1879 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



83 



these bottom liars as they lay in the grooves, 

 exactly, so as to match the bottom bars of 

 the sections, we use a spacing strip shown in 

 the engraving, below the case. This strip, 

 when pushed down in place, also holds the 

 separators at just the right height. The sec- 

 tions are closed tops, and when they are all 

 in place, a thin strip is pushed down so as to 

 rest on the top edges of the separators, and 

 hold the boxes firmly upright, and in place. 

 A strip of glass runs along each side, which 

 allows the apiarist to see how fast the bees 

 are working, by simply raising one side of 

 the cover to the story and a halt hive. This 

 case finished complete, niass and all. we can 

 furnish for 20c; in the flat, for 15c. The 

 case lilled with sections (28), starters, and 

 separators, only 50c; without the separa- 

 tors. 40e. If yon send the whole case to 

 market, yon can get along very well without 

 separators, for every comb can be sent just 

 as the bees build it. If the central sections 

 are capped first, separate them in the mid- 

 dle, and swing them around, so that the fin- 

 ished ones will come next the glass. Just 

 one more invention, and then 1 will keep 

 still for a whole month, for to-day is the 27th 

 of Feb. 



IIONKY BOX FOK FARMERS. 



Some of the farmers around here, and I 

 suppose around you. must have a honey box. 

 Well, we will make one as described last 

 month, and we will have it just the size of 3 

 sections. Eight such boxes will lib the case 

 above], if we put 4 sections through the mid- 

 dle. From bolts of thick basswood properly 

 cut and grooved, we will slice off pieces like 

 that shown below. 



how I could do any hotter, if yon took 20 instead of 

 one. 



SOMETHING ABOUT GRAPE SIGAK, 



ETC. 



GB M'F. SUGAR. 



¥( >l may recollect that I sent you some hard, 

 white, grape sugar In slabs, and that I after- 

 — j wards wrote to you, that the bees which I led 

 with that sugar took the dysentery. The next 

 spring ('78), I went to the tuills, and saw the chem- 

 ical superintendent of the works, and had a talk 

 with him. lie explained to me the reason why that 

 sugar was injurious to bees or, in fact, to any ani- 

 mal (man included). I [e stated that that white slab 

 sagar was manufactured expressly for the use of 

 confectioners, and was bleached with sulphurous 

 (not sulphuric) acid, in order that it might look 

 white, In candies, &C. (Nice for candy eaters?) He 

 said that, if he had been there when I bought it, he 

 would not have allowed me to take it. 



He gave me 300 lbs. of wine growers' sugar, as he 

 called it, used by brewers, wine growers, and vine- 

 gar milkers -a yellowish gray sugar somewhat soft 

 and damp, with a much pleasanter taste than the 

 white. 1 used it for feeding in May last, during the 

 wet, cold weather which we had about apple blos- 

 som time. I cbneidei that it almost saved my bees; 

 they were pretty full of brood at the time, and with- 

 out stores, and the result was that, when June 10th 

 came, they were "chock" full of young bees. 1 en- 

 dorse grape sugar for spring feeding. 



CHEAP FDN. MACHINES. 



i send you a sample of fdn. made on my machine. 

 It is one of Bourgmeyer's, and I think you will ad- 

 mit that it is good, it has a 9 in. roil, and the price 

 was only 830. Now, Mr. Root, add to our many obli- 

 gations by seeing- if you can't figure out a reduction 

 in the price of yours. Honey is cheap, and I could 

 not have afforded to buy one at $50. 



I don't see the need of wire in fdn.. especially, 

 since we have it made with the base of the division 

 walls. [ had hardly any cases of sagging last sum- 

 mer. I, of course, put in the frames of fdn. between 

 frames of comb. .John Dickinson. 



Milwaukee, Wis., Feb. 2, 1870. 



I am glad, from the bottom of my heart, 

 if friend Bourgmeyer has succeeded in mak- 

 ing a good machine, at the price mentioned, 

 even if it does cut off a large trade for Air. 

 Washburn and myself. Much disappoint- 

 ment and some hard feelings were caused by 

 the first, imperfect machines which he sent 

 out, but the sample of fdn. which you send. 

 I am sure, would do very well. 



Before folding them up. we will groove 

 them, with a thin saw, to hold fdn., and also 

 cut some similar grooves their whole length 

 and nearly through, so that, with a pen knife, 

 the grocer can readily separate every box in- 

 to three distinct sections. The finished box 

 is shown at the right. It can have a groove 

 for a glass or not. as you choose. The price 

 of a crate filled with these boxes will be the 

 same as with sections. Price of 3 lb. box 

 with glass and fdn., all set up complete, 4c. 

 Price of boxes in the flat, 2c. each. 1 hope 

 you can make them still cheaper, and that 

 these inventions may all contribute to your 

 happiness. Good day. 



\'. S — While 1 have hold of the "door 

 knob" 1 one thing more occurs to me. 



I told you the story and a half hive was sold in 

 the flat, at the same price as the Simplicities. As it 

 has a permanent bottom board, it will figure in the 

 list, at 'i more; thus: three will cost 7Jc. each; live 

 ~~e. each, and so on. You can furnish it with such 

 inside work as you choose. The hive complete, 

 nicely painted, all wood frames below, and our new 

 case of sections above, no separators, we are pre- 

 pared to send out for an even $1.50. This is cheap 

 and simple, and for beginners 1 do not know of any- 

 thing better. The price is so low, 1 do not know 



THE »25 



ft!Vi:, * 'VI SITING' 



ETC. 



QUEENS, 



A R something very simple is what we all want 

 (£.*\ in the bee business, and as no one has sent 

 — ! — ! you that frame yet, 1 think I will have to send 

 you mine. As i have no stairs that I can get 

 around, 1 have used the result of your walk; so hero 

 it is. 



Just take one of your all wood Simplicity frames, 

 cut off the projections at each end, take a piece of 

 hoop iron as wide as the end pieces, make a bend at 

 one end, cut it off about half as Ions as the end piece 

 of the frame, punch :.' holes through, one at the low- 

 er end, and one near the middle, take ~ tacks that 

 will clinch, nail the hoop iron on each end of the 

 frame, so that the hook will be just even with the 

 top of the frame, and, lo! you have it. 



FERTILE QUEENS GOING "VISITING." 



The queen 1 wrote you about finding away from 

 home, some time ago, is a strange acting lady; in 

 fact, she will take a fly whenever she has a mind to. 

 Twice, since I wrote you, 1 have seen her out. She 

 will fly off and be gone one or two minutes, when 

 she will return, and walk into the hive as though 

 she had a perfect right to go and come when she 

 pleased. 1 caught her both times, opened the hive, 

 and found it full of brood, from hatching- bees down 

 to eggs. She is a nice yellow queen, purely fertil- 

 ized, and her brood arc till yellow, ',i banded, good na- 

 tured fellows. 



I like "Our Homes" in Gleanings ; they help me 



