L'32 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 



$cfy§ and §mri%$. 



BEES UNCERTAIN PROPERTY. 



MR. SAM. STUMBAUGH, Lyons, Iowa, died 

 Dec. 4, 1879, of pneumonia, while on a visit 

 ~ to his brother in south-western Iowa. The 

 bees which were his pride, and which gave him light 

 and pleasant employment during these last years of 

 failing health, have been sacrificed almost for a 

 song. M. J. Stumbaugh. 



Lyons, Iowa, March 11, 1«80. 



[I give the above as a caution to the ABC class, 

 against investing heavily in bees, in commencing. 

 In many localities, if the bees should, by chance, be 

 offered at forced sale, they might not bring half, or 

 perhaps not even one-quarter, of their value; while 

 cattle, horses, sheep, etc., will almost always bring 

 the market price, under any such emergency. The 

 trouble is that, as yet, only a few know the value of 

 bees, and those few are often loth to invest on ac- 

 count of the uncertain nature of the property.] 



[What queer ideas some of the ABC class get of 

 things. Listen:] 



Can honey be extracted from comb that the bees 

 make? or do you have to use artificial comb for the 

 extractor? W. P. Davis. 



Kendall's Tan Yard, N. C, Dec. 22, 1879. 



[The extractor, friend D., was invented and in use 

 years before we knew anything about such a thing 

 as artificial comb.] 



BLUE THISTLES; AN IMPROVED VARIETY. 



Enclosed, I send you a few seeds of blue thistle, a 

 variety which is quite superior to the wild blue 

 thistle. The technical name of the enclosed seed is, 

 Seminum Cardui Mariae; common name, Lady 

 Thistle. I raise this for medical purposes, but the 

 leaves and stalk are a beautiful ornament in the 



garden. The blossom is of exactly the same color as 

 the wild blue thistle, but a good deal larger. Sever- 

 al branches shoot out from the main stalk, and each 

 one produces flower and seeds.— Dr. G. N. Harry. 



. Bellevue, O., Jan. 8, 1880. 



[I do not think this variety can be called especial- 

 ly hard to eradicate, for after we had one growing 

 nicely in the window, I took it into the greenhouse, 

 and the sun killed it almost at once, while all our 

 other plants throve nicely. We will try once more, 

 and keep it in the shade.] 



"OUR FRIEND OLDROYD'S INKS." 



I want to second W. L. King's suggestion concern- 

 ing that ink. Can't you get up a nice, light, little 

 box, that will hold just 1 doz. bottles? It would be 

 better if the bottles were square. Make the box flat 

 and light. Put in one red, one green, and the balance 

 as desired by the purchaser; or give price of each 

 color, and let the purchaser select. Then paste on 

 the top of the box a printed label, with the words, 

 "Ink. Handle with care." Also put on your ad- 

 dress, and leave a large blank for plain address of 

 purchaser, and send by express. Such a box would 

 go almost anywhere for about 25c, would it not? 



[Thanks for your suggestion, friend M. ; but " W. 

 O." gives such large bottles, that a dozen of them 

 with a box would weigh at least 4 lb., and this would 

 bring the express up to more than the value of the 

 ink. I think the better way will be to take one ot 

 the regular J4 gross boxes and have them come by 



freight. Such a box might be convenient to pack 

 with other goods, but we. should have to charge 

 about 40c. for it.] 



QUILLS FOR BRUSHING OFF BEES. 



I have often felt surprised never to have seen any 

 mention in the bee journals of goose or turkey quills 

 for use among bees. I have always used them; I 

 use nothing else, as a rule, and regard them as one 

 of the most indispensable implements about the 

 apiary. I have just run out of a ten years' supply, 

 and have sent to Mr. Flansburgh for some. I hope 

 the rest of you have not got ahead of me, and 

 bought all he has. 



[I think, friend M., there will be quills enough for 

 us all, if we gather them all up.] 



WAX AND PROPOLIS KNIFE. 



I am also surprised never to have seen in any bee 

 journal, any mention of what I regard as one of the 

 most indispensable implements in my apiary, and 

 one I have always used; one, too, that is as simple 

 and cheap as it is useful. Take any discarded table 

 knife, with good solid handle (a good solid metal 

 handle is much stronger and better), break or cut 

 the blade off 2%, or not more than 3, inches from the 

 handle. Sharpen this square end a little, if you 

 wish. This is what I always use for loosening 

 frames, sci-aping wax off hives and frame tops, 

 scraping propolis off hives, or anything else, &c, &c. 

 I would not be without it. 



[Thanks; but why is not a neat putty knife just 

 the thing? I could get those by the gross or 10 gross, 

 so as to put them in the 5 or 10 cent counter.] 



I wish especially to commend one feature of 

 Gleanings, and that is its growing spirit and ten- 

 dency toward mutual helpfulness. It is becoming 

 more and more a medium through which we can 

 help each other, and help its editor, and its editor 

 help us all. The unselfishness of Gleanings is es- 

 pecially commendable, and I hope its editor will 

 cultivate this feature of its work. Who knows how 

 much good may yet grow out of this feature of 

 Gleanings? "Bear ye one another's burdens, and 

 thus fulfill the law of Christ." How different is this 

 spirit from that of the Growlery. About one of 

 these to each No. is a good thing, however, by way 

 of contrast with the general tenor of communica- 

 tions. J. W. Murray. 



Excelsior, Minn., April 8, 1S8X 



[1 certainly shall try to "cultivate out" selfishness 

 from my "own self," friend M., but there is an awful 

 "big job" of it yet. Do not be too hard on the growl- 

 ers; they do me good, and I think they will do us all 

 good, by growling right out whenever it is de- 

 manded.] 



I have about 1,500 nice motherwort plants of last 

 summer's sowing, for sale at 30c. for 25, or 90c. per 

 hundred, by mail. Can you use any? or do you 

 know any one that would like to have some? I would 

 advertise, but have too small a supply. S. Rice. 



Bendersville, Penn., Feb. 23, 1880. 



CASH FOR HONEY. 



I am a beginner in bee-keeping, and like the bus- 

 iness very well; but would like it better if there 

 was a regular market for the honey, where I could 

 get cash as I can for pork, wheat, butter, eggs, or 

 cattle, M. McDonouoh. 



Littleport, Iowa, March 21, 1880. 



[I believe, in most localities, friend M., honey will 

 sell when brought into market, and that, too, at fair 



