1880 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



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$oH§ and §ufflty$. 



HARDENING PLASTER CASTS WITH ALUM. 



1 AM interested in the matter of dipping founda- 

 tion. Porter, in his chemistry, under the head 

 of "Aluminated Plaster" says that plaster casts 

 may be made much harder by boiling- the plaster six 

 hours in strong- alum water, and then calciniDg at a 

 higher temperature than is used with clear plaster. 

 It takes longer to set, but is more like marble than 

 ordinary plaster. 



I fed my bees till after the 4th; they are now get- 

 ting a living. You need not, however, put me down 

 in "Blasted Hopes" department, for I hope to be 

 able to make a better report the first of October. 



SPANISH NEEDLE AS A HONEY PLANT. 



Bees in this locality never get enough honey from 

 clover or basswood to be self supporting during the 

 time they are in bloom. Our main crop is from 

 Spanish needles, and is gathered during the last of 

 Aug. and 1st of Sept. T. P. Andrews. 



Farina, ill, July 12, 1880. 



[The plan you mention is well known, friend P., 

 but the trouble is that alum is soluble in water, and 

 the heat and water together, I think, would spoil all 

 the efficacy of the alum. In regard to the Spanish 

 needle, is it not a little strange that in localities 

 where the ordinary plants fail, there is always some- 

 thing else to enable bees to make a living- and pros- 

 per? Does it not seem, indeed, that God has made 

 provision for them, in some part of the year, in al- 

 most every locality?] 



D. A. JONES' APIARY. 



I have had the pleasure of visiting D. A. Jones' 

 apiary since I wrote last, and I tell you it was quite 

 a treat. If I had been the President of the United 

 States, I could not have received more kindness. I 

 may also say that his bees are splendid, and arc 

 managed in a first-class manner. Jos. Harrison. 



Southampton, Ont., Can., July 12, 1880. 



[I am very glad indeed to hear so good a report 

 of friend Jones, but I hope our friends will not feel 

 hurt, should friend J. not find time to entertain all 

 of them in the way mentioned.! 



LOSING MONEY BY THE MAIL. 



I sent you, the 1st of July, $1.50 for a dollar queen 

 and 'z lb. of bees. As I hear nothing from it, I con- 

 elude it is gone. Well, if it has, it is my loss. I know 

 better than to send money in an ordinary letter. I 

 want the goods just the same. If you send the 

 queen and bees, and have not received my SI. 50, just 

 let me know, and I will keep sending $1.50 witil you 

 do get it. C. E. Makinson. 



Attleboro Falls, Mass., July \\ 1880. 



[The above has a ring to it that gives one a faith 

 in humanity; friend M., I thank you. The money 

 was safely received and the bees sent, but still I 

 thank you, for the noble stand you have taken, and 

 for the rebuke you have given me, as well as the 

 rest of us, when we get Into that narrow selfish way 

 of hanging on to the "coppers."] 



HONEY FROM COTTON, ETC. 



I notice in the communication In the July No. of 

 Gleanings, from Louisiana, it is stated that bees 

 did not visit the cotton blooms. In this country, as 

 in Louisiana, there is much cotton grown. It is our 



staple crop. I have been in the cotton fields within 

 the last few days, to examine if such was the case 

 here. I must tell you that the plants are swarming 

 with the little fellows, which crowd into the outer 

 calix to obtain the nectar from the inner calix near 

 the base of the petals. They do not go into the cen- 

 tral part of the flower, where the stamens and pistil 

 are situated; however, they may do so at times to 

 obtain pollen, as the flowers are very rich in this 

 Substance. I observed quite a large drop of beauti- 

 fully clear nectar, of a mild pleasant taste, in each 

 flower. You can imagine what a delightful time 

 they have, and what a long harvest in this far sunny 

 clime; for the plant begins to bloom the first of 

 May, and it is not an unusual thing to see it still in 

 bloom on Christmas day. I take pleasure in stating 

 this, in confirmation of what you said in regard to 

 plants yielding honey in some portions of our coun- 

 try, and not in others; lam satisfied that you are 

 right. I enclose a cotton bloom, supposing them to 

 be rare on your honey farm. J. E. Lay, M. D. 



Hallettsville, Texas, July 14, 1880. 



[Many thanks, friend L. ; and please accept thanks, 

 too, for the large, beautiful blossom. It seems to 

 me a cotton field must be a beautiful 3ight indeed. 

 I presume we shall have to learn that honey comes 

 at times in almost all blossoms, and, at other times, 

 comes in almost none. The spider plant, for the 

 past few days, has yielded so little honey that it 

 might almost be called a failure; and it is somewhat 

 the same with the Simpson; yet for aught I can see 

 the weather has been extremely favorable. lam 

 watching daily for it to come again, but it may not 

 come at all again this season.] 



BORROWING TOOLS. 



Please send another of those 25c caliper rules. 

 Somebody has borrowed mine, and forgot to return 

 it; and as I was not in when he got it, 1 do not know 

 whom to ask for it. W. Knowlton. 



West Windsor, N. Y., July 14, 1880. 



[You are a better natured man than I am, I am 

 afraid, friend K., but I suppose yours is the better 

 way.] 



SPIDER PLANT. 



The Spider plant is of natural growth here. It 

 has been in bloom 2 weeks, but I have not seen the 

 first bee visit it yet. We left a great many plants in 

 our cotton; but, lo ! it's that much lost, unless 

 some one wishes seed. It has ripe seed now. I 

 would like to know the experience of other bee- 

 keepers on this subject. I>. S. BETHUNE. 



Snyder. Ark., July is, 1880. 



SPIDER PLANT, ETC. 



Hurrah for the Spider plant: Sonic of the blos- 

 soms have just opened, and, sure enough, the drop 

 of honey is present too. Figwort is a little back- 

 ward, but I expect some blossoms. The honey sea- 

 son has nearly closed; drouth is the cause. 



Preston J. Kline. 



Coopcrsburg, Pa., July 15, 1880. 



WII.I) BBSS IN TEXAS. 



Almost any day, lean cross over the river, into 

 the Indian Territory, and tiud i; or 8 bee trees. They 

 are very plentiful in the Choctaw Nation, along- the 

 banks of Bed River, and, strange to say, the Indians 

 hunt them scarcely any. Ciias. A. Denison. 



Annona, Red River Co., Texas, July l*i 1880. 



