4S0 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 



I can hardly think it would be ;m advantage 

 to extract it, but this is doubtless owing to 

 the small amount of fall honey. I had sup- 

 posed the bees would evaporate and ripen 

 any unsealed honey, during a dry fall such 

 as we have just had. Will you please tell 

 us about what quantity you succeeded in get- 

 ting per hive? 



— ■ »—»— 



SCREW -DRIVERS THAT WON'T GET 

 LOOSE l\ THE HANDLES. 



s^pjf^E have sold so many of the all-metal 

 wjw screw-drivers, 1 have often thought 

 J J of something of larger size, made in 

 the same way. Screw-drivers of all sizes are 

 in great plenty in the market, but they are 

 either of poor temper or they will work loose 

 in the handle, or, as it oftentimes happens, 

 they have both faults. A short time ago, I 

 sent to our wholesale hardware store for 

 some good screw-drivers. They cost nearly 

 half a dollar apiece ; but, as they were beau- 

 tifully polished, and had ebony handles, I 

 thought they were perhaps worth it. Yes- 

 terday, failing to get a window up, after a 

 rain, I went tor one of these screw-drivers, 

 and, the first I knew, it had " pulled out of 

 the handle." I went down to the blacksmith 

 and told him I wanted a good, large, stout 

 screw-driver, of exactly the right temper, 

 that could not come out of the handle. With 

 some half-round iron, we bent up a handle 

 and welded it most securely to the blade, in 

 the way shown in the two cuts below : 



nOME-MADE, ALL-METAL, SCREW-DRIVERS. 



The hole in the handle makes it lighter, is 

 convenient to hang up the tool by, and ans- 

 Avers for a wrench to turn nuts not very 

 heavy. However, if it should be objected 

 that it is not so easy for the hands, a piece of 

 blackwalnut can be neatly inlaid, and then 

 you have a wood-handled screw-driver that 

 can never split or get away. If you can not 

 get your blacksmith to make you one, I will 

 furnish them as follows : Eight inches long, 

 25 c; 12 inches long, 40 c; inlaid with wal- 

 nut, each, 10 c. more ; if wanted by mail, add 

 5 c. and 8 c. respectively. 



» ♦ — • 



1UOLLIE O. IiARGE'S SPIDER PLANT. 



BY OUR FRIEND MOLL.IE HERSELF. 



MO doubt, you all remember a puff I gave the 

 spider plant last fall, and, friend Root, I be- 

 lieve you have eulogized it as highly as I did; 

 but our experience with it this year, as a honey pro- 

 ducing plant, will justify it. I had a few pet stalks 

 in the garden, that bloomed the 20 tb of June, and 

 those plants were in bloom until frost, which came 

 to us about the middle of Sept. All through the dry 

 weather, when there was not dew enough to moisten 



your slippers, you could shake the nectar off from 

 those plants, providing you were outbeforethe bees. 

 I believe our bees are not as greedy as yours to 

 overload themselves, but I have seen several in a 

 plant at the same time, and three jostlingeach other 

 from one floweret. G. G. was examining a nucleus 

 near those plants, late one evening, and must have 

 shaken the stalks s >me, as the bees were busy on 

 the ground in the morning, as much as to say, " No 

 waste here". But there are two sides to every 

 thing, so I will give you the other side for the col- 

 umn of " Blasted Hopes". 



EXPERIENCE OF 1879. 



As soon as spring opened, we sowed spider plant 

 seed in beds, also expecting a great m iny volun- 

 teers; but the extremely dry spring and summer was 

 so against us that we almost failed entirely. It was 

 only by watering, and a great >\e»l of labor that we 

 saved any. We tried it in drills and br.iad east, but 

 the only way we g< t any was by transplanting: from 

 the beds I intended to have four acres, but only 

 succeeded in getting about on«- sixth of an acre to 

 live, ni>t getting any rain for weeks at a time. 

 When i he plants are set and have grown about six 

 inches high, nothing but frost will interfere with 

 them. I would not advise any one to try the spider 

 plant on a large scale, until he is convinced i>f its 

 merit, then he will put forth every effort to make it 

 a success, and, after all, from some cause or other, 

 it may be he will be disappointed, as we were this 

 season, expecting to have barrels of extracted, and 

 crate-* of sec ion. honey to stow away ; but, alas! for 

 blasted hopes How much more liresome to carry 

 out sugar syru» than to cany in honey! Ah well, 

 it works all light alter nil; for. if the bees in Chiis- 

 tian Co., kept on increasing as they did a year ago, 

 there would soon be a swarm in every bush, and no 

 honey after all, for they would consume it for their 

 support, and ive not even get a smell of it. 



MeLLIR O. LAWGE. 



Pine Hill Apiary, Millersville, Ills. Nov., 1S79. 



Under this bead will be inserted free of charge, 

 the names of all those having honey to sell, as well 

 as those wanting to buy. Please mention how 

 much, what kind, and prices, as far as possible. 

 As a general thing, I would not advise yon to send 

 your honey away, to be sold on commission. If 

 near home, where you can look after it, it is often 

 a very good way. By all means, develop your home 

 market. For 25cts., we can furnish little hoards 

 to hang- up in your door yard, with the words "Honey 

 for Sale" neatly painted. Tf wanted by mail. 10c. 

 extra for postage. Boards saying "Bees and Queens 

 for Sale," ;ame price. 



CITY MARKETS. 



Chicago. —Honey— Choice, in single comb boxes, 

 10@12c Extracted, 6@8c 



Bees-war.— Choice, yellow, 20@22c Darker grades, 

 12 l /i@15c. 



St. Loui*. —Market for honey is good, demand 

 greater than the supply. We quote: Choice White 

 Comb, in 1 and 2 lb. sections, nicelv crated, 36 to 50*. 

 in ci ate, 18 c. to 20 c. p^r lb. Fall Honey, 2. to 4 c. 

 per ft. less. Extracted, in fair demand, — White 

 Clover and Basswoon", 11 c. to 13c: Buckwheat and 

 Fall Honey, 8c. to 10c. Beeswax.— Prime. 22c, and 

 in demand. R. C. Greer & Co. 



For Sale, several hundred ft. of first class White 

 Clover H ney, in 1ft. sections, at very low prices for 

 cash in advance. Send for price. D. E. BoST. 



Best's, Pa., Nov. 2, 1879. 



T will sell, and deliver at R. R. in Jackson, 2 bbls. 

 of 360 ft. each, of ch< ice clover honey, at 10c per lb; 

 the same of basswood honev, \ ery fine, at 9c. and 

 2 bbls. <>f dark honey at 8c. The cash mu«t accom- 

 pany the order. Reference, A. I. Root. 



J. H. TOWNLEY. 



Tompkins, Jackson Co., Mich. 



