187*. 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



108 



of a Simplicity hive made to contain ten 

 •Standard frames. A, A, represents the strip 

 •of wood that holds the cloth bag and the ob- 

 long hole cut through it is to allow of pouring 

 in the syrup handily from a cotfee-pot. C, C, 

 Is the quilt with the portion that usualy covers 

 the space occupied by the feeder A, A, turned 

 down over the frame next the feeder, along the 

 line D, D. If we wish to stimulate brood-rear- 

 ing simply, raise the cover of each hive, as you 

 pass along, enough to allow the nose of the 

 coffe-pot to deliver a half a tea-cupful, or more 

 safely into the bag, and close the hive and so 

 •on with the rest. If you wish to fill up rapid- 

 ly for winter, pour in larger quantities of 

 thicker syrup, and till again when empty until 

 they have the desired quantity. If you wish 

 it all taken down quietly, feed only between 

 sundown and dark; at any time in the middle 

 of the day 'twill make what we call a "row" in 

 in the apiary. In regard to speed we will only 

 say that two of us, with each a coflfee pot, can 

 feed 00 colonies in live minutes. You will ob- 

 serve that if the quilt closes every crevice as 

 it should always do, no bees can get in the 

 way at all. Tis true there is danger (if fed 

 rapidly) of comb building in the space not 

 rilled by the bag, but this we avoid partially 

 by moving all the brood combs to the opposite 

 side of the hive; if they should have seven of 

 the nine combs containing brood, you can in- 

 terpose two that do not, between it and the 

 feeder. To work rapidly you will need to 

 have your tinsmith cut the strainer from the 

 coffee pot that it may pour thick syrup easily. 

 These feeders cost almost nothing, and when 

 mot in use, 100 or more can be packed away 

 safely in a single Simplicity hive. 



Now then if your bees are not ted up for win- 

 ter when this reaches you, our advice would 

 be to set about it at once, and give them 

 enough, Ifyoukeepup brood-rearing brisk- 

 ly during this month, we think it can do no 

 harm. Take the inside out of your extractor, 

 and till it with syrup, and you have it in a 

 very convenient shape to replenish your coffee 

 pot from the molasses gate. With this insti- 

 tution you can get beautiful combs built al- 

 most as rapidly as you can ask, if you are will- 

 ing to furnish the sugar. 



We can only say in regard to boiling the syr- 

 up that there is an editorial disagreement in 

 the matter; Novice insisting that 'tis just as 

 well to put a half barrel of sugar into the ext'r 

 and pour on boiling water, and he backs up 

 his position by a host of succesful experi- 

 ments ; P. G. on the contrary stoutly insists 

 that good syrup cannot be made without boil- 

 ing. As Novice is willing to admit that boil- 

 ing "will do no hurt" those of our friends 

 who agree with P. G. perhaps had better do 

 . so ; at least if they will feel better satisfied 

 about it. Should ihe bees gnaw holes in the 

 feeder 'tis probably because your cloth is not 

 sufficiently stout and heavy. We think noth- 

 ing can induce such rapid brood rearing, aye, 

 or comb building either, as regular, daily feed- 

 ing; a colony may have unlimited stores seal- 

 •<1 up in the combs, yet if no honey is coming 

 in, either process will soon go on sluggishly. 

 Should our bees survive the coming winter, we 

 propose with the aid of this feeder to have 

 some "tall" colonies next spring by the time 

 fruit blossoms are out. Go make your feeder-. 



iO^/EY* ^OIVKitfW., 



S there no way by which honey produce! 8 can get 

 jj|j the full value of their honey or what the purcha- 

 sers propose to give, without risk from irresponsi- 

 ble parties, and also that the purchaser incur no risV 

 from producers sending an article less in nmount and 

 inferior to sample or description ? It should he done 

 somo way by deposit of price, where conditions are 

 agreed upon. Many more would ship, and many more 

 buy, if they felt entirely safe from tricks. 



li. Wilkin, Oscaloosa, Iowa. 



An arrangement can usually be made with 

 R. R. Go's to deliver the honey and receive the 

 pay, but perhaps this would be only feasible 

 with large lots. 



