1890 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



211 



keen earnest searcher after nature's truth 

 will find them. Here is another short item 

 from a friend, who seems to think it is not 

 produced by the aid of insects. 



NECTAR FKOM PINE-TREES. 



I have noticed the pine honey for several years, 

 but never so plentifully as this winter. During the 

 latter part of December the pines on the mountains 

 fairly roared with bees gathering this honey, which 

 hung on the pine leaves in drops as large as a large 

 dewdrop. It is very clear, and of good flavor. I 

 have not taken any, but I suppose my bees gather- 

 ed from five to ten pounds per hive. Had tiees 

 been as strong as in summer, no doubt I should 

 have had a good yield of honey. It seems to be 

 mostly on short-kavtd or mountain pine, and I 

 think it is an exudation, and not the product of an 

 insect. Bees have been at work most of the time 

 since Dec. 20 on pine honey-dew, alder, and red- 

 maple bloom. J. A. Clements. 



Green Bush, Ga., Jan. 30, 



THE LANGSTROTH HIVE IN 

 GERMANY. 



How and Why it has Lately Come into Pop- 

 ularity. 



C. 1. H. GRAVENHORST'S OBSERV.4TIONS. 



Since the days of the late Mr. Samuel Wagner, I 

 have watched the progress of bee-keeping in 

 America. I remember with pleasure the time when 

 Novice wrote his encouraging articles in the old 

 American Bee Journal, telling us how he had found 

 out something new in bee-keoping, and how he had 

 then, in his enthusiasm, thrown up his cap toward 

 the sky. It was a good old time, and much has 

 since been done to advance bee-keeping, both in 

 America and Germany, not to mention other 

 countries. No doubt our American friends have 

 learned something from their German brethren, 

 particularly in regard to the tlicm-y of bee-keeping; 

 but, on the other hand, the Germans have learned, 

 also, from their friends in America. I have tried 

 to effect this since I became acquainted with the 

 American bee-papers. 



Of course, friend Root, you know that the (ier- 

 mans did for a long while object to the Langstroth 

 hive. They could not become used to the arrange- 

 ment of the frames in it. Our German frames are 

 nearly of the same size as the Langstroth frames, 

 which are put into the hives having one long side 

 toward top and bottom, while in the German hives 

 the frames are put in with one short side toward 

 the top and bottom. We were of the opinion that 

 the bees must have their stores overhead, as in a 

 hollow tree. But the American and other hives 

 have proved that this is a mere theory. 



Another objection against the Langstroth hive 

 was its movable cover. One would say, "If the 

 Americans, putting their stocks in order in the fall 

 for wintering, remove the sealed-down packings, 

 there will be left openings, letting out the heat, and 

 the bees will not winter well. More especially would 

 the bees suffer by spring management, as the open- 

 ings in the top of the hive would be the reason of 

 your spring dwindling." I think, and other Ger- 

 mans too, this is also mere theory ; at least, there 

 are many means of avoiding bad wintering as well 

 as spring dwindling. So far this should be the con- 



sequence of fall and spring management, and not 

 that of had stores. Therefore I hope, friend Root, 

 you will be glad to hear that the prejudice against 

 the Langstroth hive is more and more disappear- 

 ing in Germany, and that here and there it has be- 

 come a favorite. I myself have beside my hives 

 {BixjrusfurJpcr), some Langstroth hives, and am well 

 pleased with them. If you could see my Lang- 

 stroth hives, friend R., you would, of course, say, 

 " Well, friend G., those are genuine Langstroth or 

 Simplicity hives, tiered up and furnished with sec- 

 tions, etc., just as in America." Certainly, friend 

 R. I would say you are right, up to a certain point 

 that I will explain to you, and one that has much to 

 do with the fact that the Langstroth hive, here and 

 there, has become a favorite in Germany. That 

 the top-bars of my Langstroth frames have no 

 shoulders, will be, so far as 1 know, not new to you. 

 But you see on the front side, also on the back of 

 evei'y hive, two rows of ear pins in notches— one 

 row near the top, and one just above the entrance. 

 These pins are wire nails that go from the outside 

 to the inside of the hive, holding the frames in po- 

 sition. Every frame requires four nails— two on 

 the under side of the frame, to rest upon, and two 

 above the top-bar, holding the frame down. These 

 pins go through the wall of the hive, /„ of an inch 

 from the edges, on top and bottom. They rest in V- 

 shaped notches in every corner of a frame. These 

 notches are V inch deep and 'i inch long, leaving, 

 above and below the frames, a space of 's inch, if 

 the frames are fastened in the hive. By this ar- 

 rangement the frames stand in the right position 

 from the wall, having a fast support. The nails do 

 not allow the frames to move in the least, even if 

 you turn the hive top side down, as the whole hive, 

 as well as every frame, is i-eversible. In managing 

 the hive you will first take away the cover-board. 

 This has underneath it a space of ,V inch; then 

 open the hive as you are accustomed to do, and you 

 will at once seize with the right and left hand an ear- 

 nail, one in front and one on the back, near the top 

 of the hive, and pull ihem halfway out, but not more, 

 so that you may get a frame without hindrance from 

 the nails. The frame rests now on only the two 

 pins on the bottom, and you may lift it out without 

 trouble. But if you are anxious to destroy a 

 queen-cell, etc., then you may pull out the four 

 nails of the two adjacent frames, and then you 

 have more space to get at a frame than you need. 



I hear you ask, friend Root, why I prefer this 

 nail arrangement. Although I am sure to know 

 some of the objections you will have to the nails. I 

 hope you will not deny that the advantages of them 

 are greater than the disadvantages. I answer 

 your question, first by quoting Ernest in Glean- 

 ings, page H9, Feb. 1: "Where bee culture is car- 

 ried on to any considerable extent, a system of one 

 or more out-apiaries is almost the inevitable result, 

 and out-apiaries means moviiiohccs. The hanging 

 frame not fastened, although bees oni he moved to 

 and from out-apiaries on it, necessitates careful 

 driving and good roads. Our men during the past 

 season, in moving bees, could drive no faster than 

 a walk, and that with extreme caution in places. 

 With a couple of expensive men, one a teamster 

 and the other a practical bee-keeper, to say nothing 

 of a valuable team, slow driving, all because the 

 frames are hanging and nnlfixtd, i» cxiicnsivc. To 

 stop and stick up each frame in a load of 35 colo- 

 nies, simply for the sake of driving fast afterward. 



