298 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



June 



"huckleberry honey," and some other things. 



I have been thinking of writing to you for some 

 time. Father has the rheumatism, and it keeps me 

 stirring. But you know more about the troubles of 

 a busy bee-keeper than I do, especially if he is be- 

 hind time in his work. I will have my little shop 

 and bee business advertised. Do you think I can 

 get plenty of work to do ? We will be satisfied with 

 a little, for we get that nice pure whortleberry hon- 

 ey. The next journal you print, tell the people to 

 raise the Italians, and, even if their queens mate 

 with black drones, their apiary will not be in any 

 bad condition at all for honey-gatherers. We have 

 here 45 stocks; lostl; they are blacks, hybrids, and 

 Italians. 



A single comb .5'2 inches thick. 



Ask the friends if they ever compelled a hive to 

 build a comb 514 inches thick, 13 inches long, 4 in. 

 deep. I raised one last spring. 



Tell me your opinion in regard to which is the 

 cheapest plan of shipping extracted honey, etc. 



Ira D. Alderman. 



Clinton, Sampson Co., N. C, March 17, 1883. 



To be sure, you will have work enough to 

 do, Mend A., or any other kee-keeper, if 

 you only do it. Take good care of your fa- 

 ther, and save all of that huckleberry honey. 

 — Yes, we have combs almost if not quite as 

 thick as you mention. — The cheapest way to 

 ship extracted honey is, without question, in 

 barrels. Perhaps the next best way, the 

 shipping-cans we advertise. 



LOOK OUT — when YOU MAKE BEE CANDY. 



I will let you know that my bees wintered well in 

 the chaff hive. The queens are busy laying, and the 

 workers In gathering pollen. I have three colonics, 

 which are all in good condition just now. Mr. Root, 

 I thank you for your good advice which you gave on 

 page 48, A B C, in " Caution in regard to Candy-mak- 

 ing." As I was cooking it, I dropped some of it on 

 the stove, then on the floor, and after that the table. 

 Then my wife said if she were in my place she would 

 stop bee-keeping. I asked, "What for?" 



"Why, it seems to me as if you have forgotten 

 that advice which Mr. Root gives." 



And that made great laughter. 



John H. Houtsy. 



Fredericksburg, Lebanon Co., Pa., April 3, 1883. 



ROBBERS, etc. 



I went into winter quarters with 13 stands of bees. 

 All wintered well, but the robbers are terrible this 

 spring — have cleaned out two hives, and are now 

 working on the third. I don't know which will con- 

 quer yet, the' robbers or myself. 



' Warren Foote. 



Glendale, Kane Co., Utah, April 10, 18S3. 



Friend F., we have not had a single case 

 of robbing among our whole 200 hives this 

 spring. I do not really know why it is, but 

 robbers seem to get, with moth millers, 

 " kind of out of fashion," after we get the 

 hang of the business. Come to think of it, 

 I guess I will stop, or you might think I was 

 sort of bragging ; and when 1 get to feeling 

 that way, I almost always get a backset, so 

 I shouldn't be very much surprised to hear 

 our bees were robbing before night. I just 

 want to add, though, that they didn't die 

 last winter, they don't rob, there are no 

 blacks nor hybrids among them, nor moth 

 millers either. So, now ! 



wintering two or more nuclei in one hive, etc. 



I commenced last season with 38 stocks in fair to 

 poor order; got 30O lbs. comb, and enough to winter; 

 started to winter 31 swarms and 10 nuclei, not very 

 strong. A colony that is strong enough to pack on 4 

 or more combs I call a full colony; three combs or 

 less, a nucleus. I have lost my weakest nucleus and 

 one fair colony — cause, would not protect them- 

 selves from the robbers when the entrance was 

 closed, so but one bee could pass at a time, and of 

 course thoy starved. That is the extent of my loss. 

 I have about 30 fair colonies; will unite the re- 

 mainder a la Doolittle, and will commence with 

 about 34 swarms. Man}' of my nuclei were wintered 

 on two combs (with chaff at side and on top of 

 frame-, but none at ends of frames or bottom); two 

 in a hive with flinch board between. These lost 

 very lew bees — less in proportion than some of my 

 best ones. I find that nuclei do better with but two 

 in a hive, as thoy cluster each side of the division, 

 while, if three or more are packed with divisions be- 

 tween, the center ones will cluster on one division 

 and neglect the other; this makes the outside ones 

 worse than if packed singly in chaff. 



Now, friend Root, can you not give us Gleanings 

 semi-monthly? It is too long to wait a whole mouth, 

 and then get such a "dose "of bee talk. It is a good 

 plan to give a big dose for winter, but hiw about 

 stimulative feeding? Won't you give your sub- 

 scribers a chance to vote on it ? you may be sure of 

 my vote. John B. Case. 



Baptisttown, N. J., April 10, 1883. 



AVell, yes, you may vote, friend C, if you 

 choose, especially as your idea is already in 

 practice. If you wish to help it along, ]ust 

 show Gleanings to your neighbors, and as- 

 sist in extending its circulation. — Your ideas 

 on stimulative teeding are correct, I believe. 

 Small doses at a time, and pretty often. — I 

 have seen bees refuse to protect themselves, 

 when wintered indoors, but seldom when 

 wintered on their summer stands.— I agree 

 with you, that it is not well to attempt to 

 winter more than two in one hive. 



THE good old way. 



I am trying to be an apiarist, and must ape other 

 bee culturists, I suppose. I have been reading your 

 ABC book until I can talk hce talk a little. I am 

 amused and amazed at your talk about feeding bees. 

 I thought we kept bees for them to feed us; that is 

 what I keep them for, I am sure. During the months 

 of Oct. and Nov. we have our principal honey har- 

 vest, la fact, some years I never "rob" until Oc- 

 tober, if wo have plenty of honey to last so late. I 

 sella little honey sometimes for about 1354 cts. per 

 lb., but it is not built in section boxes. I have ' bee 

 gums" of the good (?)old pattern, and when I get 

 the honey torn and mashed and squashed out, and 

 rammed down into an old c jal-oil can, it don't look 

 so very attractive; but then, you know, friend 

 Root, it has one advantage (?), you can put the best 

 combs on top, and the worst in the bottom. Now, I 

 see j'ou frown at that, for I know you must bo a 

 good man; so you impress me. You should be par- 

 ticular how you instruct Ihe A B C class, for I am 

 certain that every one of them will believe every 

 thing you say. W. P. Laughter. 



Morales, Jackson Co., Texas, April », 1883. 



Don't you know, friend L., that " there is 

 that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and 



