18?9 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



273 



MOVING THE OLD HIVE WHEN A SWARM HAS ISSUED. 



In March No. of Gleanings, you say in reference 

 to hiving swarms when the queen's wing 1 is clipped, 

 "As soon as the bees are all out move the hive to a 

 new stand, put a new hive in its place, &c." Now, 

 this moving- the old hive to a new stand, I believe to 

 be a mistake. I tried it several times, and found 

 that it would, in consequence, be robbed of nearly 

 all its old bees. The bees that happened to be in 

 the field at the time of swarming, tog-ether with 

 nearly all that came out next day, would return to 

 the old stand and unite with the "swarm, thus giving 

 the swarm more than its share. I now move the 

 old hive a few feet away, cover the entrance with a 

 cloth until the swarm is hived, and then move the 

 new hive with the swarm to a new stand, and all 

 goes lovely, because nature has not been violated in 

 the division of the bees. Excuse my "bothering-" 

 you thus, as I deem it an important matter. 



G. B. Replogle. 



Unionsville, Iowa, June 2, 1879. 



To be sure, it robs a hive of nearly all of 

 its bees, but are you sure, friend R., that 

 that does any harm in swarming time? It 

 weakens the old hive so much that it is 

 pretty sure to prevent after swarming, and 

 that is the very thing we often want to do. 

 Tbere are always, so far as my experience 

 goes, enough bees left to care for the brood, 

 and we therefore suffer no loss, for few bees 

 are needed until their young queen begins 

 to lay. Your plan lias often been used, and 

 it keeps the old and new more nearly of a 

 uniform strength. I always like such criti- 

 cisms as yours ; do not be at all backward 

 in speaking right out. 



THE NEW MATS FOR COVERING THE FRAMES. 



I received my other orders all right; but. Sir, I do 

 not like your mats. They work magnificently on 

 new frames, but, upon old frames that are cover- 

 ed with propolis, they stick and jar, and also move 

 the frames, if they have metal corners, in a way 

 that is not pleasant to the manipulator or bees. 

 Paint them, friend Boot, and try that. 



R. H. Thompson. 



Pittsburg, Ind., June 16, 1879. 



I know there are objectionable features to 

 the mats, friend T., as well as to the enam- 

 eled cloths; but, in turning them back, if 

 you fold them over sharply, they will move 

 the frames but little. I have thought of 

 painting, but there are objections. It will 

 make the mat heavy, will add to the expense, 

 and will prevent its absorbing moisture like 

 the chaff above them. 



HONEY BEES AS BIG AS BUMBLE BEES. 



I think there are a good many people who have 

 fallen victims to the idea that small cells hatch small 

 bees and large cells large bees. I don't think the 

 cells have anything to do with the size of the bees 

 at all; for I can see that my bees still grow after 

 they come out of the cells; they get larger any how. 

 If this theory is correct, why is it that the human 

 race or any other race don't grow larger ? they 

 certainly have plenty of room. Go ahead, friend 

 Archer, and try the experiment, and report pi-ogress 

 to Gleanings. 



SMOKERS AND FUEL FOR SAME. 



The smoker you sent me, about April 25th, came 

 to hand in good order, and 1 think I made a good 

 choice in taking Clark's. The bellows is put just 

 right to be handy. I can burn anything that will 

 burn at all, and make all the smoke I want. Dry 

 rotten elm, rotten ash, corn cobs, rags, paper, patent 

 hives, or sawdust. Ash and elm are the best; rags 

 next; paper and patent hives next; sawdust shakes 

 about iu the fuel case and lies too close for air to 

 circulate through it, therefore I pronounce it a fail- 

 ure. 



When I read Bingham's letter in the June No., I 

 was greatly impressed with the words in the 133d 

 Psalm. "Behold how good and how pleasant it is 

 for brethren to dwell together in unity I" etc. 



Brother bee-keepers, read that Psalm, and let us 

 rejoice that we have a father in Heaven, who watch- 

 es us when we do evil, as well as when we do good; 

 and let us live here in this world so that we may 

 be a benefit to every one with whom we may come 

 in contact. "Bless and curse not," should' be the 

 motto of every bee-keeper in the world. 



T. J. Cook. 

 Newpoint, Ind., June 10, 1879. 



HOW THE QUEEN VOIDS HER FAECES. 



Bees came out very weak this spring. Several 

 bee keepers lost all their stocks; others about half. 

 I have not heard of any who did not loose nearly 

 half of their queens, and have not heard of any 

 whose bees were made more than half as strong as 

 usual at apple blossom season. 



1 have read the journals considerably, but do not 

 remember noticing anything in regard to the /feces 

 of the queen. What becomes of them? As she must 

 consume so much food, it has often been a query 

 with me, and I should very much like to hear some- 

 thing about it. E. L. Drake. 



Dimondale, Mich., June 17, 1879. 



I, too, have wondered in regard to the 

 matter you mention, friend D., and all I 

 have ever been able to see that she voided, 

 was a substance resembling clear water, 

 which was thrown quite a distance from her 

 body, and fell on the bees and combs, in a 

 sort of spray. I am inclined to think that 

 even the worker bees do much in the same 

 way, while on the wing. 



WIRING FRAMES FOR FDN., ETC. 



1 find that three wires sewed in the L. frames ef- 

 fectually prevent the sagging of the tdn., and make 

 a good, strong comb, with much less trouble and 

 time than when the wires are but one or two inches 

 apirt. To imbed the wires in the fdn., I have used, 

 with success, a wheel made from a nickle cent with 

 a grooved edge. It will pay all those using wood 

 frames to both bevel and point the ends of the top 

 bars; they manipulate much more easily. When 

 two rabbets are used, a strap of tin may be tacked 

 to the projecting ends, which will give all metal 

 bearings almost as good as metal cornered frames. 

 The best way to secure "solid slabs of honey" for 

 wintering is, to fill the top stories of some of your 

 strongest colonies with brood frames filled with 

 wired fdn. By next November, open your hives 

 and look out for "slabs." John D. White. 



Chicopee, Mass., June 21, 1879. 



While three wires may answer generally, 

 they do not make a sure thing of it every 

 time, and they are not as secure, should we 

 wish to use the frames for transportation. 

 The piece of tin put around the end bar 

 prevents the frame from being waxed fast, 

 but cuts bees in two badly. It is also more 

 expensive, if you put them on accurately, 

 than the metal corners are, I think you will 

 find. 



FDN. WITH SQUARE CELLS. 



I have been unable to follow up my experiments 

 with square cells, on account of my left arm's being 

 rendered useless by rheumatism. I could not even 

 open my hives myself, and had to oversee and watch 

 a set of green hands who were making hives; but 

 it is getting better and I hope to be able to resume 

 experiments. I am certain, however, that bees will 

 work dipped sheets quicker than pressed ones, be- 

 cause they are softer and more porous, and thus 

 easier to work. By putting a microscope on a dip- 

 ped and also on a pressed sheet, you will see the 

 reason. I hope others have tried square cells and 

 will report this month. John F. Lafferty. 



Martinsville, 111., June 16, 1879. 



We have just gone through a three weeks honey 

 harvest from basswood and wild china, with fine 

 weather, and honey of the finest quality. I got 195 

 lbs. from one swarm, gathered in 18 days; one days 

 gathering was 19 lb. J. W. Eckman. 



Richmond, Texas, June 5, 1879. 



