1875. 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



nrj 



under the circumstances. This was an L. hive, 

 ami all the rest have snfTored more or less in 

 the same way, unless it is the Standard hive 

 which has combs rnnnin^ across the other 

 way, and has the brood separated from the en- 

 trance bv several empty combs. The larsje 

 snnply of polleu is jjetting low, but is not quite 

 exhausted. 



April 20th — Mr. Lan2:-<troth has been our 

 ffuest for the past week, and many are the 

 talks and pleasant contests we have had on 

 the many unsettled questions pertainiuij to 

 bee-culture. The j^round he went over years 

 aifo, and the jjreat multitude of experiments he 

 has made in times past, many of them to de- 

 cide points which we have supposed had never 

 been considered before, are astonishinj; ; and 

 particularly his wonderful powers of memory in 

 referrin? to the exact place in which the sub- 

 ject has been considered in the earlier volumes 

 of the A. B. J., or in the earlier editions of his 

 work. Since the freeze, our l)jes have ceased 

 irettini; the natural pollen and he snj;2;ested 

 that we give them a substitute in their hives. 

 We at once expressed incredulity, and when he 

 mentioned a mixture of honey and rye meal, 

 we told him we had tried it over and over 

 aa:ain, but without even the slightest trace of 

 success. He smiled pleasantly, directed Mrs. 

 N. to sift the coarse particles out of the rye 

 meal, and make a "feed" of honey and the meal 

 that should not be thicker than good syrup. 

 This was put in a feeder and given them when 

 quite warm. Sure enough they take it up like 

 chickens, and ask us as well as they can for 

 more, and we are watchiu": with interest to 

 see whether it is rcalln used as pollen or only 

 as honey. Mr. L's idea is that the mixture is 

 T.aken directly into the stomach of the nursing 

 bees, to eliminate the milky food for the larva;. 



April 2\st — During the severe wintry weath- 

 er we are havinir uow, the Universal feeder 

 will not work ; the only way to feed, is to turn 

 up the quilt and pour our "gruel" directly on 

 the cluster. Now it is not desirable to tear up 

 the quilt in cool weather, as j^ou all know, 

 and that the bees object to such unceremonious 

 disturbances, we well know from past experi- 

 ence, having one season fed all our Apiary in 

 this manner, all through March and April. 

 Do you remember what Thaddeus Smith says 

 of old hats on page 29? Well, Mr. Lang^troth 

 in speaking of our quilts, says that he has been 

 full.v convinced for years that a shallow cavity 

 is needed above the combs or some device for 

 the bees to back up into, like a flock 

 of sheep in cold weather, and also to enable 

 them to avoid the repeated disaster of getting 

 separated from the main cluster by combs etc. 

 Now Mr. L. says, and with reason that part of 

 the quilt should be raised a little from the top 

 of the frames, for wintering, by laying cross- 

 wise two corn cobs about eight inches long and 

 six inches apart. Where quilts are pretty well 

 covered with propolis, a more efficient ventila- 

 tion would be desirable for this cavity, and 

 Mr. L. insists that every (juilt should have a 

 liole in the centre about 1 inch across, and that 

 this hole be always kept tilled with coarse wool, 

 this, he assures us the bees will not in any 

 way meddle with when used for such a pur- 

 pose. In the springs the cobs are to be removed 

 and this hole in the quilt enables us to feed or 



get a look at the bees Avithout disturbing the 

 edges of the quilt which are Avaxed down clo-;e 

 and secure. We have always objected to hav- 

 ing any hole cut throuirh the quilts, but if this 

 wool will really remain nndistui-l)e(l by tli ; 

 mischievous ones to l)e foun 1 in many hives, 

 we may become a convert to it. 



Almost any kind of feeder may be used 

 over this hole, or a piece ors[)are comb with a 

 hole through it may be laid over the hole in 

 the quilt, and the meal and sugar mixtun-, 

 grue! perhaps we had better call it, may bo 

 poured into the cells, or a table-spoonful may 

 be poured directly down ui)on the bees. Were 

 we to sum up feeders, perhaps we would say 

 that out-door feeding is the least trouble, when 

 the bees can fly, and where there are not too 

 many neighboring hives to join in; when the 

 latter is an ol)iection, the Universal feeder 

 comes next; if it is desirable to feed during 

 cold spring weather, the plan just mentioned 

 seems most direct and elfectual. 



^ »»■ ^ 



L,. L,. LANGSTROTH. 



™JE take pleasure in laying before our 

 ^^ readers the following from our old 



friend and benefactor. 



FRIEND ROOT:— I heartilv thank you for your 

 kind words of generous appreciation in the April No. 

 of Gr>KA:*iNGS. still I cannot consent to receive any 

 pecuniary contributions. Shoald I ever be rciluced to 

 such straits as to need lielp from those who think that 

 they liavo been benefitted by mv writings and inven- 

 tiori?:, r would accept it in tlie tamj spirit in which it 

 would be proffered. 



I am no longer able to give my personal supervision 

 to bees, and have no intention of building up another 

 Apiary. A neighbor is willing to take charge of a few 

 stocks for me, that I may be ab'e to supply my own 

 table with honey. If anv of mv bee-keeping friends 

 who are abundantly able to do so, would take pleasure 

 in sending me some bees, or a few hives with good 

 empty combs in standard Langstrolli frames, I should 

 not only be glad to receive them, but would try in 

 some way to reciprocate the favor— iierhaps by send- 

 ing them" another year a choice tested Queen. 



Witli tlianks to God for restored health, and with 

 kindest greetings to all bee-keepers wlio may see these 

 lines, Verv trulv your friend. 



April 15t"h, 1875. L. L. L.^ngstrotii. 



[For Gleanings.] 

 PERSONAL,. 



This heading, over my signature, may remind 

 some, of my personals in the A. B. J!, iu 1873. 

 With no intentfou of reviving past animosities, 

 I desire to say that soon after these personals 

 appeared, I regretted some things in them. 

 For the flrst time in my life, instead of a state- 

 ment of facts with what seemed to me the nec- 

 essary conclusions from them, I used bitter 

 epithets and invectives. Coming from a man 

 of my age and profession this was the less ex- 

 cusal)le. Perhaps I never lost so good an op- 

 portunity of showing the best way of conduct- 

 ing such controversies as we deem necessary 

 in defence of our rights. 



About two years ago I personally expressed 

 to Mr. 11. A. King, my regret for the invidious 

 comparisons in which I had indulged, and my 

 intention of withdrawing them as publicly as 

 they were made. Able ag'^i" to use my pen, I 

 am glad to carry out this intention. If my ex- 

 ample has encouraged the acrimoniousness 

 with which questions have been discussed, and 

 controversies carried on among American Bee- 

 Kcepers, I hope this personal may contribute 

 somewhat to soften such necidless asperities. 



April 28rd, 1875. L. L. Langstkoth. 



