18S5 



GLEANINGS IN IJEE CULTUllE. 



7ol 



FATTEMXG-BOATS OR TANKS, FOR CAHP. 



Occasional inquiries come to hand from the read- 

 ers of the A B C of Carp Culture. Lately, several of 

 these inquiries arc concerning the illustration on 

 page 69 of that work. I can now sec that further 

 details arc necessary. 1 find it impossible to get 

 ready-made screen material for tlie bottom of the 

 tank or boat, which is of sufficiently fine mesh, that 

 is not at the same time of too light wire. 1 have 

 persuaded one of the oldest manufacturers here to 

 make up a small lot, of e.xtra-heavy wire. I also 

 find that the mesh of the wire netting on top of the 

 boat had better not be larger than I'i or even l'^ 

 inch, because the carp dislike close confinement; 

 and if the mesh is from 2 to 3 inches they are liable to 

 force their noses through, even until they "gill" 

 themselves. A mesh of I'i inches is sufficiently 

 large to pass the food through. I find the ready- 

 made netting is also of too light wire, and have also 

 made arrangements to have some made of lieavicr 

 Avire. This material will be heavily galvanized. It 

 will at present cost here, for the top. fl.T-") i)er 

 square yard; and for the l>ottoiu, $:i..")U per square 

 yard. It will be made 36 inches wide. It is just as 

 well, if not better, to make the ends of these tanks 

 square. I have for many years used exclusively, 

 for fastening screens, the carpet staples illustrated 

 on page 698 of Gleanings. 



l"he fall drainings of the leading carp-cultural 

 establishments in this region (and owned by mem- 

 bers of the American Carp-Cultural Association 

 elsewhere), are mostly (inistied, and the most sati.s- 

 faetory results are rei)orted wherever the improved 

 plans are in use, while failures are gencralfy re- 

 ported with chan(!e-raade ponds. We have had sev- 

 eral notable carp dinners in this region, and cren/ 

 participant jironounces the carp a first-class food 

 fish. Most of the carp in this region are of the 

 parti-scale typos, and a large percentage are nearly 

 scaleless. 



Every carp culturist iirthe country should join 

 the American Carp-Cultural Association. It costs 

 but one dollar. I will cheerfully send constitution 

 and by-laws to any address. Mii.tun V. Pkikck. 



Philadelphia, Pa., Oct. I-'O. l.SS.). 



Thanks, friend F. Our wire-flotli factory 

 have furnished us steel wire cloth as tine as 

 8 meshes to the inch, and heavily galvanized, 

 and it seems to me it is strong enough to 

 hold a horse. Prices are given on another 

 page. We mail you a sample, to let you see 

 if it will not be the thing for the bottom of 

 the fattening-boats. F also send you a dol- 

 lar, that 1 may become a membei- of the 

 American C'arp-t'ultural Association. 



BEF-S AND CIDEK-.M1I,I.S. 



I believe those who would petition legislature in 

 regard to cider-mills, as per your editorial, are just 

 as ignorant of other peoples industries as others 

 are of bee culture; for the bees are just as much a 

 nuisance to the cider-maker as the cider-mills are 

 to the bees. When both parties have a )>roper un- 

 derstanding of the nuitter.it can be H.xed at little 

 expense, so the cider-nuiker is not bothered with 

 bees, and the bees are not hurt by (he cider. .\ 

 press generally has a root, and a little more ex- 

 pense will jiut wire cloth o\ er a pari, or mosquito 

 l)ar, if not l)oards, and it will pay, besi<les keeping 

 bees out. The doors want good strong springs to 

 them and they should be so fixed that they can not 

 be propped open. Wr Inn f p |>regs oiilv a few rods 



from the apiary. audVe kept the bees out by hav- 

 : ingonly the main places closed; but this fall we 

 I were compelled to close every hole, for they found 



almost every one they could get through. 



THE LINOE^- FOR HIGHWAY" PLANTING. 



While so many varieties of trees are lauded for 

 highway planting, the basswood receives scarcely a 

 good word. One defect, and the only one I know of. 

 is that it is late iii emitting its foliage, which I think 

 is counterbalanced by that sweet perfume and 

 ; merry hum later on. Bee - keepers would do a 

 grand thing by furnishing the trees free to the 

 j farmers who plant them. The old feuces can be 

 : taken away, the ground planted to ])otatoe8, and 

 ! theu basswood planted instead of e\ cry post. Soon 

 the wires can be attached to the trees, if a fence is 

 desired, and some locust can be mi.xed in, as they 

 make splendid pf)Sts. There should be some trees 

 near any apiary, for they come when nu>st needed. 

 Here let me speak a good word for the ground-ivy, 

 or gill-over-the-ground. I think the honey is splen- 

 did, and I judge it is good for medical purposes. 

 ' Marshallville, O. C. Weckesser. 



(AN A CORN-HOUSE BE CONVEHTED INTO A SUIT- 

 ABLE AVINTERING HOUSE? 



Last spring I bouglit three colonies in chaff hives. 

 I have now ten, all told. To winter the same 1 

 thought of covering my frame corn-house, 12,xl6 ft., 

 with matched pine to make it dry and warm as any 

 out-building. I have asked other bee-men about it, 

 and they say a building to keep bees in must lie 

 frostproof. What say youV < >. .Vrchkii. 



Plymouth, Mich. 



Friend A., a corn - house would not be 

 J suitable, without very much expense being 

 laid out upon it. for a wintering - house. 

 Houses of this kind are usually made ei- 

 tlier close to the ground or )>artly under the 

 ground: or. what is better, is a cellar under 

 a building, so as to get protection from the 

 frost. Are you really sure that ;i wintering- 

 house is needed in your locality? I certain- 

 ly would not go to the expense of building 

 one. unless extensive bee-keepers in your 

 vicinity have foimd them an object. I be- 

 lieve that cellars are, as a general thing, 

 cheaper and better. 



HOW TO PIT THE HILL DEVICE OVER THE COMBS. 



1 take this method of asking which way you place 

 the Hill devic<! over the frames of a Langstroth 

 hive. 1 looked at the device you sent me, and was 

 not sure which way they ought to be put on the 

 frames of comb— the back-bone (hoop iron) across 

 the frames of comb, or lengthwise of the comb. If 

 I init it lengthwise of the comb, the space under the 

 burlap does not cxtcud near the sides of the hive. 

 When full with ten combs, the burlap fitting clos« 

 might prevent the bees frt)m getting to the outer 

 combs. If I set the back-bone across the combs, the 

 burlap does not fit so well at the ends of the hoop 

 iron, or back-bone. The space under the device is 

 only across the combs, and not as long lengthwise 

 of the combs as it would be to set it the other wa> . 

 Which way should the back-bone of the device be 

 set— across the combs, or lengthwise of the combs? 

 .loHN M. Lewis. 

 Crothersvillc, .Tacksou Co.. Ind., Oct. lu', 1885. 



Friend J^.. the device is placed over the 

 combs so that tiie iiiece of strap iron runs 

 parallel with the brood-frames : that is, when 

 it is iiitepdetj to be used Avith fbe Simplicity 



