2A 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



JAN. 



no pollen, as I conclude, from hasswood, which 

 gives us our main hone3--cTop; for 1 have watched 

 for hours at basswood-trees to find a bee with pol- 

 len on its legs. When white clover gives the main 

 crop of surplus honey, this contraction system may 

 give some pollen in the sections; yet I think that, 

 if used on the above plan, not enough to do much 

 damage. What we all should strive after, if we 

 would be successful, is to let the bees carry out 

 their natural instincts as much as possible, and at 

 the same time turn those instincts to the best possi- 

 ble advantage for ourselves. In the above I think 

 I have made it plain how it can be done. Herein, 

 also, lies one of the reasons why T prefer the Italian 

 bee to any of the others. All know that, after 

 swarming, they show a greater desire to retrench 

 In brood-rearing- than any other race of bees, and 

 at the same time gather unlimited quantities of 

 honey. With the above management I throw all 

 the early honey into the sections, while later, 

 when the honey is of inferior color, T get enough 

 stored in this ''i-sized brood-chamber for winter. 



One other item: Some seem to suppose that the 

 bees seen in a swarm having pollen on their legs 

 are bound to store this in the hive somewhere, and 

 that, if treated " la Hutchinson, by using empty 

 frames below, said pollen must go into the sections. 

 This, [ think, is a mistake; for as far as my experi- 

 ence goes it is " scuffed off " and thrown out at the 

 entrance. I know it is, where the swarm is hived 

 in an entirely empty hive, for the bees have no 

 place to put it till comb is built, and no use for it 

 during the first three days in any event, unless a 

 frame of brood is inserted by the apiarist. 



Roi-odino, N. Y. G. M. Doot.itti.k. 



OPEN OR CLOSED TOP SECTIONS. 



IS THERE ANY PARTIfTLAK NEED OF MAKING 

 THEM WITH CI-OSEn TOPS. 



TNASMUCH as considerable discussion 

 M and some hard feelings have resulted 

 if because we have sometimes sent open 

 '^ sections when our customers wanted 

 those with closed tops, '• but forgot to 

 my so,'" we have thought best to copy the 

 i following from the -1. B. J. It gives the 

 opinion of many of our prominent lioney- 

 producers : 



Query No. ."iSL-'A ))ep-keepei- in Iowa prefers elosed-top seo 

 tion.s; but ill tiering up he uses open-top seetions. Is it an ad- 

 vantage to liave the first ense and the one on top made thus ? 

 and will the comlis (of course they can not be inverted) be as 

 straight wifli elosed-top sections r- Augrnsta, Iowa. 



I see no advantage in closed-top sections any- 

 where.— W. Z. Hl'TCniNSON. 



It is a disadvantage to have two sorts of sections 

 on the same hive.— .7. P. H. Brown. 



We should prefer open-top sections for every 

 purpose.— D.\1)Ant & Son. 



The combs will be just as straight with closed top 

 as open, if you use full sheets of foundation or sep- 

 arators. 1 prefer an open-top section, as I want to 

 " tier up. "—H. T). Cutting. 



I use open-top sections, and can see no advantage 

 in those having closed tops.— G. M. Doolitti-e. 



I should not expect combs to bo quite as straight 

 with closed -top sections, but I have never tried 

 them.— C C. Miller. 



I should always prefer the open-top sections. 

 This permits tiering up, and enables one to see just 

 what is going on.— A. J. Cook. 



Closed-top sections are no advantage, as they can 

 be made closer with a cloth spread over the top of 

 the case or rack. The open-top sections are neces- 

 sary to the tiering-up system, and the latter is 

 accessary for the best results.- G. W. Demaree. 



Never use both kinds on the same hive, or in the 

 same apiary; in fact, never use closed-top sections 

 at all. They are not good about getting straight 

 combs, tiering up, handling in and out of shipping- 

 crates, seeing the condition of the super, and so 

 bad that they are almost totally abandoned.— 

 James Heddon. 



The combs will be built as straight with closed- 

 top sections as with open-top ones, but the former 

 have no advantages over the latter. I prefer a thin 

 board with a bee-space beneath to cover the sec- 

 tions. Many use enameled cloth.— G. L. Tinker. 



I do not think there is any advantage in using 

 closed-top sections in any case. Open-top sections 

 can be easily closed, but closed-top sections can not 

 be used in " tiering up." I prefer the open-all- 

 around sections.— .1. E. Pond, ,1r. 



Several times, right in the height of the 

 honey season, we have had customers who 

 have declared they could not or would not 

 use open tops. I suggested they cover the 

 openings with wood, or some equivalent, 

 and some of them refused to do even that. 

 If there is another side to the question, we 

 shall be glad to hear it; but some of the 

 evidence must be quite conclusive. 



OUR p. BENSON LETTER. 



Introductory Chapter. 

 bee-keepin in the hiest stile. 



IINEVlTABEli accumpennyment of troo grate- 

 ness is modesty. That'b why I am so moddest. 

 Bein the gratest of all livin or ded apearists, mi 

 extreme raoddesty prevents mi alloodin to it, 

 hents I never say enny thing about it. But 

 moddest as T am I feel it mi dooty to instruck the 

 risin Jcnnyration in the toppick of keepin bees. If 

 they cood all cum to me it wood be better, for I 

 cood lern them how to keep bees in ti short lessons 

 without a master. It wood be much to their advan- 

 tige to take lessons from the greatest sighentist in 

 apiculturistical bee-keepin, whitch I am him. But 

 1 ken giv mutch valyouable gnawledge throo in- 

 struxion in a bee jearnal. The bee is divided in 3 

 parts: drones workers and kings. The drones lays 

 the egs. The workers makes the hunny under the 

 direxion of the Kings whitch bosses the whole job. 

 Layin egs is very exostive, on whitch ackount the 

 drones doant last long and generlly giv out sum 

 time in the ottem or fall of the year. When the 

 drones dy off, the workers stop makin hunny and 

 then eat up all the hunny by next spring. If the 

 drones diddent dy off in ottem, the wurkers wood 

 maik hunny all winter. T am gitting up a breed of 

 a noo strain, whitch thair drones doant dy off so 

 soon, and these will be moast prolifflck hunny mak- 

 ers. Orders filled in rotashen. Satisfaxion garn- 

 teed to enn.y reezenable extent, and if ennybuddy 

 issent satisflde he ken return the munny to me. 



The bee is a soshel community and never lives 

 seppereight, 1 in a place. Some peaple is gilty of 

 this, but not bees. A bee ollwaze lives in a hive and 

 sum times in a hollough tree. A sqnrl allso lives In 

 a hollough tree but his tale is much more ornamen- 

 than the bee. The bee hezzcnt got enny tale, oanly 

 just a sting. The sting is very pennytrativ in kar- 

 rickter. Moastly it gits sore whair the sting penny- 

 trates. The bee is a verry ackomodating little 

 brute, for when it stings it ollwaze leaves its sting- 

 er in, soze to mark the place soze yule kno whair to 

 scratch. P. Benson A. B. S. 



(whitch the A. B. S. it stands for Apiculturistical 

 Beekeepin Sighentist.) 



