1879 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



22? 



because the idea is so (I beg pardon), ridicu- 

 lous, of patenting such a thing. Friend Sco- 

 vell's smoker may be an infringement in 

 that way. Friend Bingham, do you want to 

 be classed with those who are going about 

 threatening law suits, and exacting dama- 

 ges from those who, they claim, trespass on 

 their "rights?" 



FDN. "WITH "SQUARE" CELLS. 



Please ask bee-keepers to try the experiment of 

 making- fdn. with square cells, (25 to the square in.), 

 and see which the bees will use quickest. I took my 

 saw and two pieces of pine boards, (pine makes the 

 best dipping sheets 1 can get), and cut both ways 

 across the face, and let them soak a little while in 

 water; then dip one twice in melted wax, lay it on 

 the other, and press them tog-ether with a quick 

 motion, and you will have a sheet of the nicest lit- 

 tle squares you ever saw. I put some in a hive 2 

 days ago, and yesterday they were % inch long 

 square still, I am anxious to see if the queen will 

 put eggs in them, and if the bees will be all square. 

 Who else will try the experiment and report results? 



J. F. Lafferty. 



Martinsville, Clark Co., 111., May 15, '79. 



Well, I declare, friend L., if you are not a 

 genius ! If flat bottomed fan. is patentable, 

 (although no one has got a patent on it yet, 

 as far as I can discover), certainly square 

 cells are patentable. I suppose of course, 

 the bees would have them 6 sided by the 

 time they were built out and filled with 

 brood. When you get some finished comb 

 of that kind, please send us a piece, and we 

 will report. 



BEES BY THE POUND. 



I like the idea of selling bees by the lb. I had a 

 large, double swarm yesterday, which 1 think must 

 have weighed 20 lbs. The idea of getting $20.00 for 

 them instead of selling them for $1.00, as I have 

 been doing the last two years, sounds something 

 like "Blessed Bees." Even in Gleanings "There's 

 no place like 'Homes.' " D. McKenzie. 



Carrolton P. O., La., May 14, 1879. 



CHAFF FOR WINTERING. 



My bees have wintered on summer stands, with 

 chaff, better than any in this part of the country. 

 One large bee-keeper who came here and bought 

 some bees from me, says my bees are the healthiest 

 and cleanest he has seen this year. He had 200 hives 

 of bees last fall, and has but 9 doubtful ones left, all 

 told. The loss, he thinks, is over $1000. I have only 

 lost one out of 22, and that swarmed out and went 

 in with another hive this spring. Richard Nye. 



Forestville, Mich., May 12, 1879. 



P. S.— Bee-keepers have lost very heavily in this 

 vicinity this year, I think 90 per cent, not counting 

 me in, have perished. 



MR. LANGSTROTH, SENDING QUEENS BY MAIL, ETC. 



Our friend, Mr. Langstroth, is quite poorly again 

 with his old complaint. He desired me to write you 

 in regard to our scheme of sending queens by mail. 

 Whether you would send a cage, and write to the 

 Post Master General, or whether I shall, and if I do, 

 have you any suggestions to make as to what I had 

 better say to him? 1 sent a single queen by ex- 

 press, to-day, which did not reach its destination by 

 8 miles, and would have went right there, by mail. 

 The P. M. G. might issue an order to receive them 

 only in those last cages, without glass, or water, ex- 

 cept in a sponge or in a tin tube, and candy to feed 

 on. Whatever is done will have to be done soon. 



Oxford, O., May 10, '79. D. A. McCord. 



We are all deeply pained, friend M., to 

 learn of Mr. L's illness again. As I have 

 once sent a cage containing candy only, to 

 the P. M. G., with all I could say on the sub- 

 ject, I do not know that I have anything 

 more to offer. Queens are now sent by 

 mail in a registered package, by some of our 

 bee-keepers, but after the experience I have 



had with losses of queens, and queens that 

 once lay, I now prefer to send them by ex- 

 press in the new section box cage described 

 in this No., with plenty of bees, plenty of 

 honey, and plenty of water. By the way, if 

 we can devise some means to prevent the 

 occasional swarming out. we could raise the 

 queens, and get them fertilized in these 

 same section box cages. When laying, send 

 the bees, queen, hive and all. 



COMBS BUILT CROSSWISE, WHAT TO DO. 



Last winter I purchased 5 bee hives, 4 Quinby, and 

 1 box hive. They are not Italians. I tried to take 

 out the frames, but found the comb was united and 

 of an irregular shape. I tried cutting them apart, 

 but the honey ran out, and some of the comb broke 

 loose from the frames and made a great muss. In 

 such a case, how can I look for bee moth, as there 

 seems to be some? also, find the queen to clip her 

 wings? 



The soft and hard maple and poplar are first in 

 bloom here. 1 notice they work a great deal on 

 them, especially soft maple. Do they obtain honey 

 or pollen? Does the lilac yield much honey? 



BASSWOOD LUMBER FOR HIVES. 



Will well seasoned bass wood lumber answer for 

 making movable frame bee hives, if carefully paint- 

 ed and roofed with pine? 



HONEY FROM PEAS. 



Do field peas yield much honey? 



Franconia, Minn., May 4, '79. Jas. P. Smith. 



I have no doubt, friend S., you had a muss 

 in trying to get tne frames apart, with the 

 combs built as you say. You have a job of 

 transferring on hand, and very troublesome 

 it is sometimes. You must cut each comb 

 loose, all around, take it out and lay it down 

 carefully, without breaking. When you can 

 get one frame free, fix in the comb precisely 

 as I have directed in transferring. Go 

 through with the whole in this way, and 

 then make up your mind it will be cheaper 

 after this, to watch your bees, and make 

 them build their combs true in the frames, 

 in the first place. 



I have never known bees to notice the lilac, 

 nor peas either, unless it is the variety of 

 peas called vetches. Much honey is some- 

 times obtained from these in Germany, 

 where they are raised extensively for stock. 

 Basswood does well for sections, but is con- 

 sidered poor lumber for hives, on account 

 of its great propensity to shrink and swell, 

 and warp. 



WINTERING, THICKNESS OF CHAFF, A HIVE IN- 

 DOORS, ETC. 



Bees came through well. Were mostly wintered in 

 my chaff houses. They are stronger now than I ev- 

 er saw them in June. This is the second winter; 

 '77 and '78 was a good winter, but '78 and '79 was as 

 hard a winter as is often seen. Most of the bees 

 about here are non est. My good success with chaff 

 houses convinces me that this is the best way to 

 winter in this cold climate. I wintered 10 in cellar. 

 All right, but not as strong as the ones wintered 

 out doors. 1 had 1 hive of Italians (late) that 1 kept 

 in the room with us all winter. 1 made a wire hive 

 and put in front, put boxes of honey over, and any 

 day could see the "little dears." Well, they bred all 

 winter. Came through right ; not a spoonful died, 

 with 4 to 1 increase, at least; are strong, and now 

 on their stand out doors. If I can go through the 

 winters as well as the last one, I shall be satisfied. 

 I have a quantity of fdn. made by Mrs. Dunham. 

 Like it very much. The other kinds will break and 

 bother, are pressed too hard, and not enough wax 

 in the walls. Fdn. is to the bee-keeper what the 

 seeder and reaper is to the farmer. Now winter 

 bees well and without loss, movable frames, fdn., 

 care and attention, and then you have it sure. 



Embarrass, Wis., May 13, '79. J. E. Breed. 



