5GS 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1)KC. 



used to laugh just a little at the pictures of some of 

 the folks in some of the views of apiaries that you 

 have so kindly given us, but we will never do so 

 again; never; wo won't even smile. 



W. Z. Hutchinson. 

 Rogersville, Genesee Co., Mich. 



Now, a word, friend II., in regard to our 

 drawings. It is very expensive business 

 having wood-cuts made so accurately that 

 the human figures on a landscape are accu- 

 rate to life, or even fair-looking specimens 

 of the genus homo, if scrutinized too closely. 

 The one who has been pictured usually feels 

 badly about it ; but the great mass of the 

 reading public, who take in the general ef- 

 fect of the whole, seldom find any thing 

 wrong. If you look at the picture of our 

 house apiary in the A B C, you will see that 

 Miss Maud has been pictured — I really dare 

 not use the words she did when she first saw 

 the picture. It is so bad that I complained 

 to the engravers ; but they said it was not 

 to be expected, that human figures, at such 

 a distance, should be at all accurate ; and, 

 as the picture cost a deal of money, I let it 

 pass. No one has ever noticed it since, to 

 my knowledge. I have tried engravers in 

 all our different large cities, but they seem 

 to average about the same. The one in the 

 present No. is better, but the ligures are 

 large, and in the foreground, and I paid ex- 

 tra for it, besides. Friend II., I think I am 

 safe in saying, our 5000 readers are well sat- 

 isfied with the happy, homelike abpearance 

 you and the twins present as you look up to 

 its smilingly and with animation, after your 

 morning exercise. I have just had another 

 look at it, and, if you all look as bright and 

 happy when I come to see you as the ideal I 

 gather from the picture, I shall be well sat- 

 isfied. 



AN IMPROVEMENT ON COVERED SIUI- 

 PLICITV FEEDERS. 



,#|N page 140, April No., 1878, 1 mentioned 

 §LB) the covered feeders of F. McNay and 

 ^^ J. C. Dickinson, and remarked that 

 the latter had a pane of glass over the top, 

 so the apiarist could always see just how the 

 feed was being taken, — whether the bees 

 were getting daubed, whether the feed was 

 too thick, etc. This feeder was made to set 

 over a hole in the honey-board, and the feed 

 was poured in by an auger-hole, in one end. 

 Well, I believe the handiest way to feed in 

 warm weather, has been found to be to place 

 the feeders before the entrance, for we then 

 need not open the hive at all, in going around 

 with the feed, nor do we have to bore any 

 holes in the hive when we wish to attach a 

 feeder. Even a frame of candy nun? in 

 the hive has its objections, for it makes the 

 space larger, when the bees should be con- 

 tracted to a few combs, and we have been 

 considerably troubled this fall by having 

 combs built in place of the candy, as soon as 

 it was consumed. On this account, a feeder 

 outside is best, especially after you have 

 squeezed the bees down to only a few combs, 

 as we want them for winter. Well, now, to 

 uncork and cork up an auger-hole is consid- 

 erable trouble, or even to move a tin slide, 

 when robbers are about. The novel part of 



the feeder below, consists in using a sheet of 

 glass that slides back and forth so as to cov- 

 er or uncover the little round hole through 

 which the feed is poured, and yet let no bees 

 out. 



gray's covered simplicity feeder. 



The sheet of glass is omitted in the en- 

 graving, but it slides in the grooves shown, 

 and the end opposite the filling-place slides 

 under the little wooden board which covers 

 a small portion of the feeder. The glass 

 moves so easily that it will fall from one end 

 to the other, as the feeder is tipped. The 

 operation of feeding is only to go round with 

 your coffee-pot of syrup, and fill them up 

 wherever you can see through the glass that 

 the feeder is empty. Slip the glass back 

 with your linger, fill \\y>, and then close. No 

 syrup goes over the backs of the bees, be- 

 cause the wire cloth lets it through only un- 

 der their feet. It is all made of one block of 

 wood (with a wabbling saw), except the lit- 

 tle board over one end, and the strip that 

 holds the glass from being dropped out and 

 broken, at the other end. Making these 

 feeders will be fun for the boys this winter. 

 We can furnish them for 15c complete, or 

 20c neatly painted. If wanted by mail, add 

 10c for postage. 



nqcuragmg* 



E HEREIN inclose my report for 1880. After send- 

 ing you my report last spring, I lost four col- 

 — ' onies. When the season opened, a part of our 

 apiary was weak. I ran all the strong stocks (about 

 half the apiary) for box honey. They have averaged 

 10C?! lbs. per colony. Honey sold at 12'/i and 13'/2C 

 per lb., all in 5x5 boxes. Stocks run for queens have 

 not brought in so much money, and are not in as 

 good condition for winter; but they were much 

 weaker last spring. I have had only one swarm this 

 season, and as I have sold a great many bees by the 

 pound and in nuclei, I shall go into winter-quarters 

 with only 40 colonies. I have not done bod this sea- 

 son, but not as well as I expected. 

 Plainfleld, Mich., Oct. 25, '80. F. L. WuiGHT. 



I am well pleased with Gleanings. I have 10 

 stands of bees; no increase this year, and have not 

 taken one pound of surplus honey; yet I am not dis- 

 couraged. H. W. Hitt. 



Merrill, Scott Co., 111., Oct. 19, 1880. 

 Friend II. , I marked your report for Blasted 

 Hopes; but after I saw your last clause I 

 thought you deserved this department for 

 your hopeful spirit, even if you haven't got 

 any honey. 



My report is: Started with 18 medium and 4 nu- 

 clei; white clover very poor; very little honey and 



