of the above has been, so he says, working for a new strain of tomatoes, to be grown like trees, for the last twenty years. Dur- ing 1890 he said he had trees eleven feet high, bearing tomatoes weighing 3 lbs. (i ounces. There is one thing in favor of these tree toma- toes, or tomato(>s trained on stakes: The hens do not touch them, and they never get soiled or muddy. During the past season it was quite a task to wash and wipe perfectly clean our choice Ignotums. It would jjrobably be rather late now to sow the seed, if you want early toma- toes. Very likely our friend Mansfield has plants to sell, for thos(^ who wish to try them the present season. We do not see any thing about the price of seed or plants in tlie little pamphlet from which the above was taken. I think the Rural New-Yorker stated recently that any tomato would make a tree tomato if tied to a pole, and trained and directed as above. During a dry season I am inclined to think the dii'ectious given — "water, water, wa- ter," a great help, provided we have the sun- shine to go with it. HOW BOOKS HELP. I received the books I sent for, and I must say it would have been dollars to me if I had known of the A B C of strawberry culture. We bought a small farm near the city of Alpena, two years ago. There was something over an acre of strawberi'ies on the farm. They did fairly well ; but not knowing any thing about the care of strawberries we did not manage right. My hus- band is a sawmill man. and T do the farming with the help of a boy 18 years old. We are two miles from the city. I send the berries in three times a day through the busiest of the picking. Mrs. A. E. Montague. Alpena, Mich., April 2. TEKRY''S STRAWBERRY' CULTtTRE. The strawberry book is a jewel. Every farmer should have a copy, especially if he has children. Friend Terry should live in Califor- nia, where he can have strawberries at least seven months in the year, and some, I hear, do better than that. One great secret of his suc- cess is his thorough cultivation, especially after every rain, which causes the ground to retain moisture. Many farmers east make a mistake 33(i GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Al'K. IT). in tliiiikiiig 110 need of cultivation unless there are weeds to kill. Here in this long season of dry weather we easily see the benefits of culti- vation, which is. practically, mulching the ground with tine (iarth for retaining the mois- ture. The harder the rain the harder the ground is packed: and the quicker it dries out. comparatively, unless cultivated. Lakeside. Cal.. Mar. 33. F. C. Crowell. 0ui^ peMEg. Loi-d, when saw we thee a hungered, and fed thee '! or tliiisty, and gave tliee drink y When saw we thee a sti'anger, and took tliee in? or naked, and clothed tiieeV Or when saw we thee sick, or in pris- on, and came unto thee V— Matt. 25: 37— 39. I had it in mind to write something this time in legard to the happy surprises that are con- tinually falling to the lot of the faithful, ear- nest Christian: and then the next thing was, to find a text which embodied the thought. When I found it in my well-marked Itihlc 1 saw the very text I wanted was already so plainly out- lined with a pencil that it must have been used before. Never mind; I think it is just what I want to-day. For several years before I accepted Christian- ity, one of the uppermost thoughts in my mind (perhai)S I might say Die uppermost) was, that the world was not giving me due credit. I would say to myself, and even to my friends, " Here. I have invented this, that, and the oth- er, and here it is described in this and that bee- journal, and no credit given me whatever." Again, I would dwell on the fact of what I had done for different people, and not a word of thanks, and no expression of gratitude. Dear friends, did you ever get into this attitude of mind ? I might go on giving you quite a list of the ways in which I used to think I was not getting my just dues, or did not have a fair chance; but the subject is so painful to me, and, in fact, I feel so much ashamed to think that I ever cherished such luigratefulness and such preposterous egotism in my heart, that I would fain let it drop. I remember once of a distinguished lecturer from some of the great cities, who visited our town. Some friend brought him into our establishment, and intro- duced him to mi^ Now, here was an excellent opportunity for me to /icff;' a g2-eat man talk. But I remember quite vividly how 1 occupied the whole fifteen or twenty minutes he stayed at our establishnuMit. by telling him what won- derful things I had done. In fact, I hardly gave the good man an opportunity to say any thing himself at all, even had he been so dis- posed. Very likely some of you will say, " Why, my good fi'iend Root, are you quite sure you have entirely gotten over that trait of charac- ter even now '?" I know v(M'y well, my fi'iends, I have not. It is not an easy thing for anybody to get c/(ti/'c/i/ out of the ruts and failings tnat have clung to them for a good many years. The grace of God has helped me. however, so much in this respect that I feel as if I wanted to tell you something about it. Before I became a Christian, if anybody trod on my toes, or trespassed upon my I'ights, I was ready to fight, or to go to law, "without a mo- ment's warning: and the saddest part of it was, that a good many times I Imagined they trod on my toes purposely, or trespassed on my rights purposely, when they had no such thouglits or intention. By the way, do you know of any thing much sadder than to have a friend who laments that everybody is all the while trying to steal what belongs to him? It does not matter whether it is the corn in his crib, or the eggs his hens have laid, or even the thoughts of his bi-ain: if he gets into the idea that he has got to fight continually foi- his just dues all througli life, the spectacle is a sad one. A great part of the exhortations of God's holy word are exactly to the contrary. How many t(>xts do you suppose I could quote right along- on this line? "'Cast thy bread upon the wa- ters:"'" (iive. and it shall be given unto you:"" '• He that tindeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life foi' my sake shall find it:" "Thy Father which seeth in .secret shall re- ward thee openly;" " Do good and lend, hoping for nothing again."" Before my conversion I was greatly disturbed if people talked about me, especially if they said any thing that was not true, and then I thought it incumbent on me to follow up any such report, and go to the lioltom of the thing. When any thing got into tiie papers reflecting on me, I was ready to fight the editor, and pros- ecute the man who told the untruth. I re- member when a rival in business put in some- thing abusive, and I could hardly sleep the whole night after. Now. please do not think I am bragging when I tell you of how I was helped out of all this " miry clay." Remember, I did not do it of myself, therefore the credit or the praise can not in any sense belong to me; but to Christ Jesus shall we ascribe all the glo- ry and praise. After my conversion I fDrgot about self: in fact. I did not care about self. Why should I? The promises of the Bible, without number, exhorted to the contrary. He that loseth his life shall find it. I did lose my former life, and I did find the new; and this Hnding of the new life constituted " the happy surpi-ises " that I wish to tell you about to-day. In a great measure, the desire to tight back was gone; and, in real truth, it was not very hard to love my enemies and to do good to tliem that hated me. I did not find it very hard to do fjoof?. and lend, hoping for nothing again, for I was trusting in Christ Jesus, and 1 fully be- lieved he would take care of the outcome and the result. Many of you who have read Gleanings kiioiv how it turned out. " When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his eneTuies to be at peace with him." and it happened just so. Many of the pleasant sur- prises I have had come in the way of kind words from those who have formerly been at enmity toward me. People said I was queer and odd and eccentric, and that they did not understand me at first; in fact, I was not tryi,n(j to have them understand n)e. I was trying to have them understand Clirlst Jesus and the holy Scriptures. A few days ago our good friend Dr. Tinker paid us a visit. He said to me, " Bro. Root, you may remember that I have not always felt as friendly toward you as I do now. I did not understand you. Since I have b(»come acquainted, and know you bettei-, it makes a vast difference; and thei'e are a good many who do not understand you. even now^ H' they could come here and go all around, and see you when you are at work, they would, change their minds, just as I have done." In that new life, instead of being afraid of be- ing jnit in the papers, I did not care whether I was put in th(» papers or not. Now, please do not misunderstand me. Do not imagine that I was one of the "don't care" sort. My care was, however, that I should in no way dishonor the Master. I was in great fear every day of my life that I might not betruthful and honest, aiid pure in heart. But after T had worked and prayed through these temptations to be un- truthful, or dishonest and greedy. I did not care for the result, for that, in fact, rested with Him whom even the tvinds and waves obeyed. Why 1891 GLEAXIXrrS IN BEE CULTURE. 337 should I trouble myself? Before convei-sion I was afraid that thegreat outside world might point out some things about nic that I would not liave anybody know for tlic world: but itftcr conversion I had notliing to conceal. Wlien there were rumors that sometliing in my past life might get into the papers. I decided, as some of you may remember, to put it in print iniiKClf. and then I should never be afraid that it might come up at any future time. About tliis lime I was in pursuit of information of a certain character, and was dii'ected to a certain place. My informant added, also. " Yon had better not be -src/i goiug there. Mr. Root: for if you are, you may get " talk(Hi about,' and you know you could never stand that."' And then tiie bystanders had a big laugh, as they sup- posed, at my expense.- There was a moral to it. however, for every one of them recognized that (ill fcdv In that direction was gone. My atti- tude was tlien, and I hope and pray is still, that, when tlie tiiith will do harm, let harm cmne. We r(>ad in the ll-.'th Psalm. " He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord: his heart is established, he shall not be afraid." And then in the 91st Psalm we read: "He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thoii dash thy foot against a stone.'" One of the great hindrances to these happy surprises I have been telling you of is the dis- position, not only to lose faith in God. but to lose faith in your fellow-men. And. by the way. there is something really wonderful in the way this temptation to be uncharitable will follow one. and continue to hang to him. even after he has had experience again and again that should teach him better. I have been between fifteen and twenty years battling against this beset- ing sin of mine. If anybody should ever have learned by abundant ('Xperience to look out for danger and delusion right here. I am that one. Let nie give you an experience of yesterday: Circumstances seemed to indicate that a cer- tain individual was purposely planning hin- drances in our way. 1 watched him narrowly, and finally I had proof of it (or at least I sup- posed I had) in plain black and white. There could be no mistake about it. I had his own handwriting in my fingers. It fii-st gave me a feeling of pain that he should, for any reason, real or imaginary, be so perverse and wicked. Then I began planning unconsciously what I should do to stop it. It disturbed me so I could hardly talk or eat my supper, yet I decided that it was not worth while to trouble my wife about it. Then I remembered the many "griev- ous mistakes I had made just in this line, and I finally submitted it to my wife's better judg- ment. She said at once, '"lam sure you are mistaken." " But, my dear wife, how cnn there be a mis- take? Oh. how I wish there irere some chance for him I But right heri' are the /arts." '"I can not help it. I am sure this friend of ours has not deliberately and purposely done this thing.'" I felt a little relieved: but the facts were so straight and clear, I placed the matter before another good friend. This friend said inst as Mrs. R. did. " It can not be, Mr. Root. I do not know what it means, and it is hard to explain: but there is certainly a reason for it that we do not see." I had decided, therefore, out of respect to these two good friends of mine, that I would ask the one who seemed to be going wrong, for an explanation. I decided, too, to put it very mildly, and to assume, for the time being, that no wrong had been premeditated. What do you think the result was? Why, it was just the old. old storj— nothing was wrong at all: or, i)eih^l)S I should say. nobody was \\ rong at all. except my own self, and the bad. uncharit- able condition of my nw n heart. In the piece of handwriting I had looked at so suspiciously tliere were two little characters I had overlook- ed, and these made it all plain and simple. Oh how thankful I felt tiiat I had listened to the advice of these two friends, whose minds were in no way biased, as mine was for the time be- ing by my old fo(> and old enemy. Now. then: Jesus knew all about this. He knew exactly wh(>re we should be likely to be ti'ipped and en- trapped; tlierefore he said, as a preventive— as a safeguard— perhaps I might say as a note of warning, " Love ye your enemies: do good to them that hate you,"' etc.. knowing beforehand that we should be prone to look for enemies where none exist, and tliat we should be very likely to imagine people iiated us when no such hatred existed: so you see that, if we listen to these woi-ds of Scrlptiue, we shall, irithout /iHOH'inr/ if, escape Satan"s snares: and in this way we shall meet with the happv surprises that I have been telling you of. We shall find warm friends where we had been looking for foes, and we shall discover good loving hearts where .Satan whispered only envy and enmity existed. In our issue for March 15, page 23(3, I publish- ed a letter from friend Braley. I did it with a feeling that there had. perhaps, been too many kind words in Gleaxixos. and not enough o"f the opposite sort. I feared the impression was going out among my good friends that the bee- keeping world were all pleased with our estab- lishment, whereas that is not true. There are quite a few who do not agi-ee with the majoritv, and justice and trutJi demand that they have'a hearing. I did not feel unkindly toward friend B.. but I felt sorry to know that he did not un- derstand me better, sol replied to him in afoot- note. By the way, may I suggest that editors, as a rule, are afraid of adverse criticism? We put in plenty of notices in regard to the value of our journals, and how well they pay as advcr- ti.simj mediums: but when somebody writes a complaining letter, and says he '" never got a ce/it ■' in response to his advertisement, it is a little against human nature to publish it. Now, it seems to me that our pati'ons have a right to all the information we can give in the matter. If we wisii to be honest and square we should give both sides: therefoi'e 1 rather enjoy giv- ing both sides. Why, bless you. dear friends, it never hurts one nor hurts his business to be Jionest. See the promise in Isaiah .54: 17: No weapon that is formed ag-ainst thee shall pros- per; and every tongnie that shall rise atiiiinst thee in judgment thou Shalt condemn. This is the Iieri- tag-e of the servants of the Lord, and tlieir right- eousness is of me. saith the Lord. But. please believe me. I had not the remotest thought, when I published friend Braley's criti- cism, that it would be the means of bringing me the kindest expressions of abiding friend- ship, high esteem and gratitude, that I ever got in my life. Had I been xcckinrj praise I c-ould not have invented a better scheme than the one I innocently and unconsciously took, of publishing that letter. In fact, it "brought a series of •• happy surprises.'" and quite a few from good friends whom I longed to hear from, but whom we could not get to write. I did not feel hurt nor troubled because he accused me of being a hypocrite, for I am greativ afraid that hypocrisy docs get into my com"position now and then: but I certainly was not bright enough to recognize that nothing in this world brings to light one's friends like unjust perse- cution: and I suspect that herein is one of the 338 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Apr. 15. truths at the bottom of one of my old favorite texts: "Blessed are ye when men shall perse- cute you and revile you, and speak all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake." Es- pecially if the one who is persecuted unjustly takes it quietly and pleasantly, and does not say a word back, nor retaliate in any way. May be I am letting out a great secret here; in fact. I rather hope I am; for if I can make plain to you the wonderful secrets embodied in the Bible texts and uromises— if I can, in short, point you to the Lamb of God, -who, when he was " reviled, reviled not again,'" why, it is just the work I love to do rather than any thing else God has ever called me to in this whole wide world. And now let me finish by giving you some extracts from kind letters that have come since the above was published: Friend Root:— I have been thinking- of wiiting to you for a Ioiik tiniu, as I have good evidence that you still retain recollections of j'our brief visit with me, and mig-lit lie inteieste(i in kaowing about my welfare; but many cares have prevented, and might still do so but for some tilings which appear in tlie March 15lh issue of Gi-eanings. They " sort o' riled me," and I will refer to them later. Providence has, since my mother's death, griuited me a boon which does not fall to the lot of very many, to judge from appearences— a good wife, wlio is, in the true sense of the word, a helpmeet. Home is, once more, more than "a place to stay;" and 1 am sure tliat, if you conclude to come to California again, you will find a happy spot when you visit us. I have about as many bees as formerly, but the strawberry patch has given way to a thrifty young orange-grove, and a three-acre orchard of figs and apricots is growing finely above the house. Now, in regard to the articles of criticism which appear in Gleanings. It does seem a little peculiar that some people do not use more good sound sense in arriving at conclusions; for instance Mi. IJraley, who gets the shoe on the wrong foot rHtire/j/ with liis " big 1." It would seem tluit the individual who demands that any publication shall be gotten vip exactly in the line of hix likes and dislikes (irrespec- tive of what its other readers may ie(iuire>, bristles all over with egotism, or "big I"-ishness; and in writing as Mr. B. did, he shows about as much con- sistency as the peison who goes to the butcher's shop after beef steak which he likes, and proceeds to abuse the i)roprietor for keeping Sditsofifc, which he does not like. Tiiere has been information in the last few numbers of Gleanings wortli a dollar to any bee-keeper; and. for tliat matter, valuable to all; and if one finds something "obnoxious" occa- sionally, I know of no law to compel him to read it. As to Mr. Lutlier's article, I am also a member of the association mentioned, and was present at the meeting Jan. 8th. I take issue with liim. If Mr. L. takes his honey to market and receives a bid of 4 cents, does he consider it "dishonorable " to inform another buver that he has such an otfer. and then sell to hini at .5 cents " Ceitainly not. Wlien busi- ness throughout the country is run on principles as nearly parallel to the Golden Rule as is A. I. Root's, we shall lie a long way nearer the millennium than at present. S. B. Woodberry. Verdugo, Cal., Mar. 23. DearBro. Root:—l feel it my duty to address you to-day as a Christian brother; and if we do not buoy each other up in this Christian warfare, and fly to each other's assistance, we do wrong, and 1 consider it a sin. God is our refuge and ever present help in trouble. I believe it; but we do like our fellow- men to understand why we so talk, why we so act. But they can not and will not, and then fling mean and sniiill words at us. How can a Greek and ■Fi'enchman understand each other's language y How can one who is not a Christian know of tlie love that God lias placed in his soul for Christ and his fellow-men V But to know and feel tliat you act and say all for Christ's sake is a great blessing in itself. I have, as an officer in my church of 300, given my views most emphatically against all fairs, banquets, and concerts in God's house, to raise money to car- ry on his cause. I don't believe in it. The Holj- Spirit moved me to take this stand, so vcr.v contrary to my former views, that it has called down from the members sucii words as to trouble me; but I can stand with Christ's aid, as I know it cometh not from the Devil, but from Him who gave his Son for us. The power of the Spirit worKCth wonders; and 1 desire it, oh so nuich ! Now, this sympathetic bond is why I write to j'ou. After I'eading Mr. Braley's letter, page 226, I feel tliat you mu.st want some sympathy. It relieves me to give it. They don't undei'stand you. Let tliem talk. It makes you stronger for Christ's service. It all re- dounds to the glory of Christ. You are a great in- strument in Ids hand. Your Home Payiers have ever been a helping hand to me in my liusiness. in luy prayer-meeting, and in my home; and I shall pray now for you and yours, that you may continue to Serve Christ in your way, under the guidance of his Holy Spirit, all your days, and at last be united with Him who loves you— loves lyoit— more than you ever dreamed of, and has now a place ready or pre- pared for you. This letter requires no answer, and is not for publication. The last brother who writes, says the letter is not for publication; and it is quite evident to all that he had no thought of its being used in that way when it was written. I trust, how- ever, he will pardon me when I tell him that it strikes th(» point I wish to illustrate, much more fully than any of the other kind letters received in answer to ottr good friend Braley.* Perhaps I should also apologize to our readers for permitting any thing to get into print con- taining such extravagant praise of myself as the last few words. But it is these few words that bring out the wonderful truth in the text I have quoted: " Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and per.secute you." etc. Now, please note, the blessing is promised when this perse- cution is U7ijust or untrue, and \\heu it comes because of Christ Jesus, or for his sake. If you are guilty of some wrong act, and you are per- secuted and reviled because of that, no bh'.ssing is pi'omised. It is only when we are entirely innocent. And, now, please note again, the greater the injustice you suffer, the greater will be the blessing. Many of you, probably, will re- fuse to believe this; but see how it has been verified in my own case, in the promise before us. Friend Braley said some spiteful things about me, because of the Home Papers, because T, in my poor way, tried to hold up Christ Jesus as an examjile for the world. Did it hurt me? or did anybody think the less of me? Quite the contrai'y. It stirred up friends from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and induced many to write encouraging words who ju'obably would not have said any thimj otherwise. Several have seemed to fear that I might be induced to drop the Home Papers, and sent in vehement protests and kind words like those I have given you. The 22d and 23d verses of the 6th chapter of Luke contain some words that have always seemed to nu^ to be a little extravagant— at least, I have been tempted to think there might be some mistake about it. They are as follows: Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy; for, behold your reward is great in heaven; for in like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. The words I allude to are, " Rejoice ye in * Perhaps I may add, that the writer of this last letter has been well known to us for sevei-al years. Ernest and John have met him personally, but we were greatly astonished, all of us, to receive such a letter from one whom we had hardly any reason to suspect was even a professor of religion. And may I just drop a word of caution right here to our brother in regard to church fairs? Even if he is wholly in the right, would it not be well to heed the injunction, " Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts '"r' Tliese tilings are much more easily set right by a loving and gentle hand. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 339 that day. and leap for joy." What a contrast! My friend, if yon liave ever lain awake nights becanse somebody accused you of something of which you were entirely innocent, do not do so any more. Have faitii in tlie Bible i)romises. If th'ei'e is any truth in the unkind woi'ds, then bestir yourself to make them untrue. If some- body has accused you of somcithing that you never did at all, look into your own heart and see whether you ever thought of so doing. If you did. there is where you are to tight your enemy. Jesus said, in connection with this very thought, " But I say unto you. That ye re- slstnot evil."' Do not trouble yourself about the evil at all, and do not waste your energies in even making a reply. Turn all your thoughts, and do all your lighting, against the evil in your own heart. Keep Imsy in resisting every enci'oachment of the evil one, and then shall come these happy surprises that I have been telling you about to-day. Then will you feel like saying, when the dear Master sends you— yes, here in this world— more wonderful blessings than you ever thought of or dreamed of- Lord, when saw we thee u hung-ered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave ihee drink ? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in ? or naked, and clotlied thee? Or wlien saw we tliee sick, or in inison, and came unto tliee V T6B^CC0 GdhUW' CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH WE GIVE SMOKERS TO PERSONS WHO STOP USING TOBACCO. First, the candidate mu'^t be one of those who have given up tobacco in consequence of what he has seen and read in this department. Second, he promises to pay for the snKjker should he ever resume the use of tobacco in any form, after receiving tlie smoker. Third, he must be a subscriber to Gleanings. Any subscriber may, however, have smokers sent to neighbors or personal acquaintances whom he has labored with on the matter of tobacco-using, providing he. give us his E ledge that, if the one who receives the smoker ever uses (o- aeco again, he (the subscriber) will pay for the smoker. The one who receives the smoker in this case need not be a sub scriber to Gleanings, though we greatly prefer that he be one. because we think he would be strengthened by reading the testimonials from time to time in regard to this matter. The full name and address of evei-y one who makes the promise must be furnished for publication. OBJECTIONABLE PICTUKES IN PACKAGE.S OF TOBACCO. Mr. Root: — I inclose with this two pictures givcMi to me by men in the shop where I work. They come in papers of tobacco that are sold to anybody who wants them, old or young, and are circulated everywhei'e. No doubt you will tind the boys, if not the girls, in your schools, are too well acquainted with them. I believe they are suppost il to repre.sent theatrical costumes, and may be inside of the law; but if so. the law needs to be changed, and I thought perhaps you might be able to start an effort in that di- rection. New Jersey. B. C. W. [Now, then, if there is any man (of course there is not a woman) who would defend the use and sale of tobacco after the point made by our good brother in the above, we should be glad to hear from him. The veiy fact of itself, that evil, vicious men have chosen tobacco packages as a vehicle for their Infamous work, is enough to condemn it. The Christian man (or. perhaps I should say, the profes.soi'S of relig- ion) who sell tobacco, knowing that the pack- ages contain these objectionable pictures, should hide their faces in shame if they do not give up at once and for ever this trattic. The plea that there is money in it is no excuse at all, but rath- er the contrary. A good fi-iend of mine who got hold of some of these vile sheets, put them in a letter and mailed them to a grocer who adver- tises prominently that he makes tobacco a spe- cialty. She asked him if he could consistently sell any class of goods that included things of an immoral tendency like these, telling him at the same time that the pictures she inclosed came out of the packages of tobacco bought at /lis- store. At the present writing he has never made any reply whatevtn'. Bi'o. W., you are right about it. If these things are not against tlie law, the law certainly needs mending. Only last week a Medina Co. boy was arrested for printing and sending out obscene literatui'e made on a little amateur press. I was told that the full penalty of his crime would be live years in the penitentiary. His father got him clear, however, by the pay- ment of $.500. This boy scattered his infamous pi'oductions among the schoolchildren. Now, if it is five years in the peiiitA-ntiary for printing and disseminating vileness and obscenity, why is it that our tobacco-dealers (providing they have no conscience) are allowed to go scot free in this matter of putting out, with their tobac- co, obscene pictui'es? The pictures are e.xactly the kind calculated to stir up the worst and the most dangerous pas.^ions in human nature. I know by experience the extreme harmfulness of like picture.s — pictures shown me by thoughtless or vicious schoolmates, which have haunted me — or at least the memory has — thiough life. And even since I have become a Christian I have prayed again and again that God would wash away and obliterate the recollection that has followed me for to\\ard forty years. Friend W., I thank you for the confidence you place in my ability to do something in this line: and may God help us to use our privileges. If Prof. Cook. Dr. Mason. Dr. Miller, R. L. Taylor, and a host of others whose names have weight, would start a petition to make it a penalty to put this stuff' in tobacco packages or any\vhere else. I think there is no doubt but that we might succeed. Our excellent Postmaster-Gen- eral, Mr. Wanamaker. is wide awake and in dea d earnest in excluding every thing of this kind from the mails. Therefore the enemy is making every attempt to reach boys and young men through other av(>nues: and with Satanic aptness and ingenuity, they have decided to put it in packages of tobacco. May God help us. My son, Wiley H. Barbee, has quit the use of tobacco, and he thinks he is entitled to one of your smokers. If yovt think he is worthy of one, please send It to my address, and I will see that he gets it. Daniel Bakbee. Glenwood, la.. Feb. 20,. Please send a smoker to Albert Donaldson. Courter, Miami Co.. Ind. He has tiuit the use of tobacco. If he ever uses it again I will pay for the smokei'. I have not broken my pledge yet, and never expect to. Ciias. Craning. Courter, Ind.. Jan. ;3(5. Through the influence of the Tobacco Column I have concluded to quit the use of tobacco. If you will send me a smoker I will never use the weed again; but if I should fail to keep my promise, and ever use tobacco again in any form I will pay you foi' the smoker. Morgan, Ky'., Feb. 33. Henuy C. Clemons. Inclosed find ^2.00. Take enough out to pay for a Clark smokei', and the rest apply on Gleanings. The smoker is one I ordered sent to a man some time ago wht) had quit the ust^ of tobacco; but as he has broken his pledge I shall have to pay for the smoker or break my pledge. E. C. Eaglesfield. Berlin, Wis,, Feb. 2C>. 340 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Apr. 15. Oreat peace have thev wliioh love thj- law, and nothing shall offend tlieni.— Ps. 119: 165. Ox account of the quantity and excellence of available matter we enlarge again to 52 pages. Be sure to read the discussions pro and con on fixed distances and wax secretion in this issue. The advantage of having a practical bee- keeper in the halls of our legislatures is illus- trated on page 32(j. A fcnv such laws will iiave a wonderful educational influence in favor of our pursuit. During our spare evenings we have been reading with profit and delight the " Mysteries of Bee-keeping," by Quinby. We have been charmed with the magnanimous spirit of Fa- ther Quinliy. We must really apologize for calling our friend Georgia H. Ashby. of Albion, N. Y., George H. AslujicaJ, in our N. Y. State conven- tion report. The former says he has been get- ting a great many letters directed to the latter. Fixed frames have been and are used In England almost exclusively, among bee-keep- ers; and in looking over the back volumes of the Br(ti.s7(. Bee Ji)unipers all over the coun- try, over the advent of our Easter offering, a baby boy, Leeland Ives. To one and all we ex- tend our hearty thanks. You will pardon us, but we want to copy a little bit from a letter from Mr. Elwood. who, after extending his congrat- ulations, adds: Speaking: after tlie manner of bee-keepers, I trust you will find tliat a moderate increase is not only best in .securing- to you tlie greatest iimount of the hiiney of life, but equally g-ood in maintaining- the old stocks in tlio gieatest vigor. P. H. Elwood. Starkville, N. Y., April 4. DEATH OF MR. COWAN, SON-IN-LAW OF I,. L. LANGSTKOTH. Dar Friend: — My soii-in-law, Hugh C. Cowan, left us this Sabtiath morning- for tlie better woild. His health gave wa.v more than a jear ago, and for the la.st few months lie has been couflned to the house. His disease was eonsuniiition. He died in the bless- ed expectation that, when alisent from the body, he should be "present with the Lord." Yours attectionately, Dayton. ()., March 23. L. L. Langstroth. Dear friend, it is not a sad thing to die when one dies in the blessed faith, as mentioned in the above. Neither is it, in one sense, a sad thing to bid adieu to these friends— certainly not when we think of what severe trials it must be to those who live and die without any faith whatever in a kind and loving Providence. May God be with you and sustain you all, as I know he will. We are very glad, friend L., to 1891 GLEANINGvS IN BEE CULTURE. 341 know tliat you arc feeling well enough to send us this message. I-OOK OUT FOIS them! SoMio time in November last we received the following: Mr. A. I. R()ot:~Please send us ten copies of A 15 C of Strawberry Cuitui-e, by Terry, at yoiu' earhest convenience, and at lowest rate. Our CouNTuy Home. 88 Pulton St.. New York, Nov. 13, 1890. Along with it came a very neat-looking rural paper, styled Our Coimtry Home, affirming that they had a guaranteed circulation of over 100,- 000 copies monthly. W(^ therefore tilled the order. Sinc(> then we have sent repeated state- ments, and tinally drew on them, as a last re- sort, telling them that we should publish them unless they settled up their little account of $3.05. As they do not even yet so much as "peep" by way of reply, we think best to give this cau- tion. Perhaps we might add. that neither Dun nor liradstreet quotes any such institution. NO MOUE HELP WAMTED. Please do not write us asking what the " chances " are for employnuuit in our estab- lishment if you move to Medina. It is not pos- sible for us to give places to a quarter of the applicants right here at home, and I have re- peatedly so stated in oi'ir county papers. Not- withstanding, people do move here and bring their families, sometimes waiting a year, and, in one or two cases, even two years, for a possi- ble vacancy. Then they move away, and I fear tlit^y sometimes feel hard toward me. In view of this it seems to nie the kindest thing I can do is to tell you that we have quite a book- ful of applications all the tiuK;. If these [)eople who apply for places were skilled mi'chanics in almost any line of trade, the prospect would not be so poor, lint I believe that skilled work- men in any department usually have plenty to do, with good pay. I do not know what is go- ing to happen to our people if this matter of serving an apprenticeship and learning a trade is to be abandoned entirely. THE MICHIGAN FARMER, ON BUCKAVHEAT. An exchange says: The Michigan Farmer says tliat " it is very appar- ent tliat Japanese l)uckwlieat is not ^oin^- to take tlie place of American varieties." Tliis conchision is based, in part, on tlie ex])erience of a correspond- ent wlio says. "The flour is dark, and will not bake g-t)Od cakes;" and he can "sell it only for chicken feed." He adds: "I have raised it for tlu-ee 'years, but am tlu'oug-h now." In commenting on the above, friend A. C. Bugbie, of Lochiel. Ind., asks us: What do you think of thisV I liave raised about 1500 lbs. of buckwheat flour this winter, raised from the Japanese variety, and it is of prime quality. Well, friend B., I will tell you what I think the corresijondent of the Mkldgan Fanner had better do. I think a change of cook for three years, rather than a change of buckwheat, would change his mind in the midst of these changes. The Japanese flour has been used, not only in our lunch-room, but all over Medi- na, for two winters past; and, besides that, we have reports from it from almost all over the world, and it certainly is not true that the Hour made from it is in any respect inferior to the common. A VISIT FROM MR. PARKS, OF THE G. B. LEWIS MANUFACTURING CO. We have just had a very pleasant call from Mr. Chas. E. Parks, who is manager and largest stockholder in the G. B. Lewis Co. at Water- town, Wis. He has just been on a business trip to New York. On his r<'turn iiome he stopped at W. T. Falconer's, in .Jamestown. N. Y., and after making them a call he dropped in upon us unexpectedly. Mi-. Parks is a man of busin(^ss. and a hustler. We were somewhat surprised to learn that they were turning out fi'om lOO.OOO to 120,000 sections a day. These are all sawed on four automatic machines, tin; first of which cost the comi)any •■^:i()()(>, and the next three about half as mucii each. They probably make twice as many sections per day as any other firm. Our out])ut is fi'om 40,000 to 7.5,000 per day. But the G. B. Lewis Co. make hives, frames, sections, and shipping-cases only, those being their specialties, while the rest of us who make a smaller number of sections per day are making every thing used by the bee-keeper, whether wood or metal. The company now em- ploy about 135 hands. We are glad to add that the sections made by them are second to none in the market. FOUL BROOD SPREAD FROM COMB FOUNI).