180 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 



MRS. COTTON AND HER AFFIDAVITS. 



I received a circular on bee oulture, &c, from one 

 Mrs. Lizzie E. Cotton, West Gorhara, Me. To satis- 

 fy myself as to the genuineness of her plan, I wrote 

 to J. A. Watterman, Justice of Peace. He told me 

 she made oath about her plan before him, but he 

 knew nothing as to its merits, &c. He referred me 

 to the post master at West Gorham. He states that 

 he knows nothing about it; that he has no faith in 

 it, but does not tell his reason, and refers me to you. 

 Two others and myself are about ready to send for 

 her plan, if we can be assured of its success. 



M. M. Harvey. 



Harveysburg, Warren Co., O., Mar. 15, 1880. 



[Vou can see, my friends, how she obtained her 

 affidavits, and what her own townspeople think of 

 her. Those who build up an honest business in a 

 town, as a general thing, are spoken of by their 

 townsmen with pride and pleasure.] 



HOME MADE SMOKERS. 



1 made a Simplicity, cold-blast smoker from direc- 

 tions in last year's Gleanings, and it works first- 

 rate. Total cost, except time, 30c. Wm. Dyke. 



Eureka, Greenwood Co., Kansas, Mar. 7, 1880. 



[Thanks, friend D. It gives as much, or more, 

 pleasure, to hear that my instructions have enabled 

 you to make your own goods, as it does to make 

 them.] 



LOOK OTJT FOR SMOKY WEATHER. 



I received the smoker in good trim. It works 

 splendidly. If you notice the atmosphere's being 

 very smokv about fruit-bloom, you caD just set it 

 down that I am transferring. The bees are doing 

 finely now. They were carrying in pollen to-day 

 from daylight to dark, and have been for the past 

 week. A. H. Duff. 



Flat Ridge, O., March i, 1880. 



[Thank you, friend D. If it does get smoky, we 

 shall know exactly what the matter is.] 



Why not magnetize the nose of the "pliers for set- 

 ting tacks into frames in transferring?" 



Nokomis, 111 , Mar. 6, 1880. Eastebday. 



[Why not? sure enough. I am sure, friend E., we 

 are all much obliged for the suggestion.] 



CALIFORNIA. 



The last three days have given us 7 inches of rain, 

 which ensures us a crop of honey the coming sea- 

 son, so far as rain is concerned. R. Wilkin. 



Ban Ruena Ventura, Cal., Feb. 23, 1880. 



Our bees have wintered finely, and brought in pol- 

 len to-day gaily. Mrs. L, Harrison. 

 Peoria, 111., Feb. 26, 1880. 



bees and violets. 



My two hives of bees are in splendid condition and 

 are working every day in my cold frames, which are 

 filled with single violets all in bloom. H. L. Hand. 



Boston, Mass., Mar. 2, 1880. 



[Are we to understand, friend R., that your bees 

 are really working on the violets? If so, we have 

 still another novelty in the way of homy plants. 

 Another thing; do you mean that your hives are in 

 the cold frames, and the bees shut in? I can hard- 

 ly think this, and yet it does not seem that you have 

 weather so far north, that would permit of the cold 

 frames being open "every day" in the fore part of 

 March, Toll us about it.] 



I came very near getting into Blasted Hopes, as 

 we did not get a pound of surplus honey last year. I 

 don't know but we may get there yet before the 

 next honey season comes. 



A GRAND MISTAKE. 



I committed one grand error last spring (as the 

 season turned out) in dividing my bees. I had hard 

 work to get them through the summer with suffi- 

 cient stores to winter on. I think now that it would 

 have been much better for me had I built up what I 

 had, instead of attempting to increase my stock, at 

 least to the extent that I did, although I divided but 

 once. John Robinson. 



Wayne City, Wayne Co., 111., Feb. 25, 1880. 



[It is my opinion, friend R., that more than one of 

 us have made exactly that grand mistake of divid- 

 ing a little too fast. Powerful colonies are always 

 all right; weak ones, wry often, are all wrong.] 



Mr. Root: — I have waited on our club as long as I 

 can. Gleanings must come. I am behind 2 or 3 

 Nos., so I don't know what is going on. I haven't 

 heard from "Hutchinson's Babies" for 3 months, or 

 whether yours has got the "roof off from your house" 

 yet or not. My own "little fellers" are doing finely. 

 My bees carried flour 20 days in January and have 

 not missed over a week in Feb. So you see they are 

 eating up a good many of my "biscuits." Please let 

 us hear from bees, and especially from the children. 



John Faris. 



Chilhowie, Smyth Co., Va., Feb. 25, 1880. 



[Can't say about the "brown eyes" at neighbor 

 Hutebinsons, but we have saved the roof of our 

 house, by turning the baby outdoors. She got inthe 

 mud so much, her mother improvised a sidewalk 

 "run," for her, and now, if you want to see her 

 "wake up," no matter whether she is at the table or 

 in bed, just say, "Caddy's sidewalk!"] 



keeping square with the world, etc. 



I will pay for 6 mo. si bscription to Gleanings, and 

 perhaps, by that time, I may make the other half; 

 but I am afraid the money I desire to pay for bees 

 will have to go for doctor's bill, and other extras. 

 Amen, if it is the Lord's will. That is best; "Thy 

 will be done." I will try to keep square with the 

 world, but my greatest effort is to keep square with 

 heaven. D. T. Lawrence. 



Danmore, Lacka. Co., Pa., Mar. 15, 1880. 



[Isn't there a pretty good sermon in the above few 

 lines, my friends? May the Lord bless and help you 

 and yours, friend L., and may you always be found 

 square with the world and heaven too.] 



BLACK QUEENS; WHO WANTS THEM? 



I have a few black queens which I would like to 

 dispose of in May, and I would be glad to mail them 

 to any one desiring blacks, at 25 c. apiece. I only of- 

 fer them because I expect to replace them with Ital- 

 ians, and 1 would rather carry them to the P. O. for 

 some party than to behead them. Our bees are 

 bringing in pollen, and some honey, though I am not 

 quite sure but they are stealing the honey some- 

 where. I have lost one of 11 by robbing, but hope to 

 save the rest. Bees have wintered well thus far in 

 this section. J. W. Shull. 



Pleasant Dale, Hampshire Co., W. Va., Mar. 1, '80. 



You say maple sugar caked is excellent feed for 

 building up swarms. If bees have plenty of stores, 

 is it necessary to feed in the spring? 



[Of course it in not necessary to feed bees when 



