52 



"novice's" gleanings in bee culture. 



those now in market, but in our opinion 

 this is a grievous error; worse, far worse 

 than making heavy and unwieldj', hives, 

 for the speed required to throw out the 

 honey tells, even on superfluous ounces or 

 fractions of an ounce. 



As we have our apiary now, every 

 comb goes nicely in our light extractor 

 and we can work on, until a barrel is full, 

 smoothly without being called on perhaps 

 while a hive is left open, to get out an- 

 other extractor or to lift up or strain 

 honey, or anj r such "foolishness." 



Tis true we have one "copy" of the 

 Quinby hive but this is not to be extract- 

 ed. Their combs are full and sealed, and 

 one of our very best colonies is idling 

 away their time preparatory to commenc- 

 ing in the thirty-two boxes; but as they 

 were partly filled with comb last, season, 

 we hope to see them finished this, and 

 the extra price of box honey will, we 

 hope, make up for loss in quantity. 



NOYICE'S^ 

 ^Icunhujs iit See Culture. 



A. I. BOOT & CO., 



EDITORS AND PROPRIETORS. 



Published Monthly, at Medina, Ohio, 



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PRINTED AT MEDINA COUNTY GAZETTE OFFICE.] 



Medina , July 1, 187 o. 



Have sold one barrel of honey for 15c. 

 per pound. 



We too are rejoicing now in copious 

 showers, but honey don't show more than 

 three pounds per day yet. 



Ix heads of grain No. 66 read "thor- 

 ovgh-hre'd" instead of ''rouyh bred." 



It seems to us that with our present fa- 

 cilities we can expect little from drones 

 unless we can keep a strong colony rear- 

 ing choice ones in large numbers and de- 

 capitate them in the balance of the hives, 

 and even then, where common bees are 

 kept considerably, it has seemed to us 

 they were almost sure to "mix in." How- 

 ever Italians must soon begin to prepon- 

 derate (we hear they do in many locali- 

 ties), and then Italians will be the rule 

 and blacks the exception. Rear all your 

 queens persistently from one having the 

 most desirable points; get your neigh- 

 bors to do the same, and thorbitghbred 

 malt., will he Bure to he the result." 



Ji'.st before going to press Novice wish- 

 es us to add. that after many experiments 

 he would extract from the upper story 

 first, replacing combs as fast as emptied, 

 keeping quilt over them if robbers trouble. 

 When finished, let them remain until you 

 have done the upper story to the next 

 hive in the same way, this will secure 

 most of the young bees out of the way, 

 from the lower combs (see problem 5) 

 and they are most difficult to brush off. 

 As the upper story is lifted off when 

 empty 'tis much easier, aird we should 

 use the quilt over the combs as fast as 

 they are replaced. 



If hives are far from the extractor a 

 light frame of pine sticks covered with 

 cloth to keep off robbers is convenient. 

 Leave the top loose, except at one side, 

 so it can be thrown over the combs, and 

 spread a sheet of paper on the bottom to 

 prevent honey dripping on the floor. We 

 know of nothing to brush off the bees 

 equal to a bunch of asparagus tops, make 

 it two feet long and bushy enough so that 

 when simply rolled in the hand it will 

 "roll" off "hybrids" without provoking 

 their anger. 



It is amusing to read letters from Miss- 

 ouri and Tennessee, saying it. is so wet 

 that bees can gather no honey, when we 

 are parched and dried up here with se- 

 vere drouth. An unusual number of bees 

 seem to have worn their wings out, and we 

 imagine it is because they are obliged to 

 visit so many blossoms before getting a 

 load. A friend who "bosses" the print- 

 ing of this suggests that they "snapped 

 their wings to pieces, they had got so drjY 

 but bless you, he don't know. 



Our index scales show a decrease in 

 weight of from one to one and a half lbs. 

 between fi and 9 o'clock a. m., while the 

 workers are going out. From this time 

 until 12 or 2 p. m. they just about bring 

 the index back to its former position in 

 the morning, and about one pound is 

 gained from this until 5 or p. m., be- 

 tween which time and dark it falls rapidly, 

 making a total of perhaps 2A or 3 pounds 

 on an average. This is slow work and 

 quite different from the proceeding* 

 of former seasons. As usual, tin; 

 Italians do much the best, and our yield 

 of honey is not far from l.">0 lbs. of very 

 thick honey daily from our entire fifty-six 

 colonies. (One more actually played out 

 in the month of .lime.) 