\TION; IS IT A CAUSE FOR AI,ARM ? On page 447 of the Airiericnn Bee Journal, Mr. S. Cornell, of Lindsay, Out., Canada, holds the opinion that the disease may be spread in that way. He gives some interesting figures, showing the temperature at which spores and fully matured microbes may be killed. He says, it has been ascertained that the death-point of the most resistant fully matured microbe is llO- degrees, and that the spore of said mjcrobe could not be killed under a temperature of 3.57 degrees. Wax, he says, melts at a lower point than 145 degrees, and he adds that, in sheeting- it for foundation, the wax is kept at a temi>era- ture as near the congealing-point as possible; and he concludes by saying, "There is good reason for believing that foundation has been sent out which has never been heated up to 1!K), much less to 357. It is highly probable that such foundation would contain germs of foul brood, if made from the wax of foul-brood comb." On the face of things this appears to be a pretty serious state of affairs; but, happi- ly, the facts come to our rescue, and prove that there is no cause for alarm. We have melted th(^ worst kind of diseased combs in our large heating-tank, made founda- tion, and put it in our own yard, but no trou- ble ever came. And there is not wanting tes- tiinony from other experimenters to prove this. But if INIr. Corncnl's theory be true, would not foul bi'ood have been universally spread all over the land with the advent of comb founda- tion, years ago ? Now, fi-iend Cornell, we do not wish to dispute you point blank, so we will explain why the disease will not propagate with foundation. All our wax is melted by steam, in a large vat holding over a ton. This vat is inclosed in an- other, and is thei-efore siu-rounded by water. We have just been down, and found that the temperature of this surrounding water was 300 degrees. After the wax in the inner vat is melted, this temperature is allowed to go down to about 180. We aim to keep the wax itself in the melting-vat at about 170 degrees, and this temperature is maintained for days. The sup- ply of wax is kept up by putting in cakes at a time, and it is dipped out as fast as we want it. As Mr. Cornell himself admits, a long-contin- ued high temperature is equivalent to a much higher temperature for a few minuti's; and not only the microbes but fhe si^ores themselves have got to succumb. A few hours of 170 de- grees, we know from long experience, will kill all sorts of germ life. While the wax in the rneltmg-vat is kept at 170, that in the dipping- tank is kept very near the congealing-point, 140, sometimes as low as 130. But before it has 343 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Apr. 15. arrived at the dipping-tank, it has long ago been thoroughly disinfected by the long-con- tinued heat of 170 degrees. The Dadants have a similar melting-arrangement, and we feel sure that their foundation is perfectly free from any live germs. Perhaps we should remark further, that the wax melted in a solar extract- or might not be disinfected, and it might be a wise precaution to remelt all such wax that has come from diseased colonies. But as there are very few apiaries indeed in the- United States that have foul brood, no one need have any fear about the solar wax-extractor. It will proJxi- hly kill the germs, but may not. WHAT WE USE IS THE BEST. We like to think that the things ive use are the best. It is not comfortable to think that somebody else is using devices or implements vastly better than our own. We use and rec- ommend the Victor Spring-fork Safety bicycle. We think it is the best of all machines of that description. But it may be it is because we own one, and do not like to tliink the other fel- low has a better one. Those of us who have heew using loose frames may feel a little uneasy in the thought that Hxed frames may one day be the frame. It would be very expensive to change, and so we like to persuade ourselves that what we use is just as good, and a little better. Be that as it may. it is well we do not change at every breath of wind. closed-end frames, and changing over whole apiaries. Now that the advantages of fixed frames are being set forth, do not let any bee-keeper own- ing KM) colonies on loose frames be foolish enough to change over his whole apiary to that style of frame. It has been demonstrated over and over again, that bees will make honey for their owners, in loose frames and in fixed frames; and the frame we should use is the one that affords the most convenience and accom- modation. The frame that the apiarist can manipulate the easiest and the most rapidly, will, of course, make a little more money for him, because less labor is required. We have men- tioned this two or three times already; but for the sake of some who are too enthusiastic, or in- clint^d to be hasty, we think it will bear repeat- ing again. WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH OUR PATENT OF- FICE ? The other day an attorney sent us drawings and specifications of a patent that had just been issued to his client, on a bee-keeping ap- pliance. Just out of curiosity we thought we would look the matter up. as we were sure it was old. We discovered that there were two other patents on the same thing, and the dates of the three patents are not more than a month apart, in the same year. Somebody is going to lose money if one of tne trio " goes to the courts." Now, this is not one instance, but one out of many that have come to our knowledge; and if any of our readers wish to know what the three patents arc on we can inform them by letter; for, to make the thing public hei-e, might make something of an uproar in camp. E. R. R. LOOKING over BACK VOLUMES OF BEE-.TOUR- NALS; A HINT TO WOULD-BE INVENTORS. It is real fun to look back through the old volumes. Problems that now seem to be quite fully solved, were, years ago, discussed, and seemed to be in a maze of mystery. Verily the world is moving, in spite; of the fact that some- limes we do not seem to arrive at the solution of many old problems. It is interesting to see how the Italians were opposed. By some they were accounted as almost worthless. Founda- tion was another thing that had to tight its way inch by inch, until it is now regarded as one of the indispensables. Even the honey- extractor was called a " honey-slinging ma- chine," and was regarded as worthless. A glance through the old volumes shows us that what we regard nowadays as entirely new was invented, desci'ibed, illustrated, praised, and condemned, years and years ago. When our editors declare a thing to be old, it almost gives offense. Those of us who aspire to be invent- ors, and to be the originators of something new, should first purchase a set of old bee- journals and look them over, and see what has been invented. A mere skimming will not an- swer. We must scan page by page and para- graph by paragraph. SILVER-PLATING OUTFITS; MORE ABOUT THE LAKESIDE ELECTRIC CO., P:NGLEW00D, ILL. Some of the friends thought I was a little hasty in pronouncing this whole business a fraud and a swindle from beginning to end. When I put in the caution on page 240, March 15, I felt satisfied that the whole thing emanat- ed from J. M. Bain, Zanesville, O., as it had so plainly on the face of it the ear-marks of his plan of swindling. Just as we go to press we are informed that Postmaster-General Wana- maker has forbidden any mails to be delivered to W. H. Griffith & Co., Zanesville Chemical Co.. Bain & Co., and J. M. Bain. All letters ad- dre^ed to any of the above are to be returned to the sender, with the word " Fraudulent " stamped across the envelope. In one single day over ^800 was paid out to Bain. The Engle- wood, 111., institution is only a branch of the same concern. Bain has started out with so many addresses and so many different places, that one needs to look carefully before sending him money. As the U. S. courts are after him, his swindling is probably nearly if not quite at an end. PBICE LISTS RECEIVED, J. M. Young. Plattsmoiith, Neb. W. H. Biigrht, Mazeppa, Minn. .A. G.Hill. KendallviUe.Ind. , W. H. Norton, Skowhegan, Me.' J. M. Kinzie. Rochester, Mioh. J H. M Cook, 78 Barclay St., New York. W. J. Valentine, Hagerstown. Md, N. D. West. Middlebur^h, N. Y., cell-protectors. The following were printed here: Leininger Bros., Fort Jennings, O. S. R. Holbert, Monangah, W. Va. CONVENTION NOTICES. The Central Michigan Bee-keepers' Association will meet at Pioneer Room, Capitol, Wed., May 6, 1891. All are inv ted. W. A. Barnes, Sec, Lansing. The Bee-keepers' Association and Fair will be open May 6. Open to all. H. Smith, Sec'y. Ionia, Mich. gPECI^L ]\[0WICEg. THE HONEY-BEE. The price of the above work by Thos. Wm. Cowan, mentioned elsewhere, will be $1.00, instead of 75 cts. as formerly announced. FIGWORT, OR SIMPSON HONEY-PLANT SEED WANTED. If any of you have any, even a little pinch, we should 1)8 glad to get it, as we are not able to furnish even the five-cent packages. •AND home:- '" •INTE/lEST^ Published by A. I. I^oot, ^VLedina, O. Vol. XIX. MAY 1, 1891. No. 9. FROM DR. C. C. MILLER. Plant posies for your wife. No NEW BEE-.iorRNAT- lias Started for a week. Those reports on p. 389 are very intei'esting. Dwindling in Medina makes me keep my bees longer in cellar. EsPARCETTE, spoken of on page 279. is called the honey-plant par excellence in some parts of France. That skeleton hand on page 2.58 has one joint less on its forefinger than on its little fin- ger. Has it been fooling with a buzz-saw? Who can tell, with some show of authority, which is worth moi'e for spring feeding, a dol- lar's worth of granulated or brown sugar? Locating hives on the south side of a build- ing, very properly says W. S. Ponder, in Tndl- nna Farmer, "is liable to give bees the swarm- ing fever.'' Phacelia tanacetifolia is making some stir as a honey-plant in Germany. I believe it comes from California. Can any one tell lis about it? Foul brood. Chas. Dadant gives, in A. B. J., convincing evidence that there is no danger of foundation carrying foul brood. I've breath- ed easier since reading it. Dr. Tinker ought not to tinker with our spelling. '■ Storey " is all right in England, but It looks funney here. It's too much labour. The spelling of our language is horrible, any way. Maple bloom, my former guide for taking out bees, is unreliable. March 30 it was in bloom here, following which was cold weather, including a snowstorm which left the ground covered three days. Winter cases, on p. 289, seem to beat chaff hives. But I'd like to see them compared in a hard winter, or in a colder place than Medina. Still, if the proportion were changed, and 14 in winter cases had died toll in chaff hives, I'd take the winter cases. The packing-boxes of the Oatmans, refer- I'ed to on page 2(57, I saw last summer. Cer- tainly not all of them had bottoms, I think. They were three stories high, making 12 hives in a i)ile. If I am rightly informed, they lost heavily during the last of their wintering. The NON-swARMino system met my eyes in reading. I felt curious and interested. Then I saw it advertised by Geo. A. Stockwell. and I felt glad. I sent a quarter, got a pamphlet with less than would go on three pages of Gleanings. I read it and felt— humbugged. "Uniformity should he the rule in sections and crates, and any departure from that rule should be disapproved and frowned down." That's what the A. B. J. says in an editorial inviting a full discussion of the subject. Broth- er Newman, you've struck a good note. Coarse wire cloth over entrances in winter is approved (p. 26(5) by Bro. Potter and the ed- itor. Why, bless you. don't you know that I am with you, friend Root? I even go further than Bro. Potter, and have my wire cloth so coarse the bees can go right through it. John SxMitk, in Nebraska Bee-keeper, doesn't believe in "fixed distances." He says: "lean set my hives near or far apart, and it doesn't matter to other folks either. If they don't like the looks of my yard as I fix my distances, they can go and fix their own distances in their own yards." A new pro.iect is on foot in England to start a bee-paper. A stock company is to be incor- porated with a capital of *50,000, in 10,0(D0 shares of $5 each. Among the movers are J. Hewitt (a Hallamshire bee-keeper) and T. Bonner Chambers, of Sheffield, where the paper is to be located. Cooking eggs, as given on page 282, is good. Here's the way our folks do. Pour boiling water on the eggs, at the rate of a quart to a half dozen; cover, and set on the reservoir. In 10 or 1.5 minutes the yelk will be done soft, and longer will make it harder; but the white will not get hard in all day. It doesn't need such close watching as your way, Mrs. Axtell. Starting seeds, particularly fine seeds, in boxes. Bake the soil to kill weed sepds. Fine it, level in box, lay seeds on top, .sprinkle fine soil over, just covering the finest seeds; lay bi'own wrapping-paper fiat on it. and keep al- ways a little moist. The paper holds the mois- ture, and prevents the seeds washing out when watered, besides the other good it does as a covering. Robbers sometimes clean out a weak colony in spring. Whatever you do, don't take a hive away that the robbers are at work on. If you do, they'll only attack a neighboring colony. Take most of the contents out of the hive, but leave at least one comb with a little honey to finish. If you must take the hive away, put another in its place, with something for the robbers to work on. Piping of the queen, says Henry Alley, "is made by the rapid vibration of the wings before the queens leave the cells." He should have added, that the sharpest piping is made by the young queen at liberty. Wouldn't it be best to continue the old-fashioned way of saying that the queen at liberty "pipes," and the queens still in the cells with the coarser voices "quahk " ? Cheshire says the wings have noth- ing to do with the piping. 354 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. May 1. REyuEENiNG. Alley says, in April ApL, " It will pay to reqiieen colonies each two years."' Rambler says, in same ApL. "When a honey- producer advocates the requeening of all his colonies the second year, it seems to be an evi- dence of the inferiority of his system of queen- rearing and of his queens." That's rough on Alley, but he has lots of good company on his side, and I guess he can stand it. 6ENE^)qi£ Ot)RREgP0NDENCE. THE CAUSES OF SWARMING. DADANT TELLS US WHY HE PREFERS HIVES. About 40 years ago a friend of mine told me that he had seen a swarm s(4tling on a rock in a waste land, about half a mile outside of the city in which I lived in France. It was at the beginning of April, and had I not known my friend as unlikely to tell lies I would have thought that he intended to make an April fool ■of me. After finding the swarm I covered it Avith a hive, and the next morning I brought it home. My business prevented me from looking at it before evening, when, to my surprise. I saw that most of the bees were gone, and that the few hundred Mhich had not followed the •others were unable tofly. They were starving. Then I concluded that this colony had deserted its hive for want of food; and this view was contirmed by several other similar experiences. On a Sunday afternoon, while glancing about my home apiary, I saw the alighting-board of one of the hives covered with fighting bees. The ground in front of the hive was already covered with dead ones. 1 stooped down, and racked my brain to find an explanation of the fact, for I had never seen anything like that, when, on a sudden, a lump of bees lai'ger than my fist dropped on my liat, and thence slipped, ' upon the fighting bees. Raising my eyes 1 saw a swarm suspended under the limb of a tree just above. These bees \\ere so weak that they were unable to cling together, and were killed by the bees of the hive in front of which they had fallen, little by little, in small bundles. I procured a hive into which I shook the swarm. They took the food that I gave them, and. after having regained strength, they de- parted. Had I given them one or two combs containing honey and pollen they would have stayed. I have seen several colonies deserting their hives for want of honey, and especially of pol- len. T returned them after having attended to their needs, and they were happy to stay. I have seen, also, bees deserting as soon as they were brought out of a cellar which had been too warm. For several \;eeks these bees had been anxious to have a good flight; their hives had b(>en for them a prison, and they availed themselves of the first chanc(> to depart. All these occurrences, showing that bees swarm to find better abodes when they are dis- satisfied with the circumstances in which they are, induced me to investigate the causes of natural swarming, which, so far, had been con- sidered as a natural impulse given to bees in order to replenish the earth. As bees generally swarm when their hives are full, the first thing to be considered was wheth- er the lack of room was not the cause of swarming, especially as it is well known that bees in small hives swarm more than in larger ones. Now, the question arose: '"How much room is needed to accommodate the most pro- lific queen?" For several years I kept an ob- serving-hive, and liad noticed that a good queen can lay about six eggs per minute, or 360 per hour. If we suppose that she lays half the time, or 13 hours in :i4, we have 360x12, or 4320 eggs per day, during the best time of the sea- son. A well-known German bee-keeper, Mr. Von Berlepsch, having hivud a swarm on empty combs, counted the eggs laid by its queen dur- ing the first 24 hours, and found a few more than .3000. But, having probably considered this number as unusually large, he did not draw- any inference from it, for he did not enlarge his small hives. Yet, since a queen taken at i-andom can lay 30OO eggs to-day, I can not see why she did not lay the same number yes- terday, or why she will not lay as many to- morrow, if the circumstances have not chang- ed. To verify whether a queen is able to lay 3000 or more eggs per day for several weeks, it is indispensable to give her colony a number of cells sufficient to receive her eggs for 21 days, besides the cells coijtaining the provisions of honey and pollen. I had several large hives built to produce comb honey in small boxes placed at both sides of the brood, after the idea of Jasper Hazen. I resolved to use them for my experiments. These hives could accommodate 14 Quinby sus- pended frames, 18x10'^ inches inside: and my enlarged American hives could accommodate H) frames. I filled these frames with worker combs and watched the results. We have these hives yet in our home apiary. I soon as- certained that these hives were too large, even for my best queens, whose laying, during: the best seasons, exceeded 4000 eggs per day for 21 days, and I concluded that a Quinby hive, with lOfranu's and a pai'tition-board, would be suffi- cient. These 10 frames, containing 104,,500 worker-cells, can accommodate the laying of from 3500 to 4000 eggs, leaving 20.000 or 30.000 cells for the provisions. All the Quinby hives that we have made since have 10 frames and a partition-board. These hives are larger than a 12-frame Langstroth; yet, every year, when the white clover begins to bloom, nearly every one of them is full of brood and of bees, ready to bring honey into the upper story, or to swarm, if we delay, even for very few days, the enlarg- ing of the room. In the spi'ing of 1880 we had put our upper stories on the hives, as we usually do in the last part of J^Iay: but the bees, for a week or more, did not bring any honey, when, the wind hav- ing changed, we noticed a booming in the apia- ry. Two days aftei-. although \\e had raised tiieii' hives from the bottom-l)oards. several col- onies were gathered outside of theii' hives. Their upper stories, containing each about 50 lbs., had been filled in less than three days. We liastened to put a second story undei- the first; yet some swarmed — dissatisfied, doubtless, with these large hives which had proved too small to receive their daily crop. As it was im- possible for us to enlarge the space in our six apiaries on the same day, we had an unusual number of swarms, 15 or 20 per cent, if I am not mistaken; more in our Langstroth hives, and such swarms! One of them was so large that we had to give it two npyjer stories on the even- ing after it was hived. The bees in these large hives were therefore as much crowded as a col- ony in a small hive; for it is not the size of the hive which excites the bees to swarm; it is the comparative narrowness of their abode: it is the lack of empty cells to receive the harvest and the eggs of the queen. When the honey comes in slowly, the enlarging of the room with empty frames may suffice; but when the crop is very abundant, as the workers do not lUve to 1801 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 355 remain iiibidc to build combs, while the nectar abounds in ilie lields. they swarm. Most i)c<'-k('('p<'rs ihinlv that our hives are too large to raise comb hoiu'y: furthei'inore, a gi'eat many iiave reduced their Langstroth hives to <'iglit frames. IJut when we made our experi- ments, tlie extractor was not yet invented; and for sevei'al years after its invention, as extract- ed honey was diCticult to sell, we raised comb honey, in small boxes first, tlien in 3-lb. vVdair sections; and our crops wei'(! not smallei' in quantity than those of bee-keepers using small- er hives, whose apiaries were in the same lo- ditionas ours. One of the advantages of large hives is, that their queens, during the summer, have a great many empty cells in which they can lay, and the workers a large space in which they can lay up a quantity of tine summer honey for winter. I know that both these propositions are in di- rect opposition to the new doctrine which ad- vises the bee-keepers to contract the brood- chamber so as to stop the laying of the queen, and to compel the bees to bring all their har- vest in the sections; but I know that our crops, even when we raised comb honey, gave us more profit with less work, and few(^r chancers of loss, than the narrowing method to its partisans. A queen, from July to August, can lay very little in a small hive; and as tlie workersVlo not live, on an average, more than 35 days during the working season, the number of be«'s is very much reduced in the fall. When winter comes, . the population, which is small, suffeivs propor- tionately more from tlie cold than a larger one. In spring tlie bees are slow in recovei-ing a number of workers sufficient for the harvest, and their owner is compelled to narrow up the brood-chamber to force them in the sections. Thus the advocate of small hives turns in a cir- cle. His colonies are small in winter and spring, on account of his summer contraction: then he is compelled to contract his hives again to get a crop. On the contrary, not only the queens in our large hives are not hindered in their laying; but the workers have a large room in which they lay up an abundance of the best provisions. Then the population well fed,' able to keep well warmed, coming out in spring numerous and healthy, fill their hives with workers ready for the honey-harvest. A successful Italian bee-keeper, who was converted to the large hives by my writings, wrote, last year, in UAplcoltore: "To obtain good crops of honey you should prepare your colonies during the preceding summer." Con- traction does just the reverse. Our experience on the question of the size of hives continues the same. In our Lamont apiary (see Glean- ings. January 15, page (iO), we have about 30 large Quinby hiv(>s and 23 ten-frame Lang- stroth. Last October all our Quinby hives but three had sufficient stores for winter, while 19 of the 23 Langstroth had to be fed. Vet we did not take an ounce of hoiKiy from their brood- chamher in summer. For several years we had intended to transfer their colonies to Quinby hives, and we have resolved to do it this spring. Uut, to return to my subject: Natural swarming can be caused, also, by the death of the queen during the honey season. Then the workers, if they have eggs or young larvae, raise several queens; and the first hatched, be- ing hindered by the bees from killing her rivals, is dissatisfied, and goes out with a swarm. This swarming we designate as a "primary swarm with young queen." Such swarming with young queens amounts, on an average, to two or three per cent of the number of our colonies. It shows that it is impossible to prevent natu- ral swarming completely, unless you watch youi- colonies to prevent them from replacing thcur queens during the honey liarvest; but it con- firms my theory, that swarming is always caus- ed by the uncuxsiness of the bees. Hamilton. III., Apr. Ki. Charles Dadant. [Friend D., I am well aware there are many things to be said in favor of large hives; and where one works for extracted honey, as you do, I rather think I should prefer them. As this laige amount of room is needed, however, during only a part of the year, there are some vei'y good i'easons for (■nlarging, when needed, by an upper story; and if we do this, it be- hooves us to have our frames rather shallow. This is why Langstroth decided on the frame he has. Using ten combs belosv and ten moi'e above, we have a hive about as large as mo^ bee-keepers care for, and it comes in good com- pact shape, pretty nearly a cube. It is true, the boys have of late very strongly favored an eight-frame hive; and for comb honey, where we wish to oblige the bees to initall the surplus into the boxes above, an (Mght-frarae hive may not be so bad. And, again, for those who sell bees and ship whole colonies, eight frames are about all that is really necessary to ship and pay express charges on. I have for years notic- ed that bees do swarm, both in season and out of season, when their home is not to their no- tion. I have seen nuclei desert their hives, ap- pai'ently because they were pestered by a nest of ants. I have seen them do it, also, when I could see no other reason than that the en- trance had been carelessly left too small for them to go out and in comfortably. They swarm out when the hive is overcrowded, when out of stores, and in glass observatory hives when they have too much light, or if the sun makes them uncomfortably hot. etc.] UNITING WEAK COLONIES. DOES UNITING PAY DITKING SPUING DWIN- DLING? On page 290 of Gleanings for April 1st I see that some spring dwindling is experienced at the '• Home of the Honey-bees," and in this connection I see that the editor advises uniting weak colonies which have the " spring dwin- dling," unless the weather is warm and pollen is abundant. This is going back to the plan of the "books" on bees of years ago, wh(u-e they told us the time to unite was when it was discov- ered that any two colonies were too weak to be of use alone. There is no question but that the uniting of two weak colonies to make one strong one is profitable to the apiarist; still, that unit- ing must make the one better than either of the two would have been when the honey harvest anives, or our labor of uniting is worse than useless. That the uniting as proposed by the editor does not, as a rule, make the united colo- ny better at the end of three weeks than each would have been if left separate, is why I ob- ject to the advice there given. Years ago I ex- perimented along this line to my entire satis- faction, and I have put as many as seven such "spring-dwindled " colonies into one hive, the seven making a good rousing colony at the time, and in a month all were dead; vvliile some, no stronger than some of the best ones put into this hive, which wer<' left separate, pulled through and built up into colonies. The idea seems to be, that, where two or more sucli colo- nies are put together, the bees seem to think that they can do something " big," and so work themselves up to great activity in starting a large lot of brood, which wears out the little vi- tality there is left in them tx'fore enough young 35(5 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. May 1. 1)(H'S hatch to take the place of those wearing out daily: iience all perish; while, if they had been left to themselves, they would have been less active, the few young bees which hatched would iiave taken the place of those which died, and, when settled wafin weather came, the few young smart bees which wei'e in the hive at that time would and could care for a large lot of brood in proportion to their numbers, so that the colony would build up for the next winter if nothing more. I once had a colony get so low in this way that then^ were, by actual count, only eighty odd bees the fore part of June: and yet this little colony, without any assistance from any other colony, built up into a good colony for winter, and gave two of the large old-fash- ioned sections of nice sealed buckwheat honey. Qr. Miller and several other of our best bee- keepers have reached the same conclusions re- garding uniting spring-dwindling colonies that I have, if I am not mistaken. By confining these small colonies to as few frames as they can cover, and building them up as fast as pos- sible when it comes warm weather, and then uniting them just before the honey harvest, has given me splendid results in honey, as I have given in back volumes of our bee-papers. LARGE SWARMS TO PREVENT SAVARMING. I see Mr. Robbins, Mr. Dayton, yourself, and others are discussing the swarming question, along the line of large hives, etc.. you claiming that it is the large hive used by the Dadants and Bro. France which give them so little swarming. Now, it seems to me that, from the light of the past, no one can deny that your po- sition is right: for, away back when our la- mented Quinby wrote his •' ^lysteries of B(X'- keeping Explained," he told us" that a hive of 4000 or more cubic inches filled with comb was almost an absolute non-swarmer. bees staying in such hives for years without swarming. I quote from memory, and have not tried to get the exact words. No one, so far as I know, has any trouble, to any extent, with swai'ms when working for extracted honey, which working always demands a large amount of comb space, if we are to have the best results. But the real point at issue, as I look at it, lies in the fact that no best results in eomh lioneycau be secured and use a hive containing from .WOO to 4000 cubic inches in the brood-chamber, orthat amount of space filled with empty comb in farly spring. Quinby told us that a 4600-cubic-inch hive fill- ed only a third full of comb the previous sea.son, would just as surely give a swarm before more comb of any amount \^as built, as would a hive filled with "comb one-third this size, and this brings the thing down to just where we find it in working for comb honey. We have the small Inve filled with comb, and the sections without comb: oi', if you please so to term it, a thi'ee or four thousand-cubic-inch hive, one-third of which is filled with brood-combs and the rest with sections, in reality empty as the bees view it, and swarming is the result. Should we fill our ',*.")00 cubic inches of section room with sec- tions filled with empty comb, on the "continu- ous-passageway" plan, we should not have any swarming. Biit. alas, we do not wish, to do this, for reasons too numerous to mention here, and so it comes about that he who works for comb honey must expect to have swarms: and. if 1 am correctly informed, the Dadants and Mr. France are as subject to them as any of the rest of us with the few bees they work for comb lioney. whenever they work for th<^ same. The trouble seems to be. that we sometimes con- found the working for comb and extracted hon- ey, so that the reader is perplexed to know our meaning. If my memory serves me rightly. I have never had' more than three swarms from all the colonies I ever worked forextracted hon- ey with my small brood-chambers: and years ago I produced extracted honey by the thousand pounds. A non-swarming hive for comb honey is a desirable thing, but something not yet brought about. G. M. Doolittle. Borodino, N. Y., April 15. [Friend D., I have had just the same experi- ence you have in putting a number of sick or diseased remnants together. At other tim(>s I have surely saved weak colonies by \initing. Where one has quite a few bees, and no queen, and the other has a queen but not the bees, it will surely pay to unite them, and we may often discover weak colonies that may be united with queenless ones: for during dwindling, queens have a way of disappearing suddenly, as well as bees.] SWAEMING AND THE HONEY-HARVEST. HOW MAY AVE GET THE MOST HONEY' WHEN BEES SW.\RM DURING THE HONEY' SEA- SON, AND KEEP DOWN INCREASE AT THE SAME TIME? Does swarming during the honey-flow neces- sarily diminish the quantity of surplus gather- ed ? that is, can we get as much comb honey as we could if they would work right on without swarming? I think I can. but it is not as easy to tell how to do it as it is to tell how not to. When a swarm comes oflf, hive it in a full- sized brood-chamber, and set it on a new stand. When the lower story becomes full, put on empty surplus arrangements. Let the unfinish- ed sections on the old colony remain there. Hive tlu> after-swarms, and treat them as you do the first ones. Tlie chances ai'e that the sections given the new colony will be finished long befoic those on the old stock, and very likely the latter will never be finished at all". Just follow up that system, and I promise you will get less than half a crop: and if the season is a very short one you will get little or nothing, when I "may get a very fair retiu-n. * I would rather my bees \\ould not swarm very much, because of the watching and labor involved. But they will swarm, and that right in the midst of the honey harvest, as I presume is the case wherever clover is the principal source of supply. And as I can not prevent it, I have been driven to study and pi'actice meth- ods to ovei'rule it and the effects thereof. I have been so successful, that, so far as the quantity of honey they will give me is concern- ed, I would as lief have my bees swarm as not; and at the same time the incn^ase in size of my apiary is very mode-rate. A swarm of bees embraces much the larger share of the field bees of a colony, and are. in fact, mostly of that class. Quite a sprinkling of bees of a younger age are, of course, present: and, when hiv(^d on the old stand, that number and the number of field-bees will be somewhat augmented. All this, together with the fact that being thrown out on their own resources appears to give them an added incentive to ac- tion, puts them in the very best condition to make every lick count. They will accomplish more then foi' a while than at any other period. I hive my swarms on some old stand, of course. The original purpose of that was to prevent after-swarms: but it becomes. In fact, but one of its two principal purposes. The other is to get as large and permanent an avail- able force of workers in the new colony as pos- sible. I consider the stock from which a swarm has issued as virtually of no account for comb honey the rest of that season. If they swarm 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 357 again they arc of but little use, and they are worth no more as a colony if means ai'e pursued to prevent swarming. Hence I want to get all the bees I can into the swarm. I then shall have recruits there to take the place of the old ones as they drop off. But in place of setting tlie new swarm on the old stand, I carry it to the stand of some other colony that has lately swarmed, or that of some weak colony. In either case I set the displaced colony down be- side it. with the entrance turned at right angles to it. I adopted this method in the effort to prevent absconding of swarms. Now. please do not laugh at me. but I do believe that bees look up a location before they go off. From the evi- dences. I think this is often done, if not usually, after the swarm issues. While I find the expe- dient does not always prevent them from com- ing out of the hive where they are put. so far in the two seasons I have practiced it, none have shot right off for the woods. Removing the swarm to another stand gets them where the prospectors can not find them to lead them off. Having disposed of the swarm, I remove the case or cases of sections to the new colony. If the swarm is very large, or the cases pretty well filled. I put on an empty case underneath. The size of brood-chamber into which we put our swarms is an important item. My verdict is emphatically for contraction. I am "troubled much with absconding of swarms: but while I have suspect(>d. I can not find any good evi- dence that contraction has any thing to do with it. I generally hive on five frames, with foundation starters. I have not tried frames filled with foundation enough to know whether that would affect the honey-yield. Hutchinson has tested both methods, and he says use only starters. Wired fi'ames and full sheets have objectionable features to me. I like my system — contraction— so well that I should "be" very loth to give it up after six seasons" practice. The above I believe to be in detail the two great essential principles of the only profitable system of comb - honey production Avhere swarming must take place during the honey- flow. For me, swarms thus treated give as* much honey as colonies that do not swarm at all — the latter, however, being greatly in the minority. Now. what do I do with the old colony? Well, if I do nothing else with them I remove them in a few days to another stand, or set them on top of another colony. I take a great many of them to pieces, and use them by frames to form nuclei, or to build up other nuclei or weak stocks. But more than any other one thing. I carry the fi-ames or hives to the upper story of some other colony, and run it for exti'acted honey. 1 find it necessary to raise honey in botli forms to supply my trade. But I keep veiy few empty conibs for that pui'pose. I think it much belter to do as I have stated. It keeps down increase to some extent, and I get a benefit of the combs I could not othei'wise. I confess it is slower work to uncap these combs, as the surfaces are more or less uneven. Some- times I unite two old colonies, after a queen gets to laying, by shaking the bees off one set of combs on to the other hive, then put on sections when thei-e is a pi'etty good pi'osjtect of getting something from them. But more often I go through these old colonies some three oi' more weeks after swarming, and extract the honey from all combs half or more full, and they have usually gathered considerable by that time. After the clover harvest is over and the sur- plus cases are all off. I take out the dummies and fill ui> with fraiues from these upper stories, nuclei, and old colonies that I have yet left in- tact. The bees then have full breeding capaci- ty, and room to store honey for winter. And. by the way. I can not see but that my bees win- ter as well on fall honey as that gathered early in the season. I unite more or less in the fall, as conditions seem to demand it. CLOSED-END FUAMES; WHY NO BEE-SPACE IS WANTED BACK OF THEM. Ernest, on page 211. hardly states just the reason why I want no bee-space back of closed- end bars. It is simply this: I do not want them there when manipulating frames. They are of no use there, and they are a nuisance. In removing hanging frames, especially with one hand, it is a wearying effort, when a hive is pretty full, to avoid crushing bees, and then I can not always do it. One end is pretty apt to be heavier than the other, and then they will not hang even: and even if they would, to raise or lower a frame in exactly the right line to retain the true bee-space is the hardest mat- ter of all. Now. if I can just slide the end along the end of the hive, especially if one end overbalances the other very much, it makes it more easily and quickly done. COST OF TIN AND ENAMET.ED - CEOTH HIA'E- COVEKS. I have just been figuring up the relative cost of the two styles. I find that, exclusive of paint, the enameled-cloth covers will cost about 33^ cents, and tin about 6H each, aside from freight charges. The former will take more paint and more time to fix, which may make it cost from f to 73 of the latter. In addition to that, paint will not adhere to tin or any other very smooth non-porous surface very well: whereas, spread on the wrong side of enameled cloth it is a fix- ture, making the latter much more durable. Still, 1 have have not actually tested tin. In the main I have nothing over my covers, just because I do not need any thing. Geo. F. Robbins. Mechanicsburg, 111.. Mar. 23. FLOATING APIARIES. FURTHEB TKIALS OF THE SCHEME, AND THE KESUETS. Several facts in regard to the ups and downs (especially the clown.s) of migratory and non- migratory bee-keeping have recently come to my kno\\iedge that may be of interest to those inclined to try the experiment of obtaining more than one crop of honey in one season. Some time in December. IS'.K). friends Stevenson and Deemas. of near St. Charles. Mo., started with aljout 12.5 colonies of bees, mostly Italian, in ex- cellent hives, and well equipped for gathering a fine crop of honey, and increasing to any de- sirable extent, with some imported and Doolit- tle queens, for New Orleans or vicinity, on the steamer City of Baton Rouge. By the way. that is the very boat on which I. on several oc- casions and on different trips, shipped from 3(X) to 400 colonies of bees at a time fi'om New Or- leans to St. Louis. On the way the steamer struck an obstruction, and boat and bees went to the bottom, our bee-friends barely escaping with their lives. I sincerely sympathize with our unfortunate friends, fori have been through the mill myself, and know just how it is and how they feel; for, among other great losses, one of thes(> same Anchor Line boats was the cause of the loss by fii-e of neai-ly .3(X) two-story Simplicity hives filled, with fine Italian bees, witii 20 frames to each colony. Nothing daunt- ed they procured a fine lot of about 150 colonies of bees from friend D. McKenzie, of Camp Par- apet. La., and took them to .a point on the 358 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. May 1. river, at or voi-y near the same spot where Per- rine, of Chicago, once had a large apiary. Tlie prospects for a good crop of honey were fair, when, a few days ago. a brealt occurred in the levee from tlic great pressure of the high water. A crevasse was formed, and it was with difficul- ty that our friends saved their bees by hastily moving tliem to the levee. Of course, their prospect for a crop of honey now is a very slim one. with water from r> to 15 feet deep for miles in every direction ai'ound them, and they will certainly have to move the bees to some other locality, and quickly, too. involving more labor and expense, if they expect to get any honey down there this spi'ing. Some of your readers may remember that, in a former article, some time ago, I mentioned friend E. Stahl. of Keuner. La., as having 1000 full colonies of bees, in one yard, and as having secured a large crop of honey from them. Well, it seems that the flowers down there last fall, while blooming profusely as they do up here quite frequently, yielded no honey: and the result is. that friend Stahl (so I aiu informed) has lost 800 out of 1000 colonies, by starvation. This is a good illustration of the uncertainties of mi- gratory bee-keeping; for had any one taken several carloads of bees (as I once did) down there, prepared to secure a big crop from the fall flowers, he too would have had to feed his bees to keep them alive (at a loss, of course), or let them starve, as friend Stahl did; and let me say that this is one of the snags that our bee-friends, who favor migratory bee-keeping, will )-un against much more often than they think for. As regards friend Stahl's loss, from which I know personally of him he will not care great- ly, he will simply cut the combs out of the frames (not try to save them from moths, and fill them with bees again as we would do up here) and render them into wax. and stack hives and frames away (to use again), and in an incredibly short time have them all roaring with bees again; for if there is one man in the extreme south who understands southern bee- keeping, and understands how to make it pay at the least cost of material and labor, and who is always enthusiastic in regard to bee-keeping, and seldom discouraged, that man is (as I knew him) friend Stahl. E. T. Fi-ANA(iAX. Belleville, Ills., March 28. BEARING QUEENS UNDER THE REGULAR BROOD-NEST. ANOTHEK HAS TKIED IT, AX1> FINDS IT WORKS. I have reared a number of fine queens this spring, under similar conditions to those given by Dr. Miller, on page 270. To explain more fully, I will state that I usd a two-story eight- frame hive for a brood-nest up to the time our harvest comes, when I contract to one section by means of a plain zinc queen-excluder, and at the same time raise the upper story and place between it and the lower one a set of empty combs or frames of foundation, always seeing that the queens are below. Now to the point. This spring, not having enough queen-exclud- ers to go round, I placed upon some 18 or ;.'0 col- onies a case of partly drawn sections (left over from last year) between the two upper stories and the brood-nest below, thinking this would cause these sections to be filled quickly, and also discourage the queens from going above. I was right as far as getting the sections filled; but about half of the queens went up and es- tablished their brood-nest in the upper stories. and in all these cases the bees built from three to a dozen queen-cells below. Most of these I removed and saved, but left one cell in each of five or six colonies, and in due season I found laying queens in these; and it was surprising to see how quick they filled those eight combs with brood. At this point queen-cells were started. So I removed this lower brood-nest and placed it upon a new stand, giving it a case of empty combs, and in the course of a week those new colonies were in good shape to store honey. Now, all the while these young queens were below, the old ones were doing good work abov(>. You may be sure this gave rousing big colonies just when they were need- ed; but during our orange bloom it set into rain, and kept it up steadily for two weeks, which caused us to store two-thirds of our crop fi'om this source. During this rain, these large colonies huUt from 12 to 15 frames of nice combs from one-inch starters, and also managed to store an average of 25 lbs. of honey each, while average colonies built only from 3 to! of combs, and did not get any surplus honey. I should have mentioned above, that these large colo- nies were in hives tiered four stories, besides the case of sections mentioned, and that the combs were built in the upper stories, and also that they would average about 25 per cent drone comb. This is doing well considei'ing the conditions they were built under just before the swarming season. The queens were about one year old, part Italian and part hybrid. Huntington. Fla.. April 5. A. F. Bkown. SAFEST METHOD OF WINTERING. CKLEAK I'LAN I'UKFEKIJEI). Mr. Root: — I have been very much interested in reading the opinions of many of your sub- scribers as to the best and safest way of winter- ing bees, and I will not undertake to say which of the many are correct, as the locality may have something to do with their success. It may be well in large apiaries to experiment and test the difterenl plans recommended, as the loss of a fi^w stands to them would hardly be noticed, while the beginner in expeiimenting might lose all. or .*o cripple his business that it might take yeai's to n^cover. It might be ad in a smaller room, on account of being tiered up. In leaving the hive entirely open at the top. it allows the steam or animal heat to pass off. while tlie plan of having the cover remain on the hive would, it seems to me, have a tendency to create mois- ture on the under side of the cover, consequent- ly dampness in the hive. I observed this by placing a piece of burlap on the hive after re- moving the cover, allowing it to remain for sevei'al days, and then on i-emoving it I found that it was wet: but whether the moisture came from the bees or from the cellar, it mat- ters not: it would have the same bad effect on the bees. The old saying, "Never swap horses in the middle of thestream," holds good with me in this case until another plan proves equaF- ly successful. N.H.Bell. "Wahoo. Neb.. April '.•. NUBBINS. PKOF. COOK GIVES US SOME VALrABEE THOVGIITS. Friend Root, please do not call my brevities " Stray Straws." It does me too much honor, and our d^ar friend ^lillei' injustice. Just dub my driblet-^ plain nubbins. Glad to hear what Dr. Miller says of melilot. as demonstrated in France, especially as we are going to give it a big trial at the station here. We are going to test its value for honey, for food, green and dry. and for silage. We are also going to test rape along the same lines. I must say that I am with Bro. Newman on the -editorial" "we." Dr. 