38 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE. 



Jan. 



hill's device for wintering. 

 Please send me two of those things to put on the 

 frames (Hill's device). I know it is nice, for I put 

 some large spools in to ho d the chaff cushions up 

 in the middle, last winter; made candj' after your 

 recipe, and fed a small swarm, and they did nicely. 

 A. E. Harrower. 

 Lawrenceville, Tioga Co., Pa., Nov. 28, 1881. 



TELEPHONES TO TELL WHEN BEES ARE SWARMING. 



I took down my telephone from the house to the 

 shop, on account of the incessant thumping heard at 

 each end by the bees. 1 thought it would be too bad 

 if it served them as it did the pigeons which I so oft- 

 en see lying dead under our telegraph line here. 



II. Wilkin. 



San Buenaventura, Cal., Nov. 28, 1881. 



FLORIDA. 



Bees have been gathering steadily for the past 

 eight weeks, some swarms having stored 30 lbs. of 

 surplus in that time. There is every prospect of 

 their continuing at it until Christmas, as the saw- 

 palmetto berry crop is still to come when the pres- 

 ent one is exhausted. W. S. Hart. 



New Smyrna, Fla., Nov. 15, 1881. 



TIPS AND DOWS IN SCOTLAND. 



I have got your ABC book, and think it is up to 

 the times. I try the bees in a small way, but I have 

 not got a lick of honey this season, as I had even to 

 feed in the month of June to keep them from starv- 

 ing. I had a rare good "smile" last year, so can 

 stand a little long face this, but don't mean to 

 " growl." Thos. Ewaht. 



Lanrick Castle, Doune, Perthshire, Scot'd, Nov., '81. 



IN THE SDN OR OUT OF THE S€N, FOR WINTER. 



I have a row of hives standing in the shade of a 

 south building, and the sun will not shine on them 

 till spring. All are on summer stands. Now, which 

 will do better, move them to where the sun shines 

 on them, or shade till spring? 



Mrs. D. a. Donnelly. 



Valraont, Colo., Nov. 24, 1881. 



[This matter of shade in winter is an unsettled 

 point; and, if I am correct, different winters would 

 give different results. I would say, give us the sun- 

 shine. What has been the experience of others?] 



an apology. 



The Southeastern Michigan Bec-Kecpers' Associa- 

 tion met the 15th. There was a small attendance, 

 but a very interesting meeting was had. A little 

 apology for not giving notice in Gleanings would 

 be satisfactory to your subscribers, and relieve me 

 from blame. New officers were chosen. 



A. Prudden, Ex-Pres. 



Ann Arbor, Mich., Dec. 20, 1881. 



[[ do most humbly apologize, friend Prudden, and 

 if you will tell me when you meet next, I will give 

 you a notice that I hope will make all amends.] 



HONEY-PAILS AND CANS. 



I had some honey-cans made this year, and the 

 party that made them put Ji mouth-pieces to pour 

 in and out of, and I assure you that it is annoying 

 to pour honey out of them or in them. 1 had three 

 100-lb. cans, and two 6-gallon cans made. Can you 

 manage to nest the large cans, say from 50 lbs. down 

 to 1 gallon? or for what can you sell me 1 dozen 1- 

 gallou cans and 1 dozen '/a-gaUon cans? Now, wbi^t 



I wish, is enough different sizes so that when I ex- 

 tract I can till the cans from the extractor, and in 

 that way obviate the difficulty of drawing honey 

 when I go to market, as it will be in suitable vessels 

 to deliver to purchasers. Please let me know about 

 freight and price at once, so I can order when I send 

 for hives. I know that you advertise nests of cans 

 such as Dadant uses, but I do not wish any thing un- 

 der Vi gallon, as I do not retail much under that 

 size. J. D. Fooshe. 



Coronaca, S. C, Nov. 30, 1881. 



[[ think, friend F., the tendency is, of late, to pre- 

 fer covered pails instead of cans, for we then can 

 nest them in shipping. Candied honey can be eas- 

 ily got out, and the pails are always wanted by the 

 purchaser of the honey. Covered pails will be found 

 on our counter list, from 1 pint to l'/4 gallons. We 

 can furnish .'5-gallon pails for .50 cents each, and 10- 

 gallon pails for 75 cents each. For prices by the 

 hundred, see lists. Freight will be very much less 

 on nested pails, because they make a solid package, 

 compared with covered pails all of one size.] 



Or 



Letters from Thoi>!e TVho have Itlside 

 Bee <;(i]tiire a Failunc. 



ESEND you three dollars for three subscribers. I 

 thought I could get a club of five by this time, 

 ' but I have failed. The bee-keepers in this sec- 

 tion think bees are a perfect failure, and those who 

 write for the paper tell too many big stories about 

 the amount of honey they get from a stock of bees. 

 1 am not discouraged yet quite, if the honey don't 

 pour in by the bairel. I ha\o twenty stands nicely 

 tucked away in boxes, tilled with chaff', to try my 

 luck again this winter. But there is one thing that 

 I have got disgusted with; that is transferring and 

 fixing up my neighbors' bees, and then they will let 

 them stand and never look after them till something 

 goes wrong, no odds how much I tell them how to 

 look to them, then somebody is to blame. I love to 

 work with the bees, and have worked and handled 

 them for three years, and taken and read two bee 

 journals, so 1 think I know something about them. 



T. M. Pearson. 

 Tippecanoe City, O., Nov. 26, 1881. 



That is right, friend P.; tie not get dis- 

 couraged, even if honey does not pour in by 

 the barrel right away. God will send you 

 the barrels full in his own good time, pro- 

 viding you do not get weary in well doing, 

 nor get out of patience with your neighbors. 

 I wonder if they will feel hurt if they should 

 see this. If both you and they have a Christ- 

 ian spirit, they will not, assuredly ; but on 

 the contrary it will do them good to be told 

 of what they must know is their own short- 

 comings. It just now occurs to me that 

 this letter don't belong in Blasted Hopes 

 after all. 



TOBACCO COLilIITIN. 



SN the first place, in regard to stopping Our Homes : 

 I vote, " No, ><ir! " every time. I quit the use of 

 — ' tobacco after you offered to pay men out of 

 your own pocket (you don't owe me any thing for 