I ree'd the extractor-have taken out 900 lbs. from 

 10 colonies— works well. 



J. K. Pkatt, Manchester, N. Y. 



Have now on hand 500 lbs. comb honey, and 135 gals, 

 extracted white clover honey from 44 stocks of hy- 

 brids and blacks. Season not good. 



Theod. M. Moltz, West. Fairview, Pa. 



We have had a fair honey season here, but nothing 

 extra. I commenced with 42 stocks; have increased 

 to 75, and have changed Queens in '20 hives, losing 

 some time in each. Boxes were put on 15 hives ; from 

 20 the honey was extracted; the remaining 7 (the 

 weakest) were kept busy comb making. I have now 

 Aug. 8th, perhaps 150 lbs. of box honey, and about 

 3800 lbs. or nearly two tons extracted, and plenty of 

 empty boxes for sale cheap. 



J. H. Towni.ky, Tompkins, Mich. Aug. 8th, 1874. 



i*. 8.— The best yield from any one hive was (30 lbs. 

 in four days, basawood honey, "carried from one, to 

 three miles. J. H. T. 



FRIEND NOVICE :-I fear you made a mistake in 

 quoting qt. fruit jars at 75 cts. for the retail price. If 

 we go to the trouble of putting up our honey in jars, 

 waiting for our pay etc. we surely should have 20 cts. 

 or more per lb. for the brightest. I lind that large 

 sales of exfd honey depend upon the efforts of the 

 retailer more than any body else, and their efforts, can 

 be had at about 20 to 25 per ct. commission; 10 per ct. 

 wont purchase any more than "Yes, well, we will: 

 we will put it in a conspicuous place" etc., etc. Say 

 honey 3 lbs. @ 20 cts.. 60 cts. ; jar, if a good one, tlrs't 

 cost 15 cts., commission 20 per ct., and you have 95 cts. 

 Now take the other 5 cts. for bad debts, freights, can- 

 died honey, tire, and other casualties, labels etc. 

 Your idea of putting honey on your nearest market is> 

 just my old way of doing it. Jamks Heodon. 



A. I. HOOT & Co. :— I had 40 colonies Italian bees to 

 begin the season with ; have taken 1800 lbs. extracted 

 honey, all Locust and White clover--a choice article 



- weighs 12 lbs. to the gallon. Am selling at home 

 by the pailful at 20c. per lb., in 2 lb. jars 25c. per lb. 



The drouth cut short our honey harvest more than 

 one half. I started out with the" expectation of get- 

 ting 4000 lbs. We have no Basswood and get nothing 

 after 20th of July, and this year nothing after 25th of 

 June. My neighbors who worked their bees for box 

 honey have the pleasure of looking into empty boxes 

 with perhaps a few pieces of comb started in one cor- 

 ner. I had one box hive that I intended to build box 

 honey, but when the honey was being sealed to the 

 bottom board, brood, comb and all, it was more than 

 I could stand, so I "busted" the side off, took out the 

 combs, extracted the honey and litted them into 

 frames. After honey failed "I "hustled" all my old 

 Queens off and now have all large, healthy vigorous 

 young Queens to "run the shebang". I never lose 

 any bees to signify in wintering. Winter in cellar 

 under living room — temperature 40° r. 



J. A. Buchanan, Wintersville, O. Aug. 7th "74 



A I ROOT & Co :— Gleanings comes to hand 

 promptly every time, each one filled with good things, 

 just the kind of information us beginners arc in need 

 of. Still it is not very gratifying to selfish human na- 

 ture to read of your immense yield of Basswood hon- 

 ey during July, when our bees are not gathering 

 enough outside of the sugared floor to keep them, 

 yet we cannot complain, the yield of white clover 

 having exceeded my expectation. The hives I ex- 

 tracted j ielding on an average very nearly 100 lbs. I 

 run three hives for box honey; it is notworth while to 

 weigh as I don't care to know how small the yield is. 

 But I do know some of the extracted ones gave me 

 150 lbs. each ; one gave 70 in one week. I may get 