'SI., you know what the good Quaker said to his wife — "My dear, everybody but thee and ))ic is peculiar, and I sometimes think thou art a little singular." Now. when the doctor assaults universal cus- tom— in other words, attacks essays at conven- tions on this ••we." he is certainly the singular man. "Honest Injun." doctor; isn"t it suspi- cious when you and I are the only ones in all the great human family who are righf? Friend Corneil is usually about right, but. without doubt, drew it too fine when he was going to have foundation sow microbes broad- cast. Long exi)erience says, "No. no." You ask what I think about bees disliking red. If it is true. I should say it is a case of bee-taste. I say. // true. I have a friend who wears a red shirt habitually in working witli bees, yet rarely ever gets stung. I had always supposed that bees were indifferent to color, though much annoyed by any roughness like fuzz on i-ough woolen cloth. I have heard it said, that bees dislike dark colors. I never could see that my bc(>s objected to my dark clothes, unless rough and fuzzy. Why may not bees have taste"? I like to see "a girl, if a bright brunette, dressed in bright red; if a blonde, in light blue: so. as I have taste in such matters, far be it from me to diMiy a like peculiarity in bees. Sir. John Lubbock's experiments plainly show that bees can distinguish colors, and what observing bee-keeper doubts if? I don't wonder, friend Root, that you hesitat- ed at the snake-story. But I have seen it, and so know that young '"saugas'' do run for pro- tection into the matei'nal mouth. You ask about the breathing. I think snakes can man- age for some time without breathing. In our own case I do not sup|)ose cessation of breath- ing would b(> fatal till the heart should stop beating, which, with us, is in a very brief time. Not so the snake. I have known a snake's heart to beat for hours, even after it was taken wholly out of the body. Insects are like snakes in this respect. They will live a long time in a very small close box. I never looked in to see where the snakes went to, but I suppose they went to the stomach: indeed, some years ago some of our students killed a massasauga. and actually reported finding the young snakes in the mother's stomach. 1 feel quite certain that I have seen more than a mouthful I'un into this opening. 1 always supposed that the very low gentle hum of bees in winter was only a note of "all right:" but a louder one. a murmur of •'too close, more ventilation." I have often quieted bees by opening the door on a cool night. Mr. E. France makes a good suggestion re- garding wax secretion. I shall try some exper- iments to prove or disprove his theory. In case of Mr. Doolittle. I do not think the facts are with him. Bees often do go loaded with wax when swarming; but may they not have re- mained quiet before"? we know that they do rest somewliat before breaking up the old home: and surely if hived on full combs, the wax scales disappear at once. I doubt whether Mr. Doolittle has the truth on his side. Why does our usually correct friend speak of the scouts looking up a new home while the bees are clustering"? As I state in my Bee- Keepers Guide, I think the bees cluster to give the queen a rest after trying her wings, which ar<' unwonted to labor. I supposed it settled, that bees look out a home before the swarm is- sues. They certainly do .sometimes: and if so. I guess always. Mr. Cowan is usually very accurate; but. is digestion separating the food"? I should say di- gestion is rendering food capable of being ab- sorbed, and that absorption did the separating. I wish to say. as I do say in my last edition of Bee-keeper's Guide, that Cowan's book is very excellent, and. I believe, very correct. Friend Root, don't misunderstand me regard- ing granulated sugar for winter food, I believe, that, if fed in the fall, it is a superb food for bees. In this case it is digested, and is probably equal to any honey, and superior to much honey as a food: but I don't believe that it is a good food for bees, if fed exclusively while bees are in confinement, either in summer or winti-r. I think your experiments should be more exten- sive before you speak e.r <-nthedra on this point. Our bees wintered nicely on a diet of almost exclusively fall honey. Yesterday, Apr. 17. they worked in full force for the first time on soft maple. They got the first pollen Ai)ril 13. Ag'l College*. Mich. A. J. Cook. [I ain very glad, friend C. that you are going to test rape and melilot. Tell me when they are furnishing honey to the best advantage, and I think I shall be along to see it. See arti- cl«" on i)age 3()0. in regard to melilot and alfalfa. — It occuired to me. too. that, if that red I'ibbon had been a little fuzzy, or if the bees found some stray ravelings. the latter might have account- ed somewhat for the number that pitched into it. Yet I think the color must have had some- thing to do with it. — Thank you for the instruc- tion on just the point that seemed so strange and astonishing to me about the snakes when they were swallowed. How long did these young saugas stay in the maternal mouth ? If 3(50 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. May 1. you can not answer. I wish some reader of Gleanings would, at the tirst oijportunity, test the matter, watch in hand. Now. please do not think me irreverent if I suggest that, in our recent studies about Jonah, I kept wonder- ing how life was preserved when absolutely de- prived of air; and is it not a little queer, that, in so many of these Bible miracles, we sooner or later find something somewhat parallel in the present existing order of things? These snakes stopped breathing, at least for a time. Well, when snakes go under water they also stop breathing— that is. they stop one kind of respiration.— While dictating the above, a by- stander tells us about seeing a mother-snake swallow a lot of little ones, after which she crawled into a log. The boys plugged the hole up so she could not get out: and after school they split the log open, and killed the mothei', and found the "juveniles'" still alive. Sethis answers a part of my question. — We are glad to know that the bees at the college came through all right.] THE NEW WATER CURE. render unto cesar the things that are Cesar's, and unto god the things THAT ARE GOD's. ALFALFA AND SWEET CLOVER IN KANSAS, SOMETHING SPECIALLY FAVORING SWEET CLOVER. The writer of the following letter sent us an order for 100 lbs. of Bokhara, or sweet-clover seed. As this aroused our curiosity we wrote him, and he replies as follows: It may be of interest to you to know what it was waiited for. Two years ago two neighbors (living ten miles from me) each bought a sack of alfalfa seed and sowed on their farms, which joined. The one came up and furnished a great amount of feed the first year. The other got but little or no feed the first season. Both fields bore purple or similar blossoms. The plants were somewhat similar, only that one grew very large, and fed a great many hogs. The crop was cut three times, while the other seemed to be getting root. The second year one field bore white blossoms; the other, the same as before. Upon investigation one plant proved to be sweet clover, the other al- falfa. The gentleman who had the alfalfa said the sweet clover double discounted any plant he ever saw for forage; that stock did well on it; that it produced well on ordinary land, of a dry season, and he was very anxious to get some of the seed. As I wanted something for hog- feed, I told him if he found any to let me have some. But on examining your catalogue which you sent me, I found you quoted the seed, and I ordered immediately, and then notified the gen- tleman of my action, and told him he could have .50 lbs. I may not be satisfied with my venture. I have since been told by men from York State that it is a bad weed, impossible to get rid of, and that nothing will eat it; but I shall sow all the same. I have been in this country 32 years, and have had much experience with cultivated grasses. I have tested some kinds that were pests in the east, and they would not live long in this climate. Our soil is good enougli for any thing, but it wants a peculiar grass to stand the climate. Any plant does well in a moist season, but we have dry hot seasons that kill any grass I ever planted. The native grass of the country always lives through and keeps green, and gives good pasturage and some hay. C. C. (Jardinki:. Bradford. Kansas. Apr. 2\. Among the great numbers of letters that have been received in regard to this matter, tliere are perhaps half a dozen who suggest that Dr. VVilford Hall has not received quite tlie credit that belongs to him. Our friend Free- born, on page 377. suggests something of tlie kind. Three or four think it is not quite clear that I was justified in "breaking my pledge,"* etc. As this matter of charging several dollars for infoi'mation that can be put into a very small pamphlet, oi' perhaps on a single sheet of paper, is a thing that comes up every little while, let us consider it a little. Some years ago Herman Flick advertised artificial Inmey, and made great claims in regard to its wonder- ful excellence, and the cheapness with which it could be manufactured. I sent him .*2.00 for tlie secret: but as soon as I received it I found he had copied it from Dr. Chuse's Recipe Booh. I do not remember whether I signed a promise not to U'U or not. In fact, it does not matter particularly. I found him to be a humbug and a swindler, and it was clearly my duty topub- lish him as such, because lie was obtaining money under false pretenses. The " pretenses "' wei'e not only very many, but they 'wei-e very false; liad it actually been a neiv discovery. the case would have been vei-y dift'ereht Indcetl. Some tell us that Dr. Hall is a good man, but that it was only an error in judgment. Where a man, by "errors in judgment." takes a great many thousand dollars out of his neighbor's pockets, and puts tliis money into his oivii. it begins to look a little as if there were something more than mere error in judgment. W\'ll, let us drop the past and call it square. Let us say he deserves what lie got, in view of the good he has done. How about the present? Dr. Wil- ford Hall's agents are canvassing with greedy liaste almost eveiy town in the United States; but as soon as one of our little tracts gets into the town the business is done up, and the agents gather up their circulars and depart to some place where A. I. Root is unknown. They have even gone to California, and the friends of just- ice are following them there with the little pamphlets. Now, can Dr. Hall and his agents be Christian men, or even honest men, when they continue to receive $4.00 from each indi- vidual for something they know is being scat- tered abroad all over the land free of charge ? Who will answer? What excuse does Dr. Hall make for such a practice? Why, the only ex- cuse he possibly can make is to deny that his discovery was in print previous to 1850. See the following from his journal, the Microcosm, for April: Now. to nail this villainy, and put a padkicls on the pens of the scamps referred to, we will pay E. D. Scott one liuudred dollars in cash if lie will show us any publication, however obscure its autlior, which sets forth the essential details of our Health Pam- phlet, bearing- a date earlier than that of i)ur dis- covery, said date heiiig- proved to be authentic, and not cooked up by some miscreant to serve a rascally purpose. I have right here in my liands, while I write. Fowler & Wells' Water-cure ^Manual, by Joel Shew, iniblished in 1847.t I do not want the *Dear friends, I have broken no pledge. I have not copied from Dr. Hall's pamphlet; I have only copied what I found in Kellog-g's doctor book and the Water-cure Manual. tAmong-the readers of Gleanings we have one whose grandfather was Joel Shcw'ii brother, and this friend promises us some valuable facts in reg-ard to his great-uncle's experiments. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 361 hundred dollars, but I do want Dr. Wilford Hall to stop his iiighway robbery; and I hereby give him warning, that, unlf^ss he does it at once, I will lay the whole matter before the Postmaster- General, or other proper authorities. How much Christian spirit do we find in the little extract I have given above? Well, there is considerably more than a page of abusive slang, very much like it. The Water-cure Manual contains one whole chapter on this matter of internal water cure, and much of it is so exceed- ingly valuable that we shall probably give it in our next issue. The press of our country is now quite generally active in (exposing Hall. Sever- al papers have copied our little tract entire; and we call upon the jcjurnals of our land to help put down this extortion and fraud. Of course, Dr. Hall is not the only one engag- ed in this same swindle. Great quantities of circulars have been sent out by one Lemke, Menominee, Mich. I wrote him at once, asking him if it were the same thing as Dr. Hall's se- cret. After waiting som(> time for a reply, and receiving none, I sent him .$3.00 (his price), but I did not sign his promise or agreement; there- fore I can give you tlie whole of it, without leaving grounds for any one to say that I have broken any pledge. We make extracts of all we consider of any moment, as follows: lemke's medicineless prescription for the CURE AND prevention OF DISEASE. Tlie larg'e intestine i.s about five feet ui length, and it may be filled in an adult so as to present a circumt'ereiice of twelve inches. The colon is tiiat part of the larg-e intestine which extends from the ctecum to the rectum, and which is divided into three parts, distinfjuislicil as tlie as- cending-, the transverse, and the descending. Here is where the excrementltious matter discharged into it by the small intestine acquires the ffecal smell, wliich increases the longer it is retained in the colon. It may as well be admitted first as last as being- true, that almost all ailments which afflict liumani- ty come from impurities or disease germs, mi- crobes, or parasites, whicli are carried in during respiration and secure a lodgment and enter into the vital circulation, only if they find a diseased spot favorable to their propagation, or from the im- purities that enter into the vital circulation from ■what we eat and drink. These impurities may come directly from unwholesome food we eat, or indirect- ly from the absorption into the the circulation of disease-bearing germs, which arise fi-om the stench of the fetid matter which a person carries in the colon. The quantity so carried about, whethei- there be a i-egular daily movement of the bowels or not, is estimated at from one quart to two gallons. Who would, foi- a moment, carry about or sleep with such an enormous mass of putridity and disease- bearing stench if a way could be suggested by whicli it could be got rid of without making the t)rgans do it bj' drugs or laxatives? Who would not gladlj' embrace the opportunity of adopting an agreeable, harndess, benefiting treat- ment by which tins awful disease-producing, dan- gerous, foul, dis-.igreeableness is diiectly removed, while, at the same time, all soreness, stiffness, fe- vers, and inflammations are driven out of the system'/ This I propose to do, and am successfully doing right along, by injecting into the i-ectum hot clear water, enough to fill and distend the colon, or flush it, the same as you would flush a sewer that is clog- ged up. PRESCRIPTION. Buy a rubber fountain syringe at a drugstore (or for il. 50 we can send you one) that will hold two quarts or more. Screw a hook into the ceiling above the foot of your bed; pour into the bag of this syringe two to four quarts of clear water, so hot that you can just bear to hold j^our hand in it with- out being scalded (never use cold or tepid water). Insert the rubber stem of the syringe into the rec- tum; hold the water there for 1.^ nnnutes, if possi- ble, and roll aljout on your lied, when you will be ready to discharge tins enema, together with the entire contents of the colon. Those suffering with Bright's disease or other kidney troubles, or inflamniatorj' rheumatism, piles, inflammation of the bowels, or other organs, should inject a second dose of half the quantity of first dose of hot water into the rectum, and hold it there against all efforts to break away, and go to sleep with it. After a few hours you M'ill l)e ready to ex- pel it through the kidneys and bladder. doses. Children, 1 to .5 years of age, 1 pint; fi-om 4 to 15 years of age, 1 to 2 quarts; over 16 years of age, 2 to i quarts. Persons aiUng should take this treatment once a day before retiring to sleep; those in good health should use it every second or third evening. SNAKES IN CHINA, THE I.AKV.K OF HEES AND WASPS A DELICACY. Friend Root: — When one is oft' on a tour, and sits down to eat all alone. Gleanings is a good thing to read between bites, and make one feel as if he had good company. But to-day I hap- pened to open a number in which Prof. Cook gets enthusiastic over snakes, which are not so aiipctizing as bees and honey. I, too, can tell a siuikc stoi-y. Last summer I was strolling in a wild glen, seldom visited by man, along a path made by wild pigs, when a loud hissing startled me, and there on my rigiit, about four feet away, was a large snake slowly coiling itself. Being empty- handed I sprang forward; and, a tough little vine catctiing my foot. I half tumbled, half pitched, about five feet down a steep bank into a tangle of viny bushes, from which I crawled out with a sprained knee that has made me a cripple for six months. The only good way out of the glen was past where the snake lay. He was coiled up where I first saw him, not in a pile, but round and round, flat on the ground, his triangular head resting on the central coil. He was very nearly the color of the ground, and in the shadow of the overhanging thicket, with his body flattened down close to the ground, I could but just clearly make out his outlines from ten feet away, though he was as big around as my wrist, and fully four feet long. I saw that he was too far away from the path to reach it at one spring, and began to move for- ward slowly, when, without an instant's warn- ing, his head was 18 inches up in the air, and coming at me with jaws gaping almost six inches wide. He struck out only about two feet; but the suddenness of it made me spring back, and, tripping again, I tumbled over on my back. Then I got up; and, going down the glen a little way, I climbed up to the path and limp- ed home. I think that snake would make a valuable addition to Prof. Cook's collection, and I am sure I wish he had him. It seems strange, that, in so densely populated a country as this, wild beasts should still be com- mon; but so it is. Where I am to-day it is mar- ket day, and I iiave seen three antelopes and one armadillo carried past, and have myself just dined on a golden pheasant. In this re- gion, when the rice is in the milk, the farmers have to guard it night and day from the rav- ages of the wild pigs. A few Sabbaths ago I was holding meetings in a village near Shaowu and was told that, early in the morning, a ti- ger had eaten a sow. She had been turned out at daybreak, and, not coming back to her little pigs, the men went to look for her, but found only the remnants of a tiger's feast. Later in the day I saw the tiger's tracks, and measui-ed them with a tape-measure. They were a strong five and a half inches broad. Such a beast would eat up a pig just as a cat would a rat. Once as I was approaching a village I saw a number of men coming from off the hills, armed 363 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. May 1. with hoes and sticks, and was told they had iust been chasing off a tiger. I liave never yet heard of a man-eating tiger in this part of this province. The nature of the country here, nar- row valleys between high hills, and the absence of freezing cold winters, favor the increase of such "varmints,'' while superstition hinders somewhat their extei'raination. Poor weapons and ignorance of natural history aggravate the trouble. Once on a mountain path I saw a snake and asked a Chinese brother, " Have you poi- sonous snakes here'?"' After a short silence he cautiously replied, "On the hills we dare not speak carelessly." He is a good man, neverthe- less. When he began to read his Bible at home his mother gave him forty blows on eacli ear as hard as she could lay on. first one hand then the other, and he, a man giown, took it all as meekly as a lamb. But now he is high in her favor. I have written how Chinese bees will come and locate in curious places; but, alas I they will go just as they come. This summer I visited the places where I saw the bees under the bed and under the counter: but they were gone. In both cases the owners said the bees went otT of their own accord; and Mrs. Whitnc^y's " self-come" bees went off in a body one day last summer, leaving a lot of empty combs badly infested with moths. So far as I know, the Chinese use honey only as a medicine; but the larvie of bees, or of wasps either, are considered a very dainty morsel. I have just astonished a Chinaman by telling him that, even in silvery America, the lazy and careless come to want. J. E. Walker. Shaowu, China, Feb. 2L HIVE EECOEDS. WOODEN POINTEHS INSTEAD OF BRICKS ON hive-covers; a good SUGGESTION. During the past year there have been several articles from extenslv^e bee-keepers, describing tlieir m(>thods of keeping a record of the condi- tion of each hive by means of stones or bricks placed in various positions and on different parts of the cover. Now, I think I have a bet- ter way. Nail or, screw three small buttons, each V^ or 2 inches long, on the cover of each hive — one in the center and the others in the corners of one end. Let one represent tln^ queen, one bees and brood, and the other honey. Each button may be turned to point in each of eight different directions; that is, toward each cor- ner, and half way between these. Each direc- tion has its meaning, and a single glance tells the exact condition of the colony the last time it was examined. I think the buttons superior to bricks or stones, because they are easier to operate and ai'c less liable to be knocked out of place; but princii)ally because, in removing the cover to examine the colony, no special care is needed, while with bi'icks or stones they must first be removed, or the cover handled very carefully to prevent changing their positions. Where a person is handling L'OOor more colonies, something of this kind is needed to economize time, and this method seems to nu' to have more points of excellence than any other I know of. m'intyke's u: capping-uox. This, as described on page 7()9, 1890, strikes me as being just exactly the thing for the large honey-producer; but 1 think an inii)rovemenf could be made liy dividing the box hoiizontally. the meeting edgi>s to be beveled, the upjier into the lower. The box would still be solid and lii'in; but removing the upper half would great- ly facilitate taking out the drained cappings. J. Webster Johnson. Tempe, Arizona, March 30. [You have given us a good suggestion in re- gaixl to |)ointeis fastened on the hive-covers. 1 had thought several times of adoi)ting a sim- ilar plan. When working over a hive I usually sit on the end or side of the cover; and. of course, slates, stones, or other such memoranda as are held down by gi'avity, in obedience to the same law are displaced, and I have got to remember to put them back just as they were, or slightly modified to indicate the changed condition of the colony. Now, your pointers would not be disarranged at all, and could be made for an insignificant sum of money. For record-making on hives, we want something that we can read and see at a distance, just as we would tell the time of day on a clock-face by the figui'es, so far distant as to be almost undiscernible. Your suggestion In regard to the uncappinff-i)ox is a good on(\ I lielieve.] E. R. R. LADIES' G8N¥ERSAZ18NE. BUILDING TIP WEAK COLONIES. Mi;S. HARRISON HAS NOT BEEN VERY Sl'CCESS- FUL IN IT. Mrs. Axtell. at our last conversazione, said, " I know of nothing that a woman can work at, and make pay better, than to take those weak colonies under her wing and nurse them into strong ones, by the time the honey harvest comes." I've done a good deal of this nursing business, and I never worked at so low wages at any other kind of work. I barely earned the water that went into my soup. Of late years I do all my spring feeding in the fall, and vei'y little of it then, for tlie Illinois River bottoms have never failed to furnisii a flow of honey in the fall, that I know of. When I put on Hill devices I tell the bees that they have plenty of honey to last until fruit-bloom, so good-by. After our bees wei'e all taken from the cellar. Mr. Harrison said, " I wish you would look into that colony of bees nearest the grape-arbor, for they ari' weak, and I am afraid that they are starving." I was sorry that I knew that there was a weak colony of bees: but as I had prom- ised the minister to "obey," I went and exam- ined them and found plenty of honey, but only about a scoi-e of bees and a queen. I covered them up and left them until the afternoon, when it was quit(>. warm, and opened the hive again, and was delighted to find out that tlus bees had departed for fresh fields and pastui'es new. I took out the combs, trimmed oft' all ex- crescences like old queen-cells, scrubbed the hive with brush and hot suds, rinsed with boil- ing water, and, when dry, put back the combs and carried it into the celhir to remain until I had a swai'ni to run into it. I'vo tried every way that I ever h(»ard of to build up weak colonies. I've given them ca])- l)ed blood, and Uve brushed off' young bees from combs belonging to strong colonies, and [ticked up the downy ones and given them to the weak, and I did more harm tlum good. I should have had more bees at swarming time if I had let them alone. It is not pleasant to talk of our failures, but open confession is good for 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 363 the sonl. Will Mrs. Axtell tell us how to build up weak colonies? I've confined them to a small space in the hive, with a nice clean comb of sealed honey, and tucked them up warm: but failure would result. I've been practicing water cure for many years, in curing the ailments of my family, but novices should look a little out or they will do more harm than good. A specialist of the eye and ear told me lately that washing out the nostrils with a douche will inflame the ears, and my experience corroborates it. Peoria, III., April 21. Mks. L. Harrison. [Mrs. H.. while many of us' have had an ex- perience much like your own, we have also, at different times, had experience like Mrs. Ax- tell's: at least. I think most of us have. We thank you for your concluding caution.] A NEW MEMBER TO THE LADIES' CONVER- SAZIONE. .SUCCESSFUI- WINTERING IN RICKETY HIVES, ETC. I am vei'y happy to notice in Gleanings a ladies' department." whei-e we all can air our views on the different parts of bee-keeping, be- sides rendering assistance to each other in many ways. I shall beg to sit on the lower round of the ladder, and listen to the higher liglits above me. that have had the practice and experience: for that is what we all require to be successful in any undertaking: it may seem very pleasant to hear one tell how to do this and' that, but ic is quite another thing when we do it ourselves. I have only a few colonies, commencing with one in the spring of 1889: last year increased to seven, this spring dwindled down to three: have lost many bees, but gained much in knowledge and experience. I fed them in the fall, but very late: did not take the frames out to be sure they had enough, for I was afraid to handle them'. There is an old saying, that •"misery likes com- pany.*' and I presume to say, that there are many as badly off as myself. CiLOVES. I have a jiair of rubber gloves that I have used some, but dislike them very mvich. as they cause the hands to pei'splre, and are very clunv sy. A few days ago I changed two of my colo- nies into new hives and used some common gloves i)artly worn out. that were made of pig- skin. They are thicker than the common kid — something like dogskin, with large loose wrists. I got a few stings where the fingers were worn thin; but they did not trouble me as on the bare hand. I use a hat with common window-screen wire around the rim. four or five inches deep: below that is mosquito- netting, gathered at the bottom with an elastic cord. HIVES. I read about hives with double walls and dead-air spaces, and have come to the conclu- sion they all amount to nothing, unless two im- portant points are observed; first, a large strong colony: second, plenty of good food, that will last until they gather pollen. My reasons for thinking so are these: I have a friend (a lady) who raises bees, and, having a surplus, wished to dispose of some of them. I thought there might be a chance to replenish some of my empty hives: but when I saw them I almost stood aghast: some of them hung with one hinge that would hardly keep thedoor fastened: and one was a low square box, I might call it punk (that means rotten wood). It looked as if one should point his finger toward it, it would collapse. I did not purchase, for it was eight or nine miles from my home, and I knew I never should have courage to move them in such di- lapidated hives. Now. will you please inform your readers what kept sixteen out of seventeen colonies alive through this haid winter? I think it must have been strong colonies, and plenty to eat; "they certainly did not lack good ventilation. Mrs. W. H. Bent. Cochituate, Mass., Apr. 30. [Mrs. B., your point, that good strong colo- nies, with plenty of stoi'es, often winter nicely in the most rickety and exposed situations, is by no means new: and a good many times rick- ety hives winter all right when the others do not. This points strongly toward the necessity of an abundant ventilation of some sort, either bottom or top. especially when bees are exposed to the severity of the weather outdoors.] HOW TO KEEP ON GOOD TERMS WITH OUR NEIGHBORS. SOME EXCP:I.EENT SUGiiESTION^ AXTELL. FROM MRS. We should follow the rule that Christ. has laid down — to '"love our neighbors as ourselves;" and if our bees trespass upon our neighbors, let us make good tiie harm and annoyance they make, not only by sending them cakes of honey, but by exhibiting neighborly kindness in many ways. Soon we shall be setting our bees out of the cellar. Those of us who have near neighbors should send them word that we are about to set them out. so that they may not wash on such days, as it is very annoying to the good housewife to have her clothes all specked up. and her newly washed windows dotted. It is better to meet our neighbors more than half way in the matterof keeping peace, rather than getting their ill will, as it costs much more in dollars and cents in the long run, and kills all our influence for good over them and their children, and destroys our happiness and peace. It is no more than right to pay our just debts, that we send them liberal amounts of honey oc- casionally—yes. quite often, as our good neigh- boi's seldom let us know when and how much our l)ees have annoyed theuL How bothered they are with the bees around their horse and pig' troughs! and even the little drinking- vessels of the children are at times swarming with bees. I don"t know that they ever at such times sting the chickens, but they frighten tlieir owners. The bees seem to prefer to fre- quent different places for water, even when they have an abundance at home in troughs of easy access. There are many ways that the bees annoy our neighbors that we never know of — hanging around the milk-troughs; stinging the little folks as they tramp upon them in the damp places in i\w back yards: following the men while at work in the fields, sometimes, tliough more than likely it was some other neighbor's black or hybrid bees instead of our gentle Italians. Yet, because we have so many bees we get the credit of the annoyance. A few pounds of honey will sweeten the otherwise bit- ter feelings, and cause only goodwill and kindly feelings. Generally the neighbor will repay much of the gift in sending back in return something we appreciate as much as the honey, or doing kindly deeds. We need not send our first-class section honey. Broken pieces or bulged honey, if nicely laid on 3G4 GLEANINGS Ix\ BEE CULTURE. May 1. a plate or in a bright tin pan. will be appreciat- ed just as much. Often so kindly a feeling will arise that the neighbor will ask for broken or bulged pieces when buying, to help us make sales of it, realizing that it is just as good honey as whole sections. In planting an apiary we should place the hives as far from the public higliway as possi- ble, and have them convenient to care for: also protecting them from ihe gaze of the public by planting a thick and quickly growing row of trees, or making a high board fence. I prefer the trees, as they are so much more handsome, and more permanent. We thus throw the bees so high over the road that passersby can not meet them in passing, and hide them away, as it were, from the public gaze. Many people are as afraid of bees as of death, almost: and if they were not where they could constantly be seen, they would pass by and not think of them. We used to be so proud of our bees that we thought it nice to have them near the road, and to have peojde look at us while working with them. One Fourth of July a large swarm came off just when an open carriage of people was passing. The man put his whip to the horses, and drove right through the swarm, as it flew low. The people were very much fright- ened, but no harm was done. Another man, who often passed by, we noticed would always pull his .hat low down over his face, and ride quickly by. One day one of the commissioners of the highway politely notified us to move our bees into a back yard, and further from the road. We promised to put up a high board fence, or plant a thick row of trees, if that would answer. The trees were immediately planted about two or three feet apart. They quickly made a hedge, as it were, which threw them entirely above the road, most of the bees prefei-ring to leave the apiary in another direction, rather than fly over the hedge of ti'ees. Since then we have had no one And fault in that direction. In following the above suggestions we shall not be apt to need the aid of the Bee-keepers* Un- ion very often, though it is a grand organiza- tion, and every one who has bees would do well to join it. as there ai'e many unreasonable peo- ple in this world, and we can never know when we aie safe or when other people have their rights. We need the Union to decide what is right. At one time we were about to lose money by an unjust commission merchant. This was be- fore we joined the Union. We made mention that there was such an organization, and he had better do what was right. The result was, he paid us $30.00. which we probably should have lost. I felt that it was a little deception on our part, but the organization did a good work for us, and is doing a good work, and is a blessing to those who are not members as well as those who are, as they promise to help only those who are members at the time of the trou- ble. It costs so little to be a member, I wonder that -every one who owns bees does not join. Rosevilie. 111., Mar. 14. Mrs. L. C. Axtei,i>. AN TINPLEASANT EXPERIENCE WITH RUB- BER GLOVES. A GOOD SUnSTITUTE. colonies of bees, thinking I was making a good begining. I bought them for pure Italians. I could not then tell as to their purity, but they proved themselves good \\orkers and good — stingers. It was amusement for me to look ovei' my bees and look up the queen, especially if I had visitors. They must see my yellow queens. Soon my gloves were rotted by per- spiration. The rents would come, and with them the stings. I would try to patch them, but they were so rotted and soft that the threads would not hold. I would try again and again, not knoN\ing what could lie better than rubber gloves. My hands would be so swollen I could hardly draw off my gloves, wet with perspiration, and covered with numerous new rents and stings. Discouraged and almost sick of my bees (for stings affected me very badly for the first year or two I \\orked with them). I went to Sherburne and bought a pair of boys' sheepskin gloves for 2.5 cents. I soon had them on trial. The bees literally covered them with stings, leaving their stings with the gloves. I thought I should soon lose all my bees in this way. Necessity is the mother of invention. I took honey and beeswax melted together. Then I rubbed my gloves well with this preparation. I had no more trouble, and have used such gloves ever since. I have worked the whole season without a sting on my hands. The Quinby smoker and A B C proved very useful to me. I have read Gleanings ever since, and would not be without it as long as I am in- tei'ested with bees. 1 am pleased with the op- portunity of visiting with my bee-keeping sis- ters through Gleanings. Mrs. Oliver Cole. Sherburne, N. Y., Apr. 14. Twelve years ago I became much interested in bees. I subscribed for Gleanings and the A B C, and other publications: I also ordei-ed a Quinby smoker, and a pair of rubber gloves from A. I. Root. I prepared a hat and dress for the work. I had i)reviously purchased three covering for the hands. The discussion in Gleanings on this subject is very interesting to me, as my greatest objec- tion to bee-keeping is, that I can't keep my fin- gers clean. I like best to have my fingers free, as I can work so much surer, and am not so apt to let the frames slip: but as we run mostly for extracted honey, it is hard work to keep the fingers presentable during bee-time. I have tried cotton and buckskin gloves, but we like woolen mits better than any thing else we have tried. They are made of rather coarse white woolen yarn, with long wrists, coming well down on the fingers, and ribbed all the way. They make a very good protection for the hands. The bees don't sting through them very much, and they ai'e not uncomfortably warm. We lap and pin the bottom of the sleeves, then di-aw on the mits. They are tidy, and no bee can get in. But who can tell us the easiest way of getting the fingers clean? Or could we learn to work quickly and surely with the fin- gers bundled up? Once I had a pair of black mits, but they made the bees so angry we could not wear thein. Mrs. M. A. Shepard. Barry, 111., Apr. 19. asbestos paint not satisfactory. I noticed in Gleanings. Mar. 1.5. A. W. Lind- sey wants to know about asbestos paint. I have used it on hives, but I do not like it. It does not last. The last hives T painted I got lead and oil. etc., and mixed my own paint, and it is much better. APRONS. As aprons seem to be the topic. I will say that I get brown checked shirting. It is thick enough to pi'otect my dress, but not so heavy and warm as bed -ticking. I have never worn gloves. I never thought I could work with them, but I wish I could, and prevent tan on my hands. Benson. Vt.. Apr. 7. Mrs. L. S. Austin. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 3(55 THE BEES OF THE OLD WOKLD. V. H. 15ALI)EXSPE1{GEK TKLES ABOUT TIIE.M. If we draw a diagonal line, beginning at Genoa, in Italy, and ending at Tripoli, in Afri- ca, across the Mediterranean, we find the bees east of this line inclining to the yellow race — Italy. Greece, Turkey, and Egypt having the banded bees, while Tripoli, Tunis. Algeria, Morocco. Spain, and France have the black bee. Just as the banded Italian diffei's from its fellow-insect in Egypt, so does the black of France from that of Tunis and Ti'ipoli. On the north of tne Mediterranean the Alps are the limits, while on tiie southern shore the Lyb- ian Desert forms a barrier. Again, if we com- pare all countries where Mohammedanism has had its sway for any length of time, we find those countries lying like a big crescent, one tip beginning at the Pyrene<>s. the concave line running down below Italy, and mounting again to the Bosphorus. including Greece. These have hives lying horizontally, and, as a gen- eral rule, worked more humanely than those in the region of the "cross." Italy forms the vertical axis: the hives stand upright, and the bees are sulphured every autumn, to take away all wax and honey. In southern Europe the bar- frame hives are finding their way with great dilHculty. In the south of France, the bee-keepers (or. rather, keepers of bees, for there are none that are real apiculturists) possess between five and one hundred hives, which they keep in long square boxes about three feet high and one foot broad. The top is nailed with a board, while the bottoiu is open, and put simply on a flat rock or stone, the unevenness of which forms different flying-holes. Some ai'e also kept in hollow tree-trunks with big flat stones on tlie toj). on an inclined plane for the rain to run down. and. at the same time, by its weight to keep the hive from falling in case of wind. Generally they place theiu against a wall to shelter thein from the north and west winds. They expose them to the south or east. It is a very curious sight to see a number of those hives standing upright and irregular, just as a flat roclv may be right or left, up or down, in crooked trunks, with huge stones on top. I ■confess the apiaries away in Palestine or on the borders of the Nile, or in the wild recesses of the Atlas ^Mountains in Algeria, do not present such a novel and altogether savage aspect as does such an apiary in a civilized country, where every thing is flourishing except apicul- ture. How often, since I have been wandering about the Provencal Alps, and finding such neglected apiaries, have I put the question to others as well as to myself. •' Why is apiculture so low in sucli a beautiful country abounding in fruit-trees, red and white clover, thyme, rosemary, heatlier. and a deal of other plants too varied to enumei'ate '? Tliey are free from taxes. The only answer I invariably got was, ■• The cruel winter kills so many bees, thus dis- couraging the farmers." I came across an old bee-book, written by an " Abbe Della-rocca."' in Syra, in the Grecian Archipelago, and printed in Paris in 1790. The book is very ably written — or. rather, the three volumes — and it seems that, more than a century ago. the bees were treated here just the same as they are now; and the desolate priest says the cause of neg- lected apiculture in France is because the no- blemen had a certain right on bee-hives; and. second, when the farmer could not pay the heavy taxes asked for the treasury, the tax- gatherers would take away his hives to fill up the sum. Disgusted with such robbing they finally gave up bee-keeping. Since then the French Revolution has put a stop to all these abuses; but still, apiculture has not come to its bloom. It was inevitable that the discourage- ment should then become so general that a century has not sullHced wholly to wipe away the bitter feelings that have so fast taken loot in the French country people. The way they now work the hives is as prim- itive as can be imagined. The swarms are lodged in a box or trunk of a tree, as above de- scribed, and left alone. In autumn all hives are visited, and 7.5 per cent are left untouched "for seed." as they call it. The other :i.T are sul- phured, and the combs, with the honey, sold to dealers who come yearly to buy all ihey can. The 7o are the stock left to swarm the follow- ing spring. Such hives are full of honey and pollen, and are capable of giving good swarms. This part is very humane, but not very remu- nerative to the owner. If the 7.'j have wintered safely, a good stock and strong apiarv follow next year. They never (but in a very few cases) take out a part of the honey. In conse- quence of such treatment they want no smo- kers, no veils, and. generally speaking, no bee- keeping utensils. The honey and wax mer- chants are expert in this kind of apiculture, and take the hives destined to be sulphured to death, and weigh them. They then deduct the possible weight of the empty hive, and pay for the wax and honey ''per pound. They scra])e out comb, honey, and dead bees, and put tlie whole into wooden tubs, taking as much as 150 lbs. of comb. The hives are then covered, and they thus go around from one api- ary to another. Whtm the wagon is well load- ed they drive home. The comb is now broken up into the smallest possible pieces, and put into a stone trough having a wooden sieve at the bottom, thus permitting only the honey to pass: and by an outlet into a receptacle, such a trough may easily take over a thousand pounds. This fii-st honey is sold on the market as virgin h(jnev. mostly stored away in wooden barrels holding between 140 and 190 lbs. of honey. The residue of the trough is now put into flat bas- kets, having a small opening at the top to in- troduce the comb: and half a dozen such flat round baskets are now put under a large press, with a big wooden screw acting on the pile of baskets. On top of the baskets a board is laid to produce equal pressure. The honey from this pressing is impure, and is .sold as second- rate honey in the same i-eceptacles as the virgin honey. A good deal of honey is sold to the factories of Mimtelimar, Ardes, Aix. Nimes, Narbonne. etc., where honey-cakes are made. No Frenchman will pass his Christmas without having a taste of these honey - cakes, called ■' nongeats.'" Hundreds of thousands of pounds are consumed yearly. They are made of honey, sugar, and almonds. The trouble is, they keep only during tne cold season. As soon as the liot weather comes on they begin to flow. Thus they are sure to be fresh every year. The comb pressed out is now put into a big caldron, and boiled. When it is well fluid this is put into the same baskets again, which are now fur- nished with long straw, and. as quickly as pos- sible, put under tlie press again, and I'eceived in wooden receptacles. While the pressing is going on. boiling water is poured over the pile of baskets to keep the wax flowing. In some cases the farmers do the whole work them- selves, pressing out the honey with their hands, and putting the boiled wax into a sack, and twisting at both ends to get the wax out. This wax is generally of a nicer color, as being better strained, while the honey is not as pure, having a mixture of pollen, wax, etc. The bee in the south of France is black, showing some white bands at the first and sec- :!