576 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Sept. 15 



PAINTING HIVES WITH . PURE LEAD AND 

 OIL,. 



V/e desire to indorse, every thing our cor- 

 respondent, Dr. A. F. Bonney, says in be- 

 half of pure white lead, page 586, this issue. 

 There are some localities where a lead-zinc 

 paint gives better results; but the objection 

 to zinc is that it makes the paint so hard 

 that it is liable to come off in flakes, while 

 the pure lead will chalk off. For example, 

 a house that is painted with pure lead can 

 be repainted, and look as good as new; but 

 a lead-zinc paint that has begun to come off 

 gives a patchy uneven appearance when a 

 new coat is put on. It takes much longer 

 to remove ttie zinc scales than it does to re- 

 paint the house. For these reasons the av- 

 erage bee-keeper will find it more satisfac- 

 tory to use a pure lead and oil than to use a 

 paint containing 25 or 35 per cent of zinc. 

 Zinc can not be considered an adulterant, 

 because it is more expensive than lead. Its 

 use is only on the ground that it gives a 

 harder and more glossy surface — something 

 quite desirable for inside work. The zinc- 

 lead-painted houses will look brighter and 

 nicer for a year or so than one covered with 

 pure lead; but the trouble comes when the 

 l)igment begins to come off. 



HOW THE MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION HELPS 

 ITS MEMBERS. 



The Michigan Bee-keepers' Association 

 is a live one, the members hearing from 

 their efficient secretary, Mr. E. B. Tyrrell, 

 frequently. Crop-report blanks are sent out 

 each season asking for full data concerning 

 the probable crop, especially as to whether 

 the bee-keeper will have honey for sale; and 

 if so, in what shape — also whether he will 

 have bees and beeswax for sale. This in- 

 formation is summarized in the annual 

 booklet in which is a list of the members, 

 the amount of honey they will have for sale, 

 etc. 



Not content with this, another booklet is 

 gotten out, giving the names of the honey- 

 buyers and their wants for the season, this 

 list being confidential to members only. A 

 l)rinted slip is sent out about the time this 

 booklet is sent, reading as follows: 



Member: — The Excutlve Board's advice in regard 

 to the minimum price for honey for tliis year will 

 be mailed you with the booklet as soon as publisli- 

 ed. In the mean time, ask enough. 



E. B. Tyrrell, Sec. 



Another slip has to do with brood dis- 

 eases. The advice given to any member 

 who has a brood disease with which he is 

 not familiar is to write to Dr. E. F. Phillips, 

 asking for a box in which to mail a sami)le 

 of brood for examination. The box is sent 

 out by the government without charge, and 

 a sample three inches square may be for- 

 warded for a free examination, with instruc- 

 tions for treatment in case a disease is found. 

 The bee-keeper is also advised to get into 

 communication ;t once with Hon. R. L. 

 Taylor, Lapeer, Mich., the State foul-brood 

 inspector, his services costing nothing, as 

 he is paid by the State. 



ARE BEES TRUE HIBERNATORS? WHAT IS 

 HIBERNATION? 



()N p. 5S5 of this issue our old correspon- 

 dent Mr. .1. E. Hand takes issue with us on 

 the proposition that bees are semi-hiberna- 

 tors, and he apparently furnishes evidence 

 in support of his theory; but no less an 

 authority than Entomologist Prof. H. A. 

 Surface gives it as his opinion that some of 

 the bees, during the winter, pass into a 

 condition that approximates true hiberna- 

 tion, or what we may call semi-hibernation. 

 While it is true that bees inside of a cluster 

 are very much alive and active, the bees 

 forming the outside wall (for outdoor win- 

 tering) during much of the winter are chill- 

 ed and inactive. In this condition they 

 will exist for days, taking no food, and are, 

 to all appearances, dead. The bees that we 

 call semi-hibernators are not true hiberna- 

 tors, as we understand it, because they can 

 not exist indefinitely throughout the winter 

 in this condition. There must be a spell of 

 warm weather during which they will re- 

 vive, take food, and apparently be none the 

 worse for their experience. We have held 

 the theory for some tiine that the bees in- 

 side of the cluster that have been well fed 

 will take the place of those on the outside 

 that have served to form the protection-wall 

 around the general cluster. While this is 

 theory, it serves as a basis for investigation. 

 In the case of bees remaining in a chilled 

 condition we will say that we have proved 

 that they may remain that way for a week 

 or ten clays, but not very much longer. 

 Doubtless white they are chilled their vital- 

 ity is drawing on the reserve food in the in- 

 testines. When that is gone, death ensues. 

 Now, no animal, either insect or quadruped, 

 can remain in a condition stiff with cold for 

 a period of ten days unless it is a hibernator 

 of some sort. 



Our correspondent asks this question: 

 "Did you ever see an animal or insect in a 

 state of true hibernation? If you have, you 

 will know they are dead so far as the power 

 of motion is concerned." Evidently our 

 correspondent has never run across a hiber- 

 nating bear in midwinter. His bearship 

 will appear to be dead; but poke him a lit- 

 tle, and, presto! he is about as active and 

 furious as he ever is; he will either run or 

 attack. Is it not true that a hibernator, 

 as we understand the term, is always "dead 

 so far as the power of motion is concerned"? 



THE FERGUSON UNCAPPING-MACHINE; SOME 



OF ITS LIMITATIONS AS AT 



PRESENT DESIGNED. 



During the last few days we have seen in 

 successful operation the Ferguson uncap- 

 ping-machine at one of the outyards of E. 

 D. Townsend, located near Clarion, Michi- 

 gan. This was illustrated and described on 

 pages 404 and 405, July 1st issue of last year. 

 Our readers will remember that this is the 

 machine that uses a series of stationary ver- 

 tical \"-shaped knives, between which the 

 combs pass to remove the cappings. The 



