584 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Aug. 1. 



government pay? He has already made some 

 valuable reports as touching apiculture for the 

 Department of Agriculture.— Ed.] 



I don't know whether it's best to have more 

 than one place for entrance to a hive; but I 

 notice that, when there's a small hole half way 

 up the front of the hive, the bees crowd it a 

 good deal more than the regular entrance. It's 

 an old-fashioned way; but as the bees seem to 

 like it, isn't it just possible it's a good thing ? 

 [That practical bee-keeper, Mr. Julius Hoffman, 

 of " Hoffman-frame " fame, with his several 

 large apiaries believes in having two entrances 

 — one at the bottom and one at the bottom of 

 the second story. His hives are deep. — Ed.] 



A SCREW IS LOOSE in the reasoning at top of 

 page 551. Because a ten-frame hive contains 

 only seven frames of brood, it is argued that an 

 eight-frame hive will have only five. I think 

 one of my colonies that had seven brood in a 

 ten-frame hive would have nearer six brood in 

 an eight-frame hive, for it would have much 

 brood in the outside frames of the small hive, 

 and none in those of the large hive. [I think 

 you are right; but I supposed you would not 

 assent to Snell's argument here.— Ed.] 



You're right, Ernest, on page 549, in saying 

 that I had great difficulty in getting queens to 

 lay in a second brood-chamber. But you may 

 also remember that, in controversy with friend 

 Hatch, I insisted that my queens went back 

 and forth readily, and kept eggs in two stories. 

 I'll see you about this later on. [Do you mean 

 to insinuate that I got on to the wrong side of 

 the fence, i.e., Hatch's side? Really I had for- 

 gotten which side I was on. I'll look out next 

 time. — Ed.] 



"The surplus will be a little whiter in ap- 

 pearance where there is a little capped honey 

 under the top-bar than where the space is tak- 

 en by brood," says F. A. Snell, p. 550. That is, 

 sections are darkened if too close to the brood; 

 and because I can't make sure of the strip of 

 honey to make the brood keep its distance, I 

 want a top-bar not less that % thick. [Here is 

 a point for the anti-thick-top bee-keepers to 

 consider a little more than they do; but this is 

 not the only point in favor of deep bars.— Ed.] 



RUNNERLESS STRAWBERRIES (p. 573) Will be 



objected to by those who don't want non- 

 swarming bees; but I'd like to have a few of 

 each. .But I hardly want stingless bees till 

 Sunday-school teaching has worked a little 

 deeper into Marengo boys. [The real stingless 

 bees, and we have tried them, are no better 

 than bumble-bees. Yes, at our out- yards I'd 

 rather have bees a little cross, and with good 

 long stings. One of our colonies at our bass- 

 wood yard was robbed early in the spring. 

 Fortunately, the thieves encountered one of the 

 Grossest stocks. At any rate, they got no hon- 

 ey, and it was evident that they left in post 

 haste.— Ed. 1 



Foul brood can not be affected by drugs, 

 and it's no use to try any thing in that line, 

 seems to be the verdict on this side the water. 

 May be. But in the face of so much testimony 

 in favor of drugs from good men on the other 

 side of the water, it seems to me pure pighead- 

 edness to refuse to make any trial. If I had 

 a case of foul brood in my apiary I would 

 at least use in the healthy colonies some of the 

 drugs that have a reputation as preventives. 

 If it did no good it could do no harm. [After 

 you had tried as much as we, and failed, your 

 courage would be weak. — Ed.] 



Since writing that "straw" about "tin 

 tags," I find an amendment on p. 564 in the 

 shape of manilla tags. My tin tags have last- 

 ed a good many more than " four or five years," 

 and the white paint is still pretty good; but on 

 some of them the black figures are wearing off 

 the white paint. I first tried manilla tags, but 

 in less than a year I one day found them all 

 torn off. But that may have been a piece of 

 malicious mischief. [There, now, you've spoiled 

 my scheme. Seriously, perhaps we had better 

 give up the manilla, and consider again the tin 

 tags. To make them in a wholesale way, and 

 cheap, we must have time to figure. Yes, we'll 

 list the tin tags if they are the best. The sam- 

 ple you send is in good condition. — Ed.] 



THE BIG CONVENTION AT TORONTO. 



hotel accommodations, ETC. 



By B. F. Hdltermann. 



Friend Root: — I have just been in Toronto to 

 arrange for the North American Bee-keepers' 

 Convention. You are aware that the first ses- 

 sion is to be on the evening of Sept. 4th. The 

 convention will meet in the auditorium, normal 

 school. As the meeting is during the first week 

 of the Toronto Exhibition, I expected to be un- 

 able to make arrangements with any first-class 

 hotel for reduced rates; but I have succeeded. 

 You will remember the hotel at which members 

 stopped in Brantford when the convention was 

 held there. Y'ou were all more than satisfied. 

 Well, the proprietor of that hotel, Mr. Palmer, 

 is now proprietor of the Palmer House and the 

 Kensington, in Toronto. I do not know wheth- 

 er the bee-keepers made so good an impression 

 upon him before, or what is the reason: suffi- 

 cient to say, he, after a little, consented to give 

 the following rates: Per day, «!1.50, providing 

 members double up. If they require separate 

 beds, $1.75 per day. This is at the Palmer. The 

 Kensington, just across the road from the Pal- 

 mer, is upon the European plan— rooms 50 cents 

 and up. In the vicinity are good coffee-houses, 