••)(■. GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. >Lvv 1. oiul lings. TIh' I'uzz is strongly inclined to yel- low; a sliglit tingo of orangt' marks both sides of the first ring. Very few men (as a rule no bee-keeijers) have any movable - bar - ti'ame hives, either Langsiroth. Abbott, or Itastain. None of them have an extractor. They can have only a very little moi'e honey tlum the "tixists." About Toulon. Cannes, and Nice, they move their bees on muleback to the higher Alpine regions in summer. i)uttiug the hives in- dividually in sacks, tied at top. In autumn tliey bring them back again, and then take the honey in lh(» mannei- above descrih(>d. In Nice a single woman had a bee-hive in a cork-oak trunk, only the bark being used as a hive. She was selling comli honey right out of the hive. The bees, naturally enough, had been sulphur- ed previously. Tlie hive was well lilled with sealed comb, and might have contained 40 lbs. oi honey. No robbing was going on. as the hives are kept at some distance from town; and even Nice had such weather in January as to keep bees at home. They .seldom have ice here, though. Flowers ai-e sold all the year round. Foreigners from England, and even America, flock here in winter. I'H. d. HAI.I>EXSrERf4f:R. Marseilles. France, Januaiy 11. IS'JL [And so. friend V,.. honey-cakes are not a modern invention, aftei' all. We are vei'y much obliged to vou for the bii-dseye view you give us of bee-keeping in the Old World: and we hope our friends mentioned by you will soon get into the modern ways, and throw aside their brim- stone and rude hives. 1 AN INTERESTING LETTER FROM CUBA. ."iOO fOIA)NII^:s OF BEES IN ONE AI'IAin-. WITH A PRODUCT OF 70,000 POUNDS OF HON- EY IN A POOR SEASON. Friend i?oot;— Another year has gone, and left behind it one more short crop. As this was the first season since I came to Cuba, when I have had what I called bees enough in one api- ary to test the honey resources of any one lo- cality. I naturally feel disappointed that the weather was such that it was impossible to ar- rive at any thing like an accurate estimate of what .'itX) colonies of bees in one apiary would do. Well. now. for the results. We began extract- ing Nov. 3 (that is, to go over the bees and take out what old honey they had left over from the summer, which amounted to only .500 pounds). The season was opening up fairly well, and tlie bees did well through Novejuber. wo taking 10.- 400 lbs., an amount never before taken in the month of November. The first ten days of De- cetnber we took 1200 lbs., and with us we think by the 10th of December the season is hardly begiin: but on that very day a cold wave sti'uck us, and foi' 47 days the w ind blew from the north, coki. cold, evei'y day. The cold weather in England. France, and vSjjain. did not spend all its force there; but in ci'ossing the Atlantic it seemed to have got the "grip." and for eight weeks it held us Cubans with a grasp we could not shake otT. The records show this last winter to have l)een the coldest since 1855. Now. from Dec. 10 to .Ian. :i7. 47 days, is the lieart of our surplus season. To prove there was something wrong, look at the record of the last two years. The fall and spring of mm and "Ul (then we had about 30(1 colonies of i)eesi in November we took 3(500 lbs.: this year, with over 500 colonies, we took 10.4:i5 lbs. " Last year the first ten days of December we took 3275 lbs.: this year, 1200 lbs. Lastvear for the month of December we took lii.000"lbs.: this yeai' for the same mnntli. 2i.40n. Last year in Jan. we took 25.500 lbs.: this year, same month. 19.025. Last year in Feb. wetook .5,5(10 lbs.: this year. 10.40o" lbs. Last yeai' in March we took nothing: this year (5150. making for th(i crop 70.2.50 lbs. 15y looking at the amount- of honey taken in the two last seasons, and comparing dates, you will see that, up to the 10th of December (when the cold weather began), we had taken 22.400 lbs., against 0875 lbs. for the same date the year before. Then you will see, in January we took only 1!»,025 lbs. against 25..5(K) lbs. the year before, and we con- sider January much the best surplus month of the year; but it was too cold this year. I think I told you last year, that.' when the business here is so managed that two good act- ive men can take care of .500 or more colonies in one apiary, and take 75.0(K)or 100,000 lbs. of hon- ey, then the business would pay. Now, with such a winter as this last one has been, we have produced 70.(XJ0 lbs., and at this date our bees are in tine condition, with liives full of bees and honey, and swarming daily. Does this crop and the conditions under wliich it was taken, provi' to the advocates of 50-colony apiaries that 550 can be made to pay all under one roof, and con- trolled by one management and set of hands and fixtures'? Resulis have placed it beyond the reach of doubt. It is no longer a question. '•Will it prny i'" but, " How can we best take care of tlie crop as fast as it is stored, with tlie least possible outlav of monev and manual la- bor'?- Give me a common Cuban wint( r next winter, and if I do not produce 50 tons uf honey from one ajjiary. then it will be very much ditl'erent from w hat 1 exjject: foi- 1 know this last one has been but a very little more than half a crop. This result has been obtaim d against the advice of all the novices jlnd the would-be eypei'ts. both ill Cuba and the U. S. — men w ho knew as much about the honey resources of Cuba as I know what the strides in the science of electricity will be in the next 50 years.' THE HOFFMAN P'RAME NOT SUITED FOR CUBA. You have called for an expression from "Southern bee-keepers" upon the Hoffman frame. I do not like the frame for Cuba nor for Califoinia. I can not do any bettre the bees glue every thing fast, unless there is plenty of room for them to pass freely all around. Then they will not sticlv them. When I first came to Cuba in 1883 I was prevailed upon to bring some of the HofTman frames: but after a trial I took the hatchet and made open top and side frames of them, and have not tried any since. We have our frames liung on tin rabbets that are thin on the edge, so there is no chance to stick them. You know we have to go over our bees every week. Well, to go over .5.50 colonies in six days, and extract the honey iiy hand, tlier<' is no time to lose in fussing and prying to get your frames out of the hives. I would not for the world say any thing against the closed toji and end fi'ame in localities where there is hardly any iiropolis: for those that use and like it would g(>t mad about it. TWO vs. SIX FltA.ME EXTRACTORS. Tliere are many things used in small apiaries that would hardly do for us here. We have to adopt the fixtures that arrive at results with the least possible waste of time. For example, this year we ran two six-frame extractors and a comb-cart holding from 80 to 85 combs: and. liad the winter been like those I have seen since coming here.we should have been behind in get- ting the honey out of the way of the bees; but 1891 C! LEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. ais it was. we kept up with lluMii very nieely. We could hardly tliiiiK of de|)eiidiiig on a two- frame extractor to throw our lioiiey out: and for a nuui to thlnl< of earryina: tlie honey in a hand comb-basket would be as discoui-aging as the other. THE FUTlliE OF CCBAX IIOXEY. Friend Root, as we go on from one year to an- other in anv business. w(,' arrive at conclusions as to whether the enterprise is paying or not. and the probable outlook for success in the fu- ture. I started with this business liere when it was indeed an experiment — when the movable frame was a wonder in the eyes of the Cubans: when all you could get for a gallon of honey was .3.5 cents: but now it brings TiO cents net (for we get pay for all the packages): and if the du- tv is ever removed, so tiiat when yon fellows get short we can send you a little to help you out, why, then we shall' get more. So after the ex- perience of the years I have been here. I can not but feel the greatest contidence in tlie future of Cuba's honey crop. It will goon and ultimately reach that grand climax that is enjoyed by him or that country that stands upon the top round of the ladder. " The business is passing into the hands of the actual pi'oducers — men of more or less experience in honey-raising, and as such is always a step in the right direction, and it can not but result in a permanent good to the busi- ness and all concerned. A. \V. Osburx. Puiita Brava deGuatao, Cuba. April 8. [You ought not to complain very much about your past season as a poor honey year. It may not have been up to the previous year, but 70- 000 lbs. of honey — my I you ought to be satisfied. Honey seasons in most localities are a variable quantity, you know. I am glad of your testimony in regard to Hoff- man frames for Cuba: but. say, don't your tin rabbets get filled with propolis if you have so much of if? Our hybrids hav(^ done it for us more than once, and we can get along with Hoffman frames. Don't get the idea into you'- head that Hoffman frames are used hy shuill bee-keepers. Hoffman himself has some five or six hundred colonies on them, and there are other bee-keepers who have two or three hun- dred colonies on them. In regard to propolis, I saw as much in the region where nearly 10,000 colonies are used successfully on closed and partly closed end frames, with success, as I have seen in any pai't of the U. S. I believe there are very few places in the L". S. wliere. because of the excess of propolis. Hoffman frames can not be used. Some parts of California and the southern part of the countrv mav be among the <'xcepted localities.] ' " E. R. R. THE HOFFMAN FRAME. THE IXVEXTOK USES IT. AM) HOW ITS MAXIPl'LATION COMPARES IN SPEED WITH THE LOOSE FRAME. Friend Enief sd'ij' thd again and disappear. Soon after, the green stuffing shrinks and drops away from the entrance, and the bees have their door opened again without any attention from the bee-keeper. If it were not for this little inven- tion I could not, when bees ai'e robbing, as I have done now for several years, woi'k and fin- ish an apiary of 100 colonies or more, within one day. in a continuous job, without being troubled a good deal. Jui>ius Hoffman. Canajoharie. N. Y. THE HOFFMAN FRAME. adapted to the l. size of hive: further particul.vrs on how to m.\nipulate; by ernest k. root. Some time ago Mr. Samuel Cushman. of Paw- tucket. Rhode Island, made a statement to the effect that, if he were the editor of a bee-jour- nal, he would set forth the real merits of the Hoffman frame, and describe minutely, with suitable and accurate engravings, its manner of manipulation. Althougli much had been said in regard to the Hoffman fi-ame at that time, he was satisfied that its real points of excel- lence had not yet been fully described. Our fi'iend Mr. Hoffman, in the article preceding, has covered the ground pretty thoroughly: but as his description apijlies to a deep hive, I have thought best to have some photographs taken, illustrating the method of handling the Hoff- man frames, as adapted to the Dovetailed hive, with its L. size of frame. I accordingly took a Dovetailed hive filled with Hoffman frames, and over it I sti'uck several attitudes, and then had Mrs. Root photograph me in those posi- tions. Our engravers have now reproduced them. 1 will first show you a cut of three Hoffman frames, without any comb in them, standing side by side, as if they were stiick together with propolis. This cut shows a little more accu- rately how they are made for the Dovetailed hive.'^ The top-bars are % inch thick, and at the naiTowest part are 1^^ inches wide. This width continues until witliin I4 inch of the end-bar, where it then enlarges to 1% inches scant. HOFFMAN frame ADAPTED TO L. SIZE. It does not .seem to be altogether clear yet why the top-bar should widen out near the ends. I will explain again, that it is for cover- ing up the wood rabbet entirely, so that the bees can have no occasion for chinking in pro- polis. We will suppose that the top-bar is I3V inches wide its entire length, and that the end- bars are as shown in the cut. As these are spaced frames, it is evident that the top-bars will I'est in the rabbet exactly in the same place at all times. In a few months" time, if the frames be all lifted out. the places in the hive-rabbet not covered with top-bars will be thickened and stuck up with propolis, and those covered by the ends of the top-bars will be compaiatively clean. In process of time, espe- cially with hybrids, these exposed places in the hives will receive further accumulations of propolis, until the ends of the top-bars, so to speak, will rest between the notches of bee- glue. Now, the great '"function." if I may borrow a term from Mr. Heddon. of the Hoff- num frame, is a lateral sliding motion. With masses or notches of propolis placed at regular distances, this lateral motion is impracticable. "But," you say, "why is this not true with the ordinary loose frames?" For this reason: Loose frames are nevei' put back exactly in the same place in the rabbet; and the result is, that the wooden rabbets are covered about equally with propolis from a\w end to the other. To avoid the regular masses of propolis, the inventor. Mr. Hoffman, had the top-bars en- larged at the ends, so that, when the frames are all in the hives, the rabbets will b(> covered up entirely. You may examine the wooden rab- bets of hives that have had these frames for years, and you will find they are about as free and clean from propolis as they w(M'e w hen the hives were first mad(\ This is not guesswork nor theory. I saw it in Mi-. Hoffman's yard. If you use tin rabbets you can get along very \\ell with top-bars the same width throughout; but those of you who have had hybrids to any extent, know that they will sometimes fill tin rabbets level full with propolis, and then you have to go and dig it out again. By Mr. Hoff- man's plan, the woi-st propolizing bees known are circumvented in the woist propolizing lo- calities. If you use Italians and tin rabbets, you will never have any trouble about the rab- bets being filled with propolis, and you could use the Hoffman frames with straight top-bars. So much for the construction of the top-bar. There is no need of discussing the need of hav- ing a wide end-bar near the top. Its office in preventing the bottom-bars from knocking to- gether during moving or otherwise rough hand- ling, is too evident to need discussion. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 3159 HOW TO MAXirrr.ATE HOFFMAN Fl'.AMES. ^Ir. Hoffman has already given, better than I can, the advantages in the use of a spacing- board, or '■ follower." as we call it in our pric(> list, sol will not dwell on that point. We will now proceed to open up a hive having Hoffman frames. One of the conveniences, and almost necessities, is a small screwdriver. This, or a good strong knife, is something that almost ev- ery apiarist uses nowadays. With a screwdi'iv- er or wedge I pry loose the flat board cover of the Dovetailed hive, ha\ ing previously blown a little smoke in at th(> entrance. The cover removed, I place the same under me, and sit down on it milk-stool fashion (see Fig. 4). You will observe that the cover is a seat on which we can lean back\\'ard and for- ward. This I find is a great convenience, in that the body can be h>aned toward or from the hive: and. the elbows i-esting on the knees, they can support quite a heavy weight, in the screwdriver or wedgi\ we pry apart the first pair or trio of franu's, if the frames are not too heavy, and lean them against one corner of the hive, as shown in Figs. 4 and .5. Don't you see we pretty nearly handle the brood-nest in halves and quarttu's? You will notice that these frames will hang together by propolis, and that the bees on the two inside surfaces are not disturbed at all. The loose frames, when out of the hive, have got to be leaned against one or two corners of the hives, against each other — in fact, be scat- ti^-ed all around for the depredations of rob- bei's; and, besides all that, the liability of kill- ing bees or the queen is much greatei'. This is a big point in favor of the Hoft'man frames. If we do not find the queen on the frame in hive, pry off the outside frame of a trio leaning against the corner of the hive. If she does not appear on that one, pry off the next one, and so on. Fia. 4.— HOW HOFFMAN FKAMES AKE MANIPULATED.* way of two or three Hoffman frames. You may argue that you would not sit down on the nar- row edge of a J:s board for anybody or for aijy money. I will say in reply, that, in handling Hoffman frames, so short a time is occupied in examining the hive that no inconvenience will be experienced; and, besides, there is no law to compel you to sit in any one attitude over every hive. Comfort as w<'ll as convenience some- times suggests a standing as well as a kneeling posture, though usually I prefer to sit down on a cover. Well, to return. A little smoke is blown over the top of the frames. The wedge that holds the follower, or spacing-board, against the frames, is next re- moved; and while the wedge is in the hands, the follower is leaned against the hive oijposite to where we are silting (s(>e Fig. 4). With a * Although I sat for the picture, our engravei' has very kindly pvit anotlier bead on my shoulders; therefoie you will not detect any striking resem- blance between your h\niible servant and the sub- stituted head. E. R. R. If frames are heavy with honey, we may lift out only one frame. Having seen the surfaces of two or three combs, the practiced eye will get a pretty fair idea of the condition" of the colony and what the queen is doing. If we see eggs and larv* in all stages, as well as sealed brood, we do not usually bother to hunt up the queen; so we put back the second pair removed, and finally turn the trio as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Now, as Mr. Hoffman explained in his for- mer article, we generally crowd these frames together at once. We blow a little smoke down between each of the end-bars, and then with a quick shove see Fig. l.in Mr. Hoffman's article, we close them all up again. There is no cut-and-try spacing as with loose frames — no big and little fingers to get the distances at wide and narrow spaces. There is no continual instructing the beginnei' on just how far to space combs, and there is no finding the apiary afterward, with the combs spaced so far apart that spurs of combs are built where they ought not to be. No, with Hoffman 370 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. May I. framos the spaces have got to be exact, and the combs will have a fixed and definite thickness; and I do not hesitate to say that you can alter- nate them jnst as well, and even better, than you can many of the loose frames. Let me ex- plain. Space the loose frame during the honey- haivest. anywhere from 1% to 13< or even 1% Well, practically amounting to tliat: and he is an extracted- houey man at that. FIG. 5- -HANDIJNG HOFFMAN FRAMES IN PAIRS AND TRIOS. THE HETHEKINGTON-aUINBY HIVE. AVHY yriNBY FRAMES PON'T KILI, BEES. inches from center to ceiiter, and then, after the honey-harvest, try to alternate it with oth- er frames placed a little closer, and see where you are. You may say you can space frames near enough right. Although I have visited many large apiaries, I never saw a loose-frame apiary spaced near enough right, unless it was Mr. Manum's home apiary. He is one of those precise men who are bound to have every thing just so. Well, now, then, we will replace the follower, and with the wedge, as shown in Fig. 1 of Mr. Hoffman's article just preceding, we ci'owd the frames tight together: then the wedge is push- ed down between the follower and hive. If the follower is only ,9g of an inch thick it springs a little, and this will take up any unequal swell- ing or shrinking in the Hoffman frames (if there should be any) through changes of at- mosphere, from extreme wet to extreme dry. If there are any bees on the tops of the frames, a whiff of smoke will usually drive them down, and then the cover is replaced with a sliding motion, which I have already explained. Perliaps from my description about manipulat- ing the hive with Hoffman frames, it may ap- pear like a very long operation; but I can as- sure you that it is a very short one. Now, right here I will ask you to look at the italicized sen- tence (the italics are mine) in Mr. Hoffman's article just preceding. Observe that he says he can handle nearly double the number of colonies on his frame that he could on any loose frame; and I will add right here, that he u.sed loose fi'ames for years, until necessity, the mother of invention," caused him to bi-ing out this style. Mr. Hoffman makes another big point; name- ly, by removing two or three fiifmes in a trio, the rest of the frames in the hive need not he lifted out at all. They can be slipped back and forth, and each surface examined; but if the rabbet is covered with ijieces of ))ropolis. this lateral sliding is not easily accomplished. * Mr. Manum piiiposes to handle some 400 oi' .500 colonies on loose frames alone. Why. bless you. Mr. Hoffman has been doing this for years on his close-fitting frames. "• Alone."" did I say".* [Continued.] In hooking frames together I have found some bee-keepers who, after using this hive foi' years, were still ignorant of the proper way of handling them. Tliey pushed the edges of the frames together from the side in such a manner as to kill the bees between them; or. if the motion was slow enough to permit the bees to get out of the way. loo much time was con- sumed in the operation. Now. the prope'r way is to bring them together as shown in the en- graving. Fig. :i. when a half-inch motion in the direction of the arrow puts them in place, shov- ing oft' the bees from tlieir edges instead of crushing them: that is. end-bar C slides the bees off the end-bar B. This is a very impor- tant ijoint, and the proper observance of it makes all the difference between total failure and magnificent success in the practical work- ing of the hiv^e. It is a point, also, in which our hive is ahead of the excell(>nt Hoffman hive, and all other closed-end hanging-frame hives. In these there is not room inside the hive for this longitudinal motion. I have known other bee-keepers to fail with this hive because it was not properly mad(\ If the hooks on the frames ai'e not put on I'ighl, or if the groove on tlie bottom of the board is too deep, there is nothing but vexation in store for the bee-keeper.* In handling frames it is well to observe that we do not have to reach down among the bees to pick up a frame, but take hold of it at the outside, where there are usual- ly no bees, thus saving time in j)icking it up, if FIG. 2. HOW THE QUINBY FRAME AVOIDS KILLING BEES. not always in letting go of the same. (See Fig. 1 in former article, p, 317.) The day was dark and rainy when Mr. Root * In Fig-. 3. C (re engraved from Clieshiie), it is sliown conectly; h is the hook that engages the sti;ipiroii ip. and (/r is the grnove hi the bottom- board lib. This Hrruiigement wiis designed liy Mr. Quinby to kCL'p the standing frames from toppling- over, and also to hold the end-bars in alig-iiUH-nt. Tlie hooks are on tlie outside of tht- liive proper, and hence do not kill bees; nor are they tilled witli propolis as s )me liave imagined. 4 and B in the same figure aie respectively tlie frame and follower. They are somevviiat owt of proportion.— Ed. 1S91 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 371 and I visited the out-apiary. The colonies were populous, and the hees were all at home; in short, it was such a day as bee-keepers usu- ally prefer to S])end in tlic shop. The smoke- wood was damp, and the smoker refused to gi\'(' out its usual volunn' of smoke until aft(>r we had finished our examiuation of the bees, after which it smoked exasperatingly well. Now, had our hive been difficult to manii)ulate, those hybrid bees would have stung us sev(>rely; but Mr. R. has already testified to their good behavior at this time. brood, requires more patience than the average bee-keeper possesses. A single glance at the bottom f)f the frames of the common swinging- frame hive will convince anyone that its owner should si)ealc authoritatively on jjroper si)acing, for he has all distances, from U4 inches up. This is tli(> man who says. " No fixed distances" for him. Tliick irregular combs, of which he has plenty, and knows no way of curing, except to cut them down with a knife, he thinks best not to crowd together, but will often take nearly two inches to space such combs. He can do no FKJ. 3. — HOW THE (JUINBY FKASIE Our test of hives is very severe; for, during the swarming season, we do not stop for weath- er. No matter how threatening the weather, we start off unless it actually rains. We seldom start in a rain unless there is good prospect of its soon stopping. When there we work unless it rains too hard to safely open hives; and even then, when hai'd pushed, we complete our work under umbrellas. WHY QUEENS CAN BE FOUND KEADILY IN QUINBY HIVES. It is well known, that, in finding queens, a bright day is better than a cloudy one, and very much better than if it is alternate sunshine and shadow. That is, a uniform light free from shadows is best. Our hive is so constructed, that, when opened up. there are no sides to cast shadows on the interior (see Fig. 1, p. 317). When one comb is removed, the light striking the exposed side of the next is uniform, and not only less trying to the eyes, but queens are found more readily. Of course, you sit with your back to the sun. In the hanging-frame hive, the queen often steps oft' from the comb to the shell of the hive, and passes from there to the combs already looked over, thus making it more difficult to find them. At any rate, the claim has been made and substantiated, that, in the Quinby hive, queens are moi'e readily found than in the hanging-frame hive. This is an impoi'tant advantage; for. when queens are hunted, time is usually limited. One morning, after Capt. Hetherington had started oft' his men and wagons to the out-yards, he jumped into a buggy and drove to a yard of about 70 populous colonies. He clipped the (lueens in this yard, and from there proceeded to another yard, clipped the queens in this also, and I'eturned home in time for an early supper. This is not mentioned because it is tliought rapid work, but to show that our hive is not a slow one when worked by a fast man. Many a man who calls our hive a slow one to manipu- late would have taken twice this time with his own. Of course, it takes time and practice to learn how to manipulate any hive. ADVANTAGES OF CORRECT SPACING. One thing that does not have to be learned with us is to correctly space frames, which re- quires much skill and time; and to space loose frames 1% inches or less, without destroying HOOKS ON TO THE BOTTOM-BOARD. better; for, if the honey is crowded together at the top, it usually throws the bottoms apart and against the next comb. CAN FIXED FRAMES BE AI/rEBNATEl) ? Neither j\[r. HofliiKui iior ourselves are trou- bled in spacing Irreqular combs— he <%t \% inch- es, and we (it II4 scant. With foundation carefnlly placed, in the center of fxamcs, and initJi combs (ilirays the S(tmc distdncc apar't, we do not Jiitve so nutnn hnbjcd combs.* In the spring, brood combs are oftener interchanged than at any other time of year; and at this time I have experienced no unpleasant results from crowding honey up against honey, as oc- casionally happens, for it gives the bees a chance to cut down the combs to their proper thickness at a time when they can use the sur- plus wax to advantage. After swarming time, the less the brood-nest is disturbed, the better; for bees have a way of fixing themselves for winter that man can not improve upon. CI,OSED ENDS FOR WINTERING. Mr. Quinby tested this hive for many years in wintering, and was satisfied with it. For several years before he died, his average loss in winter was less than two per cent, and this with the most disastrous loss around him. Capt. H.. in his cold climate, also winters well in it. With a bottom entrance (see P'ig. 1, p. 317) as I make it, this hive may prove also best for wintering in the South. The trouble in the South in winter is. that bees fly out, and many are lost on stmshiny days, thus weakening them too much. With a shade-board on top of our hive, bees would not fly nearly as much as from the hive in common use. Capt. H. prefers and uses a front entrance, as did Mr. Quinby, and this is undeniably better at certain times of the year; but for winter, and also for hot weather, i ijrefer the bottom entrance. HOW BEES ARE KILLED IX LOOSE-FRAME HIVES. Mr. Root has already told you how few bees are killed in worKing otir hive. There are some killed with every hive, but in the hanging- frame hive the killing and maiming take place largely out of sight. When frames are not raisedor lowered perpendicularly, either side- * Italics are mine.— E. K. K. 372 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. ^L\Y 1. wise or endwise, the work of destruction goes on from combs rubbing or hitting each otlier. or from frames scraping tli(^ side walls of tlie hive. Also quite a few bees are crushed on the rabbets. There is no need of looking for all the good points in any one hive, for such will not be found: but, rather, as in selecting a harvesting- machine, look for a good combination of the best features of many. In writing this I am not endeavoring to prove that this is the only hive tit to use, for there are many such. I wish to show that this hive has many good points, some of which it has never had credit of pos- sessing. I believe the day of unspaced frames is drawing to a close, and that the use of spaced frames is to become quite general, either with open or closed ends, or a compromise between, as Hoffman makes them. P. H. Elwood. Starkville. N. Y., Feb. 211 [Now that the merits of the Hoffman and Quinby frames have been fairly presented with engravings (the two best fixed frames, as I be- lieve), the beginnei', in view of the merits in- herent in each, may be somewhat confused as to which one he should adopt, or vvhether, for- sooth, he should choose either. In the first place, at the risk of using an old stereotyped expression ad n((useam. I will urge again, go slow. What may suit one may not suit another. Ti'y a few and decide for yourself. As between the Hoffman and the Quinby systems, perhaps I should make a suggestion right here. As ex- President Cleveland once said, ''We are pre- sented with a condition and not a theory." No Perhaps I should add that, in my eyes, the Hetheiington-(Juinby hive does not look as neat as the hanging- frame hive. Here is a Kodak view that I took of one of the hives when the bees stung 'me so unmei'cifully. and caused their owner to retreat on a double-quick pace. This shows one of Mr. Elwood's hives rigged for comb honey. It seemed to me when I first saw these hives, that they would tip over very easily, being in appearance somewhat top- heavy. Mr. El wood assured me, however, that no such mishap had ever befallen them. A stray calf once got into the apiary, and I pre- sume, on account of the disposition of those buckwheat hybrids, he became a little "ram- bunctious." At any rate, he tipped over one of the hives; but no damage was done. I might add, further, that a plain box with hanging frames, either fixed or loose, tiers up a little nicer than a series of closed-end frames with panels for sides. Moreover, the feature of hdiigiiKj frames, whether at fixed distances or not, is something that the most of us famil- iar with it \^■ould be very loth to give up. The Hoffman is a hanging frame and has nearly all the advantages of the Quinby, with some others peculiar to itself: and I may add that the clos- ed-end frames have advantages peculiar to them not found in other styles. Supply-dealei's ai'e willing to give bee-keepers whatever they demand, and therefore leave the matter largely for them to decide.] E. R. R. HETHEr.IXGTON-QUINBY HIVE. matter how much we may deHre to adopt the Quinby svstem in toto, a great majority of us have on 'hand our old-style hives that are adapted for hdiKjuKj frames, and these old hives we can not afford to throw away. If we make any change at all. it will, of course, be wiser and cheaper to adopt the Hotlinan frame, he- cause it can be so readily adapted to hives al- ready in use: whei'eas fhe closed-end frames on the Quinby system, with its hooks, would I'e- quii-e a change thi'oughout. In view of the ar- guments that hav(^ Ix'en presented for both systems, it is pretty hai'd to decider which one we like the better: but the aforesaid con- dition, namelv. old hives alivady in us(>. should influence the decision in favor of the Hoffman frames. HANDLING FRAMES. THE GENERALLY ACCEPTED METHOD; A HINT TO BEGINNERS, FROM C. A. HATCH. As you are going to have handling of frames with fixed distances in Gleanings, why not have handling of other frames also? That every bee-man is not proficient in handling frames of even his own hives, I was convinced by acting as judge at our State Fair a -few years since. A premium was offered for best method of handling bees; and, as I now remem- ber, there were four contestants, some of them veterans, and yet two of the four broke out combs or cracked them badly in handling, sim- ply to find the queen. Another thing that con- viiices me that all have not the knack of han- dling L. frames rapidly, is, that they use metal corners, which entirely prevents rapid manipu- lation in hunting for queens, examining brood, or any operation whei-e single frames must be bandied. I had a talk with Prof. Cook once on this subject, and I found he used the same method as here described in instructing his bee-class, and so the method has good indorse- ment. The right side of the hive is rather the best position to operate from, for then you can hold the smoker in the right hand to throw smoke into the entrance, and you can set it on the ground near by, and it is easily reached by the proper hand to use. After having subdued the bees, take your screwdriver, or whatever tool is used for loosening the frames, in the right hand, handle up and thumb up, as if it were a dagger and you were going to stab. Take the frame next to vou. First loosen by pushing the screwdriv<'r handle from you. while the point is between tlu^ fi'anu\s: giasp the frame at the oth- er end with the thumb and forefinger of left band at same time, and usually the fi'ame will be loosened. Now take the right-hand end in the same wav: and as you bring it up straight out of fhe hive, move each thumb under the projection of the top-bar, so that its whole weight will come on the ends of the thumbs 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 373 while tho fiiigors serve to steady it on the side from you. This bring:s the frame in front of yon so you can examine one side. This we will FIRST POSITION. call the first position, and here is where most mistakes are made. In order to get to the next position the bottom-bar is either brouglit to- ward tlie ojierator. or it is turned away from him until tlie opposite side of the frame can be examined. In either case tlie comb is not prop- erly supported by tlie frame; and if new. and the weather warm.it is liable to drop out by its own weight. The position is also ti'ying on one's hands and fingers, which might not be noticed on a few hives, but will tell in a trying way where it is followed all day. There are usually but three parts of a frame to be examined; viz.. two sides and the bottom. L^nless the colony is unusually strong, no bees will be on the end-bars; so all we want is three positions of the frame to have it all gone over. We have given the first, and now to get the second. To examine the bottom, i-aise your right hand, keeping the thumbs in the same position, also lower left hand at the same time, and bringing it toward you also until one hand, the right, is directly over the othei-, the fiame standing on end. While raising your right hand, allow thi' bottom of the frame to swing toward you. This will give you the second po- sition to examine the bottom. The thii'd position is jot by allowing the frame to swing ai'ound )to the left, like a door, the top-bar serving in place of hinges. After this side of the frame lias been examined you can let it swing on around, and you have it ready to put back into the hive in just the same way it came out, so far as the frame is concerned; but you are holding the frame in an entirely different way, as it now rests on the second joint of th(> first finger instead of on the thumbs, the latter being on top of the frame instead of under, as at starting. It is a kind of sleight-of-hand you have performed, but not hard to hiarn when one sees it done, but not so easy to put on iiaper. It always keejis the comb in a perpendicular position, so it can not fall out, if never so brittle or weak, and yet every side has been toward you, and the hands have not been changed nor the frame laid down. If you have never han- dled frames in this way. try it; or if any one has a better way, let him come forward and ex- plain it. C. A. Hatch. Ithaca, Wis., Apiil. 1891. [Your method of handling frames. Triend H., is the same one that we use. and I think it is generally accepted as .the right one, especially if the frames are unwired. and combs are ten- SErOND ANI> THIUD POSITIONS. der. In either case, if they are very heavy it is almost a necessity, in order to examine both surfaces, to handle combs on the swinging-door plan. Your instructions will apply exactly to the Hoffman frames, with the exception that they would be handled more in pairs, and the two outside surfaces could be examined the same way that we examine the two surfaces of a single comb. Closed - end frames on the Quinby plan are handled by the centers of the end-bai's; and the weight, inst(»ad of b(>ing sup- ported on the fingers, is held by the whole liand.l PLANT-LICE AND THEIR PARASITES. PROF. COOK TKLI.S US WHEN AND HOW TO FIGHT THEM. Mr. Edward J. Knebel. Spring Branch, Tex., sends me by mail some insects which are very destructive to cabbages, mustard, and other cruciferous plants. He desires me to comment upon them in Gleanings, and desires to know whether it is possible to destroy them without injuring his plants or endangering his bees. These insects are the ccmimon cabbage aphis {Aphis 1rr(issic(i\ Linn.). It is quite common all over our country, and at almost all seasons when these plants are growing. Even in winter it may be found on cruciferous plants in our conservatories. Like all plant-lice it increases with remarkable rapidity, and so, very often, the plants will be covered with the lice. More than this, like all aphides it is very harmful, so that jilants attacked are sure to languish and even to die if the lice are very common and abundant. Fortunately these and all plant- lice ai'e very subject to attack from parasites, species of a minute hraconid fly. These flies lay theii- eggs in the lice, and their young feed on and destroy the lice. Rapid as is the de- veloiiment and increase of these lice, yet they are eclijised in both respects by this tiny para- site. While they run up to thousands in a few days, the jiarasites increase to tens of thousands in the same time. How strange! A tiny in- .sect, hardly as large as a pin-head, overcoming an enemy so mighty, that, if left undisturbed, it would bring famine and want. Y"ea, iti w'ould often desolate the earth. If Mr. Knebel will observe closely he will find many lice on his plants — that is, if the par- asites have not already wii)ed them all out — which are shoi't and globular, and of quite light color. These all harbor the /)raco7iiV7.s{, and thus their doom is sealed. Instead of bearing young, they will soon die and give rise to a fly that will victimize scores of lice. Of the aphides sent, Isawmanv of these rotu;u! light-coloi'ed lice, and so I feel sui'e that Mi\ K."s plants will soon be freed of the pest that has sought to desti-oy them. I presume Mr. K. will need no remedy other than that which nature has provided; but as he asks for one. I will give it in the kerosene emulsion, which is entirely safe. This is made as follows: I4 lb. of soap is dissolved in a quart of boiling water. To this, while still hot, 2 quai'ts of kerosene oil are added, and all violent- ly stirred till permanently mixed. It now looks like rich cream, and will not separate upon standing. For all plants, add water till one fourteenth of the whole is kerosene. Stir a lit- tle, as all unites freely. Apply to plants affect- ed with plant-lice, with pump or syringe, as the liquid should be thrown on with much force. so tliat every louse would be struck. Tliis is also good for vermin or lice on cattle, horses, and dogs. In this case we add water till one- eighth is kei-osene. That is, it should be strong- 374 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. May 1. <■!