1SS5 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



81 S 



OUR EVERGREENS AS A WIND-BREAK. 



Our apiary has no wind-break in the way of a 

 tight board fence, such as we had formerly at the 

 old home. There is, however, as you doubtless 

 know, an inclosurc of evergreen-trees that, in a few 

 years, will afford us the best of protections. The 

 trees when first planted (1878) were from three to 

 four feet high, and at present date they are all the 

 way from six to eight feet, and several are nearly 

 ten feet high. They do not as yet afford much pro- 

 tection, for the reason that they have not begun to 

 bush out, and, as a consequence, the wind makes its 

 way through, the spruce between the branches being 

 about two feet. AVith all the advantages of a wind- 

 break, it seems to me there is at least one advan- 

 tage in having the hives exposed to the wind. 

 Where we have an abundance of snow, the wind, 

 having free access, banks up the hives much better 

 than if the apiary were protected. Our hives being 

 thus exposed to the wind on three sides— north, 

 west, and south— present quite an array of little 

 pyramids. The space between the hives is thus 

 dished out, and the snow banked just where we 

 want it. Hut for all this, we would by no means say 

 that a protection is not necessary, for in this locali- 

 ty we do not ahvays have snow when we like it. The 

 importance of a good wind-brea,k can scarcely be 

 overestimated. It is onlj' necessary to refer to the 

 successes in wintering of CyulaLinswik and her sis- 

 ter in their home, surrounded by an immense for- 

 est. When there a few years ago, the stillness, oc- 

 casioned by the absence of wind, impressed itself 

 upon me as remarkable. 



BABBITS FOR KEEPING DOWN GRASS AROUND III V KS. 



Tt will be remembered, that something over a 

 year ago we made mention of some rabbits. For 

 the past three months we have had a pair of them 

 in our poultry-yard. The number has now increas- 

 ed to nine, though had it not been for the iin-ojid of 

 a certain cat we should have had twice this number. 

 As Mr. Fradenburg has said, they will keep down 

 the grasses to quite a little extent; and if a good 

 number of them were fenced in an apiary they 

 might do good service in the way of keeping down 

 the grasses around the hives. On the whole, how- 

 ever, I think I should much prefer a lawn-mower, 

 as the rabbits are a little inclined to pick out pre- 

 cious morsels of herbage, while the former does 

 smooth, even work, irrespective of taste. 



TINKERING WITH HIVES DURING WINTER. 



The general work among the bees has, or ouglit 

 to have, ceased by this time. Of course, if tliere 

 should be days when the bees can fly, colonies that 

 have insufficient stores can be fed up. Good colo- 

 nies, when well packed for winter, ought, as a gen- 

 eral rule, to be left entirely alone till spring. I re- 

 member one winter, that while working with my 

 microscope I had occasion to get a good many bees 

 for dissection. There was one colony in particular, 

 in the house apiary, from which I took my victims. 

 If I am con-ect, father was not aware that I was 

 getting bees in this way, though I did not attempt 

 to conceal it. But without any thought that I 

 was endangering the colony, several times during 

 the winter I went there, took a few bees and hastily 

 closed the hive, feeling sure that this slight disturb- 

 ance could do no harm. The following season show- 

 ed that this colony Mas dead, when the rest had 

 wintered comparatively well. Merely opening the 

 hive during cold weather will often break the clus- 

 ter, and the result of exciting the bees is as I have 



said. It must not be inferred, however, that a col- 

 ony must never be opened. We sometimes take a 

 queen from a hive in mid-winter, but the weather is 

 such as to permit it. 



PREPARING FOR NEXT SEASON. 



During the winter months it is well to consider 

 our plans for next year. Sections and hives must 

 be put together; etc. Many new improvements have 

 been suggested during the past year. It is best for 

 us to re-read and consider, so as to be ready for the 

 coming season. For instance, the favorable reports 

 of the sun wax-extractor will warrant us in giving 

 the matter some attention. Pcrforatod zinc is slow- 

 ly coming into prominence, and should be further 

 experimented upon. Side storing versus top stor- 

 ing; separators or no separators; the best method 

 of preventing after-swarms; clipping queens' wings, 

 etc., are matters of discussion; and your locality, 

 coupled with personal experience, will largely de- 

 cide which is best. Put yourself at your wit's end. 

 If you have any new scheme, formulate it ready for 

 practice next year. If you have observed any thing 

 new, let us have it, being careful to report exactly 

 what yon did see; for, as one writer has said, " Men 

 see one thing, and are apt to infer another." Let 

 there be none of this in our work. E. R. Hoot. 



EXTRACTED HONEY. 



PUTTING IT IP FOR MAUKKT; IH)W A LARGE DEAL- 

 ER AND HONKY-PltODUCER MANAGES IT. 



SY to-day's mail T send you a small can of hon- 

 ey, put up in the winter of 1882-3. Its exteri- 

 or is rather rough, it being the last of my 

 stock (if that season, and has been handled a 

 good deal as a samjile can by which to sell 

 the stock. Is it candied;' I put ni) fi considerable 

 part of my product in this style of can, weighing 1, 

 2, and 3 lbs. respectively. For convenience and ex- 

 pedition in canning honey, I have a coil of block- 

 tin pipe placed in a steam chest, one end of the 

 pipe protruding from the top of the steam-chest, 

 and reaching to a tank (holding 3 or 4 bbls.), which 

 is placed directly above the steam-chest. The oth- 

 er end of the pipe protrudes from near the bottom 

 of the steam-chest, and to it is attached a small 

 faucet. Now, when ready to go to canning we turn 

 a jet of steam into the chest, or box, in which the 

 pipe is coiled; turn the stop-cock at the bottom of 

 the tank, or top of pipe, to permit the pipe to fill 

 from the tank, and draw off or fill the cans from the 

 small faucet at the bottom of the steam-chest. The 

 honey in passing through the pipe in the steam-box, 

 is heated; one hand draws off the honey, two tin- 

 ners solder the cans as they are filled, while a hand 

 takes care of the cans as soldered, and labels them. 

 How is the tank kept supplied"? Why, the above 

 work is done in the basement of a plant on a hill- 

 side; the tank is supplied from a heater just above 

 it, which is fitted in the floor of the upper story. 

 This heater will holds or 3 bbls. of honey. The top 

 of it is even with the top of floor. A zinc plate is 

 placed on the floor beside the heater, a barrel of 

 honey is rolled up to the plate, hoops knocked off 

 one end and the head taken out, then the barrel is 

 turned upside down on the zinc plate, the barrel 

 pried off the honey (my honey is always candied 

 solid'at this time of year), and the honey swung, or 

 shoved into the heater. A jet of steam is then 

 thrown about the heater; aud as the honey melts it 



