224 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mar. 



197 BUSHELS OF JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT FROM ONE 

 POUND OF SEED, IN TWO SEASONS. 



I was well pleased with the Japanese backwheat I 

 got from you. I got 1 lb. in 1887, and I raised three 

 bushels. I sowed this, and got 197 bushels from four 

 acres, and did not use any fertilizer or manure. 



Vose, Pa., Feb. 25, 1889. G. A. Conrad. 



5!4 BUSHELS OF JAPANESE BUCKWHEAT FROM 6 

 LBS. OF SEED. 



I sowed 6 lbs. of Japanese buckwheat last spring, 

 and harvested 5% bushels, and that on thin land 

 without manure. 1 think it is the best buckwheat 

 in the world. T. R. Canady. 



Roark, Mo., Jan. 23, 1889. 



THAT CALIFORNIA TRIP. 



I have been much interested in the report of your 

 trip. I was over much of the same route the year 

 before. I am now moving out there. If you did 

 not visit Pomona, you missed one of the nicest 

 places in Southern California. The author of 

 " Blessed Bees " lives at Pomona. 



Green, N. Y., Jan. 17, 1889. L. E. St. John. 



PREVENTING INCREASE ; A QUESTION. 



How would the following method of preventing 

 increase succeed? Follow Dr. Miller's plan of giv- 

 ing plenty of room in the sections; hive all prime 

 swarms that come out, and prevent after-swarms 

 by some well-known method; the following season, 

 unite down to the original number at the begin- 

 ning of the honey-flow, using the empty hives and 

 combs to repeat the operation? A. C. Bugbee. 



Lochiel, Ind. 



LYour idea of uniting in the spring, so as to have 

 your colonies all exceedingly strong just before 

 the honey harvest opens, is one that has been con- 

 siderably discussed, and some very successful 

 honey-producers tried the method years ago.] 



FRAMES PARALLEL OR AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE 

 ENTRANCE ; WHICH ? 



Will bees do better to enter at the side or ends of 

 frames in a house-apiary? I think I prefer to have 

 entrance at sides of frames, but am not certain 

 that it will do so well. R.E.Mason. 



Westminster, S. C, Feb. 19, 1889. 



[Friend M., we do not think it is very material 

 whether the frames are parallel with the entrance, 

 or at right angles with it. We rather prefer the 

 latter arrangement. Theoretically, the bees can 

 better ventilate their hives during summer; but 

 practically, there does not seem to be very much 

 difference. Numerous tests have been made both 

 ways, and there was no appreciable difference in 

 the result, either in the amount of honey secured 

 or in its proper evaporation.] 



TWO OR THREE THICKNESSES OF PAPER INSTEAD 

 OF CHAFF. 



I come to Gleanings for advice. Another bee- 

 keeper and myself conceived the idea that we 

 would make several hives with double walls with 

 two or three thicknesses of paper between, believ- 

 ing that paper is a non-conductor of heat or cold. 

 Now, I want to know what would be the difference 

 between them and chaff hives. Win. Barclay. 



Harmony, Ind. 



Lit is claimed by some, that two or three thickness- 

 es of paper around the brood-nest, in between the 

 outer shell, is equal to 3 or 4 inches of chaff— among 

 them Francis Danzenbaker, of Claymont, New Cas- 

 tle Co., Del. As for ourselves, we can hardly see 

 how the paper can be equal to chaff. It may be as 

 warm, but it will not absorb moisture as well. G.M. 

 Doolittle's article in the present number tells pret- 

 ty nearly why chaff will be better than paper.] 



0a^ (|aEgJFi0]\[-Be& 



With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees. 



All queries sent in for this department should be briefly 

 stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question 

 or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper, 

 and marked, " For Our Question-Box." 



Question 112.— a. What is the largest number of 

 L. brood-frames you allow a colony at any time? b. 

 If you vary the number, say when you allow the most. 

 Say whether you mean for comb or extracted. 



Nine or ten frames of the large Quinby size, both 

 for comb or extracted. Dadant & Son. 



a. Eight is the largest number, b. I never vary 

 the number, either for comb or extracted honey. 



Geo. Grimm. 



Eight. This is my number in brood-chamber. 

 For extracting I add a second story, making six- 

 teen frames. A. J. Cook. 



Working for extracted honey, a. 24, three stories 

 high, eight frames each, in the height of honey- 

 gathering, with extra strong colonies; ordinarily 16. 



R. Wilkin. 



For comb honey, 8; but I winter outdoors on two 

 sets of 8 frames, one set above the other, and the 

 upper set full of honey; for extracted honey, three 

 tiers high, 8 frames in a tier, 24 frames in all. 



E. France. 



I allow 19—10 in brood-chamber and 9 above— for 

 extracted honey. For comb honey, 8 frames below 

 is generally preferred. The surplus should not be 

 added before the bees begin to gather in the spring. 



P. L. Viallon. 



a. 27 is the largest number I ever used at one 

 time. b. I allow the most when the most are need- 

 ed; for extracted honey I furnish the colony with 

 all the combs or foundation they need, and tier up, 

 using no honey-board. Dr. A. B. Mason. 



a. Eight for box honey, b. In the early spring, 

 especially if the colony is weak, I contract to five 

 or six frames, and expand the brood-chamber as 

 the season advances; but I do not contract during 

 the honey-flow, to force bees into the boxes. 



Mrs. L. Harrison. 



We use a frame 10V 2 xl6 inside. Before putting on 

 boxes we usually build them up to seven frames. 

 When we had black bees we built up to eight. We 

 usually reduce the number by one not long after 

 putting on boxes. 1 would at least double the num- 

 ber for extracting. P. H. Elwood. 



a. Ten. But that's a very rare thing — seldom 

 more than eight, b. Just before the harvest when 

 the queen occupies the most room. This for comb 

 honey. It is quite possible, however, that, all 

 things considered, it is best to have the same num- 

 ber all the year round. C C Midler. 



I have used as many as 48 in the best part of the 

 season, when extracting. When boxing I would 

 use 8, and the same for wintering. During the 

 period when I am handling and preparing for the 

 yield of either extracted or box honey, I use a nunj 

 ber in proportion to the strength of the colony. 



L. C. Root. 



If 1 used the L. frame I would never allow a col- 

 ony over 6even when working for comb honey, and 

 would use but five for a new swarm, up to the time 

 of fall honey; then I would give them the seven, 