•. Now wash thoroughly, on a warm day. the horse or cow, and use asyringe to treat the hog. Avhich. from its more sparse hair, is more easily leached. Cattle, etc.. can be treated in cold weather by blanl\"eting warmly as soon as the washing is completed. Tiie advantage of this is. that it kills not only the lice but the nits, or eggs, as well: and if thoroughly done, it van- quisiies tlie foe. The propoi'tions of tlte above, as will be seen, are diffei-ent from -those I have usually given. This is Dr. Riley's method, and makeseasilya more stable mi.xture. Tliis liquid is one of our most valuable insecticides. Agricultural College. Mich. A. J. Cook. WINTER CASES. WHAT AKE THE ESSENTIALS TO MAKE THEM A srCCKSS ? Now that the light thin-walled winter cases are about to come into general use for spring protection and for wintering, many would per- haps like to know how my bees have wintered in them. I have about .50 colonies in winter cases, a good part of which have been in use for five years. I have never lost a colony in tliem. The past winter was vei-y wet and damp: and early in January I discovered that the excelsior packing was getting too damp for safe wintering. So. tlie first day the sun shone clear, I took out the packing and dried it, and some tliat was very damp or wet was replaced by new and dry packing. In February and March, one day in each montli was selected, and the hive covei'S and packing removed again, and dried out by the sun and wind. For the past five weeks it has been excessively damp and cool, so that, up to the present time. April 8, no pollen has been gathered, and the bees have been out but little. There are now many young bees, and every colony is strong, and in the best possible condition. Many of the colonies have not lost a bee. so far as can be seen, seeming to hibernate most of the winter. My belief is. that perfect quiet and perfect wintering can not be had in outdoor wintering unless the hives are warmly packed in winter cases, and the packing kept dry. I think, also, that, to bring the combs through the winter, free from mold and dampness, there must be some upward ventilation, but no free upward ventilation, as where the air can pass freely over the packing. !My jjlan has been to lift the back end of the thin inside cover used on my hives about Nov. 1. and insert a thin wedge: then pack freely about and over the brood- chamber, and shut th(^ cover of the winter case down as tight as it will go. This prevents any loss of heal from the cluster of bees, brings the combs through the winter bright and clean, and the bees in the most vigorous and healthy condition. The only objection that can be urged against the plan is. that the packing may become damp and finally wet. and is apt to result in the loss of the bees if not attended to. On the other hand, if free currents of air are allowed over and about the packing, there being a little up- ward ventilation so the combs will not become moldy, the packing will do little good in the way of protection: and in a long cold winter many colonies will be lost from dysentery, etc. If we leave the upper parts of the hive sealed up tight as the bees will naturally do, we shall get moldy combs in the lower parr of the hive, if we pack the bees with absorbents, except there be extensive and free bottom ventilation: which, however, does not result in as good win- tering, or in as good condition of the combs, as the plan advised. P^or myself I prefer to deal with the dami) packing rather than with sickly bees and moldy combs. Moreover. I have found it less labor and trouble than any other mode of wintering I have tried. As to winter cases and dead-air spaces about the brood-chamber, I fully agree with Mr. J. A. Green. Mr. Doolittle. and others. It is better protection than none, but vastly inferior to good packing rightlv managed. G. L. Tinker. • New Philadelphia. ().. Apr. 8. PROTECTION FOR BEES. WINTER CASES AND PACKING DURINf4 THE YEAR : MINERAL WOOL AND ITS XOX- CONIUCTIVITY OF HEAT. I have for some time been convinced of the inutility of chaff, cut straw, cork shavings, etc., used as a protection in wintering bees. In the winter of 1889. chaff was used to pack a number of colonies, and spring dwindling and moldy combs resulted in several instances, while a few hives packed in wheat bran came through in fine condition. Tlie bran packing, presenting a bait for vermin, was abandoned. This summer my attention was attracted to a new material, aiid I resolved to test it. I now have my col- onies all packed snugly, and ranged on the four sides of my large strawberry-bed. The case is made of good 'u pine lumber: the sides of floor- ing: the bottom and ends each of one piece: the top, two boards cleated on the ends, and the crack coated with white lead and covered with tin four inches wide. The case is intended to accommodate the Dovetailed hive. It gives a space of P.J inches on the sides and 3 on the ends, while the height will allow of the placing of a super to hold the chaff' cushion. Three coats of white-lead i)aint renders the case im- pervious to water — first, however, puttying all cracks and holes. The top is held in position (a necessary precaution against our mountain storms) by two Van Deusen clamps, one on each sideof the cover, which projects i.< inch over the sides of the case. That the clamps may lie closely to the case, a semicircular hole, embracin.g two-thirds of the thickness of the cover, is bored for their reception in the sides of the covei'. and the hole enlarged on the lower aspect for the better play of the clamp in lock- ing and unlocking. The bottom-board is not nailed, but fits irlthin the case. The case may be removed, and the packing gathered up from ai'onnd the hive. The entrance to the hive is left wholly open: but the opening in the case is ^axS inches, usu- ally. This may be enlarged or wholly closed by a convenient slide. The edges of the case immediately under the cover have strips of woolen cloth tacked down, so that, when the cover is placed and clamped down, it is water- tight. Ventilation, if thought necessary, may be provided for as in the Simplicity hive, by holes in the end-boards under the cleated cover, which projects sufficiently to afl'ord protection in blustering, rainy, or snowy weather. The hive is now placed inside and packed with rnlnevdl it'ooZ. or silicate cotton, as it is called in England. The wool should be picked apart and packed loosely but firmly, and care taken that the fibers be not broken by the force ap- plied. I wish to call attention to this mineral wool as the idcdl material for wintering bees, not onlv in cases on their summer stands, but in suitable -buildings with double walls, ceiling and flooi-, with a three or four inch space packed with the wool. Hee-cellars would then be a thing of the past. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. I give the tollowing expcrimont, which first attracted my attention to this material, to show that my claims for mineral wool are not found- ed on theory alone: I MEMOKAXDUM OF A TEST OF INSULATORS MADE AT THE PACKING-HOUSE OF AKMOUK J'ACKING CO., KANSAS CITY, MO.. FKO.M JULY iuTH TO JULY 19th, isee. Tliree boxes were made, with inside measurements of 18 inches square and 14 iiiclies big-h. Box No. 1 was insulated with himpbhtck. ■Box \o. a was insulated with four dead-air spaces, paper lined. Box No. 3 was insulatid with mineral wool. 2^ inches thick. At 10 o'clock a. m., July 1.5th. there was placed in each bo.x 7.5 Ihs. of ice. in one piece. At the ejid t)f 48 hours, and ag'aiii at the end of 96 liours, the ice was weighari, with the following- results: Af cer 48 lioUi s. After 96 hours. Box No. 1. lampblack. 46X lbs. -ZtV^ l!is. Box No. :i, de icl-.dr spaces, 47 lbs. ~':i^.t lis. Bo.x No. 3. mineral wool, o'l lbs. 34'/2 lbs. The above test was made In the presep.Cc' of G. W. TouRTELLET. Sup t.. and John Tho.mas, Builder. Mineral wool is a vitreous substance, con- verted to a fibrous condition while in a melted state. It is made from furnace slag, scoria, and certain rocks. It presents the appearance of a ma.ss of vry fine fibers Interlacing each other in every direction, thus forming innumerable mintite air-cells. We thus get. not one dead- air space, as in double-walled hives, but mil- lions of them I Mineral wood partakes of the nature of glass without its brittleness. the fibers being soft, pliant, and elastic. It appears i)i inany colors, principally white, but often gray or' yellow, and occasionally quite dark; but the quality of the wool is not at all depend- ent tipon or att'ected by its color. One of the most important qualities of min- eral wood is its unequaled power to resist the transmission of heat and cold. This can read- ily be accounted for by the fact that it holds in confinimient a greater quantity of air than any other material. Air is so subtile and rapid in movement, when uncouHned. and is so slow to carry heat, except by its own motion, that it is at once the best distributor of heat and also the greatest barrier to its transmission, according as it has or has not freedom to circulate. The substance under discussion affords an efficient protection against the insidious at- tacks of Jack Frost, as well as a perfect insula- tion of sound. It is used in all the Pullman cars for the last-named purpose. Owing to its composition (an analysis showing it to be a sil- icate of magnesia, lime, potash, etc.). it gives no protection to animal life, doing away with the mice, insects, moths, and their attendant evils and disease germs. There is nothing or- ganic in the material to decay or become musty, or to furnish comfort and food for vermin. As has been said, mineral wool resists the transmission of heat more completely than any other material that can be used for our pur- poses. It thus affords warm and dry quarters during the winter months, and cool hives in the torrid time of sttmmer. 1 append t\yo tables, the first by Mr. Cole- man, of the Philadelphia Society, of Glasgow, and the .second from Roper's '" Handy-liook." Koth are abridged. I hardly need say, tliat I have no interest in writing this, further than to offer something that is at once cheap and efficient to the bee- heat-conducting power of materials: Mineral woal, ------- ino HairfeU. -.--.-. in Cotton wool, ------- 122 Sheep's wool, ------ i^g .Savdust, ------- 163 Wood and aii--space, ----- 2so non-conducting properties of different m.\- teri.als of even thickness: Black .slate, ------ ino Soft chalk, - 4Sto.-6 Sawdu.st. - - - - - - 17 to 20 Fine asbestos in thread, - - - - 13 to 15 Mineral wool, exti'a, . - . - 8 to 13 Haw silk. - - - - - - - 8 to 13 Ice. - - - 0 keeping fratiM-nity for the uses and purposes mentioned. The ordinary mineral wool weighs 14 lbs. per cubic foot: IJ Ihs. jjcr sijuare foot. 1 inch thick. It sells at *1.:2.5 per 100 lbs. Select wool weighs 10 lbs. per cubic foot : fS lbs. per square foot, one inch thick, and sells at >=2 [jer 100 lbs. Of the latter grade. 140 lbs. packed 18 cases of the dimensions given in this paper. Thei-e is an extra gi-ade of the wool, wliich weighs 0 lbs. per cubic foot: K. lb. per square foot, one inch thick, the price of which is S3. 50 per 100 lbs. The foregoing prices are for siuall lots. The packing could be employed luore economically by packing the broodrchamber only. The packing in my cases is at the tt>p of the'added super. Samples of the wool may be obtained by writing to the Western Mineral Wool Co.. at Cleveland, Chicago, or St. Louis. HOW TO ESTIMATE. After a rough calculation of the number of cubic feet of space;|to be filled, find the weight of ordindry required, by tuultiplying by 14, and the weight of extra and selected w ool by multi- plying by 6 or 10, according to the grade to be used. J. 15. Exes. ^l. D. Connellsville. Pa.. Ajiril ti. ISUl. SIZES OF FRAMES, AGAIN. SHOt'LP TIIEKE BE TWO STANDARD FRAME.S I read with interest the article on sizes and styles of fi-ames, by W. T. Stewart, and your comments on the same. I believe there should be two standard fraiues in use— one for the production of comb, and one for the production of extracted honey. ^Vhy ? Because, for the best result, we need, for the production of comb honey, a small frame: for extracted honey, a large one is bc^tter. One fi-ame will not answer satisfactorily for both purposes. I use the crosswise L. frame, and believe it to be as good as any in tise for the production of comb honey. I have tried different sizes of frames, and they suit me the best. They are lighter and better to handle than the lengthwise frame. The queen fills the comb better with brood. Yon can shake bees off from the comb quicker and better, with less danger of racking the frame or breaking the comb— especially the latter — in very warm weather. The hive en- trance is at the side, where I believe it should be. You say the trouble with the crosswise frame is. it" does not hold comb enough. If working for extracted honey yon are right. Neither does the lengthwise frame. If working for cotnb honey it holds plenty, and the length- wise holds too much comb. It is true, with the crosswise we have more frara(>s to handle: but, being lighter, we can handle them more rapid- ly. The lengthwise frame is heavy and awk- ward to handle, unsuitable for the producer of comb honey. Perhaps two-thirds of those us- ing it never used any other; and perhaps most of them, if they once used the crosswise frame, would use it in prefeicnce to the lengthwi.se. Whv is it that tin' nuijority of the large honey- producers do not use the lengthwise frame? Because it is not Miitabh> for either the comb or extracted honey producer. Here is Mr. A. He produces comb honey. He uses the hive and frame best adapted for the production of comb 37(5 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. May 1. honey. He makes them himself, but wovild rather buy them ready made but can not be- cause there is but one standard hive and frame in use. They are not suited to his wants, be- cause tliey are not any better for comb than extracted honey, and are not adapted to the production of either. And may be it is the same with Mr. C. who produces exti'acted hon- ey. Perhaps the frame used by the Dadants is as good as any for the extracted -honey produc- er. N. T. Holmes. Fowlerville. Mich., INIar. ;.>-t. [Friend H., the crosswise L. frame has, at several times, had a run: but as the majority of bee-keepers seem to let it go sooner or later, and come back to the old long frame. I can not think it offers any great advantage.] T SUPERS VS. WIDE FRAMES. DR. MILLER TELLS US HOW HE TAKES OUT THE SECTIONS ONE BY ONE AS FAST AS THEY ARE CAPPED. On page 23:2 W. S. Douglass has a word about th(>m, and I suppose there are a good many who find the wide frames, in their hands, better than the T super. Much dei)ends on the way a thing is used. For the benefit of Mr. Douglass and others I will now describe the plan I have used for some time, to take single sections out of a T super, without taking the super off the hive. I thought of doing so some time ago, but had about given it up, with the thought that, if fol- lowers and wedges in T supers came into gener- al use, there would be no special plan needed. Still, it may be useful to a good many. You may remember, fricuid Root, a tool that I took to the convention at Madison a year ago, and then forgot to show. Well, I send it here- with. I have pulled sections by the thousand with the identical one I send you. I'll tell you how to make one. Go to yoiu' tinner and tell him to cut a piece of No. 11 wire about a foot long. Straighten it. Bend the wire at right angles about an inch from one end. Make another right-angled bend, a quarter of an inch or less, from the same end. Fm not sure which of these bends should be made first. Tlie end of your wire is now shaped like the bottom part of a capital L (see cut). But the end is blunt, and must be filed down to a cutting edge like a chisel. Your chisel edge will, of course, be the size of the thickness of your wire — a little more than ,^^' of an inch. Now for a handle. Make a curved bend at the other end of the wire, about three inches from the end, so that it shall form a semi -circle at the end, an inch in diameter. This leaves about two inches of the end straight, and I don't know wlu^ther it is better to have this two inches parallel with the main wire or to have the end come within % of the main wire. The bends at both ends are all made in the same plane, so that the hook will lie flat upon a table without any part pro- jecting upward. Another tool is needed. Take a common steel table-knife, and make it square across the end by cutting off the rounding part. Make this square end about as shar|) as the cutting edge of a table-knife usually is. Now we'll go to tlie hive, and I'll show you how to pull out any desired section. Take oft' ^ the cover and give the bees just enough smoke to drive them out of the way a little. There are separators in the super, and on top littl(^ sepa- rators h^h inch. 12 inches long, to keep the ends of the sections apart. Now run the knife across at each end of the section, to loosen the little separator from it. I must confess that I usually use a third tool for this, the big blade of a pocket-knife. Now run in the case-knife at each side to the bottom of the section, so as to loosen the section from the separators. Put you)' hook down between the section and sepa- rator, and give it a quarter turn so as to let the hook run under the section. I have a bit of string tied on the wire, so as to show me when it is pushed just deep enough to turn the hook. If the hook is not in deep enough when turned, of course it will dig into the honey. A ring of bright paint might i3e better than the string, for it would never slip out of its place. I think you will understand the rest. Like a bureau drawei'. it may pull out straight: but very like- ly it will need starting at each end. When you get the section out, just grasp across it with the thumb and fingers of one hand and give it a few rapid whirls, and every bee will be thrown oft'. Now, that looks like a good deal of fuss to read it, but it doesn't take as much time as you probably imagine. I think I can take out a single section, or several sections, from a T super in less time — a great deal less time — than out of a wide frame. You see, there is no frame to take out — nothing but just the section. In fact, if you loosen the super you will find it much harder to pull the section. Sometimes I liave taken out the sections without the hook,, merely loosening them with the knife and then pulling th(>m with the fingers; but every now and then the bottom-bar of a section would pull off, and I was glad to go back to the hook. The objection made by the editor, in the foot- note, is a valid one. that sections left on the hive for a long time will have a soiled, travel- stained, yellow ai)pearance. But they should never be left on after the harvest is over; and in a ])Oor season, when nothing is put in them. I think they come oft' about as bright as if they had been in a wide frame. You know, the bees don't go into the glue-business (at least they don't here) until the white-honey season is over. Indeed, if you take into consideration the whole surface of a section, or, in other words, its total appearance as viewed by a purchaser, the sec- tion out of a T super is the cleaner. In the wide frame, a heavy streak of pi'opolis is crowded in just as far as the bees can push it all around the section. This they have no temptation to do in the T super, for there is no crack. You say, friend Root, that an enameled cloth can be laid flat on the section tops in wide frames and section holders. I don't see what good it would do in wide frames, for it would cover only the top-bars, and I'm sure it could be put on a T super just as well as on section-hold- ers. But don't you know that it would make matters a good deal worse in either case? If you want to see the tops of sections thoroughly daubed with glue, just lay an enameled cloth flat on the sections toward the end of the har- vest. The bees are busy trying to fill up ci'acks: and as fast as they push in propolis under the cloth, the cloth is raised up, making more space- to fill: and if glue is to be found at all, you will find it there in plenty. C. C. Miller. Marengo, 111., March 20. [Very good, doctor. I am glad you have got around' to describe the implement. It interested me, because I am sure the handsomest honey can be obtained by selecting here and there the sections about as soon as they are wholly cap- ped.] 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. THE NEW WATER CURE, HOME PAPERS, GLEANINGS, ETC. SOMETHING SEN.SIBI.E FROM S. I. FHEEBOKN. I have read carefully the article on page 183, and, I hope, with profit. It might be urged by some, that the article in question is foreign to the bee-interest, and therefore should have no place in a periodical devoted specially to tiie interest of bee-keepers. The same objection might be and has been urged against the Home Papers; but A. I. Root has said, by way of apol- ogy, that he gives us our money's worth in bee- literature, and throws the rest in, all of which I am willing to admit, and he has my consent without the asking (especially as long as he throws it in), to make Gleanings as valuable and necessary to us as possible. He has been most fortunate (or I have) in that he has chosen topics, aside from the bee-interests, in which I am vitally interested. The Home Papers have proved instructive, and a spur to action in the right direction. Ministers have expressed to me their appreciation of them, and said that the reading of tlie Home Papers had better fitted them to care for those over whose spiritual in- terests they were called to watch. Give us the Home Papers. Bro. Root. What can be of more importance than our eternal welfare? Referring to the horticultural depai'tment in Gleanings, this also hits me right; for in this line I attempt to get what bread and butter bee-keeping fails to supply. In reference to the new water cure (for this I most designed to write, though it is not new by any means), it was pi'acticed to some extent 30 years ago in this neighborhood, and then as now was considered of ben(>Ht, but had almost become a thing of the past till revived by Wil- ford Hall & Co.. who claim to have distributed 300,000 copies of their pamphlet, and received 14,000 testimonials commendatory of its effi- cacy, within the last 18 months. This might at first sight look like a gigantic swindling scheme. Allowing that they gave away a third to ministei'S and those who were unable to pur- chase, and there would be left 200,000 paying customers at ^4.(M) each. This would amount to the enormous sum of I^SOO.OOO. which a suf- fering and gullible public have paid for that which was already free to all who cared to use. We must not be too hard on "Hall ife Co.," for the probabilities are that they have done the public a kindness; for what costs nothing we are apt to consider lightly. That the so-called new remedy will accom- plish all or Ixt.lf that is claimed for it. I veiy much doubt: but that it will pi'ove palliative, and a benefit to large numbers. I fully believe. The world is sick. A. I. Root says; the $800,000 paid Hall say so; the millions squandered every year on drugs and patent medicines say so; the army of health-seeking pilgrims that year- ly are seeking what they have lost, in Southern {California, Florida, or some other so-called health-resort, bear evidence that we are truly sick. We all like sheep have gone astray; and the question may well be asked, as it was of old. '■ Who has sinned, this man or his parents? " We say botii. calling "'this man" this genera- tion, aiid the past his " parents." With all the accumulation of knowledge and boasted ad- vancement of the age. we are behind tlie cattle of the fields in the matter of health. Who has heard of a short-horn steer having dyspepsia, or a Jersey cow with sick-headache? Don't yon think, readers, that, if they were obliged to eat and do as tlieir masters, they would have both, and the thousands of other evils that humanity is subject to in conse- quence of their tiansgressions? The steer eats grass, hay. and grains, as designed by nature to do: his wants are few and simple, and easily supplied, and, as a rule, he remains healthy. Put his master (man) can not supply his wants so easily, especially his iin(({iinns, and, by leaving out the hay and preparing the oats right, the boy would live longer, and be of more use to himself and the world, than he would on the pie condi- ments and bacon diet. Much has been written on tobacco and the liquor-traffic. What is wickedly squandered on these evils would feed the needy of Europe and America. A man may be free from the use of liquor and tobacco, and still not be as temper- ate as he should be. Have we any better right to kill ourselves by eating hot rol'ls and mince pie than we have by drinking liquor? If we an* temperate in some respects, does it give us the I'ight to gluttony in others? Now, Bro. Root, as yon have done a good thing for us in the past in helping ns produce many things for our comfort and pleasure here, as well as directing us to find the way to a bet- ter country beyond. I eai-nestly hope that you will direct your efforts, and teach us how to live so we need not be sick all or part of the time, but that good health may be the rule and not the exception. To that end we suggest that you invite correspondence on this subject, that the readers of Gleanings, especially the young, may get ideas and information that will enable them to escape and steer clear of the wi'ong habits that have wrecked their elders. Ithaca, Wis., March 2(5. S. I. Fkeebokn. 378 CLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. May J. HIVE-WEIGHTS. WHY THEY Ain; AX ADVAXTAliK. During a large part of the yoar I prefer to keep on eacli hive a ston(» or brie!':, weighing l:.' or 1.=) lbs. In the winter this is almost a neces- sity, to Iveep the covei's from blowing away. We get winds hei'e sometimes that send such things sailing nnh ss well weighted down. Even the covers of your chatf hives are frequently blown off. It seems to me, too. that I have read about the boys at the Home of the Honey-bees having been obliged at times to race out into the rain to replace covers. In inclement weather the absence of the cover for a few hours, say until the interior of the hive has been saturated with rain, and then frozen, is apt to result in the ruin of the colony. In the winter, when the apiary is not constantly under my eye, I can not afford to run this risk. Except during the warmest summer weather, a bee-hive is better for being closely sealed at the top. Especially is this the case in the spring, wlien we should bi? very careful that there is no chance for the warm air to escape through cracks around the top of the hive. Whenever the cover to the brood-chamber is removed aft- er cool weather has set in in the fall, a crack of greater or less extent is made, which the bees are unable to close until the warm weather of the next spi'ing. When a weight is kept on the flat board covei-. it is held down closely to the hive: lumps of propolis are flattened out as they soften, and the crevice closed, or reduced to the smallest dimensions, making it easy for the bees to close it tight. After warm wi^ather has arrived this matter becomes unimportant, so that, unless a cover is inclined to wai-p or twist, weights are unnecessary; and during the work- ing season they are laid aside, from hives that are to be frequently opened. In practical honev production, hives need to be opened so seldom that the labor of removing and replacing these w(>ights is but small com- pared with their advantages. If desired they can be used to keep a record of the condition of the hive. A brick, as used by S. W. Morrison, answers this pui'pose excellently, but is hardly heavy enough for a weight. There is a large paving-bi'ick made here that is just the thing for both purposes, and I expect to use them hereafter. Besides the record that may be kept by plac- ing them in different positions on the hive, the brick mav be painted on two or three of its sides, thiis more than doubling the possible combinations. Whei'e any record more extend- ed or permanent is d(^sired. I prefer a small piece of cardboard held to the hive by a single small tack, and wi'itten upon with a leadpencil. DEAD-AIK SPACES, AGAIX. I know that some claim as an advantage of air-spaces as opposed to packing, that they are more easily warmed up, thus allowing the bees to fly sooner and oftener. It is true, that they will let the heat of the sun in more readily, just as thev will let the heat of the bees out more readily— in both cases a disadvantage. We do not want the bees to fly every time the sun shines for a few minutes. As a rule, we should rather discourage flying in the winter and early sitring. Just enough flights to keep the beesin good health is much better than to have them tempted out on every appearance of sunshine, to wear themselves out or be chilled and lost. If the bees have been conHned long, and you want them to make the most of warm weather that you are afraid might not warm up packed hives, remove the packing from the top. and let the sun shine directly on the hive. Usually, though, this is lumecessary trouble, as bees in packed hives will fly whenever it is perfi'ctly safe for them to do so. J. A. Green. Dayton. 111.. Apr. 8. [Yes, we do have winds, Init I do not remem- ber of more than two oi' three in Ave years that have been sutticient in force to raise more than flfty covers, and these were replaced very soon after. The covers of our Dovetailed hives, where we use no enamel cloth, need neither stone nor clamps to hold them down. The bees will gum them so they will stick, and in open- ing them we are obliged to tise the blade of a knile or screwdriver to loosen them. The cov- ers ihat have been blown off' for us have been those of chaff' and Simplicity hives. If I found it necessary to have thi; cover held down by something, I believe I should prefer the light malleable Van Deusen clamp, made by Dr. Tinker. These exert considerable pressure, and save the labor of lifting when required to re- move the cover. But. hold a minute I No Van Deusen clamps would hold down youi' corrugat- ed iron covei's, would they ? And as Illinois is a prairie State, and the winds come with vol- ume and force. I shall have to give up to you. Very likely I should use stones if I were in your location. There is no disputing the fact, that a flat flagging-stone or a paving-brick, aside from its office in holding the cover down, af- fords an excellent arrangement for keeping a record: and the idea of painting one or both sides diff'erent colors is good. But would these paving-brick be heavy enough to hold the cov- er down — that is, would five or six pounds be sutticient? If so. I am with you. In regard to air-spaces, I acknowledge that, theoretically, they ought not to be as good as packed spaces; but some facts are coming to light to show there is but very little practical difference in results. Still, one swallow does not make a summer. All -I desire is, that the matter be agitated enough so that we shall know on which side is truth and safety, as well as convenience and minimum cost.] E. R. R. [Permit me to say something right here, friend G. The Simplicity hive was planned with the idea that the bees should never have a chance to propolize the inside of the cover. They were to be kept entirely away from the cover joints by quilts or enamel sheets. You see we use our' hives for queen-reaiing. They are opened and the frames handled incessantly; therefore we want a cover that never sticks, and frames that can be picked up with one hand, without a bit of jar or sticking. Now, the boys have rather "sat down" on the Sim- plicity hive, and a good many have discarded the metal-cornered frames; yet there may be quite a few, especially among those who raise queens for sale, who want the old appliances invented for this special purpose by your friend A. I. R. See the following:] IN FAVOR OF THE METAL-CORNEREI> THICK- TOP FRAME. I have been following the brood-frame ques- tion with great interest, but have not dared to say any thing. I admit that I have never used the Hoffman or any closed or flxed frame, and some may say I am not able to advise for that reason. Perhaps not. But. be as it may, I have 2500 heavy-top metal-top cornered frames in use. and am making 3000 more of the same kind for this season's use. All are to be wired with full sheets of foundation. I winter in packed hives, and do not expect to haul my bees anv. I want a fi'ame made so that, when I take hold of one to move it. even with oni- hand, it will start everv time without any pry- 1S91 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 37fi ing or jarring of the hivf. Anj" wood-cornered frame will not do this here, as tliey are fastened with propolis to stay: so I am one more on the side of metal corners and swinging (?) frames. n. P. Langdox. East Constable. N. Y.. Mar. 2:i Heads of Grain FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS. BLISTER-BEETLES OX BEES. Friend Root: — Th(> crumbled scrap of paper inclosed in this letter contains a bee which is nearly covei-ed with lice, which arc the most disagreeable-looking insects that we ever saw. They are about an eighth of an inch long, and similar in color to llie wire-woi-m. Viola. Idaho. April T. E. P. Pai-mek. [We sent the above to Prof. Cook, who re- plies:] As I state in the last edition of the Bee-keep- er's Guide, where I illustrate blister-beetle par- asites of bees. I have received such bee-enemies from California and New York; now they come from Viola. Idaho. These are the larva? of our meloe. or blister beetles. The larv;e of the blister-beetles are strangely interesting in that they pass through several forms. The first form is long. flat, with a broad head and thorax, long legs, and two long stylets projecting from the end of the body. This is the stage in which they fasten to and feed on bees. I find that there were fourteen of these little pests attach- ed to the bee sent by Mr. Palmer. I hope I found them all. There is a good figure of these larval parasites in my Manual. I should like Mr. Palmer to send me more infested bees, should he find any. I shall take pleasure in describ- ing and naming any insects sent to me. and es- pecially of insects working on bees. Ag'l "College. Mich.. .\pr. 18. A. J. Cook. BEES AT WORK OX PEAVIXES. Last August I had a pea-patch about half a mile from my bees — about an acre. The bees made a continuous buzz, at work on them from early morn till late in the evening, assisted by the wasps and yellow-jackets. At the same time, I had a lot of Japanese buckwheat (very fine) of about l^.j acres close to the bees, and there were always twice as many of my bees to the rod on an acre on the peas as on the buck- wheat. I have noticed for years that bees do all their work on buckwheat in the morning. The bees, etc., were at work on the fruit-stem of the peavine about the time the peas were large enough to be gathered to eat; and in many cases every pea had been gathered for a good' many days". They were confined to the end of the fruit-stalk, just where the peas were or had been pulled from. There were no lice nor any thing cf the kind that could be seen with the naked eye. In August the peas and buck- wheat were about all the bee forage there was. Design. Va. R. Jeff. Joxes. [Friend J., this only gives us another illustra- tion of the fact that almost any plant may at times yield honey: and, furthermore, that, by some freak of nature, the plants may at times secrete nectar when they are not in bloom. I suppose the sweet substance you mention oozed from the stem or broken vines after the peas were picked. We have had some reports to the effect that wlieat and other grains, when cut for fodder, at a particular time or stage of growth, and during some seasons, secrete a large quantity of a sweet substance in the stub- ble. In sucli cases, probably the starchy mat- ter from the young growing plant is converted into sugar.] TAX bees PIXCTUKE GRAI'ES OR IIULI, AVIIEAT? While perusing your valuable journal, I have been brought to believe that bees can not punc- ture fruit: but. under certain conditions of the weather, grapes will crack, and the bees will then be eager to save the wasting sweet. In a late issue 1 learn that they can hull and pow- der a bushel of wheat in their leisure moments. Further, friend Root, when high authority ad- mits it may be true, or it is possible for them to do so, I miist confess I do not feel safe in telling my neighbors that bees do not bite. JBelle Vernon. Pa., March 20. A. B. Baird. [Friend B.. I confess that I thougiit it a little strange that bees could eat wheat: but since then friend France has suggested that it was mice and not the bees.] WHEX IT DOES AXD W HEX IT DOES XOT PAY TO USE FVEL SHEJ:TS OF FOUXDATIOX IX THE SEfTIOXS. In a rush of honey I find the larger pieces I use in the sections the better, as the bees can not then build cotiib nearly as fast as they gather honey, build their combs thin as possi- ble and seal them as thin as wafers: but when honey comes in quite slowly they have a super- abundance of wax. leave the foundation un- drawn, in the shape of the renowned objection- able '■ fish-bone." build their combs without stint, and seal them much heavier. Where the season is very short, but the flow, while it lasts, heavy, fill the boxes with full sheets. Where the flow is moderate and the season long, a nar- row starter will be found to be of fully as much value as the full sheets, and without the fish- bone. W. W. Ca.se. • Baptistown. N. J.. Apr. 1. SUGAR A COMPARATIVELY RECENT IXVEXTIOX. On p. 222. foot-notes to E. T. Flanagan's arti- cle, you say. '"The Scriptures lay very much more stress upon milk and honey than on any other kind of sweet."" Sugar, as" an article of commerce, has been known but four or five hundred years, if I am rightly informed. Honey is supposed to be the most ancient sweet known to the human race. J. L. Hubbard. Walpole. N. H.. April (5. [No doubt you are right, friend IL: but just think what progress we have made in these times of civilization (?) — sugar unknown 500 years ago. and now it is only 5 cts. a pound for the best granulated. By the way. friend H.. are we to understand that the limited quantity of honey produced in olden times was really all the sweetening thev liad ? And. by the way, is it not possible that, if we were rediiced to some- thing liki- the same conditions, we might live to a good old age. as they did in early Bible times ? Who knows ?] THE FALLACY OF CHILLED BROOD DEVELOP- IXG IXTO FOUL BROOD. One of the results of non-protection in the spring is chilled and dead brood, liable to end in foul brood. So says Allen Pringle. and so say a great many other writers on bees. Now. is it a fact that foitl brood can be started in that way? I for one don"t believe it. I have been a bee-keeper all my life, and am now 67.. I always wintered outdoors, and have never seen a case of foul brood yet. I am quite sure that I have had iiundreds of cases of chilled 380 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. May 1. and dead brood in all of these years. Some- times a colony gets brood well started in the spring, and then deserts the hive or swarms out, leaving their brood to chill and die. and then the first warm day that comes, the other bees in the yard go in and clean out the; honey, and suck those chilled and dead lai'v;e as dry as chips. Another colony dies early in spring from stai'vation. leaving brood to chill and the. The other bees overhaul the combs in seaj'ch of plunder, and no foul brood results. Now. there is a long list of cases in all those years of bee- l\eeping and outdoor wintering where there has been chilled brood, and never a case of foul brood has there been. How is it that I have escaped ? Can any one prove that foul brood ever originated in any such wav? I doubt it. Platteville. Wis.. Mar. :.".». E. FitANCE. SUCCESS WITH THE DOOI.ITTI.E ARTIFICIAL cells; A GOOD TESTI>I<)NIAI> FOR DOO- little's KOOK. Mr: Root: — In Gleanings for March 1 I no- tice, on page 162, you wish to know from those who have succeeded with Doolittle's artificial wax cells. I first tried the plan given in Chap. 6, that of making them queenless three days, then taking their brood away and giving them twelve artificial wax cells with royal jelly and small larva. In four days, returning to this hive, to my surprise. I found every cell accept- ed and nearly ready to seal. I next tried tlie plan over a queen-excluding honey-board, as soon as honey was coming in from white clover. The colony "being strong, I took two frames from the lower and placed them in the .upper story. I took those with small larva next day, placing a frame with artilicial wax cells in be- tween, and a division-board on each side. In this way I have had 80 per cent of cells accept- ed. If we crowd the colony too much we shall not get as many completed. In this locality, about Aug. 1, bees are inactive, and then we must again feed to get them finished. Doolit- tle's book is worth to me many limi'S its cost. I have not failed with any of the plans tried, given in his book. Peter Brower. New Paris, Ind.. Mar. 8. HOW TO SAVE BASSWOOI) SEEDS. The following comes frcmi one of our large nurserymen, svho deals largely in basswood- trees raised from seedlings. It comes in answer to an inquiry of ours: Basswood seed should be picked any one pay out a lot of money when comb honey is the object.] E. R. PROSPECTS GOOD FOR CALIFORNIA. Bees wintered very well in the mountains. They gathered considerable honey in Decem- ber, and .some in January. Sage is beginning to bloom. I Ihink extracting will commence about the 20th or 25th of April. There has been plenty of rain so far to give fine prospects; and with one or two more spring rains we can expect a good crop. J. G. Gilstrap. Last, Fresno Co., Cal., March 29. RUBBER gloves WORSE THAN NOTHING FOR BEES. I bought a pair some seven years ago of A. I. Root, and I did not have to use them very long to learn to abhor the very name and sight of them. They sweat the hand, are clumsy, and have to be fairly torn off, the hand looking as though it had been parboiled. My bees stung right through them, so there was but little pro- tection from them against injury from bees, and a good deal of discomfort from their use. I now use a buck glove with a long cloth wrist, made to come up over my coat-sleeve, and held by elastic bands. R. E. Timoney. Smyrna. Maine, March 25. SILVERHULL vs. JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT. I see one of the friends advertising silverhull buckwheat as being superior to Japanese. It will not do so well in this part of West Virginia. In 1889 I got half a bushel from you, yielding 39 bushels on one acre and 15 rods. Last year I sowed l?i bushels on 3 acres and 74 rods, yield- ing 139 bushels, machine measure. Silverhull never yielded over 15 bushels per acre for me. J. L. McKenzie. Howesville, W. Va.. Mar. 20. THE LIGHT WINTERING CASE. The two swarms done up in paper and oil cloth (see p. 280) are just booming. I believe I have just found out how to winter bees success- fully. I vote for the light wintering case. Ra.mbler. bees all dead. The bees in this section of country are nearly all dead, and people are waiting to see whether they have any bees left before buying hives. Dudley Walker. North Chatham. N. Y., April 3. Bees here have wintered splendidly so far; glad to see that Gleanings is always improv- iug. Andrew Buchan. Loanhead, Mid-Lothian, Scotland, Feb. 17. I enjoy Rambler's hdters very much, and my wife takes on so about him I am getting un- easy. She is thinking of going to California. Little Easy. Fayette Corner, Tenn., April (5. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 381 MOKE THAN HALF THE BEES DEAD. More than half of all the hees in this part of the country have died through the winter, but thev were all in box hives. J. A. Shonp:. Salem, Miss.. March 30. 1891. BEES IN THE CELEAK WlNTEltED BEST. Our bees wintered much better in the cellar than those out of dooi's: but both are very short of stores. I shall have to feed more large- ly this spilng than we have ever done: but at this date we find but two dead: but several are very weak, and will ])robably die if not helped or united with some other colonies. M]{S. L. C. AXTEEI,. Roseville. 111., April 13. THE WINTERING OF E. FRANCE'S BEES. AND PROSPECTS FOR THE SEASON. We have just finished looking over the bees, and find them in good condition. White clover is looking well. We have spoken for 50,000 lbs. of honey if the season is good. But I am afraid that we have too many bees for our pasture. First pollen April 12. We have drones hatched in several hives already, only eight days since the first pgllen. Big hives do it. Platteville, Wis., April 18. E. France. THE OUTLOOK IN CALIFORNIA. The season here is very late this year. It has been cold and backward! But the " tilleree " is out in all its glory, and the bees are booming on it. The black sage is shooting up its long slender stems that bear the buds and blossoms. and will soon throw out its white-purple banner to the breeze, and the bees will have a picnic. We have had a bountiful supply of rain up to the present time, but we'll need another good one early in April to make a good season. If it comes in plenty, you will hear fi'om here in the way of a honey crop. If it does not come, the output will be about the same as last year. It is a singular fact, that, in a half-crop year, we get a larger proportion of white honey. The white honey comes first, while the ground is still damp. The drouth dries up many of the flowers that yield the dark honey. Sumac, Cai., March :.'7. J. P. Israel. With Replies from our best Autliorities on Bees. Question 184. I have single-walled hives, and winter in cellar. Will it pay to give anii extra protection after the bees are Udien out in the spring ? If so, what woiild you use f No. Illinois. N. W. Dadant & Son. I don't think it is necessary. Louisiana. E. C. P. L. Viali-on. I think the extra protection would be a good thing. Wisconsin. S. W^. E. France. Yes, I think it would if you live in a ratlier cool climate like our own. Michigan. S. W. James Heddon. I prefer to keep them in the cellar ([uite late. Nothing is lost by so doing, and much gained. Illinois. N. W. C. . Mrs. L. Harrison. My bees requii-e no better protection in win- ter or summer than single-walled hives. Ohio. S. W. " C. F. Muth. Yes, an outer case, if taken out of cellar ear- ly: in fact, an outer case is beneficial through- out the season. Vermont. N. W. A. E. Manum. With our hives we see that the bees are cov- ered up waim. and then let them go. I doubt whethei- packing would pay. New Yoik. C. " P. H. Elwood. It will probably pay to have cheap rough boxes to set them in. and till between them and the hives with chaff. Calilprnia. S. R. Wilkin. I've had no experience, but I suspect it might pay to have an outside sliell, such as the 28 friend Root is trying this winter. Illinois. N. C. C. Miller. 