1910 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



545 



Occasionally some one advocates put- 

 ting frames of brood over sections. I've 

 tried that and failed, and lately I tried it 

 again for so short a time that I didn't think 

 it would make much difference. But the 

 sections were so darkened that they were 

 knocked out of the first class. I don't know 

 why, but the bees carry down bits of the 

 black comb from above much more than 

 they carry them up when the comb is the 

 same distance below. 



AV. Fisher, you say, p. 532, that bees do 

 not fly at the black net of one's veil. But 

 iheydoin this locality. You're no doubt 

 right that they don't like a hairy surface, 

 and they will sting white, but they have a 

 special dislike to black. I've seen a cluster 

 of cross bees persistently attacking the black 

 head of a large pin in a lady's bee-hat. Cer- 

 tainly it was not the rough surface, for it 

 was smooth glass. [There can be no ques- 

 tion that bees are much more inclined to 

 sting dark garments than light-colored ones. 

 Just a few days ago the editor and Mr. E. 

 D. Townsend were opening up some hives 

 in one of his apiaries in Northern Michigan. 

 The day was unfavorable, and the bees were 

 cross. We had on a dark suit, while Mr. 

 Townsend had on a light one. The bees at- 

 tacked us morefuriously than they did him; 

 and the observation was made at the time 

 that it was the dark clothing that attracted 

 the bees. — Ed.] 



That conflict between Stewart and 

 Alexander doesn't look any less to me, Mr. 

 Editor, after reading your footnote, p. 476. 

 You say, "Stewart brings out the point that 

 the colonies must be very strong in order to 

 clean out foul brood — that an ordinary stock 

 will not do it ... . Alexander, on the 

 other hand, apparently referred to ordinary 

 colonies." You forget. Page 1125, 1905, 

 Mr. Alexander gave as the first step in the 

 treatment to build up the colonies by giving 

 frames of n^iaturing brood or by uniting two 

 or more colonies. That point I have since 

 emphasized more than once, and on p. 144, 

 this year, Irving Grover says, "Mr. Alex- 

 ander advised making all colonies strong," 

 and the sub head of his article reads, " All 

 Depends on Having the Colonies Strong." 

 Yet with all that strengthening, Mr. Alex- 

 ander says. Gleanings, 1907, p. 166, ' ' You 

 might as well expect to cure American foul 

 brood by throwing a cup of cold water in the 

 grass in front of your hives." [We give up. 

 You are right that there was a conflict of 

 opinion; but Alexander may have been 

 wrong, as he never had much American 

 foul brood. — Ed.] 



Geo. W. Maxwell seems to think, page 

 534, that a super of honey can not be loosen- 

 ed of propolis and all the sections taken out 

 without a ten-per-cent breakage. If there 

 is no misprint in the case, there must be 

 something wrong about the supers or the 

 manner of taking out. I said to my assist- 

 ant, "In taking sections out of ten supers, 

 how many st ctions would you expect to be 

 broken?" "Not one," she replied. "We 



never expect any sections to be broken in 

 taking them out of supers." [You did not 

 explain, doctor, that sometimes it takes a 

 little time before propolis will let go. A slow 

 easy push will crowd sections out of a super 

 when a quick hard push will break a num- 

 ber of them. Of course, something depends 

 on the temperature of the day when the 

 work is being done. In the same way a 

 mule team will start a load, when a fine 

 span of horses will break whifHetrees and ac- 

 complish nothing. The mules will bend 

 down to their load and pull steady, while 

 the horses will rush forward with a crash 

 and a bang, and, of course, something has 

 to let go. — Ed.] 



Feeding at a distance is highly commend- 

 ed, L''A]yiculteur, 274, as being more like a 

 natural flow, and better for the health of the 

 bees. Interesting is the assertion that any 

 particular colony or colonies may be fed at 

 a distance without having other colonies 

 participate. Place the feeder some rods dis- 

 tant — the further the better. Two hours be- 

 fore night, place at the entrance a frame of 

 honey; and when bees have gathered on it 

 put it in a hive covered with burlap and carry 

 it to the place of the feeder. At the same 

 time the next evening they will not need to 

 be baited. [This brings out the fact that a 

 case of robbing is often participated in by 

 not more than one or two colonies in the 

 yard. If it is allowed to continue, the up- 

 roar will attract the other bees. We know 

 by experience that it is not always easy to 

 start long-distance feeding. We get the 

 bees started by placing the feeder close to 

 the hive; and then when the bees get to 

 work on it a little, carry it (bees and all) to 

 the point desired. If the robbers get started 

 they will follow the feeder as it is being car- 

 ried; then when it is placed they will go 

 back to it readily. — Ed.] 



Ye editor, page 520, thinks he saw here 

 splinted combs that were built wavy. Have 

 you not got that mixed with another thing, 

 iSIr. Editor? When a comb is filled with 

 honey, and sealed, no sign of the splint 

 shows on the surface. But let it be filled 

 with brood, anrl an elevated line in the cap- 

 ping shows where the splint is, because a 

 cell over a splint must project enough to 

 make it the same depth as other sealed cells. 

 In some cases sighting lengthwise of the 

 comb shows a very slight sagging between 

 splints, but I have never noted a single case 

 of waviness such as mentioned on page 519. 

 [If you will turn again to page 520 you will 

 see that we did not say that we saw wavy 

 splinted combs at Marengo, although in the 

 connection given you might infer so. Our 

 vertical wires are imbedded solidly in the 

 foundation. As you say you see no wavi- 

 ness, it is just possible that the foundation 

 actually slips on your splints because the 

 connection can not be very strong; but it 

 could not possibly slip on the imbedded 

 wires, because they are in the base of the 

 midrib, placed there while hot from a cur- 

 rent of electricity. — Ed.] 



