1901 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



597 



from ihe rt moved colony, which makes a col- 

 ony thai is ready to go into the sections in a 

 very few days. The removed colony has sim- 

 ply lost the old or field bees, so as to stop the 

 swarming impulse, and in a week will be 

 ready for work in the sections again." 



"That sounds good, and I believe I will 

 try some of my colonies that way. But don't 

 you think non-swarming would be desirable 

 under any circumstances? " 



"Yes, I certainly do, especially for out- 

 apiaries. We have many of our best bee- 

 keepers at work in the matter, and I fully 

 expect that, before the year 1925 shall be 

 ushered in, something of universal value will 

 have been brought out for the benefit of the 

 fraternity. But the above is as good as any 

 thing in sight at present for the home apiary, 

 such as yours. But I hear Mrs. D. calling me, 

 and I was to help her a little while." 



STAYING FOUNDATION WITH WOOD SPLINTS ; 



THE PI,AN A SUCCESS ; HOW TO USE THE 

 SPI.INTS. 



Noting your editorial footnote in regard to 

 wood splints, as advanced in Stray Straws by 

 Dr. Miller, I beg to say that I have used splints 

 with best results to a considerable extent. 

 These splints need not be waxed, as the queens 

 lay in the same regular manner on the splints 

 in the bottom of cells as on either side of the 

 splints in adjacent cells. I used splints sawn 

 from Cottonwood lumber ; but some material 

 of harder texture may be more suitable. 

 These splints were ^.y by jV, and % inch long- 

 er than the inside depth of the frames. A 

 ,saw-kerf is required in both top and bottom 

 bars for the insertion of the ends of the splints. 

 These should be ^ deep. No fastening is re- 

 quired if the sheets of foundation touch the 

 top-bars the entire length. Otherwise the 

 foundation bulges from the weight of a new 

 swarm, and irregular, wavy combs are the re- 

 sult. Seven splints will answer to the frame 

 with medium brood foundation ; for light 

 brood, 8 splints would probably be required. 

 With foundation wired from the mill, the 

 foundation would still have to be attached to 

 the frames ; with the splints, the foundation 

 is put in the frames, and securely stayed at 

 the one operation. I could put in frames from 

 100 to 125 sheets per hour, with the splints, 

 and I never have seen more perfect combs, all 

 things considered. They stand extracting re- 

 markably well. No cracks appear in the 

 combs from this strain, as with horizontal 

 wiring. I wrote j-ou a few years ago about 

 this matter, and again am prepared to say 

 that you can advocate the general adoption of 

 wood splints for foundation brood-combs, 

 without hesitation as to their giving any dis- 

 satisfaction. 



In putting in the splints, a board of suitable 



thickness is placed inside the frame. Put 4 

 splints in place, then lay on the sheets of 

 foundation ; then put the other splints in 

 place and roll them down with moderate pres- 

 sure. Turn the frame and roll down the first 

 splints ; and this completes the job. Why 

 not get out a few of these splints, and give 

 them a trial ? I am convinced that they will 

 meet with your approval. B. F. AvERiLL. 

 Howardsville, Va., Apr. 9. 



[I believe the use of wooden splints is all 

 right ; and for some bee keepers it may be the 

 very best method of staying up foundation. 

 Personally, we here at the Home of the Hon- 

 ey-bees prefer horizontal wires — wires fastened 

 to the end-bars of the frames. — Ed.] 



HOW BEES USE THEIR TONGUES IN SIPPING 

 UP HONEY ; THE ALLEGED BIAS OF 

 THE EDITOR. 

 After reading the discussion of long tongues, 

 beginning on page 476, I began trying to 

 think of some reason why bees with long 

 tongues would be better on other flowers than 

 red clover. Wishing to observe closely just 

 how bees use their tongues, I took some honey 

 in a bottle, and a small piece of board, and 

 went out into the apiary. In the first place I 

 put some large drops of honey on the board, 

 and presented it to the bees. It took only a 

 minute to see that they always inserted the 

 tongue into the drop about one-third its 

 length. The honey was then spread out on 

 the board as thin as I could spread it with my 

 finger. In sipping this, the bees doubled the 

 tongue back about the same distance that 

 they inserted it in the drops in the first in- 

 stance. When the honey was nearly all tak- 

 en up, so that the board was only wet with it, 

 they doubled their tongues back still further. 

 From those observations it seems to me that 

 the bees can take honey faster, at least, with 

 the tongue bent backward at some distance 

 from the tip, and I believe they would have 

 much difficulty in getting honey if it could be 

 reached only with the extreme tip of the 

 tongue. The tongue is brush-like at the tip, 

 and honey could rise on it only by capillary 

 attraction, not at all by suction. Of course, 

 we can not see how the tongue is used in a 

 flower-tube, but it is quite probable that it is 

 used the same as on a flat surface. If this be 

 the case, a long-tongued bee could gather a 

 load in much less time, even on white clover, 

 than a short-tongued one ; for the tenth part 

 of a second saved on each floweret would en- 

 able it to get its load in 30 per cent less time, 

 which would mean 30 per cent more honey. 



In regard to the bias of the editor, alleged 

 by Mr. Doolittle, in looking over Gleanings 

 for the last year I have been unable to find 

 an instance where the case was not stated 

 with perfect fairness. The editor undoubted- 

 ly knows (what every one should know) that 

 the best way to convince an opponent is to 

 show a friendly consideration for the evidence 

 on the other side. C. F. Bender. 



Newman, 111. 



[The microscope shows that the bee's tongi:e 

 is made up of a series of compound tubes. 



