1874 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



21 



should all change our present frames but if the 

 veterans could agree on one frame as being ad- 

 visable as a standard, what a "glorious help" 

 all around 'twould be. 



We feel sure a brisk trade is soon to spring 

 up in empty combs, if they can only be pur- 

 chased with the full assurance of fitting nicely 

 in our hives, and this can only be done by hav- 

 ing all uniform. 



As we were unable to interest any one in the 

 matter, we got up the diagram on our price 

 list from what facts we could gather hoping it 

 might attract enough attention to enable us to 

 set the matter right, if we were in error. 



Considerable discussion has been drawn out 

 on the amount of space that should be given 

 between the hive and frame and also on the 

 length of the projection for hanging the frame 

 on the rabbet. We would suggest % inch for 

 the latter and % inch on the former; as it is al- 

 most impossible to get the space so exact that 

 we shall not vary more than J^, we would sug- 

 gest that the workmanship should never allow 

 the space to be less than J^ nor greater than } 2 

 inch. We rather prefer the latter to be sure 

 that no bees are even squeezed ; and we have 

 no trouble with bits of comb built when the ex- 

 tractor is used as frequenty as it should be; 

 we would also have a full half inch between 

 the bottom bar and bottom board. 



Another point must be considered but we dis- 

 like to do it, because it may be received by 

 some unkindly, but as we feel sure the mass of 

 honey raisers will agree with us, we will try, 

 'tis this : That any method of supporting frames 

 in the hive, as yet before the public, except sus- 

 pension, has been proved to be utterly out of 

 the question under consideration, as are also 

 frames with closed tops, bottoms, or ends. 



However, we shall be most happy to hear 

 from the advocates of any of the above, and 

 will promise to give any facts or evidence fur- 

 nished, a most careful consideration. The re- 

 plies we have received to Prob. 4th, Vol 1st., 

 have given us a pretty fair view of the general 

 decision in regard to frames. 



PHOTO'S OF APIARIES. 



,m I. ROOT & CO:— Enclosed find Sl.on for the 

 itw Gleanings and Photo. I am sending mine, 

 fiiLfcLjJ. which was made before your articles "How 

 to start an Apiary" came out. or I should have follow- 

 ed your directions. By looking close you'll see a few 

 Simplicities, among the hives. I mean to test them 

 the coming summer and report. 



F. II. HARKINS, Home, Minn. 



Could our readers all see the view spread 

 before us on the small card we feel sure all 

 would unite in saying "Our hearty thanks, 

 Mr. EL" As we can't pass it around to all, 

 we'll try and tell what we ean see with the 

 aid of a magnifier. 



About 100 hives are scattered over a level 

 field with an octagonal Honey-house in their 

 midst, and a pleasant looking wood for a back- 

 ground. In the fore-ground stands our friend, 

 as we suppose, in his shirt sleeves and his 

 three boys are assisting. We are sorry we 

 can't discover any girls or women about, for 

 an apiary in our opinion is in mpl with- 

 out them ; has our friend no <l inghters as well, 

 and does'nt Mrs. H. take to be - v Tn 

 tainly is no danger, for one of tl ■ jir niles is 

 barefooted, and •■ ■ li pi It 



that, although hives are open, the Extractor 

 going, and II. himself "uncapping," nothing 

 iu the shape of Bee-veils is used at all by any 

 one, and a little "cub" that we would like 1<> 

 pinch stands beside an open hive as happy and 

 unconcerned as if he never heard that bees 

 could sting. The hives look precisely like 

 the Langstroth hives we use, and the Simplic- 

 ities too, but why does he tip up the latter? 

 One beauty of them is that they can always be 

 kept perfectly level. 



With all those hives full of bees it seems 

 that the Peabody machine would never keep 

 up, and again the youth filling jars with a 

 quart cup should let some of the girls do that. 

 and the whole machinery should be arranged 

 so that the honey will strain and run itself 

 into the jars without even stopping until 'tis 

 "dinner time" or something else "funny" hap- 

 pens. We would'nt turu those fine looking 

 boys out of the apiary by any means, for the\ 

 are needed to carry combs so that "Papa" can 

 as he removes them, carefully study the con- 

 dition and needs of each stock, while"Katie' 

 or some feminine "P. G." attends to the uncap- 

 ping and extracting machinery. 



If the whole lot of hives should "take a no- 

 tion" to yield 5 or 10 lbs. each daily, quite a 

 number of little folks might be found vastly 

 useful. 



By the way, we should be pleased to ex- 

 change Photo, of our Apiary for that of the 

 Apiary of any of our friends. We want to get 

 up a large "three banded" Album. 



Heads of |^!*»iii ? 



FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS. 



LEASE bear with me if I relate a lit 

 tie of our bee experience which ha* - 

 been a good deal disheartening, mam 

 has been the time this summer thai 

 both Husband ami I have wished we 

 f had let bees alone, but there was no back- 

 out now, without quite a loss which 

 we could ill afford. Two years ago this winter we 

 brought home one swarm of bees, the next summer 

 thev swarmed twice and gave us about three dollars 

 surplus, one of the swarms tilled the hive of 2000 cubic 

 inches, box hives, clear to the bottom, so we thongbl 

 we would do as some of our neighbors did, pry oil' the 

 top and take out some of the honey, we inquired of 

 half a dozen or more of our neighbor bee keepers if it 

 would do any harm, they could not sje.that it would, 

 so one hot day in Aug. or Sept. we went to work, 

 but such a muss as we got into— bees honey and all 

 squashed down together, it set us thinking if then' 

 was not a better way; so last winter or fall we bor- 

 rowed some bee books, bought some, aad sent for 

 some papers and during the last year we have learned 

 something. We had 13 stocks in the spring and in- 

 creased to -7 but liave had to feed and nurse them all 

 summer. 



We had a line prospect for buckwheat harvest but 

 an earlv frost killed it. the bees had scarce any stores 

 in their hives, an.! we began to feed near the tirst of 

 Julv • n-t enough to keep them] from ' 4 to H teacup 

 daifv, in the evening; as soon as the frost killed Ihe 

 dowers «■ fed for winter stores, in all we led about 

 three barrels, &10.00 worth of A sugar, made into a 

 syrup, lor th( ir Tail feed, we put into three quarts of 

 the syrup one teaspooufnl of cream of tartar and 'tis 

 nearlv ail s6aled up nicely now; We think they are in 

 prettj - ion, each hive having froni25to3ii 



or 40*11 



Hi me to ask how you manage to 



gel your bees to take down the syrup so fast? [we 

 read vour article in the A. B. J.] Our bees were ten 

 :, king down their winter stores, we 



