308 



GLEAXlNCiS IN HEP: CULTURE. 



Apr. 



the advantag'e of easily lifting out the division- 

 board and the first frame without distui-bing any 

 other frame. Then the 10-frame hive can have a 

 tight division-board in the center, and be used for 

 two colonies, and possibly you might like this if 

 you tried it. 



I also had most of my colonies on no more than 

 five L. frames from April to October; but for all 

 that, I want a hive capable of holding ten frames 

 some parts of the year. C. C. Miller. 



FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS. 



HOW TO FASTEN PIECES OF COMB IN THE SEC- 

 TIONS. 



TN a number of Gleanings in the latter part of 

 ^ last year the (juestion was asked, " What is 

 W comb worth per pound, new and white, for 

 "*■ starters in seclions?" Your reply was, *1.00, 

 but for trouble of fastening in. Let me say, 

 It is very easy after you know how. In swarming, 

 and in the honey season, I keep almost every day 

 hot wax on hand. It is kept so by having a box as 

 high as a lamp and chimney. Your wax being hot, 

 take a turkey-tail or wing-feather, of good size. 

 Your pieces of comb should be cut the size you 

 wish. Your sections should be in the frames (I use 

 wide frames). Dip the feather in hot wax, and 

 paint the inside of the section. Next set the piece 

 of comb on tlie feather. Holding the former with 

 the left hand, draw out the feather. As the wax 

 will set quick, the thing is done. 



Your wax should be hot enough so the feather 

 slips out easily and slick. You can put the pieces 

 of comb in this way faster than you can put in 

 comb foundation by any method. I have put in 

 thousands, and never knew of one to drop out. I 

 have thought for two or three years to give it to 

 the public. I never saw any thing like it in print. 



Brush Creek, la. B. F. Little. 



MOVING BEES NORTH AND SOUTH TO CATCH THE 

 HONEY-FLOW, NOT PR.iCTICABLE. 



Tell friend Baldridge not to think of that " North 

 and South project " unless he wants to lose more 

 than he makes. 1 know him to be an expert and able 

 bee-keeper, for he had charge of a lot of my bees 

 a few years ago, and 1 know of no one who would be 

 more apt to succeed than he; but I would earnestly 

 advise all contemplating such an enterprise, not to 

 do it, for the extra lalwr, extra expense, extra 

 care, extra anxiety, and extra risk can not be re- 

 paid, even if very successful in producing three 

 crops of honey, which is at best doubtful. I have 

 been through it, and I know from personal experi- 

 ence what I am talking about; and if I wished any 

 one ill', I could not accomplish it better than by 

 persuading him to do just what friend Baldridge 

 proposes to do. E. T. Flanagan. 



Belleville. 111.. Feb. 3, 1887. 



MIXING ALSIKE WITH TIMOTHY. 



In some of the late articles in Gle.\nings on al- 

 slke, reference is made to mixing it with timothy 

 for a hay crop. This is an important point, worthy 

 of more attention than it has received, particularly 

 from bee-keeping farmers, who do not care to grow 

 it for seed. Our experience justifies us in recom- 

 mpnding very highly a mixture of alsike and timo- 



thy. It makes the choicest and most nutritious kind 

 of hay. It Is much better than red clover to mix with 

 timothy, as it is still in prime condition to cut for hay 

 when the timothy is just right, and is not damaged 

 by rain more than timothy is. We sow a mixture 

 of one-half peck of timothy and three pounds of al- 

 sike per acre. Never sow less than six pounds of 

 alsike per acre, when you sow it alone for a seed 

 crop. It will pay to sow alsike for bee-pasturage, 

 even if there is an abundance of white clover, as it 

 yields honey much more abundantly, and the bees 

 therefore prefer working on it. 

 Urbana, O., Feb. 34, 18S7. John C. Baknett. 



CLIPPING QITEENS ON THE COMB. 



It seems, to Mr. Axtell and myself, that catching 

 the queens by the thorax or head, with the left 

 hand, either with naked fingers or in a sack, is not 

 the best way. We used to do so, but lost more 

 queens than by the present way of taking the comb 

 she is on. We gently set the comb in a slanting posi- 

 tion against the back of the hive. When the queen 

 goes to crawling up (never down), then quietly 

 catch a wing with the left hand and clip it off is the 

 best way. Sometimes it is more convenient to clij) 

 the other wing. Never hurry; one is apt to get nerv- 

 ous, and in a hurry; but there is no need of it. It 

 is better to clip her on the comb with the bees, as 

 she and they are more quiet. S. J. W. Axtell. 



Roseville, III., March 9, 1887. 



A GOOD WORD FOR MRS. LIZZIE COTTON ANU 

 HER SYSTEM. 



Permit me, through the columns of Gleanings, 

 to make a few statements with reference to Mrs. 

 L. E. Cotton, of West Gorham. Me., and her system 

 of bee-management. I purchased of her, in the 

 spring of 1884, her book, entitled " New System of 

 Bee-Management," and I am ready to state that, if T 

 could not get another copy of it, I would not part 

 with it for ten dollars. I have followed her plan 

 for two years, and have had splendid success, both 

 in wintering and in securing surplus honey. I con- 

 sider her feeder superior to any other arrange- 

 ment I have yet seen. 1 am now feeding ray bees 

 with a view of increasing my number of stocks. I 

 have nine, and 1 wish to secure from each of them 

 two strong stocks. I think tliat her whole system 

 of management is l)ased on reason and experience, 

 lam aware that she has been termed a fraud and 

 swindler; but in her dealings with me she has been 

 perfectly honest. W. M. At.len. 



Trempeleau, Wis., Mar. 28, 1887. 



I am glad to get such h good repoit from 

 Mrs. Cotton, friend A., for there has" been a 

 great deal of dissatisfaction and fault-find- 

 ing ; and some letters are just now at hand, 

 making complaint. These have, however, 

 been referred directly to Mrs. ( '., at her own 

 request. 



THE BKOWN liEKS OF ARKANS.\S; LARGE SIZK 

 OF DRONE-CKLLS. 



There has been much said lately about the black, 

 or brown bee. The brown bee of this country is 

 certainly ditferent from those described hy Doo- 

 little and others. I believe it possible that there is 

 not a pure race of bees in the world at present: 

 and very likely the different strains of black bees 

 are more the cause of the different opinions and 

 results than locality. To show you that these are 

 not the little black bees, I by this mail send you a 

 sample of these natural-built combs. You can ^ee 



