1890 



GLEA^JINGS IN BEE CULTUEE 



127 



at the lower edge of the bars. Perhaps this will be 

 unnecessary with the proper space between the 

 top-bars, which, I think, is ,';; inch. 



I should like to ask friend Heddon how he har- 

 monizes the three strong- points he makes on page 

 44; viz.: 1. Top-bars % inch wide; 2. 8 of these to 11 J4 

 inches; and, 3, " i"g is the best passageway for bees." 

 If he makes the passageways ui he must make his 

 top-bars /^ wider, or else space his frames that 

 much closer; li'o is the right width for 1?8 spacing. 



Mt. Vernon, la., Jan. ~4. Oliver Foster. 



Your top-bars, according to the testimony 

 received thus far, lack just one important 

 feature to prevent brace-combs ; and that is, 

 they are too narrow. If they had been ] ^ 

 inches wide, or even a plump inch, as you 

 intimate— at any rate, wide enough so that 

 fu of an inch will be left between the bars, 

 you would have had no brace-combs, if the 

 overwhelming testimony thus far received 

 is correct. We have watched quite closely 

 the reports, and we find that, where there 

 is i inch between the bars, more or less 

 brace-comts are the result. In regard to 

 those pieces of perforated zinc, there is 

 another thing you had not thought of. They 

 will .^.3:; the frames, and they would always 

 be ready for moving bees. The objection to 

 them would be, that they might, after a 

 while, become stuck and daubed with 

 propolis. Mr. Heddon may answer about 

 the honey-boards. He will have to be ad- 

 vocating wider top-bars now. By the way, 

 when he gets those thick top-bars in his 

 new hive, what will become of his comb 

 space V Bars I inch thick, above and be- 

 low, in these shallow frames, will leave the 

 brood-combs only about 3 inches deep. In 

 my opinion, there wouldn't be much brood- 

 nest left. EUNEST. 



THE CHITTIES' EXTORTIONATE 

 USURY. 



SOME OF THE EVILS AS A RESULT OF THE LACK 

 OF CHRISTIANITY. 



Mr. Root:— Gleanings has become a looked-for 

 visitor to this land of the antipodes. The back 

 numbers have been preserved, and I mean to have 

 them bound and present them to the Sir Stamford 

 Raffles Litirary of this city. Little is known of, 

 but some interest is shown la, bee culture. 



In regard to the champagne-bottle and glasses in 

 the fruit-picture, I wish to say that I bought the 

 picture at the photographer's gallery, and had 

 nothing to do with the arrangement, or I should 

 certainly have left it out of the group. LP-TOl, ISSO.] 



To one unacquainted with oriental races, the 

 most interesting feature of this great city is the 

 vaii colored skins and costumes that meet the 

 eye, and the widely differing tongues that greet 

 the ear. All the European nations are represented 

 —the English, Germans, and Dutch (or Hollanders), 

 predominating. There are also natives of China, 

 Malaya. Burma. India, Siam, Japan, Arabia, South 

 Africa, Egypt, Persia, Armenia, and the dispersed 

 sons of Israel. Of the several Indian races repre- 

 sented, one of the most interesting is the Hindu 

 caste known as " Chitties," or money-lenders. I 

 send you a photograph of two of these money- 

 sharks. 



Lest some of your readers may think I am Indulg- 



ing in fiction, I will say that I relate only the sober, 

 honest truth. There are hundreds of these fellows 

 in the city, and their sole business is loaning money 

 at ruinous, even fabulous, rates of interest. They 

 are heathen indeed; but no more so in faith than 

 in practice. 



Scanty, but neat in their dress; fat and well- 

 favored, destitute of hair or beard, and striped 

 with whitewash, they are striking characters in the 

 ever moving drama of street life. Often rich, they 

 are always penurious. They live crowded together 

 like sheep, in houses that might be decent; but, to 

 suit their manner of life, are made to appear more 

 like badly kept barns than human habitations. 

 Unclean in their habits, they do not seem to regard 

 a double-distilled stench as any drawback to either 

 health or happiness. I have passed some of their 



THE chitties, OR MONEY-LENDERS. 



houses in the native portion of the city, where 

 goats and fowls moved freely in and out, and a 

 stream of accumulated filth oozed its way slowly 

 along the gutter just at their door. Nor are other 

 oriental races more righteous in this respect than 

 the Chitties. Indeed, the Chinese will excel them 

 all, with this qualification— that a wealthy China- 

 man lives well, and with at least moderate respect 

 to cleanliness and decency. The Chitties are Hin- 

 dus in religion, and this is indicated by their man- 

 ner of dress, their shaven heads, and their business. 

 Among the Hindus— there are many natives of 

 India who are Mohammedans— the Chitties have 

 the monopoly of the money-lending business. A 

 Mohammedan would never patronize a Chitty, and 

 a Chitty would no sooner deal with a Mohammedan. 

 They purposely shave all hair from their heads, 

 and beard from their faces. Their ancestors for 

 many generations have done it, and their pos- 

 terity will continue to do it for many generations 

 more. It is a distinctive mark of their caste. Not 



