42 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



small compass indeed before they left "tee- 

 totally." 

 All we can do now is too keep saying over 



to ourself " we'll show folks how we can build 

 up bees if we can't winter them." 



March V&th— No more mortality, but we find 

 a Queenless colony on which to practice our 

 teachings. Have just made a feeding house or 

 shed. The north and east sides are closed and 

 south and west open, the roof slants to the 

 south, leaving the eaves whieh project over 

 the floor considerably, just high enough to 

 walk under. 



The meal is distributed on the floor, which 

 slants slightlv to the south, in such a way 

 that the sun's'rays strike it almost perpendic- 

 ularly, some portion of it during the entire 



day. , ... ... 



The bees have been at work all day in it, 

 although much of the time they flitted there 

 and ba'ck during quite a drizzling rain ; they 

 also worked there briskly, in the direct rays of 

 the declining sun long after they had ceased 

 flying elsewhere. Floor is 6 x 12 feet (longest 

 east and west) and roof is enough larger to 

 protect it from ordinary showers. 



'Tis in the north-east corner of our inclosure, 

 and the tight board fences 8 ft high, keep off 

 cold winds quite satisfactorily. 



March 20th— An amusing phenomena. The 

 day beins; too cool for bees to fly ordinarily, 

 they kept at the entrance of their hives until 

 the' sun came out between the clouds, when 

 they went for the feeding house with a rush ; 

 to return almost as quickly if the sun chanced 

 to cease shining. At about 2 o'clock the effect 

 was novel and striking, when all had been 

 silent, after about 2 minutes sun-shine, we 

 would have a sweep, and rush, to be followed 

 by a small "roar" of happy industry. The 

 feeding house being warmed only by the sun, 

 was deserted as soon as it ceased lending it's 

 rays. As an experiment we presented tb/m 

 with little heaps of wheat flour, com meal, 

 ground chess, rye aud oats, and lastly dry 

 sugar. All of the grains were dabbled at, 

 generally new comers, but all ■ soon set- 

 Tied clown to a decided preference for the rye 

 and out meal. A few tasted the sugar but 

 seemingly concluded the meal was of much 

 the most importance. ^^^ 



Gleanings in Bee Culture, 



Published Monthly, 



-A.. I. ROOT «SC CO., 

 EDITORS AND PROPRIETORS. 



MEDINA, OHIO. 



Terms; 75c. Per Annum. 

 Far Club Rates see Last Page. 



IMLETDTJSTJ^, APRIL. 1, 1874. 



Fbiexp Gallup says in A. B. J. "Our theory is, 

 that bees kept perfectly dry, discharge the excre- 

 mental portions of their food in small and perfectly 

 tlry pellets" etc., now we protest against this on the 

 ground that it's Quinby's "theory," and that he 

 should be left entirely in undisturbed possession of it. 

 After having given it publicity at length, in so many 

 periodicals it seems rather hard to have some other 

 writer claim it now; the more so, as we think it can 

 easily be shown to be an error the whole of it. 



Mr. Q. should remember that bees are constantly 

 cutting away the combs, or gnawing them down in 

 places, whether they have capped honey or not. The 

 old brood combs containing cocoons are cut and 

 dropped down along with the cappings, which are of 

 a different color, as arc pieces of different combs; 

 this is all we find on the bottom-boards of our hives. 

 ami we have examined a great many. Like the asser- 

 tion that the extractor killed the brood, this is a 

 question needing no argument, for every bee-keeper 

 can easily see for himself. It you wish to lie sure, 

 get a magnifier of moderate power, and also throw 

 some hi hot water as Mr. Q. advises, until the wax 

 separates from the cocoone and propolis. 



B. K. M. came to hand March 6th, A. B. J. on the 

 7th, N. B. J. 23d, and World, on the 25th. 



Lest it might escape your notice, we would remark 

 that we are a little larger this month. 



Mk, Ct'KKT writes: "The bees in the hot-bed must 

 have ample ventilation,'' but we have found no trouble 

 as yet when covered with a quilt. 



Among our subscribers we find a George Bee, 

 And what is still more funny, 

 Another hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, 

 Rejoices as, Riley Honey. 



AVE wonder if the following from Josh Billings, 

 won't apply to bee-keeping: "You'd better not know 

 so much than to know so many things that a'n't so. 



Clubbing rates will be the same as given last month 

 with the exception ot the B. K. M. which has been ad- 

 vanced to 1.25, consequently price will be with Glean- 

 ings 1.75 instead of 1.50, and 14.25 for all four. 



Mk. Quinby gives full directions for making his hive 

 in Country Gentleman of March 19th. The article cer- 

 tainly merits the thanks of the bee-keeping communi- 

 ty, for it is a well directed effort toward enabling those 

 who wish, to make their own hives. 



In Rural 2V. 1'. for March 21st, we find excellent re- 

 ply to Prof. Riley, on Bees and Fruit. The writer cov- 

 ers the whole ground we believe, unless it be that he 

 omitted to consider the moral effect i,t might have on a 

 community, if the plan of poisoning, were adopted 

 whenever a neighbor's stock became annoying. 

 » • — • ■ 



In describing the Buzz-saw last month an error oc- 

 curs in the positions. When the operator stands at 

 the end of the table, the balance wheel should come 

 at his right hand ; the saw just before him ; the sliding 

 figure -t shaped piece, at his left, with the square bar 

 nearest, and the diagonal, farthest from him. Also 

 the "parallel bar" seen hinged to the back of the table 

 in tig. 4, must be on the right, directly over the balance. 



As ours is somewhat an experimental Apiary, and 

 our time necessarily much occupied with this "grow- 

 ing child." (Gleanings) we fear we shall not be able 

 to furnish either Queens or bees before July, more 

 than we have already orders for. Messrs Shaw & Son, 

 Daniels, and Dean, are making preparations to rear 

 them largely, and can probably furnish better stock 

 than ours also ; we would therefore advise that orders 

 for early Queens be sent them. 



■» ♦ • 



on: readers will notice that we are now using the 

 mailing machinery, and if the date after the name is 

 not found to indicate the time at which their sub- 

 scription should expire, we hope they will advise us 

 at once. A small 3, before the word Jan., indicates 