1. Yes, it will pay well. 2. A box eight inches larger each way than the hive, packed with planer shavings, sawdust, leaves, or chaff, and having a good tight roof. Illinois. N. C. J. A. Green. 1. If colonies are strong, and have abundance of stores, tliey will likely remain quiet, and need no protection. 2. Any treatment that keeps the bees quiet is good protection. Ohio. N. W. H. R. Boardman. I think it will, but can not say from experi- ence. Contract to six fi'ames, and use two chaff dummies inside. My preference would be for light one-story chaff hives, used both in the cel- lar and out. Ohio. N. W. E. E. Hasty. I believe it pays ivell. I use a cheap, rough. J^-inch board outer case, and pack with chaff' or cut straw, or an equivalent. I have done this for several years with a part of my colonies, and shall try to fix all so the coming spi-ing. Ohio. N. W. A. B. Mason. I have proved by actual test for the past two years that it does pay well. I use a simple case with cover that I use for a shade-board later in the season. I nail but slightly, so as to separate the sides as I pack them away. Michigan. C. A. J. Cook. I use chaff hives, and winter in the cellar, and want no single-walled hives for the pro- duction of honey. This I say after using single- walled hives for 20 years, and single-walled hives and chaff' hives side by side for 10 years of that time. New York. C. G. M. Doolittle. If bees are held in the cellar until soft maple is in blossom, we find it unnecessary to give cumbersome protection. But if I had to use something I would draw over the hive a case made of paper and oil cloth. I am even winter- ing bees outdoors with such a hood. New York. E. Rambler. It pays to protect fi'om prevailing Avinds, either singly or the whole yard. It is best to give thein the full lienefit of the sunshine through the spring months. Swarms that have wintered well will be all right if so treated: if not all right, no kind of tinkering will prove satisfactoi-y. Wisconsin. vS. W. S. I. Freeborn. [Well, now, friends, after the above testimony we have in favor of cellar protection, after they are put out of the cellar why not. at least in moderate climates, let the protection take the place of the cellar, and then there is nothing 383 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. May 1. to be said or done to the bees fi'om November till April?] SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT, AND HIS FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS. SPINACH IN Al'ini.. Everybody has been calling for spinach. A few days ago our wagon folks wanted to know whether they could not send to Cleveland and get some. I told them that it was away up, and that we could not even think of it. A little later they wanted to know what I meant by •' away up."' " Why,'' said I, " it will cost at least 10 cents ii i)ound, and no one in ^Medina, hardly, would give that, especially as the freight must be added to the 10 cents." " Well, Mr. Root, if you will get us a barrel I think we can show you that Medina folks will pay 15 cents." " All I'ight; I will risk the i)rice of a barrel, to try the experiment. I>ut you will see that we shall have it all to use up in the lunch- room." Now, how do you suppose it tuined out? Why. they sold the barrel right off in one day; and as the people were not satisfied we pulled a lot of small beets out of the greenhouse, that were crowding, and they took them all off at 15 cents a pound. As we did not have our usual supply of lettuce, in conM'(iuence of nu)ving our greenhouses last fall, we have been sending to Eugene Davis, the originator of the Giand Rapids lettuce, and it has been going oft' barrel after barrel at :.'.5 cents p(>r lb. retail. Pie-plant is still bringing 10 cents per lb.; asparagus 40 cents, and other things in proportion. Why, it is astounding. I am sure spiiuich could be raised at a prolit at 3 cents per lb. With us it usually winters in the open air without any trouble until some time in February. The heavy freezes in Febnuiry and March, without snow, use it up. We have tried mulching, but somehow this does not work, or w<' do not have the right kind of mulching. I see evergreen boughs have been recommended. I presume they would do it to a dot where one has them. It is a mystery to me why somebody does not make a big thing on spimich. Last- fall we put in a great lot of it. but it happened to be near th^ barn, and the poultry took a great fancy to it. I supposed they would, but I thought I had planted enough forthe poultry and our luarket- garden also. But I tell you. a flock of Brahmas can get away with an astonishing amount of spinach. I still believe it would be prolitable to i)lant spinacli for poultry. If the ground is ricii and in good order, it can be put in after l)Otatoes. sweet corn, or almost any other crop. We succeed best by sowing it early enough to get it just as lai'ge as it can lie without running n\) to seed before frost. In that condition it will stand like kale all through the winter; and so far we have succeded better without mulcli- ing than we have with. Tiic mulch seems to make it rot. Perhaps the way to make a real sure thing of it is to put it in a cool greenhouse, as described in the new book. " How to Make the Garden Pay." Grand Rapids lettuce may be grown in the same way. Either of these plants maybe kept all through the winter in our locality, without heat. [)rovided the glass can be shiit up tight, and the beds be a little below the surface of the ground. A windbreak of buildings or evergreens, so arranged as not to interfere with the sun, will be a great help. OUR HOT-BEDS HEATED BY STEAM. I should be glad to report that they have done as well during April as they did through March. Aliout the middle of March we left on the ex- haust steam until they became too hot, and many of the plants were injured; and since that they have got sort o' contrary. In fact, they have not done nearly as well as the green- house, where we could go inside and regulate the temperature: and I am now coming strong- ly to the conclusion that I want all my glass structures so I can go inside, under the glass, and regulate the temperature. During the past month every thing has grown so beauti- fully in the greenhouse, that I am somewhat losing my faith in the advantage of stripping the sash clear oft': at least, our recent experi- ence indicates that there is no particular need of removing the sash until, say, the first of April. Every thing in the greenhouse is doing just beautifully. Mr. Weed suggests that it is largely due to the fact that the xnil in the beds in the greenhouse is old and thoroughly rotted compost. Every thing we put into it just climbs: while all that in our hot-beds, outside, was made u|j in the fall, winter, and spring. The manure and most of the materials are com- pai'atively new. LIMA BEANS. It b(>gins to be time to begin to thfnk about linui b(»ans. Shall we give up the i)ol<' limas, or will it still pay to provide poles? In our last issue I talked about growing turndtocs on poles; and I rather suspect it will pav us to have poles for lima beans. The bush limas on our soil — that is. Burpee's and the Kumerle. have, on our rich soil, made such a mass of vines that we liave been greatly troubled with rot and mil- dew, and in getting the beans to ripen sul'ti- ciently for st'ed. A good friend of mine has been talking about the Challenger, and even sent me a pint by mail, so as to be sure I would give them a trial. Here is what he says about them : My family are all great lovers of lima lieaiis. and I yearly i)ut in 2i)(l poles for our own use, selling- tlie surplus in the city of Newark (pop. 1S.^.000, two miles away), with whatever other farm prodvicts we may have. For the past two years I iiave .grown Challen.iier beans, and they have sold nuicli higlier than Pratt's or Dreor's, wlileh I liave heretofore had. I have sold over $40.00 worth each year, hcsidcs u'/faf Mv, K.scd (11//. sc^ix','*, and should have st)ld much more bu foi- uiy mistakes in g-rowing- them. I planted three lo each pole, four feet aiiart, l)ut tins was too close: there was such a wealtli of vines that bushels of beans mildewed and never ripened. I shall grow doul)le the number of poles this year, placing- tlie poles five feet apart, with two vines to a pole. This bean tlu-ows out more riuniers than any other Ihat I know of, and requires far more careful handling, as the vines are exceedingly tendei-. My l)eans were sold at one price— thirtjj ccids per half- peck, iin!rhaps 1 should say that the entrances, while carrying the hives, were closed. This made every thing so secure that the carrier could jolt around a good deal without being pestered by angry bees. I should not omit to say. in the fall oin- hives were carried in by their bottom-boards. The hives were then piled up without bottom- boards. (( la Boardman. the latter being stack- ed up by themselves in one corner of the cellar. In carrving the hives out. we put the bottom- board down, set the hive on that, and closed the entrances. We put anothtu' one right by the side of it. then, stooping down with the hive-carrier, picked them up and caiTied them to their location. 384 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. May 1. Tliou God seest me.— Gen. 16:13. There seems to be a great dividing line among humanity; and the little text I have chosen seems to indicate where the dividing line is. A part of humanity believe that (Jod sees when nobody else does, and behave themselves ac- cordingly. The other part eitheV deny the ex- istence of any overseeing spirit at all, or they insist that God does not care, or does not bother himself to look after events and lives of each separate individual. One class think if they can hide their deeds from the eyes of men. nothing furthei- is necessary. The other class live in the fear of God; and the Bible says. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wis- dom." Some may urge and argue, that it is the duty of every one to do right because it is right. I sliould be very glad indeed to have them do this if they would. But, alas! such an incen- tive to right doing seems to lack strength and en(>rgy with the average individual. I was brought up, as you know, to attend church and Sunday-school. I learned Bible texts, and verses of Scripture by the hundred, without having any very distinct idea of what was im- plied in them. Nevertheless, I am heartily in favor of having children learn Bible texts. I will tell you pi'esently why. When i was about eighteen yeai'S old I taught school in a region then called " Black Swamp." My schoolhouse was a mile north of the town of Elmore. Ottawa Co., O. At that time I had rather broken away from the influences of Sunday-schools and Bible teachings, and was having my " liberty " as I called it. At eighteen I thought I was capable of taking care of my- self without any such hindrances as Christiani- ty imposes. Oiie liitle sketch or glimpse of my life at this time comes vividly to my mind this morning. My principal companion and associ- ate was a man perhaps twice my age. He was one of the class who pride themselves on their freedom of action and freedom of thought. One evening he announced his determination of going "up town." and I accoi-dingly decided to go along. The first place we visited was a little gi'ocery where they sold beei-. The man was new in the business, and his premises were so narrow and small that he kept his beer in the cellar, and went down a little trapdoor be- hind the counter to draw it for his customers. My companion called for two glasses of beer; and while the proprietor was down through the trapdoor my friend jumped lightly and seated himself on the top of the counter. Then he leaned over to the shelves back of the counter, took a couple of nice oranges from a basinet, pushed one into my i)ock(>t, and put the other into his own. When the storekeeper emerged with his two glasses of beer we were standing by the counter in our former attitude, looking honest and innocent, as a matter of course. My friend paid for the beer; and when we got out of doors we both had a good laugh at our own sharpness, and probably at the same time at the dullness and stupidity of a storekeeper who would go away out of sight and leave cus- tomers such a chance to help themselves. Now, I can not remember that any compunc- tions of conscience troubled me at all at that lime. I am afraid, too, that many young men in their teens would have thought as I did, that it was a shai'p trick, and not of much account any way. Had I reached over the counter my- fielf and taken the oranges, it would have made a difference. But. you see I did not touch them at all. I had nothing to do with it. I could not very well object to his putting the orange into my pocltet, because the proprietor came up so quickly that it would liave got my friend into trouble. I presume likely I had heard it said, that " tlie partaker is as bad as the thief;" but I did not remember it then. There is one thing very certain: At that period of my life I did not think of the all-seeing Eye at all. I remained in the town of Elmore pretty nearly a year: but as I look back I can not recollect of having attended churcli or Sunday-school one single time. Although I taught nchool. the Bible was never ray counselor or friend in need. I never read a word from it to my pupils, and I can not remember that I ever used a Scripture text. A schoolteacher nowadays who is in the liabit of taking his beer would jjrob- ably lose his place very soon. I had learned to drink beer with anybody who asked me; but I presume I kept the fact from the knowledge of my good mother. The pastors of the different churches in Elmore may have approaclied me on the subject of religion, but I can not now remember that tliey did. Someliody may liave invited me to go to >Sunday-school; but after a lapse of more than thirty years I can not recall that the matter of Sunday-schools ever came to my mind. I was like a thousand other boys who do not seem to think they have any thing to do but to amuse themselves, and perhaps do what they can to get an education. I remem- ber that, during tJiat winter. I sent for a small microscope, and became quite full of enthusi- asm over the wonders it revealed. I read a good deal in the popular magazines, and got books from the various stores. But, so far as I can remember, the thought tliat I owed respect, reverence, and I'ecognition to the great God aliove, never entered my mind. As I recall this pei'iod of my life, so far as I can after the lapse of years, I begin to have more charity for the boys and young men around me than I have had Ixifore. At some of my boarding-places (for I boarded around) they read the Bible mornings, and had family prayers; but I can not now recall a single thing that I heard from those Bible-readings, nor can I remembc" the words of the morning prayer, except in a 90?i- eral way. It was not customary in those days to make practical applications in Bible-read- ings and prayers as it is now. The Young Men's Christian Association, which sprang into existence about that time, or a little before, was entirely unknown to me. My Sundays were mostly passed in rambling about the woods and fields, looliing up spfings in the hill- sides; and I remember of carrying lemons and sugar along, and nuiking lemonade under the shady trees. The first thing Sunday morning was to study up how we could have the most fun. A great part of the Sabbath was. how- ever, spent in reading magazines and news- papers. After a long ramble one Sunday with the friend I have spoken of, as we neared home we sat on thc^ top of a fence to rest. I made a remark something like tliis: " I do not know just how it comes; but to tell the truth. L., the older I grow, the more taste- less, insipid, and unsatisfying my life becomes. In fact, I am getting so lately that I don't en- joy things at all as I did when I was twelve or Hfteen. I wonder how long this state of affairs is to continue." Now, boys, take note of the reply; and bear in mind that it came from a man who prided himself on feeing a free-thinker, and being en- tirely untrameled by superstition or by religion. As nearly as I remember, his woi'ds were some- thing like these; and what sort of words are they, dear friends, for a boy eighteen years of ag(!! Said he: " Well, Amos, it is a kind of sad fact; but facts are often sad things. My own experience 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 385 has been just like yours: and you will tind that <^very year that is added to your life makes It still more and more so. The world has not very much to offer. It is empty and hollow, and unsatisfying. The best thing to do is to get all the fun out of it you can while you are young: and as you get older, take it as the rest of us do." This man was sarcastic and bitter whenever the subject of religion was mentioned. He even went so far as to sneer at virtue, and ad- vised (although he did not say so in so many words) that we should look at the other sex as simply something that the world has to oft'er as a means of amusing ourselves, and having fun, and that it was tlieii' Inisiness to take care of themselves. If they were not able to do that, or wei'c innocent and unsuspecting, it was their aflfair and not ours. His words and his com- panionship were poison to my young mind. But don't let me put the blame (///. on him. I was old enough, and had had suffici(>nt Chris- tian ti-aining. to have cither I'cbuked him or to have withdi'awn entirely from his company. He was, however, a skillful mechanic, and quite a leading spirit among the people of Black Swamp at that time. He may have been con- verted, like myself, since then, from the eri'oi' of his ways: but if not, may God hear my prayei- for him to-day. Let us now go back to the oranges. The storekeeper I have mentioned was not only poor financially, but he was poor in health. His thin, sallow face made it known to all. His feebh^ looks come up to me now as I rebuke myself for my thoughtless dishonesty. May 'cendants: and if such is the case I shall feel easier to hand this money over to them to atone, so far as I can, for that thoughtless piece of dishonesty. His name was Eoff ; and as Gi.EANiNGS goes even now to the town of Elmore, perhaps somebody whose eyes rest on this may be able to identify the poor feeble storekeeper of thirty-three years ago. Now to our text: I do not know just what I believed at that time in my life; but the little story I have told indicates Very clearly that I had no abiding faith in the all-seeing Eye. In former Home Papers I have mentioned some other events of that winter; and it is not strange that the seeds that were sown in my heart at that time bore a crop of evil fruit, even during a term of a four months" school. The fear of (xod was not in my heart at all. Very likely the effect of the teaching of Cliristian parents was somewhat of a restraint upon me; but I was a fair sample, of a young man of perhaps fair ability, who has none of the fear of God in his heart, and who does not believe in the teach- ings of an all -seeing Eye. A few days ago, Mr. C. N. Pond, a man prom- inent in Sunday-school work throughout our own and other States, was with us for a few days. He was invited to take charge of our noon service; and in speaking to our work- people there assembled he said something like this: ■'My good friends, many of you ar<^ young, -and doubtless have bright anticipations and high aspirations for the lives that lie before you. Now, although there has been considera- ble said about the enthusiasm of youth, I want to say to you that all of your bright visions may be realized — yes, even moi'e than any of you, perhaps, havethought of in your imagina- tions. I aiu now toward fifty years old, and I, when young, had gi-eat expectations of the out- come of the yeais before me. They have all been I'ealized. and more too." At this ]X)int I began to feel exceedingly anx- ious, and perhaps a little uneasy. I wanted friend Pond to make haste to add the one impor- tant condition for realizing the bright anticipa- tions of youth. He very soon put it in. and with emphasis enough to satisfy even myself. It was something like this: ■'I say. these bright visions may all be realiz- ed; but I wish to add, that it is only on condi- tion that you start out with Christ Jesus by your side, that you make him first and fore- most, over all and above all — that your constant t'ud and aim in life be to please /lim and not self. Do this, and life has more in store for you than any of you can think." Now. 1 know brother Pond intimately. I have known him since he was a light-haired boy. and perhaps the butt and jest of some because they thought themselves ever so much smarter and sltarper than he was. They laughed at him because he was honest and true; and it was whispered, too. that this light-haired, unso- phisticated youth, had in mind to study for the ministry. He was not at that time what many of the world's people would call shfirp. He never could, under any order of things, have been a party to stealing oranges, as I was. He worked on a farm in the summer time, and went to school winters: and when I first met him at an evening party the yoving ladies brought him in as the " hired man." He chose Christ Jesus as his helper and friend in early youth; and he has been laboring to serve him all these years. A^'o (/'ooficc that each succeeding year grows brighter and brighter, and that every decade sees him a happier and a more joyous man than he ever was before. He and his wife were with us over night. At the breakfast-table in the morning he was, as usual, beaming and full of smiles and pleasant words for every member of the family; and his mood was so infectious that we all got happy by looking at him and hearing him talk. Finally he turned to his wife and said: " There, wife, didn't I tell you what a good place I was going to bring you to ?" And then he laughed at me as I commenced a remon- strance. But I had a point to make, and I was determined to make it. " Bi'o. Pond, look here. I want to correct you, and straighten you up. It is not the place nor the surroundings" that make you so happy; but the secret of it all is, that you are so easily pleased; and I appeal to your good wife for a second to my point. Is it not true, Mrs. P., and is it not one of the secrets of his happy and joy- ous life, that he is so easily pleased with every thing and everybody?" She responded at once, " Yes, Mr. Root, it is a good deal as you say. He sees that which is good and bright and beautiful almost every- where, and somehow he is pleased and happy when many people would only be finding fault, and complaining." And now, dear friends, here is one of the great points of my talk to-day. Jesus ■' pleased not himself ;'" and brother Pond has been so long the intimate friend of our Lord and Masterthat he has caught the spirit from him, and makes people happy and pleasant and good wherever he comes in contact with them. And it has seemed as if the Master seemed to delight in giving him " pleasant surprises." such as I told you of in my last. Only last year he and his wife together took what he calls a "honey- moon," not only all over the United States, in- 386 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. May 1. eluding California and the Pacific Coast, but even to the Sandwich Islands. When I first saw him after he returned I asked for an ex- planation. How could a minister of the gospel, who is comparatively poor in tiiis world's goods, spend a whole year in a kind of travel that costs tremendously to most of us ? Well, it all came about very simply. Ey chance or acci- dent he has some very warm friends, and some who are quite well off. I say. " chance or acci- dent." Is it really so? Weil, these friends clubbed together and actually iiifilsted that he and his wife should take this trip: and they regarded it as a pi'ivilege to pay all their ex- penses. Our good friend accepted the situation, not only as God's call, but went right along smiling and beaming I'ight and left, making everybody laugh, and. if I am not mistaken, giving, by his air and manner and words and exhoitation, almost without their knowing it, an invitation to lead pure, better, and more godly lives than they had been doing. A great part of his work in life is in talking to Sunday- schools and Sunday-school teachers. In fact, his business is to build up Sunday-schools, and to strengthen in the faith of Christ Jesus those already built: and in the faith, too. of that all- seeing Eye which is ''in every place, beholding the evil and the good." Let me now go back a little to my friend of former years. It gives me pain to speak ill of anybody, but I wish to give you one glimpse of the outcome of that man who said that every year that passed over his head made life more insipid, more dull, and more unsatisfying. Away back more than tliirty years ago he let a bill run up in favor of a woman who did his washing. He put her off from time to time un- til he owed lier betw(»en twenty and thirty dol- lars. She found out. years after, that he had just located in the vicinity of Medina, and ask- ed me to go with her. as she was need v. to see whether he would not give her something on that old bill for washing that had been for years outlawed. We visited his home. He ad- mitted the justice of her claim, but said that he was unable to pay a coi)i)er of it: and the evi- dent mai'ks of poverty all around him corrobo- rated it. He said every thing had been against him; and, my friends, let me tell you that every thing is almost sure to work continually against him who scouts the idea that an all- seeing Eye looks down and watches every de- liberate wicked thought of our hearts; and who proposes to please only himself, no matter who suffers by it. We have a plain liible promise, that " all things wori< together for good to them that love God;" and you will also find that the contrarv is true. 5F©BHCC0 CQiiHMN. "and when thou art CONVERTKD, STRENaTH - EN THY BRETHREN." The above was the subject for our prayer- meeting last Sunday evening. A good brother, who is well alono: in years, who has only lately come out fully for Christ, gave an illustration of the way in which comparing expei'iences often helps (strengthens) those (the brethren) who are battling against temptation. .\n old friend of his came into his ston^ Both had given up the use of tobacco, and they were talking the matter over, and this friend gave this astounding bit of experience: He had used tobacco all his life, and the habit increased on him (as it usually does) until he was buying something like a pound a week. Finally he be- gan to have spells of blindness. They would come on him out in the field, so as to make it difficult for him to see his way home. Doctors were consulted, but they could not tell what the matter was. O ye doctors! why are //e so blind — at least a great part of you, any way? The trouble kept growing worse and worse, and his family and friends were lamenting tlu^ sad fact that he would probably soon be totally blind. Finally it occurred to him that tobacco miifht hav(! sonH;>thing to do with it, and so he left it off' for just one day, and was not blind at all. Then he chewed again for just one day. and his blindness began to com(> back. Then he tested the matter thoroughly, and in a very little time it became plain that the blind spells came from the use of t()l)acco and nothing else: therefore, liice a i)nul('iit and sensible man, he gave up thi! use of the weed. The speaker said this bit of experience did him a great deal of good, because it was so nearly like his own, only he nev(M' used it until it began to nuike him blind. Now. then, you fi'iends of the med- ical fi'aternity, whenever you have a patient afflicted with some disease which you can not understand, please think of it. will you? and just ask if he is using tobacco. I quit the use of tobacco nine years ago, and tliiink the Loitl I have never used it since. Tehama. Kan.. Feb. 2. L. N. Cooper. My son, who has been a reader of Gi.eanings for some time, came to the conclusion to quit the use of tobacco, which he has been using to exce.ss. If you will send me a smoker for him I will agree to pay you if he begins the use of tobacco again. .1. B. Whiton. Ithaca, Mich.. Jan. 30. As Mr. R. J. McNeil has been induced by me and the Tobacco Column in Gleanings to quit the use of tobacco in any form, you will please send him a smoker. If he uses tobacco again I will pay you for the smoker. He is our school- teacher, and also a Baptist preacher. Baird, Tex., March 4, J, M. Matthews. STII-L FAITHFUL. Somebody else would like to have Gleanings a little oftener, as well as wider and thicker: but if Home talks and Straws don't fail, (Cleanings will be O. K. I am still faithful to- my pledge in regard to not using tobacco. One year ago last January I quit. A. J. Meredith. Nettletou, Ark.. Apr. 15. I wish to say that I have been a user of tobac- co for about 30 years: and through the influence of Gleanings 1 have quit its use. I have not touched it for six months, and do not intend to. I do not want any i)ay for quitting. I consider I am more than paid already. I hope you luay continue to extend your infln(Mice for good. Use this testimony if it will be of any use to you. Daniel Wright. Violet, Ont., March 7. Very nearly a year ago I left off the use of to- bacco, and don't think I should have ever touched it again luid I not gone into the bee- business. Two months ago I bought six colo- nies of bees, as a starter; and when I went to look through them I noticed my smoker was a very poor one, and almost worn out; but I thought I could make it do for th(> present. But the second colony I went into, it gave ont altogether, and the bees semed to k-now it, for they stung me dreadfully till I called to a friend near liy to let me have his pipe; and with the smoke I soon quieted them down. Now. if you send me a smoker I will not smok(> again. A. B. Wilkinson. Hawks Park, Fla.. March 22. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 387 Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, up- on them that hope in his mercy. — Ps. 33; 18. We oliserve that the markets are ahiiost bare of choice comb honey of last year. Some say it was never so scarce befoie. New honey will begin to come in soon now. AVe have had a beantifnl spring so far, and reports are coming in that the bees are doing finely. May l)e we sliall have one of the old- fashioned honey seasons this year. When the forms for oui' last issue wei'e about half off. we found we were obliged to make t)ur journal .^ij pages Instead of .53, as announced. This made almost a double number. In this issue we give 1(5 pages extra. The third number of the Citlifoniia Bee- keeper i>i n,t hund. and it is making great im- provements. It is not only well printed and typograi)hically neat, but it is well edited. It starts out right, and has begun in a large Held. AVe wish it everv measure of success. W. I>. Westcott & Co.. of St. Louis, say that the lower prices on sugar will affect the lower grades of honey. First-class honey is a luxury, so they say, and not a staple, and the tariff re- duction on sugar will not affect its sale. We are inclined to think they are right. The Cnnndlan Bee Jcnirnnl seems to flourish in the hands of the senior editor. Mr. D. A. Jones, despite the fact that his best man, Mr, F. H, McPherson, is unable to render his usual assistance on account of the accident, ^Nlr. Jones is infusing into it a good deal of sound practical experience. As it is now approaching the time out of all the year when the bees are supposed to yield their owners returns, we must ask our contrib- utors to let the subject of wintering drop for the present, and take up the more seasonable ones of how to get a honey ci'op, taking the same off. and marketing, and what implements or devices are best suited to accomplish these ■ends with the least labor. Just after our last issue went to press, \ve learned that George H. Knickerbocker, secre- tai-y of the New York State Bee-keepers" Asso- ciation, lost by tire his honey-house and work- shop, and nearly all its contents, on the morn- ing of April 1, about 4 o'clock. He says the origin of th<' fire is a mystery. Many \)f his books and jiapers were also burned. It was about two-thirds covei'ed by insurance. Mr. HrxcHixsox, of the Review, page KM, makes this very kind notice: The editorial department of Gleanings has im- proved woiiderfuUy of late. It is no uncommon thing- now to be able to cut out wisdom in solid clmnks like the following." And then he quotes our editorial in regard to the large or small bee-keeper, found on page 387. Thank you. fiiend H. Such an encomium is appreciated, inasmtich as it comes from one who not infrequently writes '"solid chunks" himself. If advertisers would tell how long their ad- vertisement is to run, and how much space it is to occupy, it would save much annoyance and correspondence on the part of our advertising clerk. We speak of this, not in a complaining way, but very few give very definite instruc- tions on these two points: namely, amount of space and length of time to run. If you do not know how long it is to run. say. "Continue till forbidden." This is definite, and then we know what to do. The Review indoi'Ses what we said about having not only frames and hives movable, but even movable (tpUiries. Yes, that is what we are coming to. They do not need movable apiaries down, th(>re in Cuba, where they can keep profitably .500 colonies in one location (see J, A, Osburn's" article elsewhere); but in most places of the United States a location will not support more than 100 colonies: and if there is any considerable increase in colonies, they must be put in two or more out-yards. BEE-E.SCAPES FOR EXTRACTING IX CALIFOP.N'IA. In the Cdliforiila Bee-ly than in trying to raise the seUhuj price. Sooner or later bee- keeping has got to resolve itself into the han- dling of hives more, and frames less: and Mr. Heddon deserves no little credit for helping to start this idea. But in order to carry it out it is not necessary to have shallow brood-cham- bers. A Langstroth hive with fixed distances can be manipulated in such a way as to virtu- ally handle hives instead of individual frames. It may be truthfully said, that old l)ee-keepers do not spend the time they once did over their bees; and we think it is equally true tliat, as- our industry progresses, bee-keepers os a class- to-day. or in the near future, will not spend tlie time over tlielr bees they did a few years ago; in other words, they will get a thousand pounds of honey with less labor. We have [jot to handle hives more and frames less, to stand the prices. We liave got to do things more in a wholesale way. in order to meet competition. GOOD WORK IN THE ILLINOIS STATE LEGISLA- TURE FOR THE BEE-KEEPER. We observe by the American Bee Journal. that the foul-brood bill, introduced into the Illinois State Legislature by the Hon. W. S. Smith, of Macon, will probably become a law. Good I Let other States go and do likewise. The bill introduced by J. 'M. Hambaugh, see p. 3*2(5, to prevent the spraying of fruit-trees when in blossom, is also about to become a law. Mr. H. writes to the American Bee Journal as fol- lows: Hip, hip. lunrah '. We have carried the " Spraying- Bill" through the committee, flying. My speech, with letters, etc., have been ordered printed, and a copy placed on eacli member's desk. Tally one for bee culture. J. M. Hambaugh. Springtield, 111., April 11. We want the moral effect of tliese laws, ev would not advise others to do it to an equal (Wtent. We can afford to carry on experiments on a lai'ger scale than many of the bee-keepers who have no bee- journal in whose interest such experiments are made. SELLING SECRETS, ETC. The fi'iends of Dr. Hall urge that he has as good a right to charge H.OO for his little pamphlet as a physician has to charge .W.OO or $.5.00. or even ffO.OO. tor simply a pre- scription. It seems to me that a good many have some very loose ideas in this matter. A physician who has spent years in study, and, after that, still more years in the prac- tice of surgery, acquires a knowledge that enables him to determine from long experience just what surgery or medicine may do for a pa- tient. But he miist see the patient personally, and give the case a careful personal examina- tion; and his directions and decision to one patient would by no manner of means answer for even tivo patients, let alone several hundred era thousand. It may be worth ^4.01) or ^lo.oi) for an expert to give his undivided attention to a single patient for one hour or even half an hour. But suppose he should undertake to print a little circular, which he hands to the patient who sought his skill, and then pretend that such printed directions would answer the purpose, and was worth ■'?4.00. The thing would be impossible. A great hook on surgery or med- icine can be bought for ^4.00; so can a great book on almost any subject whereon mankind wishes information, for a like amount of money. Books have a market value, as well as a load of wood or a load of coal; and he who pays a dollar should get a fair-sized book: and when- ever one asks several dollars or one dollar, or even fifty rents, for what can b<' printer! on a single sheet of paper, you can put him down as a humbug and a fraud. Valuable discoveries that come up suddenly, before the particulars have had time to get into books, will always be found in our papers and periodicals devoted to the suliject in question. I know I have been over this ground again and again: but I pro- pose to keep going over it so long as there is so much blundering and fraud. If there is any secret of general value that can not be obtained without the payment of several dollars, bi'ing it to my notice and I will furnish the money, and then we shall all reap the benefit of it together. SHALL WE FORGIVE AS WE HOPE TO BE FORGIVEN? After reading friend Easy's joke, on page 380. a shadow fell unconsciously aci'oss my spir- its. For a little time I groped mentally to rec- ollect- what caused it. Finally I recalled a clipping I had seen fiom a newspaper. Here it is: "CHARLES! FORGIVE ME." THE PENITENT WIFE WKlTliS HKK FORSAKEN OTHER HALF. Under date ot Ai>iil 20. the Hcistoii HciakJ has tlie following;' eoiivsiiondence fioni [>e\viston. relative to tlie .sensational eh>iiement case, the pai'tli's of which reside at Mechanic Falls: Mr. C. H. Cotton, of Mechanic Falls, who has re- cently moved to the city, has received a letter from his wife, dated Los Angeles, Cal. In the letter she says : '• Charies;— Please forg-ive me. Please don't hate me; but I won't ask you to love meauain. I don't deserve love or any thing'. I am an undone person. Oh how I wish I could see you to-iilght and liave a talk with you I I do want to see you dreadful bad, but 1 never expect to see you again. It seems as if I ne\'er could stand it. From your wife, Amanda." Mrs. Cotton, it will be remembered, left her hus- band December 2'i, and fled with her little daughtei- to Boston, wliere she is supposed to have joined Editor Mason, of the Ber-KKcprrs' Advance, who was visiting in Boston witli his wife at the time. Mason disappeared from Boston the same day, and has not been heard from by his wife or family since. Mr. Cotton fet'lssure that the couple are living- together in California. Mr. Cotton has his son with him in Lewiston, and would like to have his daughter, but says his wife can get back the same way she went. The Mason property will probably be settled in the coming- term of court. Now, it is more than likely that all the par- ties concerned will see Gleanings, and may be the little plea I put in for these two deluded friends has been the means of bringing both to penitence: if so, may God in his intinite good- ness and mercy graiit that Gleanings may be listened to again. I do not know what is cus- tomary in such circumstances: but my advice is this: Let all parties concerned go back like the prodigal son. Friend C. is evidently willing that his wife should come back, if she has a mind to. For God's sake, dear sister, come back. If you have not already done so, sep- arate yourself this minute from your guilty partner, and thus help him as far as possible to come back too. The thing is bad — terribly bad and wicked as it stands now; but it is never too late to mend. Forgive us our debts as we for- give our debtors. And let me entreat the bee- keeping world to drop it all and forget the past, that those two pi^ople who have been entrapped by Satan may repent and come back to their homes. Friend i\Iason, if this meets your eye I entreat you to come back at once and undo, while life lasts, the wrong you have done. I am sure, from what I know of you, that no hap- piness nor peace has come from this terrible thing. Last evening a friend of mine was ex- amined with the view of being taken into our church. Some unfortunate things had occurred in his past life. During the past year, how- ever, he has been a most exemplary Christian man, constant in attendance at the church, and exhibiting all the Christian grac(\s toward those all around him. Our good pastor suggested that, in view of this, we need not stir up the past. Any man or woman who has done their duty welTand faithfully a whole year, and is still ready to do well and faithfully every thing in their power, should l)e admitted to the church, in my opinion — that is. of coarse, pro- viding such parties subscribe to the creed, or general system of tenets, held by such society. Very likelv the ivorld objects to letting bygones 1891 (JLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 3i)l be bygoiips; but Clirist Jesus says. '"Come unto me. all ye that labor, and are heavy laden;"' and he d(jes not make any exceptions in his in- vitation. Why. then, should we? Our autliorized ag-onts, Hebljlewliite & Co., 416 George St., Sidney, N. S. W.. Austniliu, and Leonard T. CliamViers. Adelaldt', South Auslialia. and H.J. (ribi), Milton, IJrisbiine, Queensland, wiU receive jsubsui'iptions for Gmoaninos for Austialia and adjacent islands. MACHINE FOK BEKRY-PICKINO. The appai'atus illustrated on page 1T6, Mai-eli 1st issue, will cost, well made, about 30 ets.; in lots of 10 we can furidsh tlieni for '<2.5 cts. each — that is, if made just riglit foi' a quart berry-box. (f wanted by mail, the price will be lo cts. more for postage. The expense is a little more than 1 e.xpected. Per- haps the apparatus described (jn pag-e S'^S of this is- sue will answei' in place of it. UOVETAILEO HIVES, L.\ST YEAH S PATTERN. We have, packed away for shipment, about 1000 No. 