u 



GLEANINGS m BEE CULTURE* 



Aucxvf. 



the middle of July. Besides, box hives have 

 gone the same way in many cases. 



But there is nothing like ones own experience for a 

 school; and I had one the other day. I had a swarm 

 put into a hive containing 13 frames (Standard) and 

 had it brought to me the next morning— they had 

 swarmed out twice before and returned to old hive. 

 There was a % inch hole in each end of the hive for 

 ventilation and I thought I would leave it closed until 

 night for safety ; and to give them something to keep 

 them quiet, I laid a piece of comb honey on quilt and 

 turned the corner up to give them passage. There 

 was plenty of comb fastened in the frames. At night 

 I opened it and they were like so many drowned rats, 

 only a few bees in crawling condition and they were 

 not so. very long. Well, that experience only cost me 

 83.00 cash, and a good deal more chagrin. But 1 will 

 try to save a more valuable swarm some time. [Don't 

 tell anybody what a novice I am.} E. Hunter. 



Manchester, Mich. 



But we fear we shall have to tel! it often, for 

 some one is sure to "cut the same caper" every 

 little while, during the warm weather. A new 

 swarm is always so loaded with honey for 

 their new home that they can bear very little 

 confinement, and they have about as little need 

 (for the first day) of honey in the comb, as of a 

 work on mathematics to direct them in build- 

 ing their cells properly. 



Are the curved end honey knives of Winder's, pat- 

 ented ? 



On July 0th, had two swarms of bees come off from 

 one old stock, one at about 10 A. M. and the other about 

 3 P. M. I did not intend they should swarm, but they 

 beat me in time. F. W. CHAPMAN, Morrison, Ills. 



We should suppose not for if it is, the patent 

 certainly cannot "hold. " Quinby, first used 

 and recommended knives with a curved point 

 and they were described and advertised some 

 time before the one you mention. Two swarms 

 from one hive is not very strange if they were 

 second and third swarms, but it the first of the 

 season 'twould be rather unusual in one day. 



My bees nearly all died two winters ago leaving 

 plenty of honey, but are making up for it this summer. 

 1 have had 5 swarms from one, all good, and 20 lbs. box 

 and -21 lbs. extracted honey thus far. Can't say what 

 1 may have yet. May the wind-mill continue to run. 

 A. V. Conkxin, Waldo, Ohio. 



What could 1 get for the yellow wax made into 

 small cakes as stated in A. B. J. Vol. 7, page 133. It 

 would be some work to cake it, but still if it would sell 

 for what he thought it would, it would pay well. Can 

 you give anv information on the subject ? 



Wesley Bkown, Homer, N. V. July 10th, 1874- 



Some time ago we made some pretty little 

 cakes of wax with a loop of narrow scarlet 

 ribbon fastened to each by pressing the ends 

 into the wax before it was cold. The cakes 

 were made by pouring it into small fancy dish- 

 es, they can be had very cheaply of the tin- 

 smiths, they are called "patties." Now these 

 cakes to be suitable for a lady's work box 

 should not exceed % or % oz. each, and they 

 retail for 10c. As the French wax sold for this 

 purpose is much adulterated, a pure home- 

 made article would doubtless find a ready sale. 

 The best way, as with honey, is to supply your 

 home market, first. Take a dozen or two made 

 of nice wax, (that from the "cappings" is beau- 

 tiful) to your merchant or grocer and give him 

 a commission for selling, and if you are not 

 careful he will soon be out, as we are at this 

 minute; we haven't a single cake left with the 

 "scarlet ribbons." 



Do the Rocky Mountain bee plants Cetome integri~ 

 folia and Leopnantftus anisatus yield fodder for cattle, 

 or honey onlj ? li. A. S. 



We believe, nothing but honey. If we art- 

 wrong will some one please set us right. 



We have do Vetches but can get, you some if yois 

 wish, they do not aiuorart to- anything far this climate, 

 it is too hot, B. H- stair & Co- 



Cleveland, O. 



The above was ree'd in answer to an. inqui- 

 ry from as, sent them in April. 



In using the "Standard Hive'' for box honey would 

 you advise putting boxes in the ends of hive or on top* 

 of frames ? O. L. Ballarb, Malone, N. "i . 



We think the most comb honey would be 

 secured by taking out frames- as fast as filled 

 and sealed in either the back or front of the 

 hive; taking care that they had clean new 

 comb for the purpose that had not been used 

 for brood rearing. 



Please tell me through Gleanings ttoe best way to 

 remove the bees from the comb before extracting. It 

 you ever told us I don't remember of seeing it. The 

 Italians stick awful tight don't they ? 



Aefked McMai'ns, Chariton, Iowa. 



Provide a bunch of Asparagus tops com- 

 posed of three or four stalks as thick as a lead 

 pencil, and with broad bushy tops. Some fine 

 annealed iron wire cut in pieces six inches long, 

 is handier than strings for tying them together, 

 and they are to be tied in the middle of the top- 

 as well as where held in the hand. After sha- 

 king oft" as many bees as you can, take the 

 brush in the right hand and roll it so as to roll 

 the young bees off before the entrance, and 

 they will crawl in safely. If your brush gets 

 smeared with honey, rinse it off in a pail of 

 water. It may be used until so dry it breaks up. 



We now rejoice— or rather we feel doubtful over 73 

 stocks of bees. Sweet clover, as well as their watering 

 place covered with the busy little fellows. We have 

 just been giving one contrary swarm instructions not 

 to build their combs across the frames as they well- 

 doing. D. P. Lane, Koshkonong, Wis- 



I think more than one half the bees in this country 

 died in April for want of supplies. It rained all the 

 time so that they couldn't get out. Blooms were 

 abundant through the month. I found out in time 

 that mine were dying and saved them with syrup. 



W. F. Lewis, Baldwin, Miss. 



If we could save our bees by simply feeding! 

 them we should he quite happy indeed. 



We cannot imagine such a case as the lack of pollen, 

 we generally think we have too much; 1 have cut out 

 whole sheets of it but I won't do so any more. Bees 

 are doing splendidly here, I have taken out 840 lbs. sir. 

 far, some of it, perhaps 300 lbs., was from the fruit 

 bloom. It is not pleasant to the taste and very dark. 

 clover is tine and we had a fine shower Sunday that 

 brightened things up very much; some of my hives 

 filled the upper story in lour days, you seldom see it 

 better than that. H. K. Ci'RKV, Cin. O. June 2nd. 



Bees in this locality have been doing but very little 

 good. I lost 4 colonies out of 6 in the last season, ami 

 i out of S in '73. Had half changed to Italian ami have 

 lost them all. They cannot stand the cold weal her 

 that we have in this part of the world, and all that 

 have perished for me, were very rich in natural stores- 

 hoping to have better success" in future. I am, your* 

 truly, S.H.SMITH. McKeesport, Pa- 



We think friend S. you are a little hasty in 

 deciding that Italians are less hardy than 

 blacks; such sometimes seems to be the cast 

 in a few instances, but taking the general av- 

 erage where conditions are equal and we be- 

 lieve the reverse will lie found the rule. 

 Where Italians are not given sufficient room 

 they often prevent brood-rearing by filling the 

 hive completely with honey, and under such 

 conditions they are insufficient in numbers 



