216 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mak. >o. 



About the time we expect a tiow of honey we 

 remove one follower and select from seven to 

 nine of the best worker combs, and put them 

 with the queen in one end of the hive. In the 

 front bottom corner, near the center, we lay a 

 strip of tin two by six inches, bent thus— L. A 

 perforated division-board is now inserted di- 

 rectly over this tin slip, and the remaining 

 combs are placed against the pcn-forated divi- 

 sion. We now slide the hive forward nearly 134 

 inches, and close the buttons. This provides a 

 sort of portico, a complete entrance, a cool hive, 

 and ready access for all bees shaken upon the 

 ground. We have frequently known several 

 quarts of bees, clustered upon the outside, to go 

 back at once after the long entrance is provid- 

 ed. You conclude that this entrance gives 

 advantage to robbers; but experience teaches 

 otherwise. A robber dislikes very much to en- 

 ter any crevice into which it can not see. The 

 bees in the hive, in a state of excitement, clus- 

 ter out of this crevice enough to make it im- 

 possible for a robber to pass unnoticed. Black 

 bees are not so alert, but these we do not have. 

 If a colony is getting robbed, a few sprigs of 

 asparagus thrown upon the ground close to the 

 front of the hive generally stops the operation. 



At this point we must digress, and draw at- 

 tention to some advantages of the long case 

 and genuine Hoffman frame. Dr. Miller's lan- 

 guage suits our idea so completely that we 

 quote him as follows: " But, about that frame, 

 Mr. Editor. First, I don't see why you should 

 call it a 'Modified' Hoffman. Why, you've 

 modified the Hoffman all out of it. The soul 

 and essence of the Hoffman is the closing-to- 

 gether of the top-bars at the ends along with 

 the closing of the end-bars at the top, so that no 

 bee can enter from above to deposit propolis.'" 



We add, that it is misleading, a misnomer, 

 and will lead many to condemn the Hoffman 

 frame who really never used one. When the 

 top- bars are closed ai the ends, a sheet of enam- 

 el cloth with a cushion or quilt over it makes 

 all tight. A honey-board is now as far behind 

 the times as a canal-boat is slower than an ex- 

 press train. Unless metal rabbets are used (and 

 they are worse than useless) with Hoffman 

 frames, the bees glue the narrow top-bars be- 

 low, at the two sides, and at the ends. To loos- 

 en them is often a severe strain on the frames, 

 the nerves of the bees, and those of the opera- 

 tor. With top-bars closed at the ends, the 

 frames can be glued only where they come to- 

 gether, and at the point where they touch the 

 hive, at both of which only a little propolis can 

 be deposited, and but slight pressure is requir- 

 ed to effect a separation. The warm or rarefied 

 air ascends; and when the ends and tops are 

 closed, no escape is provided; and with a tight 

 sheet on the frames, we have a box hive with 

 the further advantage of double walls for a dis- 

 tance. Burr-combs at top and sides are also 

 quite dispensed with. 



As regards lateral motion of the frames, if 

 only for fall and spring convenience we could 

 slide our combs, save time, and avoid much of 

 the lifting. We would not shorten our case. 

 Suppose the queen is to be found. Rembve the 

 enamel sheet; a glance at the cluster, to the 

 experienced eye. will about reveal her where- 

 abouts. One follower is drawn back, say four 

 or six inches. The frames are separated at the 

 point wheic she is supposed to be, and, six out 

 of ten times, we see her tail wagging as she 

 starts to go down. If not in that space, open 

 the next where she is supposed to be. A little 

 moving both ways from the center will surely 

 reveal her before the bees become excited or 

 even fill their sacs with honey. 



Suppose you wish to spread the brood. Pro- 

 ceed as above, and you see at once the amount 



and location of brood. It is just as easy to 

 ascertain the quantity of stores. When pre- 

 paring for winter, begin at the near end; glance 

 at both sides of a comb; lift it an inch or two, 

 and proceed through the hive; when done, 

 shove the combs back to the starting-point. 



When frames are to be closed together we 

 generally bring them near each other, then a 

 slight puff of smoke at each corner starts the 

 bees, and the combs are closed up. Another 

 way is to grasp the comb near the middle, or 

 with both hands on the narrow part; lift it two 

 or three inches and bring together, and lower 

 in place. Just how to do these things is hard 

 to describe. The quick-witted soon " catch on." 



Smooth flagging-stones, about three feet 

 square, bedded level, make very desirable stands 

 for hives. We use a few, and hope soon to in- 

 crease the number. With these, to mow the 

 yard is an easy task. Unless a spirit-level is 

 employed, few of us realize how many of our 

 hives are not level; and the loss at all times, 

 especially when foundation is to be drawn out, 

 is not realized. When stones are not used, the 

 Heddon stands, or similar skids, are necessary. 



Before you read this, perhaps our hives will 

 contain enough honey, and we can extract them. 



Canajoharie, N. Y. J. H. Nellis. 



TO EEV. L. L. LANGSTROTH, FATHER OF 

 MODERN APICULTURE. 



AN OPEN LETTER BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE 

 ONTARIO bee-keepers' ASSOCIATION. 



Dear Sir: — I now take the liberty of present- 

 ing you. through the kindness of Gleanings, a 

 picture of my apiary of 73 colonies, as I have 

 learned, with a great degree of pleasure, 

 through its columns, of your freedom from the 

 old head troubles which have for so many years 

 afflicted you; and I sincerely trust you may be 

 spared a return of them in future. 



The picture speaks for itself, in so far as you 

 are concerned; and your observatory hive, made 

 for me in 1863, with the name and position it 

 occupies in the apiary, shows the respect and 

 appreciation you are entitled to. By reference 

 to your books you will also see that I purchased 

 an Italian queen from you in October, 1864, and 

 it is with pleasure I occasionally peruse all the 

 correspondence (which I still retain in my pos- 

 session) that passed between us, as well as read 

 your old catalogues containing an illustration 

 of the old extractors, or, as it is termed, "ma- 

 chine for emptying honey from the comb," a 

 sample copy of which I, at your request, return- 

 ed you on my reaching home from the meeting 

 of the North American Bee-keepers" conven- 

 tion, held in Detroit in 188.5, when you showed 

 me a sample of Apis dorsata, j>reserved in alco- 

 hol; and, although that was the only occasion 

 I have had the pleasure of meeting or seeing 

 you, it nevertheless seems as if I had known 

 you from my first perusal of your third edition 

 of the " Hive and Honey-bee," in 1863, which 

 is also still in the house. 



In regard to the hive, I may say it has con- 

 tained bees continuously ever since (nearly 30 

 years), and has had no repairing, except one 

 new roof, and, of course, numerous coats of 

 paint, during all those years. I still have the 

 old-fashioned honey-board containing the 9 one- 

 inch holes, Plate 8, Fig. 21, 3d Ed., and also a 

 few of the glass honey-boxes used with the 

 hive at that time. You will observe the hives 

 are not only all numbered, but each one named 

 after some' prominent bee-keeper in the United 

 States or Canada. You will also notice the 

 outside cases are still on the hives (August), 

 minus the packing, which is removed about 



