(170 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Aug. 



will as surely come into general use among practi- 

 cal honey-producers as did the Langstroth hive. 



James Heddon. 

 Dowagiac, Mich., Aug. 5, 1889. 



Your experience with wide top-bars has 

 been ours almost exactly. I first commenc- 

 ed with a hive made after Langstroth's 

 book, as yon did ; and L kept making tbe 

 top-bars narrower until I got down to f of 

 an inch. Then I increased their width un- 

 til we had them A, and settled down upon 

 the latter dimension as the best for the pur- 

 pose. Our metal corners were then made 

 just right for the f lumber. I know that 

 top-bars very thick up and down do a great 

 deal to discourage brace-combs ; but by the 

 use of wired frames, we, like yourself, 

 greatly prefer to have brood in place of the 

 useless wood, as much as we can. 



BEE-HATS FOR WOMEN. 



BY AN AMATEUR LADY BEE-KEEPER. 



"JTp S an amateur bee-Keeper I was much interested 

 gilk, in Mrs. Harrison's article on " Attire for the 



jRlf Apiary," in Gleanings of April 1st. She 

 -^*- seems to have found some difficulty in mak- 

 ing a suitable hat; and as I have nowhere 

 seen or heard of a hat which so perfectly meets the 

 demand of lady apiculturists as that arranged by 

 Mrs. K. H. Holmes, of Shoreham, Vt., I should like 

 to give the readers of Gleanings the benefit of 

 her idea. 



MRS. HOLMES' REE-HAT. 



The first thing needed is a wide-rimmed straw hat 

 —mine measures five inches. For the veil, take a 

 strip of mosquito-bar, wide enough to reach from 

 the base of the crown on the outside of the hat to 

 the arm-pits, and long enough to fit loosely around 

 the shoulders, with the exception of about twelve 

 inches, which is of the finest black bobinet lace. 

 Join the ends. Turn in one edge and gather on to 

 the base of the crown. Face the other edge with a 

 strip of cotton cloth, fitting the shoulders tightly. 

 At the back of the arm, attach a strap which passes 

 under the arm and buttons on to the band in front. 

 If necessary, run into the band a cord to tighten, as 

 the occasion may require. The black bobinet is less 

 trying- to the eyes than anything else, and is al- 

 most no obstruction to the sight. If properly made 



there is no falling in on the neck, and no rubbing 

 of the nose and chin, yet perfect freedom of move- 

 ment to the head. I wore one last summer, and 

 found it perfectly comfortable, as Mrs. Holmes as- 

 sure <1 me I would. Miss G. M. Wolcott. 

 Shoreham, Vt., June 5, 1889. 



Miss W., we are exceedingly obliged to 

 you for the description you have given, and 

 also for the excellent photograph you send 

 along with it. Our engravers have suc- 

 ceeded excellently, we think, in reproduc- 

 ing it. We think, however, yon would find 

 the silk brussels net, which we use for our 

 bee-veils, still better for the eyes than the 

 bobinet, which you mention. 



CUBA AGAIN, 

 o. o. poppleton gives us some additional 



FACTS CONCERNING THE ISLAND; BEE-KEEPING 

 AND PROTECTION. 



fRIENDHOOT:-On page 585 you ask me some 

 questions which I will try to answer as briefly 

 as possible. Our 50,000 lbs. of honey was sold 

 to a firm in New York at 55 cents per gallon, 

 all round, in bond; that is, Mr. Dussaq pays 

 all expenses on it until delivered in a bonded ware- 

 house in New York, purchaser paying all after ex- 

 penses, including the import duty of 20 cents per 

 gallon. This last item amounted te over $800, so 

 you and your readers can have some idea how the 

 American idea of protection benefits our own bee- 

 keepers. Were that duty taken off by our Govern- 

 ment, a few score of our experienced American apia- 

 rists could and probably would supply the markets of 

 the States with cheap Cuban honey in a very short 

 space of time. Our former year's crop was sold in 

 bulk to friend Muth, in Cincinnati, he paying prices 

 according to the different qualities. 



A large part of the honey produced in Cuba goes 

 to Antwerp, Belgium, where, I am told, it is used 

 in making a certain grade of wine, and where the 

 demand is able to absorb all honey raised in Cuba, 

 but at a price less than is obtained by our bee- 

 keepers at home. I do not know any thing about 

 the correctness of this information. A great deal 

 of honey is shipped from here to New York, and re- 

 shipped direct from there to Antwerp, if the mar- 

 ket in New York will not warrant paying duty and 

 selling there. 



In the third paragraph of the second column, 

 on page 584, you will find your question as to quali- 

 ty alreadj answered. The hive on the scales was 

 only an average colony; that is, it gave about 125 

 lbs. of honey, which is what the entire apiary, weak 

 and strong, averaged, while some of the best colo- 

 nies in the apiary gave about 2^4 times as much, 

 and, of course, their record, if on scales, would have 

 been about 16 or 17 lbs. on the best days. Mr. Man- 

 ure's record was probably from one of his very best 

 hives. In studying conditions, etc., I prefer to use 

 the record of an average colony instead of either 

 an extra weak or an extra strong one. I think we 

 are then more apt to reach just conclusions. This 

 is the mistake that has been made here in Cuba, 

 taking into account the work of only the strong 

 colonies in an apiary, instead of estimating from 

 the entire apiary. 



Excuse me, friend Root, for smiling at your 

 question about irrigating; but I presume you had 

 California in your mind when asking it. So far as 



