488 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



July 



does the white grub; but those I got at Howell 

 must have been either four or else but two years in 

 developing; for three years ago there was no crop 

 on the field at egg-laying time, only young corn. 

 The remedy for these as for the white grub would 

 be to turn in hogs. They would eat the grubs, and 

 thus convert the grass indirectly into pork. 



SPRUCE-TREE PLANT LICE. 



I have received some spruce twigs sent by .T. H. 

 Hill, Venice, Fla. The dried-up, broken aphides, 

 are beyond identification. I presume they are the 

 common spruce-plant lice, Lachnus abietis. This 

 louse works on spruce-trees all over the United 

 States, and here at the college it often secretes 

 much and quite delicious nectar. It is closely re- 

 lated to the larch-plant louse, Lachnu laricis, 

 which has not infrequently given us not a little 

 most excellent honey. I have been able often to 

 sample this latter right from the larch leaves, so 

 abundant was it, and I can pronounce it A No. 1. I 

 think it would sell equal to clover. Last season 

 we got quite a little of the nectar from the spruce, 

 and it was fine. In most cases, I think, honey-dew 

 from aphides is fine, and excellent for honey. I 

 wish we could say as much of that from bark-lice— 

 CoccidcB— hut we can not. That is always rank, 

 dark, and unwholesome. It is good to sell for 

 manufacturing purposes only. A. J. Cook. 



Agricultural College, Mich., June 19. 



Why. friend C, do you mean to say that 

 the white grub that bothers our crops and 

 feeds on the roots of grass really lives three 

 years? In plowing up clover sod around 

 the windmill, there were such numbers of 

 these white grubs that it called forth ex- 

 clamations from the workmen. The neigh- 

 bors' hens discovered what was going on, 

 however, and they have been following the 

 plows and cultivators ever since the ground 

 was worked. There seem to be plenty of 

 them left yet; but if they are going to live 

 three years or longer, I do not know but I 

 shall get discouraged before we get through ; 

 but may be the chickens will not, even if I 

 do. By the way, I have mentioned one of 

 the good things in regard to neighbors' 

 chickens. Now, don't any of you ever say 

 again that there is not a redeeming point to 

 every drawback. 



^ I ^ 



THE HOFFMAN FRAME DISCUSSED. 



ITS DISADVANTAGES SET FORTH. 



Mr. Root:— Yon ask for the pros and cons on the 

 Hoffman frame. You are, 1 see, getting the 

 " pros " without the "cons." Is not that the trou- 

 ble with our writers on bee-lore? They give the 

 good, and, to a large extent, leave out the bad. 

 Now, Mr. Editor, I do not wish to be hard with the 

 advocates of the Hoffman, or self-spacing frame; 

 but not a single one so far gives both the good and 

 the bad. I hope to be able to do both, and let you 

 and your many readers judge for yourselves. I 

 had about 1000 of what we call here the Georgia 

 frames. The only difference in the Hoffman and 

 Oeorgia|is that the former frame has both top and 

 end bar to close, while the latter has only a wide- 

 end top bar. 



Just here is an appropriate place to start my list 

 of objections. In closing up, we kill more or less bees ; 

 the projecting ends are clumsy to handle— must 



be pried apart with a knife; will gnap, and get the 

 smart hybrids afoul of you in short order, in the 

 way of taking cappings off the combs; will cause 

 combs to pull out of frames while being raised 

 from the board; they also will cause the combs to 

 break out while being extracted, especially if it is 

 necessary to turn a little fast; they will bang on 

 the wire in putting in and taking out of extractor 

 for any thing like fast manipulation ; must be used 

 in a wide hive, which will of necessity cost more, 

 not to say any thing about the extra dummies and 

 division-boards which are to be put away when not 

 in use; then the frames will cost 60 cts. per 100 more 

 than the Simplicity frame. In a word, I would say 

 a bee-keeper who values his time must see the 

 great difference in handling and storing away his 

 frames. An 8-frame Simplicity body will hold 13 

 Simplicity frames, while 8 Hoffman frames will fill 

 it; hence you seethe difference in storage room, 

 especially for surplus combs. 



Now for the good: For shipping, the Hoffman 

 frames are good; also for handling of full hives 

 about the yard. They insure straight combs for 

 the novice. One or two more minor good things, 

 and you are done. Our bees to date are poor— not 

 more than 5 per cent have cast swarms as yet. The 

 May bloom was very bitter; but cool nights, follow- 

 ed by windy days, have been disastrous to the hon- 

 ey interests. I believe there has hardly been a day 

 since the 1st of April when we have not had more 

 or less wind. It is high at this moment. We like 

 your Home department, also your Tobacco Column. 



Pineville, N. C, June 5. A. L. Beach. 



Friend B., we want the cons as well as the 

 pros. We are glad you have stated the ob- 

 jections as thoroughly as you have ; but it 

 seems there are a good many in the Mo- 

 hawk Valley, who like the Hoffman frame. 

 Read the following testimonies : 



HOW TO handle IT. 



Why rack our brains trying to invent something 

 new, when we have something already in use much 

 better adapted to the purpose than a new invention 

 whose chief merit is newness and novelty? How 

 many surplus arrangements, for instance, have we? 

 and how much better is one than another in the 

 same locality when we come to final results? My 

 experience is about the same number of pounds of 

 honey from each pattern in use, under the same 

 conditions. The advantages of one over another 

 may be counteracted by some point of its compet- 

 itor. While such a long list of implements looks 

 well in a price list, is it of any advantage to the 

 manufacturer or consumer? I think if we would 

 try harder to reduce the number of our appliances, 

 and learn to use the best now in use to the best ad- 

 vantage, we might do something toward correcting 

 what seems to me a growing folly. 



Friend Beebee has covered the ground pretty 

 well in his description of the merits of the Hoffman 

 frame, and I can fully indorse all he says about it. 

 and would like to call your attention again to one 

 or two of these points, which I fear you overlook 

 in your proposed modification of the frame you 

 offer. I would say that I have tried this form, and 

 have seen it in use, besides my short trial. You ad- 

 vise using tin rabbets. I have used tin and wood 

 side by side, and decidedly prefer the plain wood 

 rabbets with the Hoffman frame. This modification 

 of yours admits the bees to the rabbet, and they 

 will deposit enough propolis between the ends of 



