39: 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 1 



same evening. They were confined for 24 

 hours and released at evening. In neither 

 hive was there any preference shown. The 

 combs were all drawn out and nicely finished. 



Hive J was used as a surplus case, and but 

 very little work done in it, owing to the sud- 

 den breaking of all the flow. 



In general we learn from the experiment 

 that, for a light foundation, vertical wires are 

 not as good as horizontal ones — four horizon- 

 tal wires serving all purposes, even with a 

 light foundation. The combs from light 

 foundations, when built on vertical wires, 

 were wavy in every case. 



The bees seem to prefer, and certainly do 

 not object to, the lighter foundations. Why 

 they seem to prefer the lighter foundations I 

 do not know unless it is because it is easier re- 

 modeled to suit their fancy. 



It requires much more care to put these 

 light foundations in the frames and properly 

 imbed the wires than it does the heavy ones — 

 the No. 13 especially. 



This experiment was made in hives that 

 were painted white, but standing directly in 

 the sun, and in no case was a frame of the 

 lighter foundations melted down. 



Agricultural College, Mich. 



The result secured in this set of experiments 

 is somewhat of a surprise to me. I should have 

 said, if my opinion had been asked, that the 

 heavier grades of foundation would be accept- 

 ed by the bees first ; and that on the light 

 weights, 10 to 13 sheets to the pound, a per- 

 pendicular wiring would necessarily have to 

 be used to prevent a horizontal sagging. If it 

 be true that we can use, for the brood-nest, a 

 foundation running from 10 to 12 sheets to the 

 pound, we will say, and if it is also true that 

 we can use horizontal wiring, thousands of 

 dollars will be saved to the bee-keepers of the 

 land annually. The manufacturer can make 

 a brood foundation running from 10 to 12 

 sheets to the pound* ; but hitherto we, like all 

 of them, have supposed that such a light 

 weight would not be practicable for the brood- 

 nest, for fear that the foundation would stretch 

 in drawing out, making elongated cells in the 

 resultant comb. The season is right now on 

 us ; and any one who desires to can easily 

 conduct for himself some experiments along 

 the line above indicated. 



I have always advocated a horizontal wiring, 

 but supposed that such wiring would be ap- 

 plicable only to a foundation not lighter than 

 7 to 8 sheets to the pound ; but from some ex- 

 periments I made a number of years ago with 

 the perpendicular wiring, I am quite prepared 

 to believe that Mr. Rankin is correct in stating 

 that a horizontal wiring will be better for even 

 the light weights of foundation ; and, come to 

 think of it, the experiments of Mr. Rankin 

 agree very well with those of Mr. Wm. W. 



Whitney, as given in Gi,eanings for March 

 15, page 223. 



Mr. Rankin and Mr. Whitney have drawn 

 attention to some very important possibilities. 



If I mistake not, the Michigan Agricultural 

 College has not regarded experimental work 

 in apiculture as particularly important ; but 

 the work that Mr. Rankin has already done in 

 the matter of measuring bees' tongues, and in 

 showing the possibilities in the use of light- 

 weight foundation, is of the very best, and 

 sufficient to warrant the continuance of the 

 experiments, for he is a man who is eminently 

 fitted to do work of this kind. — Ed.] 



MRS. JACKSON'S BEE-KEEPING. 



What a Woman can Do, and a Woman in Poor 

 Health at That. 



* These light weights must have thin bases, and 

 plenty of wax in the walls. It is not easy to make 

 such foundation, but it can be made, and the Root Co. 

 have made it, and can make it if there was a call for 

 it in quantity. We are making tons and tons of 9 to 10 

 sheets to the pound. And even this weight we did not 

 consider practicable at one time. 



BY MRS. GEO. JACKSON. 



In the fall of 1894 one of our neighbors, 

 several miles away, called on us in the firm 

 belief that he could sell us some bees. Mr. 

 Jackson, being fond of honey, favored buying 

 them ; but I, not caring for honey, nor hav- 

 ing any faith that they would amount to any 

 thing, did not take kindly to the idea. Nev- 

 ertheless, the neighbor, being a good talker, 

 and telling us a nice little " busy bee " story, 

 succeeded in selling us four colonies, and 

 those bees were the best paying investment 

 we ever made. 



When we set them out of the cellar, April 

 10, 1895, we had only two colonies, two hav- 

 ing died during the winter. We knew noth- 

 ing of the care of bees, and had only one 

 swarm thrown off during the summer ; but a 

 nice supply of white honey came, that even I 

 had to own I liked, and it made us quite en- 

 thusiastic on bee culture. 



In the spring of 1896 we found the two old 

 colonies in good condition, but the new one 

 very weak, owing to a poor hive and lack of 

 knowledge. The hives were home - made 

 square ones. 



We now thought it time that we knew some- 

 thing, and sent to A. I. Root for his ABC 

 book — the next best investment we ever made; 

 also five of his Dovetailed hives, and a smok- 

 er. But before receiving the goods I was ta- 

 ken sick, and was very sick for several weeks, 

 not fully recovering until late in the season, 

 and we think much credit is due the bees for 

 my final recovery, I being much interested 

 in them. I studied my book and studied the 

 bees. The result was, in the fall I had seven 

 strong colonies and an abundance of beauti- 

 ful white comb honey. Mr. Jackson now 

 gave up all claim to the bees, reserving only 

 the privilege of eating the honey. 



My seven colonies wintered well, and I had 

 learned my book well during the winter. In 

 the fall of 1897 I had 18 very strong colonies, 

 and about 900 lbs. of comb honey. The bees 

 again wintered well, and in the spring of 1898 

 I had still 18 strong colonies. Well, I felt, 

 and do still feel, proud of those bees. They 

 commenced work the first day they were out 

 of the cellar, and worked every pleasant day 



