1890 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



339 



FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS. 



PAINTING SHIPPING-CASES ; SCRAPING SECTIONS. 



Is it customary or advisable to paint shipping- 

 cases? If BO, what color? 



If I could get careful boys or girls to scrape sec- 

 tions ready for market— those who would not stick 

 the knife or their fingers into the cappings, how 

 much per hundred would it be worth, including 

 dinner and supper, say half board? 



I had eleven colonies, spring count, and increas- 

 ed to 33. I took 900 lbs. of extracted and .oOO lbs. of 

 comb honey; that would be 127'4 lbs. per colony, 

 and I had left from 30 to 40 lbs. in each hive. 



Durango, la.. Mar. 3. J. M. Woodhouse. 



Of late years, friend W., it has not been 

 deemed best to paint our shipping-cases at 

 all, and I believe they are seldom returned. 

 Cases made of clean new lumber look better, 

 as a rule, than the painted ones ; and if 

 there should be any daubing, it shows worse 

 on the surface of the white paint than on 

 clean wood. — We could not well suggest a 

 price per 100 for scraping sections, especial- 

 ly when the labor may be much more in 

 some cases than in others. 



THAT PI.NE-TKEE HONEY. 



My bees made more honey in December and Jan- 

 uary last, than they did in August and September. 

 The oldest inhabitants have never seen any thing 

 of the kind. The honey-dew has drip]>ed from the 

 pine trees like rain falling. The leaves under the 

 trees ha%'e been perfectly coated with the honey- 

 dew. Walking in ihem, they would stick together 

 in piles. From what I have seen myself, and what 

 others have told me. thousands of tons of honey- 

 dew have fallen. If the days had been longer, and 

 all warm, so the bees could have got out early and 

 late, they would certainly have made more honey 

 than they ever did for me in the spring. Some of 

 my strongest colonies filled the second story with 

 fine honey. J.D.Cooper. 



Traveler's Rest, S. C, Feb. 5. 



THE .JAMAICA EXPOSITION. 



Would you allow me space in your valued paper 

 to call the attention of supply-dealers to an exhibi- 

 tion which Is to be held in this city in January, 1891, 

 and at which a special pavilion is to be set apart for 

 the exhibition of bees working, and bee-keeping 

 appliances? 



As the exhibition will be held in the middle of 

 our honey season, and as the management hope to 

 attract many visitors, not only from Europe and 

 the United States and Canada, but also from the 

 other West Indian Islands, and from Central and 

 South America, it would appear to be a capital op- 

 portunity for showing up modern bee keeping ap- 

 pliances in this part of the world. 



The Jamaica Bee-Keepers' Association have been 

 asked by the exhibition commissioners to work up 

 the bee-keeping department ; and should any of 

 your readers be desirous of sending an exhibit of 

 appliances they will be happy to supply bees for 

 any hives, etc., which it might be desirod to show 

 working, and to do all in their power to show off 

 the goods to the best advantage. 



If any reader desiring further information on the 

 subject will communicate with me 1 shall be happy 



to procure and forward copies of the regulations- 

 and forms of application for space (a sample of 

 which I send you for information), and any other 

 particulars they may require. 



Applications for space must be sent in not later 

 than July 1, 1890. C. O. Maonan. 



Kingston, Jamaica, W. I., Mar. 13. 



ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS CONCERNING OREGON A9 

 A BEE-COUNTRY. 



Some time ago, I hear, my name appeared in 

 Gleanings; and, of course, coming from Oregon it 

 was read with interest. So far, so good; but that 

 little article (I don't remember what it could have 

 been) has gotten me into trouble. I have received 

 18 letters of inquiry (from brother bee-keepers, I 

 presume), in different States. That's all right too. 

 But some of them are outrageous. Not one of 

 them contained even a stamp for reply. One of 

 the writers (and I hope he will see this), after ask- 

 ing 23 questions as to whether he could make a liv- 

 ing, etc., and get the best land for nothing, had the 

 " gall " to ask me to get him a situation at good 

 wages, as he bad a large family, and itnsicer hy re- 

 hirn mnil. How's that for " heaping coals of fire " 

 on my poor head? Now, Bro. Koot, I am ready, and 

 always was, to do all I can to further the interest of 

 any one; but it is out of reason to abuse privileges. 

 We are civilized out here— no Indians (wild). My 

 business keeps me very close, and 1 rarely get time 

 to tend my bees as they should be; so if all inquir- 

 ing brothers will write to the Immigration Bureau, 

 Ash St.. Portland, Ore , they will get all the printed 

 information they want (but no situations). 



Spring has fairly opened, and bees are loaded 

 with pollen. Yesterday they literally choked the 

 entrances in their mad scramble to get in and un- 

 load. No losses the past winter, although I hear of 

 some through the country. E. J. Ladd. 



Portland, Ore., Mar. 18. 



alfalfa hay overestimated. 



I tried raising alfalfa on clay land near Syracuse, 

 N. Y., some years since. It was a failure. It seems 

 to be best adapted to irrigated sections. In Den- 

 ver, alfalfa Js worth about half the price of timo- 

 thy. Many liverymen prefer other hay. New 

 York men are not foolish enough to ship alfalfa 

 from Colorado the second time at any freight rate 

 like $180 per car. In my opinion it is an overesti- 

 mated hay. Cows and horses eat it readily, and 

 rich milk in large quantities is produced from it. 

 The seed shipped from Rocky Ford, I think, goes to 

 Europe, and not for seeding in New York. 



Broomfleld, Colo., Mar. 25. J. T. Clapp. 



alfalfa for particular localities. 



I have received a number of Inquiries from differ- 

 ent sources, asking if I thought it would grow in 

 particular localities. I can say but little more than 

 I have already said, that I think it will grow in any 

 sandy loam or any loose deep soil. It is not liable 

 to winter-kill unless water stands on it. I think it 

 will grow well in any latitude, provided the soil is 

 suitable, and 1 would advise any who desire to raise 

 it to give it a trial, at least on a small scale, irre- 

 spective of climate or latitude. You will doubtless 

 be pleased with the result. D. L. Williams. 



Caldwell, Idaho, Mar. 38. 



covers for hives. 

 Tell Dr. Miller to try a cover for his hives, made 

 by nailing a piece 'a .\ IK in. on the ends. Let one 



