736 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sept. 



uses eight Langstroth hanging frames, which are 

 held at fixed distances by projecting pieces at each 

 end of the brood-chamber. The surplus case con- 

 sists of section-holders with a double wood separa- 

 tor fastened on one side. These are held together 

 by a wooden frame; the side or end boards are 

 wedge-shaped, and the frame is crowded up tightly 

 about them. The double separator is his invention, 

 and has become favorably known to quite a num- 

 ber of bee keepers. It is claimed for it, that, as 

 bees can go through these passages they do not 

 walk over the combs as much, and it saves their 

 being stained, and also gives freest access to the 

 cases above. The same crate is used as a feeder, 

 shallow troughs taking the place of the rows of sec- 

 tions, while the bees enter through the passages 

 between these separators. Tn winter, the brood- 

 chamber is turned on end, making the shallow 

 frames into deep ones. An outer case, similar to 

 Manum's, is used, and packing is placed beneath as 

 well as around. The fresh air passes up between 

 the case and an inner partition, and enters the 

 brood-chamber near the top, when, he claims, it 

 falls to the bottom and forces out the foul air 

 through the porous cloth at the top, and all conden- 

 sation of moisture is prevented; there is also no 

 draft on the cluster. 



He has invented and is testing an ingenious au- 

 tomatic swarming arrangement. It consists of a 

 brood-chamber, containing combs with wire cloth 

 on one side. It is set on end on a shelf or bracket 

 on the front of the hive. A passage leads to it from 

 the entrance, and the outer entrance is covered 

 with queen excluding zinc. When the swarm at- 

 tempts to leave, the queen can not go through the 

 zinc, and either finds her way to the catcher, or re- 

 turns to the hive. If the apiarist is on hand as soon 

 as they begin to issue, he shuts the lower entrance 

 entirely; and the swarm, led by the light, pours up 

 into the catcher. When clustered, the brood-cham- 

 bers are changed, the new one put inside the hive, 

 and the cases of sections from the old one are given 

 them, and the work goes on. The old swarm is left 

 then until united or given a permanent stand. 

 His experience with queen-excluding zinc is, that 

 the Jones and Falconer zinc does not hold the 

 queen every time. Last season the third apiary 

 was in charge of Mr. Davis' daughter, a bright child 

 of eleven years. She managed every thing, with 

 the help of a man near by, who would lift clamps of 

 honey, or do any heavy work when called upon. 

 In going to the yard she walked a quarter of a 

 mile to the station, took the train to the next sta- 

 tion, walked two miles to the apiary, and when the 

 day was over she walked the whole distance home. 

 Sometimes she had a chance to ride home with her 

 father, who came to see how she was getting along. 

 The past two seasons have been very poor with 

 him, and Mr. Davis is "living in hopes "of some- 

 thing better soon. In 1885 his best hive gave him 

 lit" lbs. of comb honey, and did not swarm. When 

 he has a good crop he takes a lot by freight to the 

 different cities and sells it himself. Sometimes he 

 takes a wagonload to the nearest large places. 



After a short stay here, owing to our limited 

 time, we took leave of the family in which was such 

 a promising young bee-mistress, and were driven 

 to the station by Mr. Davis, when, after thanking 

 him for the pains he had taken for us, we took the 

 train and were safely delivered in Pawtueket that 

 evening. 



In summing up our trip we have learned so much 

 that is both new and valuable to us that we are at a 

 loss to mention the most important helps; but we 

 would say we admired the tireless energy and prac- 

 tical ability possessed by Mr. Manum, as shown in 

 the simplicity and completeness of the hive used, 

 and in the systematic arrangement and manage- 

 ment of his extensive apiaries. 



At Mr. Crane's we saw the section-crate that won 

 us (also used by Holmes and Larrabee and others), 

 and noticed that he was able to get along with less 

 help during the season than the others who allow- 

 ed their bees to swarm; and we decided to try re- 

 moving queens from part of our colonies the com- 

 ing season. Manum and Crane fasten a hook to 

 the bellows of their smokers, which is hooked over 

 the edge of the hive and holds it convenient for 

 use, or so that smoke from it may blow across the 

 open hive. 



At Mrs. Wolcott's was the best honey and work 

 shop lor 160 colonies we have ever seen, and the 

 most attractive cases of comb honey ready for 

 market, the credit for which is due to Mr. Holmes, 

 we believe. At Mr. Holmes' home yard was the 

 finest finished as well as the cleanest prepared sec- 

 tions of comb honey we have ever seen. His bees 

 are blacks, with a lew hybrids. 



All the parties visited used the four-piece dove- 

 tailed section, made of white poplar, ghud at the 

 corners when put together. This is what we have 

 used for several years, and we should like to see any 

 thing stronger, whiter, or squarer. We have driv- 

 en them together with a block of wood, after touch- 

 ing the corners in white glue, and then put them in 

 the angle of a carpenter's square to leave them 

 true. There they use various machines for put- 

 ting them together. Mr. Manum used to make 

 and sell a lightning gluer, which was attached to a 

 horse, similar to a harness-maker's, but it is now 

 used somewhat changed, and is attached to his 

 work-bench. Nearly all in Addison County have 

 made something on the same principle, and " which 

 does the work." 



Mr. Ishara, one of Mr. Manum's apiarists, has an 

 attachment for his machine, with which founda- 

 tion is mashed into sections with ease and incredi- 

 ble rapidity. These machines we think should be 

 more generally used. 



Mr. Forbes picked up a wagon-spring, cut off part 

 of one end, fastened a square piece to this thick 

 end, and bolted the thin end to a block fastened to 

 his bench, then attached a treadle to pull it down 

 with, put in a stop beneath, to prevent it coming 

 too far, and I don't see but he has the simplest and 

 cheapest arrangement of all. 



Larrabee, Holmes, Hall, Forbes, and others, have 

 the Barnes improved foot-power saw, and make all 

 their hives, crates, and shipping-cases with it. Out- 

 door wintering is practiced almost exclusively in 

 the region, though Mr. Crane has lately started the 

 practice of wintering in the cellar. 



If any one should have secured any help from 

 ideas given in these articles, we are glad; but these 

 bee-keepers deserve the credit of it, and we would 

 advise all who can to take the trip themselves, for 

 very likely they will be better able than we were to 

 improve the opportunity. Samuel Cushman. 



Pawtueket, R T. 



Friend 0., we are glad to get reports from 

 any bee-keeper who manages to have his 

 sons and daughters assist him; and your 



