452 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE. 



Sept. 



PUTTING IN STARTERS WITH A HOT FLATIRON, ETC. 



I put in fdn. starters after a plan I saw in Glean- 

 ings; that is, to press it on with a hot Hatiron. I 

 got it too hot at first, but soon regulated that. My 

 bees are nearly ready to swarm again. 



GETTING STUNG. 



I think my bees must bo those cross hybrids you 

 speak of, as I have been stung by them twice quite 

 badly, onco making me so sick that I vomited a long 

 time, and my hands swelled badly. I had my face 

 protected. It was when I was trying to hive the 

 first swarm that I was stung the worst. But I don't 

 intend to give them up; it would not look well for 

 one of the boys in blue to surrender to a swarm of 

 bees. I was advised, about 5 years ago, by our fam- 

 ily physician, to chew tobacco for a jumping tooth- 

 ache that I had, which troubled me so much that I 

 could not work. I have concluded to quit, so please 

 scud me a smoker; and if I chew again I will pay 

 you the cash. Wm. P. Emmett. 



Whitewater, Walworth Co., Wis., July 26, 1882. 



To be sure, a boy in blue should not sur- 

 render to any swarm of bees ; and while we 

 are about it, friend E., to tobacco either, and 

 so you are to remember I would much rath- 

 er you would not be required to pay for the 

 smoker. If your physician had only thought 

 of it, he migfht have recommended whisky, 

 for it would have cured the jumping tooth- 

 ache quicker tlian tobacco. Now about the 

 stings that made you sick. Bees should not 

 be handled when they sting like that. When- 

 ever I hear of a bee-owner getting stung se- 

 verely, I at once make up my mind there is 

 something wrong. A customer was just in, 

 wanting a pair of rubber gloves because his 

 bees stung his hands so he could not stand 

 it. I talked with him a little, and he went 

 away, but didn't buy any gloves, for T told 

 him he did not need any. By no means 

 would I have my hands stung in that way, 

 and I wouldn't wear gloves either. One 

 should learn to tell by the looks and actions 

 of bees whether it is safe to handle them ; 

 and if they must be handled, smoke them 

 into proper and decent behavior. I often 

 see new hands at the business open the 

 hive and commence right off to lift out the 

 frames, where I would not think of doing it. 

 Watch the motions of the bees, and let them 

 also watch your motions, and have a mutu- 

 al and clear understanding of things. I 

 have not had my hands stung for years, and 

 I do not mean to for many years more. 



don't be disheartened about wet WEATHER. 



Bees are making haste slowly; white clover is 

 abundant, but the weather has been too cold and wet. 

 I don't despair of having a good honey seaason yet. 

 Referring to my bee diary of 18V5, July 30, I find 

 the following: "Examined all the bees, and found 

 them nearly destitute. Not a particle of sealed hon- 

 ey, and probably not two pounds of honey in any 

 hive. The season has been wet." In August, the 

 bees filled their hives, and Sept. 3d I extracted hon- 

 ey and made artificial swarms which wintered well. 



garden TROWELS FOR UNCAPPING. 



How much we lose by not being communicative! 

 I have used a gardener's trowel for uncapping more 

 than eight years. J. L. Wolcott. 



Bloom ington, 111., July 18, 1882. 



To be sure, we do, friend W. If you used 



a garden trowel for an uncapping-knife 8 

 years ago, and found it to work well, you 

 did a very wrong thing not to speak of it, 

 and let your liglit shine. AVho will tell us 

 more about them V How large a trowel is 

 needed y and must they be tempered liard, 

 etc.V If much rain will bring a fall crop of 

 honey, we are all right for it in Medina 

 County. 



ANOTHER GRATEFUL PUPIL. 



The bee business is just tiptop. I wintered four 

 swarms, and now have 12. Too much swarming, do 

 you say? They are all but two working in their up- 

 per stories, and from one of them I took about 20 

 sections, and am waiting for them to cap the others. 

 This latter swarm came about the second week in 

 May, and I was compelled to feed them during that 

 month to save them, as I did with nearly all my bees, 

 on account of wet cold weather. I got a dollar 

 queen of you last year, from which I now have five 

 swarms of bees. That, as a honey-producing bee, or 

 being prolific, can not be excelled by any of the im- 

 proved and high-bred queens of America, and her 

 daughters are not a whit behind her. I am selling 

 my comb honey at 20 cts. per lb. at home, in pack- 

 ages of from 5 to 24 lbs. ; it is just beautiful. And 

 now to consider, how did all this come about? Four 

 years ago, I think, I saw your advertisement in 

 Amciican Agriculturist, and procured a copy of 

 Gleanings; then an A BC; then I adopted your 

 hive, sections, etc. Had I not seen Gleanings, I 

 should probably have been contented with 10 

 to 25 lbs. to the hive, in cigar-shaped boxes, inter- 

 spersed with pollen ami drone brood. Friend li., t 

 think many of us can say, from the heart, " Thanks 

 for your valuable helps." K. McCrory. 



Jerome, Union Co., O., July 14, 1882. 



And thanks to you, friend M., for your 

 very kind and encouraging words. It is in- 

 deed a pleasure to know that I have been 

 permitted to help so many friends, scattered 

 far and wide. 



DANGER Of DELAYS, ETC. 



Goods received this day. I have lost all chance 

 for box-honey this season, on account of the delay of 

 sections ordered of you on the 24th of June, shipped 

 July 1st, received July 18th. M. Hills. 



Wellsville, Allegany Co., N. Y., July 18, 1882. 



Ton will see, friends, what a risk you run 

 by delaying orders until right in the midst 

 of tlie hoiiey season. In this case we tilled 

 the order about as soon as received, but we 

 liave not done as well as this in all cases. 

 As sections are pretty heavy goods to be or- 

 dered in any quantity other than by freight, 

 we have to take the chances of the railroad 

 companies being slow. In this case it took 

 them 18 days, and this spoiled the honey 

 crop. Now, if I were behind like that, I do 

 not think I would let the honey go. Make 

 brood-frames of some kind, and set on upper 

 stories, and thus give them room. New 

 comb built in large frames can be cut out 

 and sold at a pretty fair price as " chunk 

 honey ; " and if extracted honey should com- 

 mand a good price, extract it, even if late in 

 the fall. The best honey we ever had was 

 taken out thus, after the season was over. 

 A disappointment in getting sections is bad, 

 but it should by no means result in the loss 



