302 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 15. 



palmetto does, however, furnish good honey 

 also. Honey from mangrove and that from 

 saw-palmetlo were pretty nearly the only two 

 kinds I found. The honey from orange-blossoms 

 is so often mixed with that from other sources 

 that it is a pretty hard matter to get it any 

 where near pure, as a general thing.— A. I. R.J 



HOW TO CONVERT OLD BROOD COMBS INTO 

 FOUNDATION WITHOUT MACHINERY. 



A NOVEL TDEA. 



By TV. M. Little. 



During the past season, 189i, I succeeded in 

 working over old brood-combs to my complete 

 satisfaction. I had about 200 old combs, that 

 had been in constant use for 12 years. I tried 

 rendering them, but could secure but little wax 

 from them, as the cocoons and other substances 

 absorbed all of the wax, and I had nothing left 

 for my labor. So I began to experiment a little. 

 I began, with a sharp Bingham honey-knife, 

 trimming down the cells of these old combs 

 (some of them were old transferred combs taken 

 from old box hives ten years ago). I soon found 

 I could cut through the cocoons down to the 

 septum by care, and leave the base of the cell 

 intact; then, turning the L. frame over on a 

 board, cut the right size to tit the frame, thus 

 supporting the comb, and I could trim down the 

 other side in like manner, leaving a sheet with 

 the base of the cells well defined. The bottom of 

 each cell will be filled with the base of the cocoons 

 of all of the past generations bred in them: these, 

 however, the bees remove in a short time, leav- 

 ing the septum much like the sheet of founda- 

 tion at the first. If the sheet is torn, or 

 if there are patches of drone comb that I 

 desire to dispense with, I cut it out, and 

 patch it with brood foundation, using melted 

 wax to hold the patch in place until the bees 

 fasten it permanently. 



I succeeded in getting l.'iO combs of this kind 

 rebuilt in a few days in the early part of June 

 last, before the honey-dew began to be gathered 

 by my bees, when they would not build comb of 

 any kind. These combs were mostly built on 

 wired foundation in the first place, and, having 

 been rebuilt, are firm, and stronger than those 

 built first on foundation. After working at cut- 

 ting these combs down I became quite expert at 

 it. It takes a keen, stiff knife, using cold water 

 to keep the septum stiiT, so that it will not stick 

 to the blade, and tear. With a little experience 

 at the business, one can trim them down quite 

 rapidly, and can make brood combs much more 

 rapidly, and with less waste of wax than by 

 rendering the combs and molding them again. 

 The bees seem to delight in pulling out the base 

 of the old swaddling-clothes of former genera- 

 tions of bees, and mending the rents and 

 patches in the old comb, and working them 

 over. 



If my health permits, and the bees have work 

 to the coming season, I will work over a large 



number of my old combs this year, as I am well 

 pleased with the result of my experiment last 

 year. Wm. Little. 



Marissa, 111., March 9. 



HANS READS A. I. ROOT'S BEE-BOOK. 



I reads riot book dru ant dru, 



Und I studies it ore and ore. 

 Mine liet It vas most bustln, 



I c m not stand upon der floor. 

 I reads about dot Doolittle, 



Und pee-mons by der schore; 

 I yust can not sit sthlll, 



I gets me yup and vakes der floor. 

 I goes to see von nabor-mon. 



He gots do, dree hlfes or more, 

 He dt Us me n e dot does beemons 



Dravels der gundry ore. 

 I sthudies dot bee-book in und oud. 



But 1 denk di.es bee moiis 

 Knows vat dere about, 



D,)es bees make you look a little oud. 

 Und as I reads dot pook 



1 denk, " Hans, you get some bees, 

 Und dry your luck mlt liuijy, 



Und lilfe dem In der trees." 

 I gets mine bees from Alley, 



Dot new fan-dangh d kind; 

 He says ciey makes der most iiunys, 



Una works qulie to der mlud. 

 I gets my bives all redy, 



Und fix d.-m out among der trees. 

 Und I denks " Now, Hans, you bees bappy 



Mit your lotiy little bees." 

 Does bees gomes out 



To liaf a 11 tie fly 

 Sblmney Grislmas! 



One sthlcks me in der ey! 

 Dot ey it keeps a swellin, 



I can not see no more. 

 I denk I fi.x does bees; 



I siimoke i liem do, dre dimes or more. 

 Does bees dey come a pllin out. 



And I runs me all about 

 To get der bit's all redy 



For does lofly little bees. 

 Does bees crawl up my bant legs, 



Und stbings me on der knees, 

 I runs arount most gracy, 



Und get some vater tor does bees. 

 I dink does pees of Alley's, 



He says dey bees so kint. 

 When dey gets a sthinglng me, 



Dey works quite to der mint. 

 I hife does bees do, dree times or more; 



Mine hart mit dlspalr was akin, 

 For yust so sure I liaf dem rite. 



So sure I vas mistaklu. 

 I c-lls mine wife to help me oud, 



Mlde demper vas most rilin, 

 Ven oud gomes does bees 



Yust a billn'. 

 Then I say, " Hans, you bees a fool. 



To be so long a lookin," 

 So I gets me in dot house, 



Und gets dot book to look in. 

 Does bees flies round and round. 



In does trees dey sthop not eny; 

 Mine vife she say, " O Hans! 



Der bees so very meny." 

 I gets does bees right in dot bife, 



They goes to makin huny; 

 I say, " Now, Hans, olt poy. 



You ged your bokets full of muny." 

 I reads about dot Rambler, 



Dot funnj' mon is he; 

 He no likes the vimens. 



But he lof es dot little bee. 

 But now I bees so happy. 



Dot book It helps me oud; 

 Und I sthudies it some more. 



To knows what I bees about. 

 I denk does bee mon's 



Heads is level dot rites 

 Dot book about der bee; 



It has helped a greenhorn yust like me. 

 Hans Vonderblinken. 



