1875. 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



i 



BITS OF GOSSIP. 



In speaking of the I-;imi) Nursery on pa^'c iU, the 

 types provoklnjjly say a "/u'«(7.(/ hatclicd" c,>iR'eii, 

 when we iiioaiit a H(V('?i/ hatcheil one. We don't ad- 

 vise meddlini; with c,)ueens until they (trc hatched, or 

 at least have eomnienccd to gnaw out. <>n page !)(> 

 read Xepata Glechmna instead of Gleclwrna. 



Our Queen cages ai-e s])ecially adapted to sending 

 Queens long distances, arc easily opened and closed, 

 and recjuire no tacks or paper wads to do it. Another 

 thing; the cage opens so that you can get at the 

 (^ueen without any guess work, and there are no cor- 

 ners for her to wedge herself into. Price, Vic by mail. 



We have commenced manufacturing a Honey Gate; 

 this dilVers from the ordinary Molasses (iate, in hav- 

 ing a tinned surface all ready to solder into the can, 

 instead of the ordinary screw thread cut in them. 

 The upper i)art of the gate, Avhere it projects inside 

 the can, is left open, to facilitate the exit of the 

 honey. In ordering, please specify whether you want 

 them to put into wood, or to solder into metal cans. 



In answer to several enquiries, we reply that we 

 have no difticultj^ at all with our machines in extract- 

 ing from new combs jiartly built; eyen if they are 

 attached only to the top bar, and we think a new 

 swarm does all the better for having their combs emp- 

 tied every other day, when the honej' is coming in 

 fast. So far as we can see, it does not interfere with 

 comb building at all, and very much tacilates brood 

 rearing. 



The suspended liive had been extracted, and two 

 nearly empty frames were put in the middle of the 

 liive just 40 hours before they swarmed ; two days af- 

 terward we looked them over tm'X found no trace of 

 Queen cells. Very likely the hot sun had something 

 to do with the swarming, as the tree that usually shades 

 them has partially died. The hand on the dial went 

 suddenly backward eUjht lbs. when thcj' went out. 

 They are now rejoicing in an abundance of room in 

 the Quinby hive. 



We mail Gleanings in time for each number to 

 reach you bj- the first of the month, and if it fails to do 

 so, please don't think it advisable to write unkind let- 

 ters to us. We take great pride in handing you each 

 number, and watch the mails neiwously for a week 

 after, to hear how well we have succeeded in pleasing 

 you; we would not for any thing have any of you 

 miss a number, yet not a month passes, witliout quite 

 a number of complaints. After investigating, we find 

 by far the larger number of conii)Iaints arc caused by 

 some other person of the same or nearly the same name 

 taking them out of the ollicc by mistake. Please ask 

 your P. M. if such may not be the case, before writing 

 us. If not, drop us a card, and we will cheerfully send 

 any number that you have not received. 



It may be there are valualfie features found in the 

 \1 or 18 dollar Extractors, not found in our own §10.00 

 ones, but if such is the case, wc are unable to appreci- 

 ate them. AVr. have added every improvement sug- 

 gested that we thought would i)rove valuable, all 

 things considered, and yet we find no great difllculty 

 in furnishing them all crated and ready to ship, for 

 the prices named. Any one who has careftdly studied 

 the matter will see that to make a machine cajiable 

 of revolving four combs instead of two, will require an 

 increase in size and weight, Avithout very materially 

 aidinsj in rajjidity of work, among the masses. Re- 

 versing the combs inside the can, making the inside 

 frame three cornered, running the machine by gear- 



ing or belts i)laccd under the bottom, etc., etc., have 

 all had their advocates, but we think have generally 

 been, after a lime, discardeil lilu; the revolving cans. 

 Our friends can rest assured, that wc shall s|iare no 

 Iiains in i)romptly ad()i)ting anv real imi)rovenient that 

 may come up. Please du tell the dimensions of the 

 frame or frames you use, in ordering. 



