Toi] 



GLEANINGS IN JiEE CULTURE. 



Nov 



hive; but with the Galkii) frame, or Adair, j 

 it might he best to turn it the other way. lu I 

 any case, the device sliould always be placed , 

 exactly over the center of the brood-nest ; 

 and the (-ushions or chaff should come down 

 close all around. 



MOW TO riU;VK,.\T WEEDS GnO\VlN(; A'l TIIK EN- 

 TRANCE, j 



Vour piece ill ix-ganl to weeds in tlie apiary re- 

 minded me tliiit perhaps the way 1 manajrc my yard 

 may be interesting- to some of your readci-s. It is 

 eonsiderable work on the start: but as it is very 

 lasting, I think it pays. I dig out a space 3'i I'eet 

 square, and six or eight inches deep, and fill Avith 

 coal cinders, pounding them down as solid as possi- 

 ble. No grass or weeds ever find their wa.\- through, j 

 Making the holes -J'i feet square, leaves room 

 enough around the hive lor the lawn-mower to | 

 work without touching it. A yard kept in this way j 

 {)resents a very tidy appearance. I find very few i 

 yards among our bee-keepers but are rather slov- I 

 enly looking, and I think a little stirring up of this j 

 matter, with a few directions how to fix vip a little, j 

 will have a tendency toward a great inprovement. 

 I believe keeping one's yard nice and tidy helps to 

 sell its products; consequently I look at it as a pay- 

 ing investment, and, like yourself, I can not toler- 

 ate the stone on the hive nor the rough casing 

 around it. If the business won"t pay the expense 

 of planing and paint, I for one will abandon it and 1 

 try something that will. M. H. Hcnt. | 



liell Branch, Mich., Oct. 21, 1885. 



I would say to our readers, that friend Hunt is a j 

 man who is very particular about the tidy aiipear- 

 ance of his apiary. I have visited both his bee- 

 yards, and can speak from actual observation. We 

 have used cinders around our hi\ cs in the way Mr. 

 H. suggests; but iu our experience, weeds and 

 gi-asses will, after a while, creep over from tlie 

 sides, if not through the cinders. For this reason, 

 and the expense, we prefer using salt, and then 

 have white sand in front of the entrance. I like 

 1o watch the yellow-banded Italians sjiorting on a 

 light background. Of course, the sand can be i)ut 

 over the cinders, if desired. Eknest K. Koot. 



S.VLT AROUND THE KXTRANCES, ETC. 



Gleanings for Oct. 15 is at hand on time. I was 

 glad to see that note of Ernest's in regard to killing 

 weeds with salt. I have used it with success for 

 two years. It is the only thing 1 can find to kill 

 coco grass. If any of the friends are bothered with 

 that grass, one or two applications will clean it u|i. 



1 send in my first report. This is my second year 

 in apiculture. I have invested to the tune of 

 S12.5.00. I started last spring witli 6, increased to 21. 

 I have taken only 135 lbs. of comb honey in Mb. 

 sections. But every one of the 21 has ten frames of 

 brood and honey, to cari-y them over the winter. 



While I cannot write and tell you that I have ceas- 

 ed to use tobacco, 1 can say that I have five brothers, 

 and none of us ever used it or whisky either. I 

 hope to send you a better leport next year than 

 this. ('. R. .Iexkins. 



Bryan, Texas. Oct. in, 1885. 



I HE 



nnxAiNixo NAMES and addresses 



PAGES OF GLEANINGS. 



When reading Gleanings I sometinies feel like 

 sending a circular to some of the friends, but do 

 not feel like doing so without your permission; aud 

 Ihe fact is, I did send some before it ever occurred to 



me that " 1 ha\ e no earthly right to use them," be- 

 cause you i>aid for getting them, and not I. I beg 

 pardon for having done so, and am willing to pay 

 you what you think right, in strawberry - plants 

 next spring. As you request the reports from 

 those who have used the revei'Sing devices, I should 

 say I am well pleased with them. They do not cut 

 the fingers as the metal corners do, and arc just as 

 good in every way, and better in several ways, 

 aside from their reversing advantages. 



You advise "full frames of honey" for wintci- 

 stores. I always think they winter lietter when 

 only three-fourths full. When full it acts too nuieh 

 like a cake of ice, or a board. The cluster on each 

 side is too much for itself. C. Weckksseh. 



Marshall ville, Ohio, Oct. 1:.', IS*^."). 



Why, frit lid W., you surprise me. (ialher 

 up the names in Gleaxixgs for the ad- 

 dresses of persons to whom to send pi'ice 

 lists, by all means. In fact, that is just 

 what I Mant the bee-friemls to do, that we 

 may get still better acquainted. One reason 

 why I insist on having every name with the 

 full i)ostotlice address is because I want you 

 to send ciiculars in this way. It is true, 

 that names thus obtained may be used for 

 the purpose of sending swindling advertise- 

 ments and circulars; but to counteract this 

 objection to giving names in full, we are 

 going to try to keep our readers posted in re- 

 gard to all fraudident circulars they may 

 receive. 



WINTEIUNG IN A CAVE; QUESTIONS CONCERNING. 



Will you please answer, through Gle.\nings, a 

 few questions':' On account of the winter being so 

 very severe upon the bees, I concluded to winter 

 them this coming wintei- in a cave, so I have com- 

 menced, and it is about half dug. Yesterda.v I took 

 hold of your A B C, and found, under the head of 

 " Wintering," that you " would not try indoor win- 

 tering with less than 40 or 50 stands." I have 21 

 stands of bees. I thought to place 12 of them in the 

 cave. Now the (juestion arises in my mind. Are you 

 still of the same opinion'.^ and if the cave is frost- 

 proof, why won't it do with few stands, as well as 

 with many? The cave. being in the earth, of course 

 it will be a little damp, if the hives arc kept from 

 coming in close contact with the damp, either on 

 side or floor or ground. 1 will have a good drain, 

 sufficiently large to ventilate the cave, and it will 

 run some forty or more feet under ground. Do 

 you think it will be sufficiently dry'/ I will have the 

 bottom of it so dug that it will thoroughly drain it- 

 self. It is dug 8X10 ft., 5'2 ft. to 6'.. ft. deep. It 

 will have two doors, it will oblige me if you will 

 please tell me a little in regard to wintering in a 

 cave. I will have a boxing, or a pipe like a chimney, 

 so a current of air can pass through. 



There may be ijuite a number who would like it if 

 you would gi\'e us a little instruction in this dire(v 

 tion. Again, If bui-yiug bees is a good plan, how is 

 it that tli('.\- won't do in a cave, if properly ventilat- 

 ed-:' 



The luinej' si'uson is good so liir, ami tlie jtrcsent 

 rains )u-oniise fall honey unless we get too much. 

 No honey-dew. Those that wintered in cellars and 

 caves were the only ones who biought their bees 

 out without heavy loss, and in many instances they 

 died right out without a bee left. 



Gleveland, Iowa. Evan B. Morgan. 



Tlie cave as yon describe it. friend M.. will 



