1882 



GLEAKINGS IN BEE CULTUKE. 



193 



when the weather is too cool for them to do 

 it, should we give them water on a sponge, 

 over the cluster? ('an not some ingenious 

 one among us Hx a sort of upper entrance, or 

 veranda, with a tiny watering-trough, where 

 they can just step out of the cluster and 

 drink to their little hearts' content, when- 

 ever it rainsV JVrhaps even the dew of a 

 bright June starlight night might be util- 

 ized. When you set it to work, let us know. 



FIXING ENTRAKCKS. 



Do you bank the sand right upagfainst the bottom- 

 hoard even with the entrance? If so, won't it soon 

 rot the end of board? Edwin D. Stevenson. 



Burlington, N. J., March i, 18S2. 



The way we fix entrances is to set the 

 hive, first," on four half-bricks ; then bank it 

 around with coarse cinders sifted from coal 

 ashes. Over the cinders we put coarse sand 

 and gravel, finishing with the whitest sand 

 we can get. We wish the surface to be of 

 white sand, so we cm see at a glance when 

 a queen or drone, or any other kind of a bee, 

 is brought out. Sometimes we can detect, 

 at a hasty glance, where robbing is or lias 

 been going on, by tlie dead bees scattered on 

 the white sand. This arrangement will not 

 rot the bottom-boards, especially if they are 

 made of pine, as we usually make them. 



BLUE-THISTLE HONEY. 



I send you a sample of blue-thistle honey in a bot- 

 tle la a block of wood. If it were not for blue this- 

 tle this would be a poor country for bees. Blue 

 thistle makes the finest honey I ever saw. My bees 

 are in fine condition; the weakest colonies have 

 brood in three frames, and every thing is nice and 

 clean about their hives. Friend Root, if you ever 

 get anywhere near here, come and see me. I think 

 I could entertain you a week anyhow. I wish you 

 could come in the blue-thistle season. I know you 

 would enjoy your visit. Bees can be bought in the 

 mountains near here for two dollars per hive, de- 

 livered at rai'.road station (black and bo.v hive, of 

 course). I am the only one in the county of Clarke 

 who uses one-pound sections or comb fdn. 



J. Luther Bowers. 



Berryville, Va., March 6, 1883. 

 The honey has a flavor in some respects 

 strikingly like the famed California sage ; 

 but otherwise, I should call it white clover. 

 It would command as high a price in the 

 market, I should say, as any honey we have. 

 The comb is very delicate, and melts in the 

 mouth. If we do not raise blue thistle, it 

 would certainly pay bee-men to locate where 

 it will grow any way.— I should be very glad 

 to make you a visit, friend J5.,and I presume 

 I should enjoy the sight of a blue-thistle 

 field exceedingly ; but I hardly think I could 

 leave these boys and girls here for a week. 

 AVould a half-day do V 



SQUARE vs. PROMPT LIST. 



We have just been reading the remarks of Mr. J. 

 A. Nelson, on page 140, March Gleanings, regard- 

 ing the Square Men's list. Mr. N. says: "As to the 

 •. list of square men, if you would drop the word 

 square, and put prompt in its place, and also leave 

 out 'we do not know of a single customer who is not 

 satisfied," I think it would just suit me." What 



would a column devoted to prompt men signify? If 

 we sent $5.00 to a man, and he sent us an article 

 worth 50 cents, prompt!.!/, he would still be entitled 

 to a place in the prompt list, would he not? But do 

 you think we should regard him as a scjuare man 

 who endeavored to keep the golden rule? Assured- 

 ly not. Now, it seems to us that the word square 

 implies promptness and everything else that is hon- 

 orable and upright. While a dealer may not always 

 be able to ship goods at just the time wanted, there 

 is no excuse for his not answering correspondents 

 courteously, and returning money when requested. 

 An objection to the opening clause of the heading 

 would, it seems to us, imply that the person making 

 such objection had a dissatisfied customer that he 

 knew of, and refused to satisfy. We hope friend 

 Hoot will not change the heading of the Square 

 Men's Column to please any who are afraid to take 

 such a stand for the right. 



Bees are in splendid condition. We have not lost 

 a colony, and all are very strong and healthy. We 

 think we never had so good a lot of bees before. 

 E. A. Thosias & Co. 



Coleraine, Mass., March, 1883. 



A new and novel swarming-dox. 



A swarm issues, and I pick up the queen (her 

 wings being off), and put her in the corn-popper with 

 a few of her bees. Now, I do not want to move the 

 original colony, and how far from that stand can I 

 take her and have the returning swarm readily find 

 her? Don't tell me to "see A B C," for I've lent it, 

 and don't know where it is. M. Simons. 



Brccton, N. Y., March!, 1883. 



I do not see how you can do it at all, my 

 friend, unless you can get the bees to cluster 

 on the corn-popper, and then, of course, you 

 could hive tlieni where you choose. If the 

 bees miss their queen, they will, so far as 

 iny experience goes, go immediately back to 

 their old hive ; and if you should put their 

 queen in a new hive, even close against the 

 old one, they would probably not see her. 

 Where did you get that idea of a corn-pop- 

 per? I am inclined to think it may super- 

 sede all our swarming- boxes. Put in the 

 queen and hold it near where the swarm is 

 clustering, and they will be pretty sure to be 

 all on the corn-popper in a very little time. 

 The wire cloth will furnish them a nice foot- 

 hold, and their queen and a few bees inside 

 will surely hold them. Shake them before 

 the hive where you wish them ; and as tiiey 

 run in, open the cage and let the queen go in 

 with them. 



THE BEST SWARM-CVTCHEJtl. 



Take a frame of comb, well fastened; hang it on a 

 pole; hold this among the flying bees, or In front of 

 the limb where the bees have commencPd to settle, 

 which thoy will do with delight, on the frame. After 

 they have started to settle on the frame, you can 

 walk slowly to the hive you want them in, and hang 

 the frame in. Bees will almost hive themselves in 

 this way. Louis Hofstatter. 



Louisville, Ky., Feb. 20, 1883. 



OUR SnOP-ROOP APIARY OP TM'O HIVES, 



I live on the " South Side '' of Pittsburg, and I will 

 give you our experience with bees in the city. Wo 

 keep our bees on our shop roof adjoining our house, 

 which shuts off the cold wind. We bought 3 lbs. Of 