'Z Dovetaded hives of last year's i)attern, being- }i inch nai'rower than we now make them, and hav- ing' the old-style all-wood frames and slatted honey- boards. These we will furnish at last year's prices; namely, fil.tKl foi' 10 witliout sections, tin separators, and fdn. starters, or f 13..5U complete in flat. Same discounts for quantity apply as on new style. EXTRACTED HONEY WANTED. If any of our readers have any extracted lioney to sell, either best or off g-rade, please mail us samples, stating' how much you have, how it is put up, and what you want for it ; and we will try to help you find a customei'. We are supplying- honey-jumble makers with off' grades, and are sold out of all 4?rades except the lot iu New York, mentioned in the notice below. CHOICE EXTB.4CTED HONEY. We have, in New York city, 10 cases of 120 lbs. each, both of choice white sage extracted honey, and Hall's alfalfa e.xtracted. To move this quick we otter it at 9)^c in single-case lots; leases or more, !lc per lb. ; or S'/aC per lb. for the lot f . o. b. New York, if unsold on receipt of order. This is a good oppor- tunity to get some very choice extracted honey at a low price. Who wants it ? ADVANCE IN CO.MIS FOUNDATION. We call attention again to the aJvance in price of •comli fdn. as announced in last number. The levised table of prices is as follows: ^Price per lb . in lots not less than- Sq. ft. Name of Grade. per lb. lib. 10 lbs. 25 lbs. 50 lbs. 100 lb.s. Heavy brood tdn. 4 to 5 48 47 46 15 41 Medium " 5 to 6 48 47 46 46 44 Light " 7 to 8 51 50 49 48 47 Tliin Surplus " 10 58 57 66 55 54 Ex. thin ■' 11 to 12 68 67 66 65 64 Van Deusen thin flat bottom 12 68 67 60 59 .58 • TOBACCO DUST FOR BUGS AND INSECTS. As this is now the cheapest insecticide, it will be well to give it a good trial this season. It is not only cheaper pr pmind than slugshot, but it is so liglit that a single pound makes a great lot of it; and a whole hundred pounds costs only f 1.7.5. A few days ago I remonstrated with one of our men because he had used it so lavishly when only a few bugs had made their appearance. When he told me he had used altogether oidy a single pound, costing but a ci'dt and three-ftiurthn, I concluded that his extrava- gance was not very great after all. RUBBEK TUBING, ETC. So large a demand has sprung up for this com- modity that we are enabled to give the foUowhig reduced prices: Per foot, 5 cents; 10 feet, 4.5 cents; 100 feet, f;{.60. The above prices include postage by mail. If (jrdered by express or freight, with other goods, >^ cent per foot less than above prices. The hard-rubber terminal tubes will be, after this date, 5 cents each, or 45 cents for 10. Many times, under .some circumstances, say, for instance, when one is iiway from home, the oidinary riibtier-bulli syringe is more conveinent than the pail of water and rub- ber tube described in uur March issue; thereloie we have made arrangements to furnish a good syr- inge, with good-sized buUis made of liest quality of pure rubber, for 3J cents each; by mail, S-i. By in- quiring prices at your drugstores, you can see whether it will pay you to send to us for them. SHIPPING GOODS PROMPTf-Y. A yeai' ago now we were so crowded with (jrdei's that we were compelled to run our factory day and night, to keep anywhere within reach. A great many good friends were gretitly tried by our delay in getting their goods off. We ;ire glad to tell you that, so far, we are taking care of orders promptly, and goods are going otf, as a rule, within three or four days after receiving the orders. We have been out of material for bee-veils, and waiting for more to come; but that is now here; and by the time this goes out all orders will be tilled. We were also behind on foundation-mills; but as we write, all or- ders are tilled, and mills are being made for stock ready to put into orders as fast as received. I be- lieve we are up in all departments except, perhaps, the vegetable-plant business, which has had an un- usual boom. In a few cases, where something Ir- leguiar is ordered that has to be made in the wood- woiking department, there is a few days' delay; but as a rule you may depend on liaviug your orders shipited prtjmjjtl.v. We have a good deal of stock piled up, all ready to be marked. SEED POTATOES. We can furidsh every thing advertised in our price list except the E-irly Ohio; and, by the way, is it not a little signiticant that the Early Ohio potatoes are gone, and n^ne are to be had anywhere? A great many will tell you that they have some of the new kinds that are " just as good " or a little lietter. But is there really a better potato known than the Early Ohio y We have some Early Puritans that came from the South, that were a second crop— that is, they raised two crops in one season. As these last were dug very late they do not show nearly as much tendency to sprout as those dug and put away earlier in the season. They are, however, a little under size. The price is 8^.00 per bushel, or $5.00 per barrel. In some respects we prefer the Early Puritan to the Early Ohio. We have also a tine lot of Monroe Seedling potatoes, put up iu new liairels, ready to ship. These barrels, however, do not hold qiiitr. 11 pecks. The price is $5.00 per barrel. Tlie Monroe Seedling, be it remembered, is the pota- to that T B. Terry places above all others. It is, however, a late one^ VEGETABLE-PLANTS MAY 1. Well, here we are again, with the demand greater than the supply. VV e can furnish almost; every thing by tens and hundreds; but when orders come foi' thousands, as they do frequently of late, we are not big enou,uh for the business. We can furnish good asparagus-plants in (Oil/ gifantifj/; and the ex- perience of last season shows that they may be put out anytime in the month of May. even though they may have made large shoots. CauliHower-plants, we have very tine ones in any quantity; but almost every thing in the line of cabbage-plants is picked up a little before they are as large and strongly rooted as we should like to see them. Tomato- plants are rather backward, on account of the pve- vailing north winds. Of course, the windmill sup- plies plenty of water, but it does not quite answer the purpose like warm showers, with a light wind from the south. Pi'pper-plants are scarcelj' strong enough to ship safely ; an- well for some time yet. We are doing all we can to get new l)lants--that is, sets from runners, strong enough to ship as early as possible. We shall probably have a limited nuEQber of nice ones in June. The demand for Haveriand strawberry-plants has been tremen- dous. Besides our own stock we have purchased eleven th(iusa)id of our neighbors; and if anybody has some nice ones which he can furnish at wliole- sale price, we should be glad to hear from him. 392 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. May 1. Pee-Pives, Sections, JJtc. BEST GOODS at LOWEST PRICES. We make 15.000 set-tioiis per hour. Can fill order; promptly. Write foi' tree, illustrated catalog. G. B. LEWIS CO., WATERTOWN, WIS. t^"lii i-fspomling to this advertisement laentiun (ii.F.A.siMis. BEES and vellow ™VEX the Best Se-BB-iccel. They^% Italian Qiieensi leot Tested S1.25. ■ doallotherll for sale in June ■■ Untested 8HKI. pi seasons.my ^ at Chenangol Order early. I oldcustom-Bj Valley Apiarv.fcl Send for circular. ■■ ers will say. ^^ lEES and vellov Italian Qneensl for sale in June I at Che n a n g o [ Valley Apiary. I Mrs Olivek Cole, Sherburne, Chenango Co., N. Y Please mention this paper. OUR ROOT BEES. We have Italians that " Root " the flowers o'er and o'er. At the end of the season they will score you 100 lbs. or more. Tested queens in May, $1.50; 3 for fl.OO. Unt'd " " 1.00; 3 for 2..50. June, .75; 3 for 2.0O. 1, 3, and 3 frame nuclei from $2.35 to $4.00, with queen. Pounds of bees. All kinds of apiarian sup- plies, etc. Catalogue free. 9tfdb JOHN NEBEL & SON, High Hill, Mo. Please mention this paper. Queens Ready to Mail. Safe arrival guaranteed. Untested (Italians) SI; 3 for $3.75, and $9.00 pei-diiz. Tested queens all sold, but will have more by June 1st (reared this season) at $3.00. Order early, but do not say for us to send queens before you actually wish them sent. Make money orders pavaiile at Clifton. Send for price list, etc., to COLWICK &. COLWICK. 4tfdb Norse, Bosque Co., Tex. Please mention this paper. FOR SALE CHEAP. 1000 lbs. of bees in wire shipping-cages. 100 queens in May at $3.00 per doz. 9d Antho.ny Opp, Helena, Phillips Co.. Ark. T^csted LADIES' FINE SHOES. Price $2.17 Postpaid. Genuine Kid, Soft Soles, Perfect Fitting, Stylish. Comfortahle, and made to wear. Try them. You will be pleased. Sizes 1 to 7; widths, C, D, E, EE. What size do you wear? Is your foot inroad or nar- I'ow ? Do you want a broad or narrow toe shoe? Sure fit, if yt)U answer these questions. I SEIiLi GOOD SHOES. HO CHEAP STUFF. Send P. O. order, registeied lettei'. or N. \'. draft. C. L. GRIESINGER, MEDINA, O. Reference— Gleanings. 8-9-lOd. Please mention this paper. Italian queens from $1 to $1.50. Untested, 75 cents. Address F. C. MORROW, WALLACEBURG, ARK. Please mention this paper. SLueet Honey RfiO PliE^TY OF IT. By using the latest and most convenient hive for everybodj-. Now in use live diflerent kinds. Aiso Sections and Supplies. Address D. STUTZmAN, Ligonier, Ind. Please mention this paper. A CHANCE TO MAKE MONEY. We want an agent in every county to sell our chaff hives, on a liberal ct)mmission. Send #1.75 and get a sample nailed up and painted, and you are ready to take orders at once; Winter cases, tliin Dovetailed hives, and a full line of sup- plies. Send for list and terms. ROE& KIRKPATRICK, 9d Union City, Ind. Please mention this paper. Bees at Auction! At Summit, Union Co., N. J., 80 colonics Pure Ital- ians, and every thing needed to run a first-class apiary for queens and e.vtraeted hone>-, will be sold at auction at the apiary, on May .5th, at 1 o'clock p. m. 9d W. B. COGGESHAi.L,, Summit, N. J. Please mention this paper. ITALIANS Box 77. Tested queen, $1.50; Untested, $1.00. Nuclei, brood, and bees by the lb. Send for price list. MRS. A. M. KNEELAND, Mulbeiry Grove, Bond Co., III. BEES FOR SALE- COLONIES, NUCLEI, and QUEENS at living rates. Send for circular and price list to C. C. VAUGHN, Columbia, Tenn. etfdb (^"Inresponding to this advertl.sement mention GLBANlNGa DO YOO KHOW that you can buy a good hive for 55 cts., 100 brood-frames for $1.00? Nice founda- tion cheap. Smokers and feeders, and every thing you need. You can save money by sending an order. Special terms to dealers. 8-9-lOd W. H- Bright, JVIazcppa, ;|WIinn. t^"In responding to this adyertlsement mention Gleanings. MY 23D ANNUAL CATALOGUE OF ITALIAN, CYPRIAN, and HOLY-LAND BEES, QUEENS, NUCLEL COLONIES, and SUPPLIES; also EGGS FOR HATCHING, can be had bv sending me your address. H. H. BROWN. Light St.. Oil. Co., Pa. HOLY-LAND QUEENS- A specialty of breeding them, and strict business. Will be soldat the most reasonable prices. 9d GEO. D. RAUDENBUSH, 445 Clieotniit St., Keadlug, Pa. Please mention this paper. NEBRASKA 3-frame nucleus (without queen) $:^.00. 3-frame nucleus (with tested queen) $3.50. Sfranie nucleus (with (pieen from our own apiary) each, $2.50. Pure Italian (|ueens, each, $1..50. De- scriptive price li.st free. J. ra. YOUNG, Box 874. 7tfdb Plattwiuoiitli, Neb. Please mention this paper. ITALIAN QUEENS FOR SALE. May or June, tested, $1.50; untested, $1.00. July and August, tested. $1.00; untested, 75 cts. Bees at $1.00 per lb. Make monev order payable at Wayncsbuig, Greene Co., Pa. MRS. A. A. SIMPSON. 9-16db Swartw, Pa. Please mention this paper. Printing, Note Heads, Bill Heads, Envelopes, Iital250for$].00 Post Paid. Good honest work and' paper. SO Xja,d.ies Ca,rd.s in Steel Plate Script 25 c. No Samples. 12 Years in Business. Send Copy and dollar to BUKTON L,. SAGE, New Haven, - Conn. Please mention this paper. -4db • DELVoTEDT" •andHoNEV- • AND home: •1NTLF?EST.6 Published by fl. I. Root, |VIcdina, O. Vol. XIX. MAY 15, 1891. No. 10. FROM DR. C. C. MILLER. A PorLTHY DKPAKTMENT added to C. B. K. Theke akk some tilings that I know all about, but it isn't about bees. Cheap hoxey is Hutchinson's cure for adul- teration. Too cheap to be good. Nectap. contains lio to 85 pei' cent water, gen- erally SO to Sr> per cent: ripe honey, 18 to 2.5 per cent. D. A. Jones defends in vigorous style his be- lief that hon<>y is the principal vehicle for car- rying foul brood. Poi-i.EX from white, red. and alsike clovers. Doolittle says in A. B. J., is not of different col- ors, but all greenish-bi'own. A French bee-keepers' song is wanted, and a prize (Dadant's French Langstroth) offered therefor. Have the French a Secor? Hutchinson's skimmek is in good working order — S^.. pages of "cream '" in last number, and ,-;5 of it from Gleanings. Nice compliment for Gleanings. In baking bkeai). or at any othe)' time, if your oven is too hot. put a pan of cold water in it and you'll be surprised to see how rapidly it will cool off'. vSoFT MAPLE w as ill blooiu March 3u, but it turned cold light off. and wasn't warm enough to get bees out till April 12. Don't put your trust in maple bloom. Spheadixg the hrood-nest. H. Spuhler. ill Revue, says of it: When we wish to resort to it. it is dangerous: and when it is no longer dangerous we can dispense with it. ExcLiTDEi! ZINC. The B. B. J. says. "We prefer the metal to lie close on to the top-bars, with no space between, and with the lengthway of the holes running across the space between the frames. Mv RESPECT for E. R. R. is increasing. On page 323 he applies "she" and "her" to a worker instead of '•he" and "him." Twenty years from now I hope no one will speak of he- workers. Interesting axi> profitable conventions- how to make them so. was discussed at the Ohio State Convention. Among things sug- gested were: Talk: recess; getting aciiuuiiited: asking questions. Listening to long essays was not mentioned. A. G. Hill tells in the Revicfr, that, in 11 consecutive years; he found the average shrink- age on summer stands, protected thorouglilv. was 12 lbs. 14 oz. per colony from Nov. 1 to April 1: in cellar, about H.. lbs. less, but the outdoor bees were more thrifty, and seemed to have more biood. Would it be the same further north? Don't either. Friend Hatch. I don't see that you would be obliged at all to keep from changing ends with round-headed nails on top- bars. 1-tut after trying the Van Deusen spacers, I don't believe I should be satisfied with them or with nails either. Elwood reports his bees carried into the cellar with closed-end frames at the rate of two per minute for live men. Mine, with open-end frames, were carried out at the rate of two and a half per minute for five men. But they were dangerously light. Harmon Smith, in A. B. J., is after the Michigan convention with a sharp stick, be- cause of their adulteration i-esolntion. He thinks there was no foundation for the state- ment. " that many of the cities of this State are supplied with adulterated honey.'' Mr. Cowan, in his new book, tries very care- fully to conceal the fact that \w has ever made any investigations for himself. His book fairly bristles with citations of authorities. In spite of that, he is well known as an able microsco- pist and careful investigator. Chilled isrood never made foul brood. Does any one really believe it ever did? Don't they rather hold this vi(nv ? The spores of foul brood are so ijlentiful that they are tioating around ev(n'ywliere. and a lot of chilled brood is just the right soil for them to take root in, just as white clover seems to come up of itself. Prof. Cook lias me in a corner again. I never thought of tluM'e being any difference be- tween sugar syrup fed in fall and in winter. So I must agree that good honey may be a safer food to be given in winter than sugar syrup. But anothei' question comes. If we feed 25 lbs. of syrup in 24 hours, have the bees time to di- gest it before storing it? Cheap watchix(;. Instead of keeping some one watching for swarms, lieie's the way the Review repoits Mr. West's plan: Clijj the queen. Clear away rubbish, and a few inches in front of the hive stick in the ground, not upright, but leaning away from the hive, a branch of an apple-tree perhaps an inch in diameter and two feet long, with a few twigs at top, twigs cut back to 4 or fi inches. Swarm issues, queen climb-* stick, returning swarm clusters with her, and stays till hived. A NEW crop of )\(>ms de plume is coming on. I'm sorry. Xam-s de phone used to be rather common, but they had about all died out. and I'm sorry to see tiieni re\-ive this side the water. In a specific use, a iiom de pluiae is all right: but when a man writes as a bee-keeper it's more useful, to sav the least, to see him use his 405 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. May 15. cvery-day name. The woi'd of A. I. Root car- ries more weight than that of " Novice," and ••Ramhler" always looks out of place in the (^iKistion-box. BiU)()Di-ESS BEES are better in February, Woodchopper, because— well, because. I never saw a case of spring dwindling without much advance in brood -reai-ing. They're quieter without brood; and if they breed in February they will not keep so quiet till the Hrst or mid- dle" of April. Raising brood is work, and it isn't natural for bees to work without flying. Yes, I know "Nature sets queens td laying shortly after Jan. 1, sometimes sooner," and then Nature sometimes sets those same bees to getting the diarrhea, dwindling, and so on. gENE^^Ii C^l^J^EgP^NDENCE. DIVISION-BOARDS WITH RUBBER EDGES. MK. .JUMUS HOFFMAN TELI-S HOW TO liAISE A SUHPI.US OF QX'EENS WITH LITTLE LABOR AND EXl'ENSE. In niv last article I did not mention the dif- fei-ence between the two rubbered boards in the hive I sent you. The one board that has llie rubber edges only part way down is a spac- ing-board for general use; and the other, with the rubber on three sides, so as to tit the walls and bottom of the hive, I use for a dividing or separating board. Whenever a colony has to raise a queen, all I have to do is to place one of these dividing-boards between the frames, as near the center of the hive as the entrance of the hive will allow it. and I have two small separate colonies, in each of which a young queen can be raised with hardly any extra trouble. The advantage of this management is easily understood. If one half of the colony fails to raise a perfect queen, the other half most likely will: or. if either side succeeds in getting a good fertile queen, we have a spare one which can be used elsewhere: or. if not needed, we have the choice of the two queens, and destroy the one not wanted. HOW Mil. HOFFMAN DIVIDES A COLONY. In dividing the colony, the tops of frames will, of course, have to be covered, so that the separated bees can not get together. I use a heavy enameled cloth for this purpose. An ex- tra entrance, which I make at the rear of the hive, as you will notice by the hive I sent you, is, of course, needed. This enti'ance should not be exactly opposite the front entrance, or center of the hive, but a little to one side, so that the separating-board can be inserted between the front and rear entrance. When dividing the colony the rear entrance is opened and the hive is turned half way round, so that the now two entrances are to the right and left of the posi- tions formerly occupied by the front entrance. The flying bees will in this way divide up without any trouble. After uniting the colony again, the hive is turned round once more to have the entrance as before dividing, and the extra entrance is closed. In hives where the frames I'un the long way, as is the case with most of the hives used at present, the extra entrance for dividing had better be made at one of the sid(^s of the hive, right or left from front enti-ance, in which case the hives will, in dividing, have to be turned only enough to make part of the flying liees en- ter the side entrance. A Iki'-inch hole, bored with a center-bit. will suffice for this tenipoi'ary side or back entrance, which can, after uniting the colony again, be closed with a plug or slide. vShould the divided colony be strong enough to need a surplus aiTangement, then we can give the one half of the divided colony less of bees and brood, and cover the frames of the other and stronger half only partly or not at all, to give passage to the super. In general I use only such colonies for the purpose of sepa- rating to raise queens that are not so sti'ong as to need any super, as I get enough young queens by using only a certain portion of the colonies for this purpose. In uniting again, a separated colony, after removal of one of the queens or queen-cells, the separated bees should get acquainted before taking out the division- board. I do this by partly raising the covei'ing of frames of both divisions, and leave them so for a few days, or not longer than a week's time; then after removing queen-cells, if any have been built again, take out the separating- board, shake most of the bees from the combs to get them mixed, and use the smoker on the bees freely. Before 1 close I will mention another use I make of tiu^se rubber-edged separating-boards. When it happens that I am prevented from working an apia-ry in time to cut out queen- cells, I often find young queens ali'eady leaving their cells, or just ready to hatch. In such a case, if I have use for queen-cells or queens just hatching, I can in a few moments separate the combs having queen-cells or queens on them, by putting between the frames of comb as many boards as are needed, or put some of these frames, bees and all, in another empty hive, with boards between. In this way, when covered and kept in a shady place, the separat- ed queen-cells and queens can be saved and used as wanted during the day. It will be found an advantage to leave a certain nnmbtn' of the separated colonies, containing t\\o queens, until fall, or even to spring, as some queens may be wanted to repair queenless col- onies. In a good cellar, or with good protection when outdoors, they will winter as well as when not divided. In the winter of 188::;-3 I put into winter quarters In of such divided c'.)loni<'S. con- taining 150 queens. They wintered so well that I lost not one: and when warm weather came I t(j()k out from all the strongest double hives one queen with her bees and combs, and built them ui) to good colonies. In summing up I will say. that, although tlie dividing of a colony Vithin one hive to raise extra or surplus queens is not a new idea, yet it is certainly of use to practical bee-keepers, and we ought to find out the best and simplest method to do it. I have used the rubber-edge separating-boai'ds. as I nuike them, foi' nuiny years, and. liave found them useful and durable. iSeparating-boards without a rubber edge ai'e not practical. They either work too loosely or are too tight, are glued fast too much by the bees with propolis; and as the boards of the hives shrink, swell, or warp, they would not be reliable in ])reventing bees from passing through. Jrijus Hoffman. Canajoharie, N. Y., .Ian. 14. [In order that the readei- may more fully understand^ I will ask him to turn to page 3(57 of our last issue, for a cut of the separating- board, with its rubber edges. This laoard has been adapted to the L. size. The rubber is simply a kind of packing used for water-pipes, about ^s thick, and in long strips about % inch wide. Its manner of insertion is shown in the cross-section, in the cut referred to. on page 307. From experience, I know that a division- board that fits tight, or nearly so, to the inside of the 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 407 hive, is not easily removed after tlie bees have propolized things down solid. A division-board that is close-titting should have a yielding edge liUe the chaff division-board illustrated in our Ali C of Bee Culture: or when a plain board, it should have a rubber edge, as described by Mr. Hoffman. DIAGRAM OF HOFFMAN S HIVE. In order that the reader may also uudestand in regard to Mr. Hoffman's entrances. I here re- produce an outline diawing. showing the hive- enti'ance. and the nuuincr of closing the same with a wooden button. One end of the button is left solid, and the other has a hole (covered with wire clotii) the size of the entrance. When Mr. Hoffman is ready to move his bees he drives a little smoke in near the entrance; and after a suljficient time has elapsed for tlyiiig bees to re- turn, he goes ai'ound and revolves the wooden buttons so the wire cloth covers the entrance. You will remember that he does not have to fix up his frames. By simply revolving the button he is ready to load the hives on the wagon. He assured Mr. Elwood and me that these buttons gave sufficient V(uitilation. Mr. Hoffman's hive has a fast bottom, and the cover telescopes over the top. and rests on cleats nailed on around the hive, just far enough from the top <^dge to leave a bee-space above the frames. It is not shown cori'ectly in the diagram, but you will get the idea. Mr. Hoffman, above, has not explained the use of the upper entrance; but I will state that, on the I'ear of the hive sent us, there is another entrance with a button, as Mi'. IL explains. The plan of forming nuclei by the use of divi- sion-boards is a good oni', and is similar to one practiced by neighbor H. on the Dovetailed hive. By a "slight modification of the bottom- board the same result may be attained. Mr. Harrington says he is pleased with that method of raising queens, and he raises for us a great juany dui-ing the season.! E. R. R. THE PALM-'WEEVIL. PROF. COOK TEI.T.S t'.S ABOUT THK.M. ^Ir. C. G. Ferris sends me this, one of our largest American snout beetles, or weevils, which he says he took from a comb in a hive in his apiary in Florida. He further states that it was sucking honey with its elephant-like trunk. Mr. F. concludes with the request that I tell all about this insect in Gleanings. This is really a very interesting occurrence. I have never before heard of this or any other weevil, or even beetle, that had an appetite for honey, which upon occasion it sought to grati- fy. This huge weevil is common in the Gulf .States, and I should be glad to learn svhether any other of our Southern bee-keepers have no- ticed this peculiar habit. The form of this interesting weevil, and the peculiar coloration. are well shown in the figure. The snout, thorax, and an irregular line on each wing-cover, are dark red. while the base of the head, a narrow border and two spots on the thoi-ax. and the main portion of the wing-covers, are black. The wing-covers are triuicate and abbreviated behind. The exposed portion of the abdomen, just behind the wing-covers, is red, while the til) is black. Beneath, the red and black are about equal in extent, and the black is dusted with a whitish bloom. The antennie are el- bowed, and project from the snout near its base. The beetle is 1^4 inches long, from the tip of its abdomen to the tip of its snout. The grubs of these weevils are footless, and work in the palms. The long snout, or pro- boscis, of weevils, and the footless condition of the grubs, are important characteristics of members of this family. The plum-curculio, wheat-weevil, and acorn-weevils, are other ex- amples of this large and interesting family of insects. Several of this family are borers, and are no slight pests. This species — the palm-weevil — bores in palms. It is known in science as Rhyncffphorus cnioitatiifi. Linn. I find it varies greatly. Some in our collection are wholly black, whiie nearly all have wing-covers that have very little or fio red. This one shows the rich ma- hogany red in abundance, and is really veiy handsome. I am specially pl(>ased to secui'e THE PALM-WEEVIL. this specimen, not only from its beauty, its wide variation from the others in our collection, but most of all from its peculiar habit of ban- queting on the delicious nectar of the hive. I shall be very glad to hea- whether any one else has noted this habit, and shall be very much pleased to receive other specimens. I do not think the habit is sufficiently pronounced to make it especially mischievous. The insect is very hard, and I can readily believe it would be little disturbed, even in a bee-hive or hornet's- nest. Indeed. I found it quite difficult to pass a large insect-pin through Its hard crust. Agricultural College. Mich. A. .1. Cook. 408 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. May lo. MANUM VISITING H. B. ISHAM. BEES AND CHICKENS. "Good aftei'noon, Henry. I have come over to look after the bees, and see your r)00 chicks, and have brought Mr. H. B. Warner with me for a ride." " Well, gentlemen, I am glad to see you, and will show you the chicks with pleasure. Man- nm, I have been thinking for the. past few days that I would go over and learn your new way of caging queens to prevent swarming. But here you are, and I hope you will favor me with your new method before you return." "All right. Henry, I will. How have the bees wintered here?" "Very well indeed. I have lost but two out of 48 colonies. All are strong, but rather short of feed. I am determined to crowd the feed to them this spring, to induce brood-rearing alj I can." ciently, and consumes only 3.5 lbs. of coal in 24 hours. It is done with hot water conducted in pipes the whole length of the building under this walk in the center." " Well. Henry, I should think you had things well arranged for this business. These chicks certainly seem to be contented without a moth- er, and it seems so strange to me that they should thrive so well without the old hen. And now let me tell you that I think I have caught on to something new by coming over here. You know that Mr. Ira Barber advocates a warm place in which to winter bees. Now, why couldn't you have a cellar under this building, in which to winter your bees and regulate the temperature in it with this same apparatus, and without extra expense ? In this way you can have business both summer and winter — bees in summer and broilers in winter." •• Why. I had never ihought of the cellar bus- iness. I wish now I had made a cellar under this brooder- house." MH. II. H. ISHAM's bee- yard, WITH HIS POULTKY-HOUSE IN THE BACKGROUND. " I want to see the chicks. Let us go into the brooder-house. Oh my! what a lot of chickens! and all as white as snow. How nice and plump they are! Why. some of these must be large enough to dress, are they not?" " Yes, nearly so. I expect soon to dress 200 to make room for more that will hatch in a few days." " What breed are they ? I never saw any like them. Are they the new breed you told me about?" " Yes, they are an entirely new breed origi- nated by my partner, Mr. Wm. N. French, of New Haven, which he has named 'The White Wonder.' " " Henry, how do you warm this building? It can't be you warm it with this little dummy of a stove ?" " Yes, that little "dummy of a stove,' as you call it, does the business. It is a heater made for the purpose by Bramhall, Deane it Co., of New York. This building, as you see, is simply boarded and papered, and is (5.5 feet long by 17 feet wide; and this little heater warms it suffi- " Now, let us think a little further. Why not build a long narrow bee-house, say long enough to hold 1.50 colonies, 50 on a side, and allow them to remain in it summer and winter? Set the hives close up to the sides of the building, and make entrances through the building to allow the bees to fly out whenever they wish, the same as when wintered on summer stands, and then warm the building with one of these heaters whenever necessary; and, further in spring, when brooding commences, and we have a cold sour spell like the present unfavor- able weather for bees, why, just fire up and keep the bees warm and allow them to go on with brood -rearing. In that way we could succeed nicely in getting strong colonies by the time clover blooms; and, besides, we should have less dwindling. Your brood-house here might be made with another story, and keep the bees above and chicks below. In that way one heater would do the business for both bees and chicks." " Say, now. Manum, I am just going to try that next fall, on a small scale, and we shal 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 409 see how it works. I am glad now that yon came over and gave me these points. Now, what about the caging business?" •'Yes; and let me add that. bjM'unning the bees by this caging method, they might as well be on the second flooi' as on the first; for there will be no hiving of swarms. Now. my way of caging is this. I take a partly tilled section and put on each side of it some pieces of perfor- ated zinc, and fasten the zinc in place with tin points, the f-ame as I would glass. This serves as the cage. I now put in the queen and I'i'turn the section-cage to its place in the clamp(case). which, of course, is on the hive. You see, the bees are not queenless, and yet they can not swarm — or. at least, they won't go away when am not there. It will be necessary to look the coml)s over in eight days to cut out any queen- cells that may liave been started, and then in fourortive days later look them over and cut out queen-cells again, and liberate the queen and remove the section-cage, for that will con- tain eggs. I>y using the zinc the bees can have direct communication with the queen; and by having a queen thus continually in the hive the colony will, I think, work better than if the queen were removed entirely, and there is no fussing to introduce qneens, as she is already introduced, and we have simply to liberate her. I tried sevi^-al colonies on this plan last season, and I like it better than caging the queen in the brood-chamber, for the nuison that the queen is so far I'emoved from the brood that it seems to have a greater tendency to prevent the swarming impulse later on, as none of those run in this way offered to swarm at all last year, while some of those where the queen was caged in the brood - chamber did. However, one year's trial does not always prove a thing free from failure." ■• Thanks for the explanation, and I shall try it with a few hives this season. liut, supjjose the tiueen should get out through the perfora- tions; wouldn't it cause trouble in an apiary that you visit only once a week?" •' Yes. it would; hence it is necessary to procure zinc that is just right. The zinc I had last year did not always hold the qneens, therefore I shall try another make this year." '•There, Henry. I notice i\Ir. Warner is get- ting uneasy, and I think we shall have to go; but first, I want to take a view of this apiary and your chicken-house, so let's go out and see whether T can find a good position. Tlierc, I think the best place is from this cor- ner of the yard, and you may stand down there by a hive, and Mr. Warner out here, and I will soon have you both. There, all done. We will- now go. Good-by. Oh! by the way, Henry, have you heard that Gleanintis has a new edit- or ?•• "No; who can it be?" •• I believe his name is Leland Ives Hoot, bor'n Mar. -.Id, 18U1. to Mr. and Mrs. E. R. Root." "Ha, ha, ha 1 Good! lam glad to lieai- the good news. The more Roots, the better. It is said, you know, that the small fibrous roots are the feeders." " Yes. that is true; but. after all, the old ma- tured Roots are the ones which support the trunk and keep it erect through all storms and tempests while the small ones are growing up." Bristol, Vt., Apr. 13. A. E. Manum. [Friend M., a good many of us will thank you for the address of the firm that makes the little heater that does the work you mention, and takes only 'A'~> lbs. of coal for 24 hours. Your building for the bees, if you let them fly out through the waUs, is really a long house-apia- ry, and, if you remember. I have made extensive experiments in the way of warming a house- apiary; so yon will excuse me if I am a little incredulous. Those that were warmed did not do as well as those that uuirmed themselves. So I rather d(^cided that a good strong colony, with food enough so it could geuei'ate its own heat, was the cheapi^st way of doing it. Such a heater, however, with hot-water pipes, so as to give a regular, even temperature, may be quite in advance of the coal-oil stove used by myself and friend Uoolittle.— Thanks for your kind woixls in regai-d to the Roots.l NUBBINS. I'KOF. COOK HKVIEWS MATTERS. I am glad that (Jlkanings is deaf to those criticisms that lu'ge an editorial eye single to exclusive apicultural discussion. ' Without a doubt, the large majority of bee-keepers would vote to sustain your present course. To the few who criticise, you give more apiculture than they can get anywhere else for the money. The rest is clear gain; or. if chaff in their mind's eye, they can cast it to the winds and still be ahead. It is grand to have twice ten thousand ears senli-monthly. The man who would not be inspired by such an occasion to go beyond a narrow line of discourse would show a lack of appreciation of his rare opportunity, and the lack of aspiration, that I should not admire. To broaden out and say helpful things, and speak words that make the reader wiser and stronger and happier is good. The very suc- cess of your course Ix'speaks its wisdom; a:id so, I say. go on, though I am sure I do not need to say it. This nubbin grew out of an editorial sucker in a late bee-paper. Chilled brood can no moi'e give rise to foul brood than can la grippe to whooping-cough. La grippe might leave an enfeebled condition that could ill bear the shaking-up of whoop- ing-cough, or luccfc/'sa. So, chilled brood may imply a weakened state that would find it im- possible to resist an attack of foul-brood mi- crobes. Chilled brood, then, may open the door foi' foul brood, but can never cause it. The spring has opened very auspiciously. Three days of fine weather during soft-maple bloom, even more time given for the bees to ex- tract sweets from hai'd maple, and now the early fruit-bloom is well out. Last night gave us a severe frost. The thermometer registered 18° F. We fear this may play havoc with the fruit crop as well as bloom, and we also dread its effect on tlie white clover, which is very abundant, and big with promise. Yet we hope somi> hidden power will make them proof against even such frigidity. I fully believe that bees are v(M'y necessary to a full fruit crop. I hope all will notice, and see whethei' trees are in l)loom only during a time when, from cold oi' storm, no bees are flying, and note the result. If no fruit sets, while on other trees which bloomed a little earlier or later, and whicli were freely visited by boes, a full crop of fruit is borne, we shall have an ar- gument ihat will even reach oui' present legis- latoi-s. Ou)' intelligent fi-uit-meu are already convinced. You speak of bees getting honey from peas not in blooin. The partridge pea, as stated in my book, yields much nectar from ex- ti'a floral glands. That the culivated pea may do the same is not strange. Such glands doubtless seci'ete nectar to attract bees and wasps, which serve the plants in frighteniug away insect pests, that might desti'oy the plant.s. This makes me bold to say that my book contains much that is found in no other oue. It contains the latest science — all that is found in Cowan — 410 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. May 15. and now. all for a dollar. Should not all your many readers own and read ibis latest edition ? Could it but be of many dollars' worth of advan- tage to them? If all tlie kernels on this last nubbin are blasted, throw it into that conven- ient compost, the editorial basket. A. .1. Cook. Agricultural College, Mich., May .5. [P^riend C, I am exceedingly Obliged to you for your kind words in your opening paragraph. Such a thought from any one would make me feel glad; but it comes to me with additional force because of the weight that attaches to any opinion you may see tit to give. I am glad, too. that you have given this suggestion in re- gard to foul brood. An unfavorable condition in the plant or animal invites not only conta- gion, btit various insect and fungoid foes. How often, when we think something is new, some- body reminds us that it is already mentioned in Cook's Manual I And I do tliink that all bee- keepers who are not in possession of a copy might now, at least while the price is only a dollar, have one for a convenient handbook.] ARE THE FOOT-NOTES SOMETIMES UNFAIR T DR. MILLER REVIEWS THE MATTER. Not long ago I found some fault with the foot-notes, saying they were, perhaps uncon- sciously, too much given to saying smooth things: and now friend Green (p. 367) says they are too much given to saying rough things. Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in the middle. At any rate, I should be very sorry to have any thing said that would make much change in the foot-notes. They are the best part of Glean- ings. Right or wrong, the editor of a bee- journal is supposed to have more than the average amount of knowledge as to bee-lore, and it is always interesting and often instruct- ive to have the views of more than one on any given subject. . Suppose two bee-keepers. Brown and White, are both men of judgment and experience, and Brown is talking about something that you are interested to learn, how natural it is. when he stops, for you to turn around and say, " White, whatdoyou think about that?" So we like to turn to the editor, and say to him, •' What do you think about that?" and we expect our an- swer in the foot-note. If Brown is talking about a thing ovei' which he is somewhat en- thusiastic, it is quite natural for him to i)aint it somewhat rose color, foi-getting to mention ob- jections, and then it is the part of a faithful ed- itor to call attention to the other side. Again, an item is given that is of such value, if true, that the attention of every one should be par- ticularly called to it, and the indorsement of the editor gives the reader more confidence in it. I do not say that the knowledge of the editor is perfect — the number of such people is limited. But he ought to be right generally, and he may suggest a view from another standpoint. Let us examine a little. Look on page 383. There's an item recommending glue in white- wash for hives. Now. without the foot-note some one might have all his hives covered with a wash he would regret. He is at least put on his guard; and if some one has tried glue and finds it stands the rain, you may be sure he will be heard from. On the same page is a recipe for labeling tin— a thing that has been sought for. Two men vouch for its success, and I have confidence in it: but that confidence is greatly heightened when the editor indorses it, not only because it is corroborative testimony, but because, from his experience in that direction, his testimony ought to be good. You see, friend (ireen, the foot-notes are not all fault-finding. On the same page is another that is fault-finding. A correspondent asks a trial of queen-excluding top-bars. The editor sits down on it very gently. I think if friend Green or I had been there we would have said, "That thing has been tried, and you'll only fool away time on it." The foot-note, gentle as it is. may save disappointment in more than one case. No, fi'iend Root, don't repress the foot-notes, whatever else you do. Rather than that I'll take back all I said, and allow you to swing your hat, and sing out " Hurrah foi' our side I " at every favoi'able report that comes in. SHALL THE N. A. B. K. A. AND B. K. U. I'NITE ? Friend France, p. 16(5, asks me to explain how the Union would be benefited bv the union. His opposition to it, indorsed by "E. R.. makes me a little doubtful. Perhaps the disadvan- tages preponderate. I'll try to tell the advan- tages, and may not find them so many as I had supposed. The first one that suggests itself is the opportunity for an annual meeting. I know that friend Fi'ance says the Union doesn't have to meet anywhere to do its business. But that is just because it can't very well do so, however much the advantage might be. At least once. I think, it has had a meeting, and that was at a meeting of the N. A. B. K. A. The business is done mainly by the manager, but he sometimes consults with the other officers, and I feel siu'e that he would be glad to do so oftener if it wen^ not for the fact that all consultations must be by mail, without the opportunity of a personal meeting. In a late luimber of the American Bee Journal the question is raised (page 481) whether the Union can not do some work that the manger can not do without a change of its laws. The question as to the advisability or non-advisability of the particular case men- tioned does not now concern us. but it is entire- ly in the range of possibility that some change or some action might be needed that would be the better for close personal discussion. Then there is some advantage in the way of enthusiasm to be had from a personal meet- ing. I think that friend France will testify that the Union got a pretty good lift fi'om the pres- ence of the manager at Madison at the Wis- consin convention. If I am not mistaken, the members of the Union are much the same from yeai' to year — that is, a man who joins once is likely to renew his membersliip the next year. Now, suppose that the two societies were unit- ed, how many new members would the Keokuk conventit)n have brouglitinto the Union? I don't know, but I think fifty would be a pretty safe guess. And each year the N. A. B. K. A., from its wandering character, might do the same. Don't you think that would be quite an object? Might it not be a benefit to the N. A. B. K. A. to consummate the union? It would certainly do something toward giving it stability of char- acter, a thing it very much needs. At present there seems to be a union in so far that the re- ports of the Union are presented at the annual conventions of the N. A. B. K. A. Haven't I shown at least .so/hc benefit to i)e had from the combine? Now please tell us what harm would come of it. C. C. Miller. Marengo, 111. [We try. friend M.. to make our notes fair, but 1 fear that we do not always do it — not from a disposition to be unjust, but because of a lack of knowledge sometimes: for, as you say. editors are fallible. I am glad yon have taken up the other side, pai'ticularly as the foot-notes you commend were by me. I won't get conceited 18S)1 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 411 about it, but try the more to make them free fi'ora criticism. I am how reading up the baclv vohimes of tiie old bee-journals, in order that I may be posted in what is new and what is old, and what has been tested and found wanting, and what has been tested and found to be good. In regard to merging the Bee-keepers' Union into the N. A. B. K. A., I have to acknowledge that I am converted to your position ; in fact, Mr. Newman says the Union is part and parcel ]>ear- a lice of evil, that the gospel be not spoken against; but you rail at Mr. B., and send it to ^^(Wneaders (if Gleanings is lent everj-where as it is here, there are nearer 30,000), so you can see how much harm it may do. In reality Mr. B. does not show egotism by his refusal to take a thing he doesn't like; and Mr. Woodbury is plainly wrong in his n-marks. You have no doubt read in Pilgrim's Progress of how Clii'istiaii and Hoiieful followed Fliitterer in a patli apparently strMJght at first, but turning by de- giees till they tt;ivele(l in tlie opposite direction. I do not say that your friends incan to flatter you; but tlie dangers tliat Biuiyan pictured still exist. Now, please do not think that this is wiitten in a spirit of liostilitj. or is pj-ompted bj' jealousy. We envy no man prosperity. After all, the question is not," What are the motives of tliis?" but, "Is it true ?" A SuBSCRiBEK. Permit me to thank you, my good friend, for your kindly and just criticism. You are right in the position you take, that friend Braley has not been fairly treated. The same is also true of that California association. Why, then, was it permitted to go into print unnoticed? Sim- ply for the reason that I could not, in one paper, take up all these side issues. I started out with a text and with a particular point to make. The point was, that we should have more faith in the Scripture injiuiction to return riood for evil, and that we should not be troubled wh(ui we are criti- cised or persecuted: and I certainly made a strong point, and a helpful one. for the letters I have received indicate clearly and unquestionably as much. Now, had 1, at the same time, taken up this point you mention, it would have diverted the thouglitof my readers from the great moral I wished to make, and it would have wc^akened the effect of my talk. The kind letters I quot- ed were sirnply to show that I had not suffered in public opinion or public estimation by what friend Braley had said. I did not mean to car- ry the idea that the writers of these kind letters were entirely right. I kiunv they were preju- diced in my favor. I rather hoped the readers of GIjEANIngs would recognize this without tiie necessity of my taking space to correct it. I told you, in that same paper, that one of my besetting sins ?A'as egotism before the grace of God toned down one of the great defects of my character. T well knew I was laying myself open to the charge you make when I published these kind letters; but how else could I show to the world, or to our boys and girls, that, if their hearts are right in the sight of God, they need not trouble themselves to tight back. The point was this: Do (jood to those that hate you. and at the same time tight the evil in your own heart, instead of fighting those who have perse- cuted or criticised you. I surely was not "riled."' as you express it, my good friend; neither did iVish to call friend Braley an ego- tist. If it sounded so, it was a mistake on my part. I have all along had the kindliest feelings toward him. I do know it is exceedingly important that I, as a teacher, should be 'Vcry careful: and 1 thank you for kindly reminding me of its great importance. There M'rts a time when the flatterer might have turned me from duty; but I do not believe that flattery now can swerve me from the straight and narrow path very much. If it would, God knows I have enough praise to place me in danger. I have been pray- ing all along, and I will pray still harder, that none of these things may move me from the work whereuuto he has called me. Here is another letter, something in the same line. This, also, comes from a church-member, as you will notice. It is simply an extract from a very kind letter like your own: You wi^l pardon me if I should act the critic awhile. I, too, am a member of tlie church; and while I admire the way you fight tlie De\il in your warfare against some of the e^ils in the world, I admire, also, the moral tone of Gleanings' make-ui). But the Home Papers which you publish, I do not place a very high estimate upon. I verily believe that the publication of those Home talks has been very profitable to your business, and a source of revenue to you for many years, wliich no doubt you have enjoyed. Those simple talks have been the means of building up j'our immen.se busines.s. I would not have you stoi) pul)lisliing them on my ac- count, as some of the good brotliers were afraid j'ou might do, wlio so gallantly came to your aid with their sympathies. No: when a man has found a good ad\-eitising medium, as you have found in the Home Papers, why, it would be foolish to give them up. L. A. DOSCH. Miamisburg, Ohio, May 9. Dear friend, D., I am well aware that the Home Papers ftave been a means of building up our business: but I assure you, from the bottom of my heart, that they were never written with this end in view. The result has only been another of the pleasant surprises I tried to tell you about in that Home Paper that has been criticised. You are right in your a.ssertion that they have been profitable: but you are entirely wrong in your conclusion that they were writ- ten from a selfish motive. I am not working for money. In one sense I do not care particu- larly whether our business builds up or not. In fact, it /KfiJi.s' me to see some departments en- larging. As an illustration: I feel troubled to see our advf^'tising columns grow and expand when it is not perfectly clear to me that the good friends who patronize us will get theii- money back. If, however, the business can continue to increase and enlarge in such a way that Christ Jesus may never be crowded out of sight, and that his dear name may be honored and fjlorified at every .ste/), then let it build: otherwise, may God forbid. A. I. R. THE DUTY ON QUEENS. PHOF. COOK REVIEWS THE SITUATIOX. This new tariff on imported queens is really quite a serious matter. The factsare just these: The McKinley bill places a tariff of 30 per cent' on all imported animals. This, of course, in- cludes queen-bees. There is, however, a clause 4l:.> GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. May 15. exception from the provisions of the bill— ani- mals imported strictly for breeding- p'lrposes. This, of course, would also exclude (jueens, and exempt th(>ni from the duty. Hut there is a re- quirement tluit tlu' importer shall have a cer- tificate, establishing the fact tliat the animals are imported solely for piu'poses of bi-eeding. Now. any of us who are acquainted with gov- ernmental affairs know that the amount of red tape used to keep out fi'aud is something enor- mous. No donijt this is all necessary. Thus our iinpoi'ters will not be prepared to show pa- pers that, will i^xcmpt. the queens from the duty; and as the queens can not bo left in the custom- office, all early importers will, ]jer force, have to pay the duty. Now, I wish to suggest three practical points that liear on this matter. 1. Let every importer g{>t at once, from the Treasury department, blanks and instructions so that he may, in all future importations, liave the pa- pers to show that his goods are exempt from duty, so that he may secure his queens from the custom-house without expense, at once. 2. I would suggest that the executive com- mittee of the AnuM'ican Bee-keepers" Society, or the Bee-keepers'Union. take immediate steps to have the Secretary of the Treasury rule that queen-bees may be admitted free at once, as coming under the law, without any special cer- tificate, in that they are alwayi^ for purposes of breeding, 3. In case people have ordered queens of im- porters at advertised rates, I would suggest that each person pay this duty. It would be but little for each one, but would be very severe if the dealer had to bear it all. I suggest that each importer explain the matter to every pur- chaser, and I have no doubt that nine out of ev- ery ten will pay the additional amount required by this extra expense. I believe bee-keepers are just such men. I hope, Mr. Editor, you can add some word of advice to the above. I have several complaints— one very loud one— from importers. A. J. Cook. Ag'l College, Mich., May 9. [We have already notified our agent in Ninv York to be prepared to pay duty on queens, and forward them at once, "fhis duty is not so ex- cessive but that we think we can pay it and still maintain our old prices. The Italian queen- breeders have perfected their methods of send- ing queens across the ocean to such an extent that there is not nearly the loss that there was formerly, when the old price of .?6.00for the best queens was established for the month of July. Last summer wo reduced the price to ?5.00, and contemplated reducing it again; but the duty will probably hold ns as at ^5.00 for the month of July. It might be that we shall be compelled to raise our prices, but we do not think we shall be under that necessity. Since the above was written, the following letter, to Acting Secretary Willets, has been forwarded to Prof. Cook, who, in turn, sends the same to us:] Theasury Department, Ofi'ick of the Secretary. IVashinatdii, D. C, May 5, 189 The Honorable. The Secretary of Aijricultvie: Sir:— I liiive tlie honor to acknowledge tlie receipt of your letter of tlie '£ic\ ultimo, and, in repl.v, to say that, undei'the existing- taritf act, lean perceive no way in whicli importt'd bees can he admitted free of duty when intended tor bi'eediiiji- pin poses, except upon pi'oduction of the proofs piescribed liy para- graph 482 of the"fi'ee list," with tlie character of which you are famiiiai'. Bees, or other (hitiable arti- cles iniiiorted by mail from ponntiies with which the United States has no i)aicel-post treaties, are liable to seizure as illegal imiioitations; l)ut, under tlie au- thority of remission conferred Ijj law on the Secretary of theTreasury, collectors of customs may release the seizure on payment of duty and expense of seizure, when the dutyisfc'5or less, and where there is no jirciof of willful evasion of law or i)oslal tii-aty. The provision for sliipmentof (pieen-becs by mail, con- tained in rule llie, page TilS of the Po^toHice Guide, cited by y(ju, is uiKlcrstood bj' ttiis de|)ar;ment to re- late to the doini'slic and not to the foreign mails, in- asmueli as. under the Postal Union Coiuention, the only dutialile articles which may be imi)orted by mail are printed matter, comniereial papers, and samjjles of merchandise. Respect fully youis, CharLe's Foster, Secretary. [Prof. Cook adds:] Friend Root: — This seems to give us but little hope. The thing to do now is to find out just what course to pursue to get relief from dtity. A. J. Cook. [You, friend Cook, if we are not imposing on you too much, are just the man to secure that relief, as yon have a friend in court in the per- sonage of tltc Secretary of Agrictiltiu'e, Edwin Willets.] THE NEW WATEE CURE. SOME EXTRACTS FKOM THE WATER-CURE MAX- UAI., PUBITSHED IN lS-47 BY FOWLER & WETT.S. In addition to what we have already taken from this book. I have thought best to give also the following, from Chap. IV. The Water-cure Library comprises seven volumes. The ex- tracts we make are from Vol. IV. THE enema, clyster, INJECTION, OR LAVEMENT. This very imiiortant part of the water cure is as old as the liealing ait itself; but in the endless com- plications of the remedial means of modern times, almost any irritating or disgusting tiiud, other tlian pure water, is preferred. A variety of insti'uments for administering injections are now manufactured, varying in price from tifty cents to four or five dol- lars. The cheaper kinds, if well made and used with some degree of dexterity, answer a good purpose. Every person should have access to one; no lady's toilet is com] ilete without it. Contrary to the com- mon notion, a pi'rson, by the exercise of a little skill, can easily use this remedy' without assistance. It is in no wise inunful. but decitledl\ agreealile, and af- fords, in a variety of complaints, speedy and effi- cient relief. Thousands suffer incalculably from constipation year after year, when the use of this simple means would give the greatest I'elief, and thousands more are in the daily and constant habit of swallowing catliartic and aperient drugs, Bi'an- dreth's i>ills. castor oil, magnesia, blue pill, niercur.v. and so through the long chapter, that irritate and poison the delicate coats of the stomach, and exert their pernicious infiuence throughout the number- less lanes and alleys of the system, destroying the healthy tone of the tissues, deranging the nerves, and tlius causing a state of thiigs incomparabl.y worse than the disease itself, and rendering even that more and more i:ei'sisf ent. Most ])ersons may and should use this I'eniedy cold. A beginning may tie made with the water slightly warmed. In olistinate cases, lukewarm water ef- fects the object (ndcker and with greater certainty than cold. But, in\aluable iuid (>JHcient as is this remedy, li't no one iiersist in those habits of diet, such as tea and coffee drinking, the use of heating and stimulating condiments, greasy and concentrat- ed forms of food, etc., that tend so certainly to con- stipation and irri'gularit^' of tlu' bowi'ls. In all forms of looseiiessof the bowels, as diariliea, dysentery, cholera morbus, choleia infantum, aiifl the like,' this reniedj- is most excellent. In many a sudden attack, injections sutliciently i)erseyeied in, will sulTice quicklj- to correct the attack, and this when, in the ordiniiry treatment, a (■ouise of jiower- ful drugging, would be deemed indispensable, that would resul; iierhaps in death. So also in constipation and obstructions of the bowels; when no powerful cathartiL's that any one dare venture to exhibit can be made to att, this sim- ple remedy is effectual in bringing about the desii'a- ble object. In iiny of these cases, if there is debility, and especially if ii be great, whether the patient be 1891 (CLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 413 .voiiiifr (!!■ (lid, tlic wutci- slumld be of a iiiodd'atc U'lii- "in'ratui't'-iuit above that of tlu' blood (!t«° F.) nor very iiiucli below lliat ixiiiit. Even if lliere islii.i;'h intlam- inatioii and nnicli heai in the bowels, water at 9U or 9ri°, l)erse^•l'red in, will leadily brin.a- down llie teinper- aturi' of (he parts to a natural stale, as may be detei-- inined by i)la(inji' the lia]id upon (lie abdoini'ii. The I)utient's feelings of eomfort as to warmth or cold are a good guide. With tlu'se preeaulions as to (em- peratiii'e, ote., the injections may he reiii'ated for an liour, or e\'en hours upon the sti'etcli. In attacks of colic, cl.\stei's are used mucli. In spasmodic colic. 1 belii-ve, it will generally be found best lo use them quite warm. In wind colic, the enema is highly useful. Vomiting- as well, and soiue other means, as is shown I'lsewliere. should be brought to bear. Some cases are ^•ery obstinaie, and re(piire all the skill of the most expi'rienci-d iiracfi- (ioner; yet I advise all persons to ixiseveie; in bad <'ases you can not make matters worse, and will gen- erall.v succeed if you do not falter by tlu' way. In fainting- fits, and in hysterical symptoms, the injection is serviceable. It tliei-e is much debilit>', care nuist betaken that tiie -vvatei- be not too cold; bill g-ent'i'all.\' 1 he eoldei' it is given, the better. In cases of cholera, infantinii. when the infant is al- I'eady past lecovery. I have known tepid injections, frequently repeated, give, apjiarently, much relii'f; and i! alfoi-ds satisfaction, when nothing moi-e can be done, to be the means, in some dt-gree. of smooth- ing- tlie passage of these innocent sufferers to the tomb. Injections to the urinary pmssages, and to the va- gina and womb, are useful in all acute and chronic affections of these parts. The water should genei-al- l,\' hi' used cold. Various instruments are consti'ui't- ed for these pui-poses. In jiiles and hemorrhoids, of whatever Iclnd, injections are indicatid Itecent cases are often cured with wondeiful rapidity; and, in any case, those who have been long troubled with these comjilaints cind it would seem that about one- half tin' number of adults who lead a sedenltiry life a]-e thus troubled) will find that simple. i)ure water is incom])arably better than any of the thousand- and-one nosti-iuiis .so nuieh in vogue at this day. In a majority of these old caSes. however, no hu-al ap- plication will aecomiilish much, alone. The local sym])toms oid.\- indicate the diseased condition of the whole alimentary canal, as well as considerable derangement of every function of tlu' whole system. Hence the treatment must be gi'neral, and often powerful and long- continued; and it may ap|iear singular tliat the disease m;iy be madi' ajiparently worse by this treatment, before it can becui-ed. It likewise sometimes comes on as a crisis, where it nev- er had existed previously. In all of these cases, cold injections are good. We give also tbe following testimonials: A BAD YEAH AVTTH THE BEES: THAT AVATER CURE. I have been unable to do any manual labor for nearly one year: and my bees, from (53 colo- nies, have dwindled until I am afraid that I shall not have 20 colonies left. Last spring my bees never looked more promising, and I fed them 300 lbs. of honey, hoping to reap a benetit: but. Instead, I got no swarms and no honey: and being unable to earn any money, it left me in poor shape for the winter. As my grandfather was brother to Dr. Shew's mother, I happen to k)ioiv of many of his aston- ishing cures, and so I readily take to the new remedy. I am troubled a good deal like L., mentioned under " Throw Physic to the Dogs," in April 1st Gleanings, and I am positive that I am receiving benefit in iriany ways: and the strangest part of it is, I have been greatly troubled with catarrh for 18 or 20 months, but have been perfectly free from it since the lirst application of the new remedy. Our .Methodist minister received one of Dr. IlalPs looks, com- plimentary, with the reipiest to siirn and return oliligation, hut he said he thought it his duty to pass it armember; but as the usual prescriptions of medicine failed to have the desired effect with him. he went to Oyster Bay to try the effects of the sea-breeze and salt- water bathing. Thus fi'om personal necessities he commenced th(i study and practice of a course of diet—bathing, exercise, and the use of external fiiction. which, from the good effects produced, helped t,o build up an establishment that, in a few years, nu inhered its patients by the thousand. Dr. Shew was very methodical in his busi- ness, and wanted no half-way work in any of its operations. All baths, exercises, and fric- tion, which were done with crash towels or flesh-brushes, had to be done thoroughly and with a vim. Hot watei- and friction were used for very weak or aged patients, and" cold water and exercise for the young, who had plenty of nature's electricity. (Jraham and fruits, vari- ously ]jrei)ared. formed the basis of the diet of his patients, antl he wanted them to use no highlv .seasoned nor rich gr<'asv victuals of any kind.' A wet-sheet pack was his favorite remedy in nearly all acute diseases; and a shower or plunge bath, followed with friction and gym- nastics, in chronic cases. In a wet-sheet pack, the patient was wrapped from head to feet in sheets wet with cold water, and then covered with flannel blankets until a reaction and sweat were produced. In any event, a health- glow and moistui'e had to be brought to the surface of the skin before the treatment was ended. He pr(>ferred rain water for all uses, and had cisterns especially filtered and cleansed for drinking-purposes. His cisterns and wells were all thoroughly ventilated, and he would not willingly use water from a well or cistern where ventilation was neglected. He always varied his treatments with hot or cold water, both internally and externally, ac- cording to the requirements of the case in hand, and was always very particular about his after- treatments. I have seen cases which had battled the skill of physicians, and withstood years of pickling with drugs and medicines, without an iiuprove- ment, and which seemed hopeless cases of dis- ease, that, in the space of six or eight months of the genuine water-ciu-e treatment, have been transformed into perfect specimens of bodily health and vigor. I do not remember the date of his death, but I think it was in the 'BO's. Cornnna. Mich., May 11. I. T. Gould. WATER ri'RE WITH A VENGEANCE. FrlciHl Root:— In 18,30 I was in St. Petersburg, Russia, where the water-cui'e was a craze. In the month of Dec(>mber. in -/."vo weather, ice be- ing from two to three feet thick, large holes were cut (u'ery morning in the bath-houses situated on the ice in the river Neva. Then we took a plunge for a minute or two. and wrapped ourselves in our furs. It was refreshing: and, what an appetite for breakfast! Then, again, in the suinnu^r we went into the country to an 414 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. May ir artesian well and thei'c partook of inward cleansing. We always tried hard to see who could drink the most. We never stopped with less than ten or twelve glasses (holding about a pint). One day I beat the large crowd by drink- ing 14 glasses iii two hours. In 1839 there was a similar hydropathic craze in Germany, but more moderate than in Russia: but yet I took many baths in winter in the liver Spree. The water cuie was recommended for rheumatism, fevers, etc. In regard to eating linseed, why, friend R., I am somewhat surprised. Flaxseed tea is quite a common thing in ray nativ(» country (Russia). The seed is boihnl for two or three hours, then strained: and sweetened, if for cold, with honey or sugar: then add ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, oi' any other essence, to taste. It is excellent for colds, coughs, and dyspepsia. It will set the stomach right. Even for infants' ailments it beats many of the nostrums sold at high prices; and. when properly pi'epared, it is pleas- ant to take. Try it, but don't eat the raw seed, which is good enough for cattle: but even then the oil is better. P. C. Bluhm. Smithville, Tenn., May 4. " rp:xder i'xto cesak the things that ARE Cesar's." Do not be too hard on Dr. Hall. If he had not revived Joel Shew's recommendation, it might have lain dormant another quarter of a century -as it has the past one. I have the book, and read it years ago; but it was laid away and almost forgotten, and I thank you and Dr. Hall for reviving it again. A revival is often veiy beneficial, sometimes, even in re- ligious affairs. Tnos. A. Maskei.l. Harmersville. N. J.. May 11. [All right, friend M. I will try to have more chai'ity. One summer, some years ago. I was complaining that my feet were so sore and ten- der that I could hardly stand it to walk around. A runner for some kind of goods happened to be in the store, and remarked as follows: '• Ml-. Root, if you will wash your feet as often as you wash youi- hands and face, your troubles in that line will be ended." I thanked him. and began straightway to wash my feet every night and morning: and I found it an excellent plan, duiing hot weather in summer, to go around on the lawn barefoot- ed, while the grass was covered with dew. Now. this man did me a great favor. Pei'haps it would not have been a bad investment if I had given him MM) for the information, and he might have called it a discovery of his.* Is not this a parallel case? and would it be right or Christianlike for somebody to charge *4.(Jb for a secret or discovery that consists simply in wash- ing your feet as often as you wash your hands and face? I suppose the matter has been dis- cussed enough already, only that Dr. Hall (.s- now at this iiery inmnciit taking money from people who do not read the papers, whei'ever he or his agents can hunt them up.J the water cure Ft)K TAINS IN THE SIDE. Thanks for youi- pamphlet. I have great faith in your remedy. If you will send some to my address I will see that they get to people I think they may benelit. A neighbor sent for me in great haste. One of the family was taken suddenly with what they thought w as i)leurisy. suffering great pains in side and bowels. I urged them to try hot-water enemas, with a lit- tle soda dissolved in it. using the common syringe. It bro\ight entire relief in a v<'i'y few minutes. I think pleurisy, inflammation of the *Wadiiig tlu'ougli tlie deuy (jrass is a discuveiy of mine— 11 discovery in " Wdter cure." bowels, and a great many other tioubles. could be cured by using hot-water enemas, and hot- water compresses outwardly, covered with dry flannels. I know it will cure inflammation of the bowels every time if persevered in. N. Royalton. 6.. Apr. 16. Mrs. O. M. Keyes. THE NASAE DOUCHE — A CORRECTION. Frioul Root: — I see I got a bad mistake in " Water Cure for Nasal Catarrh." page 3?8. I said, ■■ Breathe through the nose." when I should have said, tlirough the mouth. Press the little nozzle against one nostril, and liold the palate of the mouth firmly against the roof, so the water can't go down the throat or into the mouth. Done thus, there is no danger of strangling. I am veiy sorry it got in wrong; for if any one tries it that way he is sure to get strangled. Put a teaspoonful of salt to a pint of warm water, and it will feel pleasant: but without the salt you can't stand it. You would think the top of your head was blown oflF. Venice. Fla., Mav 1. 1891. J. H. Hii.i,. SIMPEICITY AND CHEAPNESS. Accept thanks for the little book on water cure. You seem to be in some trouble about the stiff rubber piece at the end. I use a large goose-quill pushed down into the rubber hose. Push tlie quill entirely down, so the hose will cover it at the end. and sort o" pucker over it. The quill does not obstruct the flow of the wa- ter. For a nasal douche I use the same with a little cotton rolled round so as to plug up the nostril. Wm. \\ ason. Rockdale, Texas, May ".». AVITHOUT .MONEY AND WITHOUT PRICE. A few days since, when I was in a little vil- lage I heard a lady, an acquaintance of mine, who has poor health, telling another afflicted sister of a wondeiful cure foi' human ills. She dwelt largely upon its merits, and said she would give hi'r friend the addi-ess: and if she would send §2.00 she could obtain full directions. The treatment was simple, but she did not feel at liberty to tell what it was. I interposed at this point, and asked if it was HalTs hot-water cure. The lady looked at me in amazement. I believe that for the moment she thought that I too was a disciple of Hall, and had fallen from grace, and was i-evealing secrets I had promised to keep. She did not answer. I asked her if she knew Mr. Root, of Medina, and if she read Gleanings. She knew neitln'r one. strange to say. I then told them both how you were ex- posing the water secret, and the other lady went home well pleased in possession of both water cure and .*?.00. Suuscriber. GOLDEN ITALIANS. akp: they less hardy than the three banded rees? In an editorial in Gleanings. April 1.5. you speak of the " yellow five-banded bees "dying in such a way that many people would infer that they were less hardy than the thi'ee-band- ed or leather-colored Italians. I have had five or six colonies with a strain of the "yellow five- banded bees." on trial the past three yeais. and duiing all this time they have been numbered among my very best colonies in regard to win- tering and building uj) early in the spring. They are less inclined to rol). and are gentler thaii any three-banded Italian bcH's I ever saw. The |)ast three seasons have been poor honey seasons, but they have done as well as any oth- er liees I have— better than the Carniolans. If I remember aright, they are descended from a queen procured of Mr. (i. M. Doolittle. and \k> 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 415 one questions the fact tliat his bees are good workers. SLIDING ox HIVK-COA'ERS. On page 303 Mr. E. France objects to " slid- ing" on hive-covers, on the ground that it rolls the bees up in bunches, and kills them. My e.K- perience lias been, that, it' the cover and top side of the honey-board are free of bui'r-corabs, and the cover "be held squarely down on the hive, there need be no bees killed; but if you have to raise the cover a trille to let it pass over a bit of burr-comb, the bees will crawl under the cover on the ends and side of the hive, and then, if the cover be closed down, it can not fail ■of killing bees. Elmer Hutchinson. Rogersville, Mich., April :.'0. [I did not wish to convey the impression that all four and five banded bees were less hardy than the darker Italians, but that those we had were so. What you say regarding tiie sliding •cover is correct, according to my experience. WIu'U we had burr-combs we scraped the cover ■and frames aftei' the honey harvest, so as not to be bothei'(>d with them the I'est of tlie year.] E. R. R. CADDICE-FLY LARVS:. •• HOOKS IX nrXNIXG BROOKS." CLOSED-END FRAMES. interciiaxgkable; not stick I.MMOVAHI.V with tropolis. Fnif. A. J. CiKjh: — While out on a ramble to- day we sat down by a small creek to rest, and noticed something ci'awling about in the bot- tom of 2 to 4 inches of water, that looked like rotten twigs with the bark peeling oft'. On ex- amination we found larvte in them, and inclose some to you. Please tell us what they are, their habits, and how they live, through Gleanings or by letter, as you wish. Gleanings Typos. Medina, O.. April 3<). [Prof. Cook replies:] In the early springtime— April and May— the rambler, whom love of nature causes to lie prone on some bank of brook or pool, and look at tlie thousand wonders that nature there re- veals, will often see a strange twig-like or grav- el-formed tube which will seem to move along •of its own will. He is likely to conclude that inanimate things may move, unless, forsooth, lie is more curious, when he will find a very an- imate cause of the motion. This is a worm-like iarva, with six strong legs just back of the head, by use of which the insect pulls itself and its strange home along through the water on the bottom of the stream. The tube which surrounds this aquatic traveler, and whicli •doutless preserves it from hungry tish and tad- poles, is made by the larva. These tubes are fashioned by gluing sticks and stones together. They are usually cylindrical, but they may be made of stones, and be more curious, as they are often the form of a snail-shell. Often silken threads help to hold the pebbles in place. Two hook-like legs at the tail end of the body serve to hold the insect in its tube, so it is very dilH- cult for a tish to get the larva unless it is will- ing to take tube, web, and all. These larvte •are nearly transparent, so we can see the heart, along the back, nerve system along the under side, and the air-tubes along the sides. Thus these may be used to study the internal organ- ism of the insect. The mature insect of this larva is called the "caddice-fly."' Its wings are thick ami paper- like: and when the insect is at rest tln-y are roof- like. The legs are ratliei" short, and the antenna^ are nearly as long as the body. Some are variegated, and are quite pretty. They are attracted by lights, and so they often come into •our rooms. A. .1. Cook. Agricultural College. Mich.. April :.".). Till' lii'st lot of bees I bought when 1 came here were in closed-end frames with an outer casing, leaving a two-inch space all around. After using such hives for a year I found there was no trouble with proiiolis, nor in interchang- ing the frames, and that they were almost as easily handled as the swinging frames: though, out of mere habit, I can tiiid a queen a little (luicker, I think, among the swinging fi-ames; but the use of such frames for tifteen years might explain the difference. In the spring the colonies on closed-end frames were the strong- est. The only objection I found was, that the air-space was a harbor for insects, and esiiecial- ly scorpions. As I would rather have bee- stings, ten to one. I discarded the closed-end- frame hive for on(> of my own make, a pet hive. snakes, Gle.\.xin(;s can not be too "snaky " foi' me. The i)rofessor has certainly given us a very val- uable ailicle on snakeship. The habits of such a dreaded enemy must ue known in order to fight its terrible bile, and save those that would otherwise die eveiy year from its effects. As to a snake swallowing its young at the approach of danger, there can be no doubt of it. The (esophagus has the pt)wer of expanding, afford- ing the means of swallowing an animal much lai'gei- than the body of the snake. A snake will also swallow its young for the night, and. before being killed, in the dying act will give them up. After a protracted rain a i-attler can't emit tlui lattling sound as usual, his rat- tles being too wet. In this section the ground- moccasin is to be the most dreaded, as it gives no warning note, .1. B. LaMontagne. Winter Park. Fla.. Apr. -2:?. LADIES' G0M¥ERSM18NE. THE FLAT cover: " E. R. R. AND E. FR.\NCE ROTH RIGHT. We have used tlat covers in our apiaries for six years, and I think "Slv. France and Mr. Er- nest Root are both right about the method of putting them on. As our hives are in the spring, the sliding movement is seldom used. In place of that we rest one end of the cover on the hive, gently play the cover up and down, each time letting it come a little nearer the hive (giving the l)ees time to run out of danger, which they will do very quickly), until the cov- er rests tii'inly in place without killing a bee. Just as soon, "however, as our hauling is done, and our hives are all in their proper places on their summer stands, we will hoe the top-bars of each liive clean. Then our covers can lie put on with a sliding movement as well as when the hives are new. There is no difficulty in sliding the covers on tlie supers, for they are al- ways clean. If there are no burr-combs, and every thing clean, you can commence at one side and slide youi' cover clear across, the only difficulty being that, just as the opening is closed, if a bee is in the way it is likely to be cut in two. At that lioint. then, you must go a little carefully and let the liees have a chance to get out of the way. Even if we found no difficulty in putting the covers on. I should want the top-bars hoed clean, for I do not believe we have so many burr- combs if the bars are clean to begin with. Two 416 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. May 15. can do this work better than one, for you need both hands to use the hoe, and another person must keep a smoke constantly going over the surface to keep the bees down. Spread a cloth on the ground to catch the burr-combs as they drop from the hoe. It will save picking them up. All this is a good deal of trouble, and. if thick top-bars will do a»vay with burr-combs, then I vote for thick top-bars. If Mrs. Axtell will li y wearing a sheepskin slipper or moccasin (such as men sometimes wear inside their rubber boots) inside her light rubber boots. I think she will iind them heavy enough, and more comfortable than the heav- ier boys' boots would be. Also. I think she will find the cause of honey-dew on her plants either the aphis or scale louse. Either of these insects will cause it, sometimes in very large (|uanti- ties. As the aphis is very easily detected, I should think it more likely the scale louse. Many thanks to Miss Nellie Linswik for in- formation in regard to gloves. I am sure your gloves, being white, will save yon many stings. But, how about the propolis on the ends of your lingers? for I must confess I dislike the pro- polis on the ends of my lingers and under my nails fully as much as the stings. It is such a comfort to pull off my gloves and find my hands clean. I am now wearing a i)air of sealskin gloves, such as Mr. Thomas wrote me about, and like them very much. I wish you would try a pair. Miss Nellie: I think you would like them. If those who wear gloves were generally agreed that white sealskin are the best, it might be a good plan for Mr. Root to keep them in stock. I have also had a chance to test my new aprons, and at present I think they are grand. What I may think of them when the thermom- eter stands at 100°. I do not know y(!t. Mrs. Hai'rison, if you can endure them during June, July, and August. I believe you would like them during the early spring and fall. I am very glad. ^Ir. Root, you have given us a ladies' department. I only hope the ladies will not be so hard worked through the summer that they will be too tired to write. Marengo, III, A])ril 35. Emma Wii,son. SHOES FOR I-ADY BEE-KEEPERS. Reading over the articles on gloves and othei' suitable apparel for wome7i in th(! apiary, I liave noticed nothing regarding the shoes. which to me is an all-imi)oi'tant matter: for un- less my feet are dry and warm I get sick; and if my shoes are not easy and comfortable I am nervous and out of sorts every way. For spring work, the shoe I prefer is just high enough to support the ankle: of light-weight leather, front lace, with common-sense heel. These slioes are on the market here — very neat and durable, too, for about !P2.00; but on a wide last, E or E E. As I n^quire a narrow shoe, I have to have mine made to oi'der. One's feet do not tire so soon with the ankle supported, and thes(^ shoes are not so warm as the I'egular boot. For s(mietbing to keep tiiese from ab- sorbing moisture when the ground is muddy or damp. I use boys' rubbers. These coiu(! in one size, and are more durable than are those made for women. GI.OVES. We are now using men's gloves, of a thin leather that is almost white, and so cheap that they sell for about 40 cents a pair. We add a linen gauntlet witli rubl)er in the top. We very much prefer to wear gloves among tiie bees. They not only protect fi'om stings, but keep the hands soft, and in condition for needle work and very many things we women have to do a.side fiom work in the apiary. For these I bought tive-cent shirting, and made by the pattern recommended by Miss Wil- son. These will wear well, protect the dress, and not be so warm as ticking. An ulster, as recommended by Mrs. Stow, is an excellent dress for bee-work. It is loose and cool, and covers one from head to foot. THE HAT. I like one which I fashion out of tolerably coarse braid, into a shape similar to a '"sun- down." This is cool, and will protect the face and neck'. We have tried broad-rimmed hats: but when we stoop over, or the sun is low, it is very apt to peep under and blister our skin, or make it so red as to be sore. We should get sunburnt too: and what woman, who has ob- served the aptitude of the opposite sex to ad- mire beautiful women, wants to yield her charms, if she has any, but rather protect them ? We must have Gleanings: and as we can't express a "candid and outspoken opinion," find- ing fault, we send subscription. We are always profited by reading Gleanings, and we would have no part omitted. We are especially glad of the Home Talks, and of the recent addition of a Ladies' Depai'tment. Mrs. Milton Cone. Chillicothe. Mo.. April 11. BEE- APRONS FOR WOMEN— ANOTHER MATERIAL. I see by Gleanings, Feb. 1. that Miss Wilson is at a loss to know of what material to make her aprons for the apiary. I am going to use blue denim (I believe that is the right name), such as men's overalls are made of. only I shall use thinner goods than aic usually put into men's clothes. I use the thinner cloth because it is easier to wash, and is not so stiff' and clum- sy as the other. I know the honey does not soak through and soil my husl)aiid"s clothes un- der his overalls, so I think the same goods will save my dress. Last .reason I wore calico until I became convinced that it was little bet- ter than nothing, as I tore one to pieces on an average of once a week, for our apiary is sur- rounded by sumac bushes and black-sage brush, and the swarms invariably took to the sumac for alighting-places. Now, there is nothing like brush for catching one's apron, and pick- ing it full of holes. After the calico I used gingham, but that was but little better, so now lam going to make a raid on goods used for men's clothes, and see if lean get satisfaction out of that. NO GLOVES RECOMMENDED. I think if Miss Wilson will leave off' her gloves entirely slie will Hud that propolis has not so strong an af'hnity for her naked hands as it. has for her gloves: and I am ct)nvinced that the bees have no such grudge to pay off' <»n the bare hands as th<'y have on hands in a glov(>. Last season was my second year with the bees, and I worked without gloves, receiving but f(>\v stings, perhaps half a dozen in all. The season pre- vious t wore buckskin gloves and I'eceived as many as half a dozen stings in them in a day. The l)ees. although belonging to two diff'enMit ai)iari('s. wer<' of the same kind of cross hybrids. There aic lots of wild bees in tlu' mountains back of us, and, strange to say, they are all hy- brids, some of them showing two and thi'ee bands. I have found many a wild swarm hei'e. but I have th(> liist swarm yet to Iind whos(- woi'kers do nf)t show the yi'llow bands of the- Italians, and yet there has been no imported queen brought liere for years. Mrs. Mattik A. Bonfoky. South Kivei'side. Cal.. Feb. 2(5. 1891 GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 417 THE ROSY HUES OF APICULTURE. DH. Mn>I.KR THIXK.S WE PUT THAT SIDE TOO MUCH bp:foke the people. Is there .^Joniething inherent in tiie business of bee-k(>eping that makes it so common a means of misleadins? Is any other business so generally painted in rosy hues? and is tliere any other business that knaves in its track so many wrecked hopes? Bee-keepers, as a class, are not a set of sharpers and cheats. Outside of the ministry it is hard to find a cleaner set of miMi. Why, then, is there so much misrepre- sentation?" A great deal of it is no doubt due to thoughtlessness, some of it to ignorance, and perhaps most of it to the natural desire to tell as big a story as possible. A noteworthy example is before my eyes— not sodiffercMit from many others, hut noteworthy on account of its medium, the Lddie-^' Hoinc JoumdJ. As is well known, this is a paper of immense influence— its editor, besides being one of the most bi'illiant of men, being one who shows in ev(M-y number of the paper that he is sincerely dcsinms to do all in his power to ad- vance the best intei-ests of woman. With a cir- culation of (')0t),000. it is easy to believe that each number is read by two million women, for each paper is probably read by three or four women. Now let me give you the gist of an ar- ticle on bee-keeping for women in the last L. H.J.: To begin bee-keeping, buy tw