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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



March 



The above, although seemingly harsh is a 

 very fair illustration of the practicability of 



many of the patented appliances for Bee Cul- 

 ture. It may be however that Adair has a 

 knack of handling them himself more success- 

 fully, but we cannot think he works a very 

 large Apiary with Section Hives. 



Apropos of Problem 19th, has the following fact any 

 significance ? My queenless colony raised hundreds 

 ol little drones dnring November, which month with 

 lis was colder, more wintry than December. The cells 

 in which said little drones were reared had not been 

 lengthened— were capped over like worker brood. It 

 i> reasonable to suppose, therefore, that, genuine work- 

 er brood would, under the same circumstances have re- 

 ceived the same care. 



May it not be then, that by removing the queen, 

 after" securing a supply of eggs, ( I suppose a plan 

 might be devised for keeping her safely a few weeks,) 

 the rearing of a limited quantity of brood (or an un- 

 limited quantity, if eggs can be obtained,) can be at 

 anil time ensured'? L. A. W. 



We have often noticed how carefully egg3 



and larvae were nursed in a queeuless colony, 

 but are not prepared to say from practical ex- 

 periment that more young bees would be 

 raised. Those having queenless colonies this 

 spring (see Dec. No. page 90) will be pretty 

 sure to test the matter and we hope will report. 



I see that Bee men are not yet satisfied as to dysen- 

 tery or bee disease, and 1 never was till this winter 

 and now I know the cause, found the cause acciden- 

 tally and not by smartness. 



1 put all but 7 in the cellar second day after the 

 cold weather, and the 7 several days alter it turned 

 colli so they had been exposed and were gorged with 

 honey, and being confined were not able to empty 

 themselves, and the result dysentery or bee disease, 

 th • 7 are now all dead, while the ri maining 85 are good 

 and all righc. 1 would willingly wager 60 iiives against 

 5(1 that I can produce the disease in any hive by expo- 

 sing to a severe cold snap say a week, mercury some 

 times down to zero or below, then if the weather turns 

 favorable for flying, prevent by putting in cellar or 

 bee house and expose again, perhaps once will do. 

 D. D. Palmer, Eliza, Ills. 



We are sorry to dampen our friend's enthu- 

 siasm but he forgets like many others that the 

 same thing has been done hundreds of times 

 without injury, again, perhaps the worst cases 

 of loss were in Feb. and March or even April, 

 where the bees were left out and not moved at 

 all. Precisely the treatment he mentions does 

 not give our sugar fed colonies the disease. 

 He further adds some heavy questions for a 

 Novice to answer but we'll try. 



A few questions for Gleanings. 



1st.— When bees are gathering honey or pollen do 

 th ■■>• gather from one or more species of plants ? 



•2 id.— Have < u '.ana ever been known to mate with a 

 d one of a fertile worker or an nu impregnated queen? 



3rd.— Why no bees Ltuild their com us corrugated 

 or wavy? 



4th.— "Will Queen cells do as well in a horizontal 

 position as perpendicular after being capped? 



.ah. — Do the bees leave the cocoons in the cells ? 



bth. — Can bees hear? 



1st. — Usually one, but we find many excep- 

 tions. 



'2nd. — A number of direct experiments seem 

 to indicate the small drones good, but others 

 stoutly contend they are not. 



3rd. — We think generally because the colony 

 is weak. When the colony is strong and hive 

 " chock" full of bees, combs are generally strait 

 and regular. 



4th. — We think so but may be wroug- 

 ht h. — You may see by dissolving the comb 

 in hot water. 



6th. — Mrs. N. says they can, for the}' always 

 coine to the pump in dry weather when they 

 hear it going. 



What is the size of the perforated tin j on use on 

 your tea-ketlie feeder, what is the number, how fine, 

 answer in Gleanings. 



F. W. Ch a I'M an, Morrison, Ills. 



About 17 holes to the inch each way, are 

 found in the perforated tin we use, but we 

 rather think larger holes would be less liable 

 to till up with sugar, however a tea-kettle of 

 hot water cleans them quickly. Some one 

 proposes to make these feeders of boards made 

 tight with wax ; these will do very well one- 

 season but after that, make much trouble by 

 leakage, while tin although a little more ex- 

 pensive, lasts indefinitely. 



Light Wanted :— I have been trying to make some 

 bee-qnilts and can not make them to suit, they get 

 so puckered up that they will not lie down square, we 

 tried to quilt them with a machine, please instruct us 

 by letter. Albert Potter, Eureka, Wis. 



Don't quilt them. Make them just like a 

 pillow case and have them rather large ; have 

 the sides of the hive coine at least a half inch 

 above the top of the frames and then tuck them 

 in tight every time so not a bee can even make 

 faces at you before the hive is closed. 



If it be not necessary for Polish bees to fly for puri- 

 fication for a period of eight or nine months, why will 

 not our bees remain quiet and healthful when con- 

 lined for half the time ? 



Would you not like frames 14 inches long, (instead 

 of 17 'i,) provided you could fill a hive with them of 

 same capacity at same expense, better than you do 

 your present style of frames? 



is there not loo much weight of comb ami honey in 

 your 8 > 4 by 17 k inch frames, to handle in the ex- 

 tractor safely ? Very truly, 



(i. E. Carlin, M. D. St. Johns, Mich. 



We know bees used to stand a low degree of 

 cold for months in northern climates and real- 

 ly cannot see why they should not stand our 

 winters for the last few years. 



We feel quite certain we can raise more brood 

 in the shallow Langstroth frame than in any 

 deeper one and we tiud them also best adapted 

 to the extractor after having tried all those 

 given on our circular except the Adair frame. 



Much depends however on having a very 

 tight hiv- ; the movable side, in our American 

 hives always letH in so much cold air, as they 

 always must do, that, perhaps our experiments 

 with deep frames were defective in that res- 

 pect. 



Friend Novice:— We fellow Novices would like to 

 know if the honey flies above the comb in using them 

 end downward in" the extractor, and does it lake less 

 force to throw it out that way, than it would if hung 

 as it is in the hive? With the extractor I use, the 

 honey fl.es up six inches or more when thick and cooi. 

 li. S. Becktell, New Buffalo, Mich. 



If the frames revolve one inch lower than 

 the top of the can we cannot imagine how the 

 honey can fly out. With the frame longest 

 way up and down, no part of the comb need 

 exceed 6* inches from the central shaft, conse- 

 quently we have less centrifugal force, the 

 machine may be lighter, less power is required 

 to stop ami start, and we work easier and 

 faster. 



Can I keep bees successfully in the lieart of a City, 

 or will they interfere with Grocery and Confectionery 

 shops, that are near? 



Stephen Williams, Nashua, N. H. 



Yes. When there are no natural stores to 

 be had, keep them busy on sugar as we do, and 

 if you think you cannot afford the sugar, make 

 them pay for it by rearing §1.00 Queens. 



