1901 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



241 



tives. If the bees were taken away from the 

 alfalfa-fields entirel3% you can tell your ranch- 

 men that they would not be able to do very 

 much in the way of growing alfalfa seed — 

 Ed.] 



the medicine - dropper a success for 

 picking up royai^ jelly. 



We notice what is said in a recent issue of 

 Gleanings in regard to using a dropper for 

 supplying queen-cells with royal jelly. I will 

 say that it will work to perfection, as we have 

 used several for the past five years. In look- 

 ing over nuclei we generally have one or 

 more with us ; and when we come across a 

 queen-cell containing royal jelly, and which 

 would have to be destroyed anyway, we just 

 fill the dropper. Sometimes it takes five or 

 six cells to fill a dropper; occasionally two 

 will do. With a dropper supplied with the 

 royal food one can prime cells in just a third 

 of the time it requires with a quill ; besides, 

 the jelly can be kept in a dropper for several 

 days ; but we prefer it fresh. 



Parkertown, O., Feb. 9. H. G. Quirin. 



[I am glad to get this report, as I could not 

 see any reason why a medicine-dropper would 

 not handle the royal jelly much more rapid- 

 ly, and deposit the exact quantity desired in 

 each cell-cup. But A. C. Miller's experience 

 was not so favorable. — Ed.] 



an experience resulting in FAVOR OF 



ABSORBENTS AS AGAINST SEALED COV- 

 ERS FOR OUTDOOR WINTERING. 



Mr. Editor : — I noticed in your Dec. 15th 

 issue you request those in a position to do so 

 to observe the conditions in which sealed cov- 

 ers and absorbents give best results. I winter 

 my bees in tenement chaff hives, and I find 

 they winter best, " in this locality," by remov- 

 ing the covers ; then lay on some sticks or 

 corncobs, and cover with burlap and chaff. 

 I have sometimes put on a deep super or hive- 

 body filled with chaff, then put on the cover ; 

 but even this seems to be a detriment, as it 

 prevents the moisture from passing off. 



With sealed covers in chaff hives, as soon 

 as it becomes cold the combs become moldy, 

 frost gathers on the inside of the hives, then 

 when there is a thaw the frost melts, runs 

 down over the combs, and stands in puddles 

 on the bottom boards. 



I get best results in wintering by having 

 the hives face the south or west, as the bees 

 often fly on warm afternoons, tovs^rd spring, 

 when those facing east do not. I also find it 

 a good idea to take off the covers and stir up 

 the chaff on such days. 



INDOOR VS. OUTDOOR WINTERED BEES. 



The majority of the large bee-keepers of 

 this county winter their bees in the cellar ; 

 but I have heard some of them speak as though 

 they were dissatisfied with that plan, and 

 were looking with longing eyes toward out- 

 door wintering. 



From some of Dr. Miller's writings I mis- 

 trust he feels something the same way. I 

 thiak if he would try my plan of wintering he 



would find they would live through in good 

 order, and be ahead of those wintered in the 

 cellar at the beginning of the honey-flow. Is 

 not at least a part of the extra food needed for 

 outdoor wintering used in rearing brood be- 

 fore bees can be taken from the cellar safely ? 

 Salem, N. Y. Earl Y. Safkord. 



[There seems to be a growing apprehension 

 among those who winter indoors, that, even 

 though indoor bees consume less stores, yet 

 the outdoor bees may be enough more vigor- 

 ous to make up for the extra consumption of 

 stores. I should be pleased to get further re- 

 ports. — Ed.] 



THE USE OF THE BROOM SEDGE FOR BRUSH- 

 ING BEES IN THE SOUTH. 



Mrs. L. Harrison, in telling of southern 

 broom sedge, p. 62, says, " I'm surprised that 

 southern bee-keepers have not used them for 

 this purpose, and told us about them." I 

 suppose by "us" she means northern bee- 

 keepers. Now, I should like to say that 

 southern bee keepers have used brooms of this 

 kind for many years. Bees have been kept 

 on our place, 6 miles east of Washington, N. 

 C , for the last 60 or 75 years by my father 

 and grandfather and myself. I have often 

 seen my father, as far back as I can remember, 

 use a broom of this kind. 



Washington, N. C. J. R. Pinkham. 



LOADING CROSSWISE OR LENGTHWISE ; GOOD 

 PROOF. 



E. R. Root : — I was surprised when I read 

 your editorial in Gleanings for Nov. 15 on 

 how to load honey on a wagon, as I supposed 

 everybody thought the combs should run 

 across the wagon and not lengthwise. I no- 

 tice Mr. Hutchinson, in the Reviezv, thinks it 

 should be loaded the same as you sa}'. There 

 is no need of breaking honey that is fastened 

 firmly to the wood, and properly crated, no 

 matter which way it is loaded ; but in hauling 

 hives of bees or loose combs one has to be 

 more careful. I moved an outyard last fall 

 about one mile, but left over one hundred ex- 

 tracling-supers till I had more time. I moved 

 the supers last week with a spring wagon ; and 

 as there isn't room in a common wagon-box 

 to place two rows crosswise, I set one row of 

 supers with ccmbs running crosswise and one 

 with combs running lengthwise of wagon. 

 When I came to unload I found several 

 combs broken in the row that was loaded 

 lengthwise, but none in the supers that were 

 loaded crosswise. That's the way it always 

 works "in this locality," no matter what 

 kind of roads. H. H. Porter. 



Baraboo, Wis., Dec. 20. 



loading COMB honey ON A WAGON. 



Dr. Miller's directions as to the right way to 

 load comb honey on a wagon are correct, and 

 will apply to all kinds of roads. When the 

 roads are bad and the ruts deep, the chances 

 are a hundred to one against there being two 

 holes, one in each rut, exactly opposite one 

 another, such as would produce a forward and 



