12 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Jan. 1 



blooms more profusely during that time than 

 any thing I know of, and bees have a good 

 time gathering pollen and some honey From 

 it. Honey enough to encourage brood-rear- 

 ing, bees soon build up on it to the swarm- 

 ing state. I find that our late cold springs 

 in the past few years, with heavy frost about 

 the time turnip and fruit bloom are done, 

 often kill all remaining flowers which bees 

 are dependent on, and they are left in a worse 

 state tnan had they not been stimulated so 

 early. I find, also, that, while turnip is not a 

 legume, yet it is a fine crop for a cover crop; 

 and corn or cotton grow luxuriantly after it. 

 I harvest my turnip seed about the first week 

 in May, and land is then available for other 

 crops. I have made all the way from 100 lbs. 

 per acre to 400 lbs. I usually sow 15 to 25 

 acres without fertilizer; but if well fertilized 

 and cultivated I don't know the possibilities 

 of yield. I usually prepare after stubble. I 

 mailed my son some seed last year in St. 

 Paul, Minn., and he planted them in the 

 spring, and reported they made fine seed. 

 I usually sow here from the middle of August 

 to the middle of October. 

 Coronaca, S. C, Nov. 7. 



BULK COMB HONEY VERSUS SECTION 

 HONEY. 



A Locality where there are Several Short 

 Flows is best Suited to the Pro- 

 duction of Bulk Honey. 



BY J. J. WILDER. 



There are many locations where the pro- 

 duction of comb honey in sections is very 

 unsatisfactory, either on a small or large 

 scale. Also the production of extracted would 

 be equally unsatisfactory on account of the 

 condition of the market, etc. 



The production of section honey is not suit- 

 able for the farmer bee-keeper, busy man, 

 or those engaged in bee-keeping in a slip- 

 shod way as a rule; and in the majority of 

 cases the production of extracted honey 

 would not suit. 



There can be no doubt that there is a lot 

 of dissatisfaction among the smaller bee- 

 keepers over the modern hives they are us- 

 ing. The hives such bee-keepers generally 

 select are those the supers of whicn are for 

 section honey in some of the many styles. 



It would be far more satisfactory for this 

 class of bee-keepers to produce chunk or 

 bulk comb honey in modern hives. It would 

 be more economical, simple, and would give 

 greater returns; and it is hoped that the bee- 

 supply manufacturer will list a bulk-comb- 

 honey super, and advocate it. 



In localities where there are from two to 

 eight light and short honey-flows at intervals 

 during the entire season (the writer lives 

 in one of these locations], the production of 

 section honey can never be satisfactory; for 

 as soon as the bees get to storing in the su- 

 pers the flow is on the decline or off; and 



perhaps in two or three weeks there is anoth- 

 er such flow, with possibly a "flow" of 

 propolis between each one. At the end of 

 the season there are more partly filled sec- 

 tions than full ones, and may be those that 

 are filled have several different kinds of 

 honey in them, and they will not bring a 

 fancy price. 



In the production of bulk comb honey all 

 the surplus honey can be removed at the end 

 of each flow, whether the frames are full or 

 not, and the honey is as nice, for it can be 

 saved and will bring its full market value. 



There are many bee-keepers in locations 

 where the most of the honey is dark. If 

 they would produce bulk comb honey, and 

 can it, it would bring more on the market, 

 and be a much better article. 



Dealers are "kicking" against shipments 

 of dark honey in sections at any price, and 

 soon the bee-keepers will be compelled to 

 put it on the market in different shape. 



It has been our experience that comb hon- 

 ey in bulk will sell wherever section honey 

 will, and there is no reason why it should 

 not. It is more wholesome, can be better 

 exhibited, and it will keep longer. It is not 

 a question whether we snail produce more 

 extracted honey and quit comb honey in 

 these sections less favorable for its produc- 

 tion. We should produce more comb honey, 

 for we would soon glut the market for this 

 grade of extracted honey. But how can we 

 best supply the demand for comb honey? I 

 would suggest the old-fashioned chunk hon- 

 ey, which 1 believe will win out in the long 

 run. 



Cordele, Ga. 



PUTTING IN STARTERS BEFORE THE SECTIONS ARE 

 FOLDED. 



In placing sections in a super, p. 263, May 1, 1 believe 

 the joints should be placed down. This prevents the 

 bees from daubing them over with glue. They never 

 seem to know when they have enough on; and if the 

 sections were very dry, as I have sometimes seen 

 them, the joints would be so loose they would spring 

 apart before the bees would get around to glue them. 

 The result then is, that the top of the section will be 

 fastened to the super above it. 



When placing only one starter in a section after be- 

 ing folded (page 263), did any one ever try putting in 

 starters before folding sections? I can put in starters 

 faster than two men can fold them. This is the way I 

 do it : Pile up the sections evenly in stacks of about 

 ten. Have a dish of melted; wax on a hot iron to keep 

 it liquid. Piles of starters': should be in easy reach. 

 Take a stack of ten sections. Place them on a table 

 close to the edge of the dish of wax, and pick up a 

 piece of foundation. Dip the edge in the wax and 

 then stick it on the section quickly. 



Mason City. la.. July 19. W. E. BROWN. 



