894 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE. 



Nov. 



the bee industry at the World's Exposition in this 

 country in 1892 (wherever it may be held), that was 

 ever made in the world; and to do this we must be- 

 gin in time. With that in mind, and thinking' that, 

 as president of our national association, I might 

 properly be considered the representative of 

 American bee-keepers, I wrote those in charge of 

 the proposed exposition in Chicago, and also to the 

 mayor of New York, suggesting that, when the 

 proper time arrives for arranging matters, we be 

 given the proper inducements and space to make 

 such an exhibit as will be a credit to us and an hon- 

 or to the country. 



The president of the Chicago organization re- 

 plied, saying, "The suggestion you make is a good 

 one, and will be laid before the proper authority 

 for such action as may be required, should the fair 

 be located, as we expect, in Chicago." 



I have not yet heard from New York, and shall 

 write to Washington as soon as I learn the name of 

 some one engaged in trying to get the exposition 

 located there, so as to be on hand at whichever 

 place it may be located. 



I expect to say something about it in the presi- 

 dent's annual address at the convention at Brant- 

 ford. It may, to some, seem a little early to " set 

 the ball rolling; " but if we wait till next year we 

 may be too late; for just as soon as congress set- 

 tles the matter of location, the plan of the exposi- 

 tion will at once be laid out; and unless we are on 

 hand we shall get left out. A. B. Mason. 



Auburndale, O., Oct. 25, 1889. 



THE HONEY MARKET IN SAN DIEGO, CAL. 



Our hives are heavy; 1000 swarms of bees were 

 burned up in one place, and several other apiaries 

 burned. This has been a poor honey year— proba- 

 bly about one-third to one-half a good year's return. 

 Honey brings, extracted, 5 to 6 cts.; comb, 6 to 7; iD. 

 Root's sections, about 1 ct. more. J. I. Foot. 



San Diego, Cal., Oct. 10, 1889. 



Friend F., we are very sorry to hear about 

 the apiaries being burned. During your 

 long drouth I should think there would be 

 great danger of fires. I am astonished to 

 hear that comb honey is down as low as you 

 say. Just one year ago I priced honey 

 in different stores in San Diego, and they 

 wanted about twice what you mention, at 

 retail. Do your dealers pay 6 or 7 cts., and 

 retail for about 15 or 18? I know a good 

 many excuse themselves in San Diego by 

 saying that their rents are so excessive 

 they are obliged to have high prices. Some- 

 body had better run a honey- wagon around 

 San Diego and suburbs. 



AUGUST HONEY CANDYING IN OCTOBER ; IS CAN- 

 DIED HONEY IN COMBS FIT FOR A WINTER 

 FOOD ? 



Friend Root: — Did you ever know of honey, gath- 

 ered during the last half of August, candying in 

 the sealed combs by the middle of October? This 

 has been my experience this season. At my home 

 apiary I usually take my fall crop of honey all off, 

 and feed my bees for winter before I begin to ex- 

 tract. Great was my amazement, when I began to 

 extract afew days ago, to find the honey in my best 

 combs candied so that I could not throw it out. I 

 reckon that I shall have half a ton of nice buck- 

 wheat honey for the bees to peck out of the combs 

 next spring. In an experience of ten years I have 

 never known honey,to candy before I had a chance 



to extract it. I suppose the honey left in the hives 

 will be in the same condition. Is candied honey 

 objectionable for winter stores? 

 Hudson, N. Y., Oct. 21, 1889. Jas. McNeill. 



Yes, friend M., we have known honey to 

 candy in just the way you describe. We 

 supposed, however, that it was on account 

 of the weed or plant from which it was gath- 

 ered. We never knew buckwheat to do 

 such a trick as this. Where honey candies 

 in the comb it is a pretty hard matter to get 

 it out. I would use it for feeding nuclei in 

 the fall, where they are raising queens. 

 They will use it all up, and it is not very apt 

 to start robbing. 



PUTTING WEAK COLONIES ON TOP OF STRONG 

 ONES FOR BETTER WINTERING. 



I have 46 colonies, some weak, all in square hives 

 except four. I am going to set the weak ones on 

 top of strong ones. I have a hole in the top of the 

 strong hives. I think the heat from strong hives 

 will help keep the weak ones warm. What do you 

 think of the idea? S. S. Buckmaster. 



Moulton, la., Oct. 10, 1889. 



Friend B., you do not say whether you 

 propose putting bees in the cellar, or leaving 

 them outdoors. In the former case there is 

 no question but that it would be an advan- 

 tage to the weak one. If outdoors, how- 

 ever, I do not think it would amount to very 

 much unless you had a very large opening in 

 the top of the strong colony, and this open- 

 ing covered with wire cloth. 



UNFINISHED SECTIONS BUILT OVER, JUST AS GOOD. 



I began the season with 100 swarms, and now 

 have 158. I have taken 3600 pounds of comb honey, 

 and 700 extracted. The extracted all came from 

 unfinished sections. I always extract all the un- 

 finished sections, and put them away for spring use. 

 I can not see but that they look just as nice as 

 those made from new foundation. I use full sheets 

 of foundation in the sections, and also in the brood- 

 frames. I use the wire-imbedder, and a small tool for 

 fastening the foundation to the top-bar, made by 

 John Vandervort. I think the wire - imbedder a 

 great deal better than the one advertised in your 

 price list. I have used the Vandervort foun- 

 dation-mill for about seven years, making all my 

 own foundation, and supplying a number of other 

 bee-keepers in this county. It has been a rather 

 poor honey season for this section, being cold and 

 wet most of the time. S. A. Brigham. 



East Smithfield, Pa., Oct. 27, 1889. 



We are glad to know that you have suc- 

 ceeded with sections of the year previous, 

 friend B.; but we want to know more about 

 that wire-imbedder that you say is ahead of 

 ours. Can't you send us one by mail? We 

 will pay you for all your trouble. 



HOW TO REMOVE PROPOLIS FROM RUBBER 

 GLOVES. 



Some one wishes to know what will take propolis 

 off from rubber gloves. Now, I do not use gloves 

 of any kind, but have found by experience that a 

 soap widely advertised as sapolio will dissolve and 

 remove propolis from the hands, rubber belting, 

 and any thing else that it happens to come in con- 

 tact with. It will not injure the most delicate fab- 

 rics, or the skin either. I may say, in passing, that 

 i;am not interested in the sale of soap in any way. 

 Musson.LLa., Oct. 21, 1889. Dr. A. W. Tufts. 



