860 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE. 



Nov. 



breeders has, we fear, of late been to make 

 too much prominence of color, and at the 

 same time sacriiice every thing else for it- 

 real business being a secondary matter. 



A COLONY TOO LARGE. 



I have a swarm of bees in an eight-frame Simplic- 

 ity hive. I think the swarm is too large to winter 

 in the lower story. Will it be all right to leave a T- 

 super crate on during winter, nearly half the boxes 

 being capped? I winter in the cellar. 1 don't care 

 to divide the swarm, as all of my hives are full of 

 bees from top to bottom. This swarm has made 

 three crates of capped honey since August 16, a 

 good per cent of it being from second-crop red clo- 

 ver grown for seed. F. B. Day. 



Pittsburg, Mich., Sept. 17, 1889. 



Leaving the sections on top will answer 

 just as well, and, in fact, some years ago a 

 great many reported having had better suc- 

 cess in wintering where the sections were 

 left on all winter than where they were tak- 

 en off. I never saw a swarm too large for 

 wintering, or summering either, in my opin- 

 ion ; but I think I should leave the extra- 

 powerful colony out in the open air, unless, 

 indeed, you have a cellar well ventilated 

 and pretty cool. Be sure they have stores 

 enough. If there is any doubt about it, per- 

 haps another story filled with combs of 

 honey would be safer, especially as your 

 hives are only eight-frame. Of course, it 

 will cost something to winter such a colony ; 

 but my experiece has been that, when win- 

 tered, they are worth two ordinary colonies, 

 and sometimes even three. 



ASTERS. 



The aster is just in bloom. It would do you good 

 to see the bees on the flower, and watch their lively 

 movements among the flowers. If it continues as 

 it now is, dry and warm, they certainly will fill up 

 their empty combs, for there is a good part of these 

 combs empty. 1 have had very little surplus this 

 season. My bees have not stored it. Last fall there 

 was as large a supply of aster as I ever saw; but 

 the weather was so cool and wet that bees actually 

 did not get one good day to work in during the aster 

 season, though they worked some a good many 

 days, but did very little good. Dr. W. S. Jones. 



Central Station, W. Va., Sept. 15, 1889. 



how to feed poultry. 

 According to my judgment you ought to tell 

 your subscribers that poultry pays if properly man- 

 aged. Nine-tenths of the drawbacks are due to lice. 

 Why not clean out the poultry-house every week 

 (every day is better)? thoroughly saturate with lime 

 and kerosene oil, and have your houses free 

 from draught and dampness. Save the corn, and 

 feed to some stock that you wish to fatten; feed 

 wheat and oats in the evening; in very cold weath- 

 er a little is well enough, and mess food in the 

 morning, with a little cotton-seed meal during 

 moulting season. As a rule, the best beefsteak at 

 IB or 18 cents per lb. is cheaper food than corn at 

 50 cents a bushel. Procure some good clover hay 

 for your fowls in winter time, for green food; scald 

 it, cut fine and mix with a little wheat bran or mid- 

 dlings. This makes the best morning mess. Have 

 some broken glass or china ware before your hens, 

 as grit; feed regularly; use common sense and 

 prevention, and I can honestly say you can make 



poultry pay; and for those that have common flocks, 

 if they procure thoroughbred males every season 

 they can greatly improve their stock. 

 do bees sleep? 



I never read when and how bees sleep. How is it? 



Kulpsville, Pa , Sept. 11, 1889. A. H. Anders. 



So far as I know, bees do not sleep. Will 

 Prof. Cook please tell whether I am right? 



MY IDYL. 



Each poet sings of his ideal fair. 



Her charming ways and beauty rare, 



All vieing with their utmost zest, 



To make their own appear the best. 



But rve a beauty in my mind 



I'm sure outrivals all her kind. 



Her form, her face, her very air. 



Her — my pen can not describe her hair. 



Ah! though 1 prove inadequate 



Upon her beauty to dilate. 



All who see her must agree 



That she's as "sweet as sweet can be." 



And when I note the fair address 



Of this great treasure I possess. 



Perhaps my actions do imply 



That I am badly " gone " on her. 



But though I'm voted quite a bore 



For boasting her that I adore, 



I hope that all will quite excuse 



Each silly adjective I use; 



For, though to beat, one oft contrives, 



She's the fairest queen in all my hives. 



J. H. Markley. 

 Carbondale, Kan., Sept. 9, 1889. 



getting the bees out of the sections with- 

 out A bee-escape, shaking or smoking. 



In a late issue of Gleanings I read your foot- 

 note to an article commendatory of the Reese bee- 

 escape. I have not had experience with the Reese 

 implement, but I have experienced trouble in get- 

 ting rid of bees in supers when removed from off 

 the hives. This season I discovered how it can be 

 done skillfully, and no trouble. Just as the shades 

 of night appeared, I removed three supers, tiered 

 one above the other from a hive, and set them near 

 the entrance of another hive. Each super contain- 

 ed 28 one-pound sections, which were filled with 

 honey; and when I removed them (the three had 

 been tiered up by placing the second on top of the 

 first and the third on top of the second) I set the 

 load down where I stood, and allowed it to remain 

 there until I was ready and had assistance. When 

 I went to remove the supers I discovered the bees 

 running in a mass from the bottom of the removed 

 supers into the hive close by. I then loosened the 

 supers from each other, and so placed each one in 

 front of the hive that they could run into the hive; 

 and by smoking the bees in the supers they all 

 went into the hive. 



Since the experience related, I have practiced re- 

 moving supers in the early evening, and setting 

 them down until the bees have time to realize they 

 should and do prepare for an emergency by filling 

 themselves with honey. I then place i he supers in 

 front of the hive, so situated that the bees can 

 readily go from the super into the entrance of the 

 hive; smoke the bees till most have left the sec- 

 tions, and let the super remain until about day- 

 light, when all or very nearly all the bees have 

 found their way into the hive. I have removed su- 

 pers from the hive, set them in front of another 



