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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 15. 



these queenless colonies with those having 

 queens. To do this uniting I would employ one 

 of two plans at this time of the year; and, as 

 far as possible, unite the queenless colonies with 

 the weaker ones having queens. The first plan 

 I would use is this: 



Select a time just after the bees have had a 

 flight and have become quiet, if the weather is 

 cool, or wait till near evening if the weathei' is 

 warm, and then carry the colony having the 

 queen to the stand of the queenless one, and 

 shake the bees from the latter off their combs, 

 and from their hive, in front of the hive having 

 the queen, now on their own stand. Previous 

 to shaking the queenless bees off their combs, 

 blow some smoke in at the entrance of the one 

 having the queen, till they set up the hum of 

 " conquered," when this hum will be interpreted 

 as a call by the queenless be(>s. which will run 

 in immediately, and no figliting will result. 

 After dark, take the now united colony to the 

 stand formerly occupied by the one having the 

 queen, and remove the hive and all pertaining 

 to it from where the queenless colony stood, and 

 no bees of any amount will rfturn to be lost. 

 The other plan is ihis. and often works nearly 

 or quite as well as the first: 



Crowd the bees having the queen upon as few 

 combs as possible, with a division -board, having 

 a half-inch hole near the center of the same. 

 Having previously taken the mostof the combs 

 away from the que<^iiless colony preparatory to 

 uniting, set the remaining combs with the ad- 

 hering bees in the spacn on the ojiposite side of 

 the division-board, closing the hive. Have the 

 entrance open only on the side occupied with 

 the colony having the queen, and the bees will 

 unite of their own accord in a short time, as 

 they will open up communication through the 

 hole in the division -board, soon after the queen- 

 less bees are placed in the hive. Use the same 

 precaution about rnnioving the hive, stand, etc.. 

 from the situation occupied by the queenless 

 colony, and the work is done. 



FASTENING COMBS IN FRAMES. 



Another correspondent writes: "I have some 

 bees in box hives which I wish to transfer in 

 apple-blossom time. Please tell me through 

 Gleanings the best and cheapest way to fasten 

 the combs in the frames when doing this trans- 

 ferring." 



First, cut the comb to fit the frames snugly, 

 for on this depends much of the success in fas- 

 tening them. To do thFS best, lay the frame on 

 the comb and mark the latter just the size of 

 the inside of the frame. Now hold the knife, 

 in cutting, at a slight incline from the perpen- 

 dicular, so that the septum of the comb shall 

 be cut a little larger than the mark, and in this 

 way the frame will crowd over the comb so as 

 to make it nearly secure without any fastening. 

 In fact, I have transferred many combs in this 

 way. and not fastened them at all, more than 

 the spring of the frame will do. However, it is 

 best to use some other precaution, so I generally 

 melt equal parts of beeswax and rosin together, 

 keeping the same at the right temperature by 

 placing the dish containing it over a burning 

 lamp, when a drop or two is poured into an oc- 

 casional vacant cell next the frame, which 

 hardens and fastens the comb in place. To do 

 this best, procure some old tablespoon, which 

 is usually to be found in all households, and 

 form the point of the bowl into a funnel shape 

 by hammering it around a steel wire nail of the 

 right size, held in a vise or otherwise. In this 

 way a nice little spout can be made for the 

 spoon when it is ready and handy to use for 

 many purposes. To keep the wax and rosin 

 from dripping from the bottom of the spoon, 

 draw or push the bottom of the spoon over the 



edge of the dish in removing, so as to remove 

 the surplus wax. In this way combs may be 

 fastened as securely as with wire, twine, or 

 wooden sticks, or clasps, and has the advantage 

 in that the hive does not have to be opened in a 

 day or two to take off these things: neither is 

 any brood killed, as is the case with sticks or 

 wire. G. M. Doolitti.e. 



Borodino, N. Y., May 1. 



[With our experience in transferring box 

 hives, or movable-frame hives that have been 

 in use in the hands of farmers and slipshod 

 bee-keepers, we have made up our mind that it 

 does not pay to try t-o use over any combs in 

 transferring. We simply use the Heddon short 

 way; namely, drum out two-thirds of the bees, 

 including the queen, and put the driven bees in 

 a hive with frames of foundation on the stand 

 formerly occupied by the box hives. Place the 

 latter back a little v/ay, with its entrance at 

 right angles to the entrance of the new hive. 

 In three weeks' time, or when all the young bees 

 will have hatched out, drum out the remainder 

 of the bees in the box hive, and, as Mr. Heddon 

 says, you have. In the new hive, instead of old 

 crooked combs, newly built and perfect combs 

 from frames of foundation, all securely wired 

 in; an old box hive that will make first-class 

 kindling-wood, and a lot of old crooked combs 

 that can be i)ut aside to be rendered into wax at 

 the first convenient time. After trying the two 

 methods of transferring, we decidedly prefer 

 the Heddon short way. As we see it. it is cheap- 

 er and far more satisfactory than cutting up 

 and fitting combs into frames.] 



HUMBUGS AND SWINDLES. 



LOOK OUT FOR HIM! 



Under date of April 15 we have a letter in- 

 closing a clipping from a local newspaper, as 

 follows: 



MRS. HODGDON, OF GARNET MESA, SWINDLED BY B. 

 r. LEWIS. 



Mrs. Hodg'don, one of our most respected resi- 

 dents, lias been made the victim of a shark many 

 times worse than ihe little trick played upon Mr. 

 Duncan two weeks ago. 



A man calling' himself B. F. Lewis some montlis 

 ago went into partnership with Mrs. Hodg-don in 

 the bee-business. She furnished the larger part of 

 the capital, and Mr. Lewis, appiirently sincere and 

 honest, was given the management of most of the 

 business. It now transpires that he sold large 

 quantities of the honey, and kept the money. 



A large part of the stock was bought upon notes 

 upon which Mrs. Hodgdon went security. 



Several notes are held by different parties without 

 her security, and they will be losers. Mi"s. Hodgdon 

 was called away some time ago to attend a friend 

 in sickness, and Mr. Lewis made way with a large 

 quantity of l)()th bees and honey. Ttiree weeks ago 

 he was supposed to go up North Fork on business, 

 taking her team and wagon, and has not been heard 

 from since. A diligent search is being made for 

 him by the authorities. 



The writer is a widow lady living in Delta, 

 Colorado. As other parties have before this 

 complained of B. F. Lewis, and it seems this is 

 not the first "speculation " of the kind he has 

 been engaged in. we think it no more than fair 

 that the public be warned. Permit me to say, 

 also, that it is very unwise to let a man without 

 reputation or property get hold of such an op- 

 portunity as the above, to swindle the unsus- 

 pecting. Other complaints come from Califor- 

 nia in regard to the same man. 



