1901 



GI.EANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



195 



In the meantime, our subscribers in Michi- 

 gan will remember to write not only once, 

 but write again if necessary, to their members 

 of the House. See last Gi,Eanings. 



is warmed to about 40 or 45. It then reaches 

 the bees. See Straw in this issue, referring to 

 Ira Barber's method of wintering. 



YORK'S PATENT DOUBI,E-ACTING BEES. 



While we were on the cars en route to the 

 Wisconsin convention, Mr. York poked fun 

 at Mr. Hutchinson and myself on this matter 

 of measuring bees' tongues. Mr. Rankin, you 

 are aware, measures the whole tongue, while 

 we measure from the mandibles to the end of 

 the tongue. When Mr. Hutchinson and I 

 were discussing which was the right way, Mr. 

 York facetiously remarked that he had a plan 

 that was better than either ; and that was, to 

 measure from the end of the bee's tongue to 

 the end of the sting. There could be no con- 

 fusion if we measured thus. And he proposed, 

 further, that Hutchinson and I go into the 

 business of breeding bees that could suck up 

 nectar from "both ends " at one time, some- 

 thing like a patent double-acting double-plun- 

 ger pump. 



GOOD INDOOR WINTERING AT THE HOME 

 OF THE HONEY-BEES. 



We are wintering 38 colonies in a compart- 

 ment 8 feet square, in the center of the base- 

 ment of our machine-shop, which is 36X96. 

 The floor above is 7 inches thick, and is sup- 

 ported at intervals of 9 feet by means of 12- 

 inch walls running lengthwise through the 

 basement. Between two of the inner walls is 

 the bee-room referred to, 8 feet square. At 

 one end of the room is a board partition, and 

 the other end is composed of several thick- 

 nesses of heavy matting and carpeting. There 

 is no provision for ventilation, and the only 

 air that can get into the compartment is 

 through the matting referred to. Notwith- 

 standing the rumble and noise above, of ma- 

 chine tools, the constant walking to and fro, 

 the dropping of heavy pieces of steel, and 

 notwithstanding the bees have been absolute- 

 ly left alone, examination for the first time 

 to-day, Feb. 21, showed that the bees were 

 wintering well. They were perfectly quiet, 

 and there were not enough dead bees on the 

 floor to fill even a half pint cup. Examina- 

 tion of clusters under the frames shows the 

 bees to be healthy and prosperous, not even 

 one colony showing any signs of uneasiness. 

 It will be observed that this compartment for 

 the bees is in the center of a large basement 

 in which are located pipes, iron rods, and two 

 or three carloads of potatoes. It is necessary 

 that the potatoes should be as cold as possible 

 and not freeze, so it is the practice of our boys 

 to open and close the windows in the general 

 basement. There is plenty of fresh air in the 

 outer room ; and this air, being warmed up, 

 finally percolates through the matting into 

 the room referred to. The temperature of the 

 bee-room is 48 degrees F. 



It may be there is something in Ira Barber's 

 statement that indoor-wintered bees should 

 not receive direct infusions of air from out- 

 doors. In our case, if they get it at all, it has 

 to pass through a long passageway, where it 



E. FRANCE'S BARREL TALK ; HOW TO TEST 

 A BARREL FOR LEAKAGE. 



PreS. France, at the Wisconsin conven- 

 tion, told how to test a barrel, into which it is 

 proposed to put honey, for leakage. In the 

 first place, he explained that there should be 

 good cooperage ; that the staves should be 

 made of sound kiln -dried stuff, and that noth- 

 ing but iron hoops (not wooden ones) should 

 be used. The barrels should then be placed, 

 not in the cellar, but in a good dry room. 

 Just before they are filled the hoops should be 

 driven down as far as they will go. To test 

 for leakage, proceed as follows : Drive one of 

 the bungs in, and then, with the mouth placed 

 tightly over the other bunghole, breathe in 

 air as long as you can stand it. The lungs 

 should be re-filled through the nose, and then 

 the air should be expelled through the mouth 

 into the barrel until considerable pressure is 

 made. Quickly slide the palm of the hand 

 over the opening, and then listen for any hiss- 

 ing. If the barrel leaks at any point the air 

 can be heard coming out. When you have 

 found the spot, or think you have, dip the 

 fingers in water and rub them along at the 

 point of the supposed leak. If the air is work- 

 ing its way out, bubbles will form. The hoops 

 should then be driven until the crack closes, 

 and the operation repeated until no air escapes. 

 If the barrel holds air for a considerable length 

 of time, the pressure not going down percep- 

 tibly, it may then be known that the barrel is 

 tight. 



Mr. France explained that it is bad policy 

 to pour water into a barrel to see if it leaks, as 

 that causes the staves to swell and temporarily 

 close a leak, and then when the staves dry out 

 again, and the barrel is filled with honey, the 

 leak appears when the barrel is full of honey. 

 It should be borne in mind, he said, that the 

 staves of a barrel will sometimes shrink, not- 

 withstanding the barrel is full of honey. 



He further explained that, while he is a user 

 of barrels, yet for the average bee-/ceeper he 

 would recommend tin cans, because there are 

 only a few people who know how to make a 

 good barrel, and few who know a good barrel 

 from a poor one. 



HOW TO PARAFFINE A BARREL. 



In this connection it was Mr. E. D. Ochs- 

 ner, a practical bee-keeper of Wisconsin, who 

 explained that there was a great waste of hon- 

 ey it barrels are not paraffined on the inside ; 

 that one scarcely realizes the loss if he does 

 not weigh the barrels before filling them with 

 honey, and after they are emptied. The bar- 

 rels, he said, should be made good and tight 

 first, and then should be paraffined on the in- 

 side by pouring hot paraffine in the bung, 

 closing it, rolling the barrel around, and then 

 standing it on one end, and then on the other, 

 so that every portion of the inside should be 

 coated. The bung should be driven out, allow- 

 ing the surplus paraffine to run into the pan 

 whence it was poured. 