FoK a two story hive, we decidedly prefer the dol- 

 lar Simplicity arrangement to any of the more expen- 

 sive hives. You can use as nice lumber as you jircfer, 

 and can keei> them well painte<l, but so far as adding 

 wire cloth covered holes, strijjs an<l the various pat- 

 ented "cog wheel" arrangements, we should vei a- 

 quickly take the i)lain, smooth boxes, oven if ofl'erc<'l 

 at the same price as the others. The entrance we find 

 l)articularly convenient; during very hot weather, it 

 inclined to cluster out, any amount of ventilation can 

 be given in an instant, and without any tinkering 

 with blocks all covered with gum. Wlien the en- 

 trance is to be contracted, it is just as (|uickly done 

 without confusing the bees by an extra entrance. The 

 cracks Ic^ft at the back end when the hive is thu& 

 pushed forward do no hann, in jiractice, for the bees 

 of a good colony very soon stop them with propolis. 



We are freipiently asked why our honey knives are 

 Si .00, when good ones are oflered for 50e. each. It ix 

 true that a honey knife will answer about as well for 

 uncapping when made with a blade about half the 

 length of ours, and it will also work as well put hastily 

 into a cheap wooden handle, as if put into one made 

 of soli<l ebony nicely feruled, like our own. Do you 

 know that you often take better care of a smooth nice- 

 ly finished tool, than you do of a rough cheap one? 

 Again, verj' often during the extracting season, j'ou 

 will need a thin bladed knife long enough to reach 

 clear down to the bottom of the hive ; this ours will 

 do, and it is made so thin, and of such fine steel, that 

 it will spring into a straight bladed knife with slight 

 pressure, and without injurj-. Crooked pointed knives, 

 it seems to us, are a great blunder, and we have tried 

 in vain to use one ; a knife like ours, that is sharp on 

 both edges, and also on its rounded point, ofiers every 

 facility, we think, for uncapping all sunken places in 

 the combs. 



OUR OTEBLiEY. 



51^ KAR NOVICE :-Three cheers for Novice, Hip ! 

 Ip[| M Hip ! Hui-rah ! and what's all this fuss about ? 

 ^??^ Why, don't yon know ? Last night we got the 

 "Jl/cdtey." and we sailed our old hat so high that, 

 sure as you live, it's up there yet. There must have 

 been some great attraction in it, for when I went to 

 the i)ost oftice, the postmaster and mistress had it 

 undone and were looking at it with all the eyes they 

 had, and trying to borrow some more. I'd like to tell 

 you what I think of it, but I can't, only it's just splen- 

 did. It is pronounced here the best got up Medley we 

 have ever seen. Methinks I see some of "P. G's." 

 handiwork in the arrangement of the pictures, and I 

 think it's too bad we couldn't have her Photo', 

 and Anna Saunders, too ; she sent you her picture, and 

 if you did not get it we'll have to lay it to Uncle Sam. 

 I have looked at the faces for hours, till my eyes 

 ached, and I haven't even thought of getting tired of 

 it yet. 



Now, Novice, why can't we have another Medley, 

 i. e., one of the hives, extractors, etc., in use ? I'm 

 sure it would be almost .as good as the one of the bee- 

 keepers themselves. I wonder if we can't make it 

 worth your while to try it ? Am willing to do and 

 pay my share towards it. W^hat say you friends, 

 sh.all we set Novice and Blue Eyes to work again ? 



Mr. Chairman, 1 move that the bee-keepers of 

 America give friend Novice and his assistants a vote 

 of thanks for getting up his splendid Medley of bee- 

 keepers. Yours, Truly, 



Will. M. Kellog, Oneida, Knox Co., III. June 12, '75. 



DEAR NOVICE :— Medley just received— am de- 

 lighted with it— never spent, nor never exjiect to si)end 

 Sl.oo for any thing that can give mo more pleasure 

 than it does. I sliall never grow tired of studying the 

 many faces it contains. Most of which I am glad to 

 say, look honest and truthful. But it is a mystery to 

 me how you can get up such a picture, and prepare it 

 for mailing, and pay i)Ostage, all for Sl.OO. Should like 

 to name the ones whose looks 1 like best, but there arc 

 too many. 



Respects to j\Irs. N., and P. G., love to' little Blue 

 Eyes, and happiness and prosperity to all. 



As ever, Alekei^ Mcmains. 



Chariton, Iowa, June 25th, "75. 



