«64 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 



ted entrance. The hive is now complete 

 except packing with chaff. To do this, in- 

 vert the hive, pack with chaff, preferably 

 the wheat chaff. Tamp it well down until 

 full. Lay in a couple of cross-strips as per 

 diagram J J, and nail to the two opposite 

 bottom side pieces. Level up with chaff, 

 cover with the tarred paper, and last of all 

 put in the bottom-boards and nail to the 

 strips J J. 



0[[R 0wn TIpiwy 



CONDUCTED BY ERNEST R. ROOT. 



HOW THE BEES WINTERED. 



BUT of a little less than 200 colonies, we 

 lost two— making a percentage of only 

 one per cent. These two colonies had 

 plenty of stores in the hive, though 

 none on the combs on which they were 

 clustered. A good deal of brood was start- 

 ed in one side of the hive. A cold snap of 

 weather coming on, and the bees refusing to 

 leave the brood, starved, leaving a couple of 

 combs filled with capped stores on the op- 

 posite side of the brood-nest. This some- 

 times happens with us, but not often. 



DISPENSING WITH LOOSE CHAFF IN WIN- 

 TERING, AND ITS RESULTS. 



This year we left off all loose chaff in 

 packing our colonies, and used nothing but 

 an ample burlap chaff cushion. In years 

 gone by we have used two or three inches 

 of chaff between the cushion and the burlap 

 sheet ; but every time it became necessary 

 to examine the colonies so packed we were 

 obliged to gather together the corners of the 

 burlap, lift it out with its load of loose chaff 

 very carefully, and deposit it on the ground 

 where it would be subject to every little 

 eddy of wind. Using as much care as we 

 could, we continually spilled considerable 

 chaff among the bees, and of course this 

 meant, the next spring, scooping out and 

 perhaps turning the hive bottom upward, to 

 clean it. Aside from the inconvenience in 

 making examinations, it is considerable 

 trouble to put it on in the fall and remove it 

 in the spring. I accordingly decided last 

 fall, that we would use large baggy cushions 

 instead of loose chaff and small cushions, 

 and the result has been just as good as any 

 year we have wintered bees. We formerly 

 thought it was necessary to use the loose 

 chaff to prevent the bees from coming up ; 

 but if the cushion is tucked carefully in the 

 corners there will be no trouble. Perhaps I 

 should add, in this connection, that the 

 cushion should be filled very loosely with 

 chaff, and should be a little larger than the 

 upper story of the hive, so as to fit snug and 

 prevent all possibility of currents circulat- 

 ing down to and from the brood-nest. In 

 another column it will be seen that our 

 friend A. E. Manum has likewise abandon- 

 ed the loose chaff, and he speaks of the very 

 great convenience he finds in dispensing 

 with it. It is just fun to make examina- 

 tions compared to what it has been during 

 early spring. 



NEW HONEY. 



Some discussion has arisen as to whether 

 bees gather honey from maples. I feel 

 pretty sure that our bees gathered largely 

 from this source this year, because there 

 was little if any thing else in bloom. When 

 going over the colonies we noticed a great 

 many combs containing some unsealed raw 

 nectar. Into several of the combs I punch- 

 ed my finger, and transferred the same to 

 my mouth. The flavor was not unlike that 

 of new maple syrup. You may say that I 

 stretched my imagination a little bit. 1 do 

 not think I did, because the flavor was very 

 distinct. The stronger colonies must have 

 obtained an average of two or three pounds; 

 and, as may be imagined, it had a stimulat- 

 ing effect on brood-rearing. 



T©B^CC@ C^Mffl. 



CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH WE GIVE SMOKERS To TERSONS WHO 

 STOP USING TOBACCO. 



First, the candidate must be one of those who have given up 

 tobacco in consequence of what he has seen and read in this 

 department. Second, he promises to pay for the smoker 

 should he ever resume the use of tobacco in any form, after 

 receiving the smoker. Third, he must be a subscriber to 

 Gleanings. Any subscriber may, however, have smokers sent 

 to neighbors or personal acquaintances whom he has labored 

 with on the matter of tobacco-using, nroviding he give us his 

 pledge that, if the one who receives the smoker ever uses to- 

 bacco again, he (the subscriber) will pay for the smoker. The 

 one who receives the smoker in this case need not be a sub- 

 scriber to Gleanings, though we greatly prefer that he be one, 

 because we think he would be strengthened by reading the 

 testimonials from time to time in regard to this matter. The 

 full name and address of every one who makes the promise 

 must be furnished for publication. 



RUM AND TOBACCO, AND THEIR BIG FAMILY OF 

 CHILDREN. 



C^| KO. ROOT: I send you a short article on to- 



Wt bacco. I do feel that, as Christians and re- 



fj^n nne d an( * enlightened people, we should 



■*■"' come out boldly on this awful evil. I tell 



you, it's one of the greatest causes of greater 



sins and poverty. People here are too poor to 



hardly get their salt, and yet pay $5 to $30 per year 



for this worse than useless weed, besides the awful 



example. I have reasons to denounce it, for it has 



about ruined one precious boy of mine. 1 speak 



plainly. Rum is the Devil, and Tobacco his wife, 



and they have a big family of children, both old and 



young. 



Since reading Mrs. Ratcliffe's valuable article on 

 the evils of tobacco, I have felt like shouting. 

 Thank God, she dares speak out for the good of the 

 world. I have proposed a tobacco pledge in the 

 temperance pledge, but I have met such opposition 

 by tobacco-users that it is of but little use. I am 

 convinced that the appetite for rum is stronger by 

 using tobacco (though I never used either), but— 

 eyes can see. We have a new law here, forbidding 

 its sale to boys under 16, but the desire to sell and 

 the desire to use are so strong it will go about the 

 same. The use of it is on the gain, and will be till 

 the whole people take hold to put it down. But 

 very few dare speak against it, and yet many users 

 are honest enough to denounce it; but, by their 

 fruits they are known. 



Isn't it one reason of the cause of Christ being so 

 slow, our church people indulging in this soul 

 and body depressing, useless weed? I won't judge 

 any one, but it seems to me this is a great appear- 

 ance of evil; and is it not leading our precious 



