188? 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE. 



hto 



factured; aud as for the honey in the comb being 

 adulterated, we thoujfht that was never done to any 

 amount; that some bee-keepers did feed their bees 

 refined sugar for wintering, but that, probably, was 

 all consumed, and but the merest tritle could ever 

 find its way, if any, into the section honey; that we 

 had not for several years fed one pound of sugar 

 or other sweets beside their own honey gathered 

 from the tlowers. 



\Vc believe if all bee-keepers could constantlj' af- 

 firm, that they feed no sweets whatever, but were 

 always careful to let bees have more than enough 

 of honey for their sustenance the year round, the 

 adulterated and sugared honey we so often read of 

 would soon die out. 



If at any time we fail to keep enough for them to 

 live on, and are obliged to feed, let us do so, but 

 keep silent about it and not report it to the world 

 for everybody to read, but see to it that we never 

 need do so again. Let us also use as little founda- 

 tion in section hone.v as possible, and say less about 

 that. Mrs. L. C. Axtet,!.. 



Koseville, III., .Inly 1, 1887. 



I agree with all you say. my good friend, 

 but 1 suppose you l^now this same matter of 

 foul brood makes it desirable, many times, 

 to feed sugar instead of honey. If there is 

 foul brood in your apiary, you do nt)t want 

 to feed your own honey, with the chance of 

 starting the disease again, when you can 

 purchase sugar cheaper that can not start 

 it ; and if you are obliged to purchase some- 

 thing to feed, as many bee-keepers are 

 obliged to do such a season as the present 

 one. there is more or less danger in purchas- 

 ing honey. I know it sounds bad to talk 

 about bee keepers buying sugar by the bar- 

 lel, to feed their bees ; and I agree witii you 

 that it behooves us to say as little a,l)out it 

 as possible ; that is, do not needlessly intro- 

 duce the subject. If, however, anybody in- 

 (luires about it, tell them the plain irutii, 

 that you do feed your bees sugar in prepar- 

 ing them for winter, during poor seasons, 

 but that you take such pains that it is ab- 

 solutely certain that what you sell as honey 

 is by no possibility sugar syrup. 



CARPETS VS. BAKE FLOORS, AGAIN. 



A PAINTED CAKPET. 



JN Gleanings for June 15, 1 noticed particularly 

 the article, *' Carpets vs. Bare Floors;" and if 

 you will allow me, I should like to say a few 

 words on the subject of floors. 

 A few years ago we had to spend about half 

 of our working time in scrubbing, sweeping, and 

 dusting; and as 1 found my strength yearly de- 

 creasing, and I could not get half as much time as 

 was really needed for other things, I made up my 

 mind there must be a change made in some way, 

 and this is the way it was accomplished: In the 

 first place, I covered my kitchen tabic with oil 

 cloth (and that alone was a paying investment, for 

 it has saved me many a backache); then I carried an 

 old brussels carpet to an empty room in the tower; 

 and after stretching and tacking it down wrong side 

 up, I gave it three coats of good light ocher paint, 

 and left it there four weeks to get thoroughly drj^ 

 and hard, after which T tacked it down on the kitch- 

 ei\ floor. I find it makes the nicest kind of a floor 



covering for a kitchen, as it is so easily cleaned, 

 and it is so durable. It has been inconstant wear 

 over three years, and the paint has not worn 

 through anywhere yet. 



I next turned my attention to the dining-room. 

 It was a room that we used constantly, so that it 

 not only required a great deal of sweeping and 

 dusting, but it cost us (luite a sum to keep it de- 

 cently carpeted. We first painted the floor, but we 

 did not like it very well, for the flooring was poor, 

 and paint did not entirely hide its deficiencies; 

 so a year ago we had a new Hoor laid down over the 

 old one. It was of well-seasoned ash boards, about 

 thiee inches wide; and before laying we stained 

 half of them blackwalnut color, and after it was 

 down we soaked it well with a mixture of oil, turpen- 

 tine, and beeswax. We think now it is the pretti- 

 est room in the house, and it is certainly the clean- 

 est, for we have scarcely any dust. I bought a few 

 remnants of brussels carpet foi' fifty cents a yard, 

 and put around in the parts of the room used 

 most; these are light and easy to shake, and are 

 pretty too. So, now, as the walls are painted, and 

 the butternut woodwork varnished, houseclean- 

 ing in that i;art of the house does not appall me. 

 Mrs. C. B. Haywood. 

 Vpsilanti. Mich., .lune 21, 18ST. 



BULL'S DEVICE TO REMOVE SECTIONS 

 FROM SUPERS. 



ITS MODE OF CONSTRUCTION. 



N compliance with the request of some parties 

 who have written to me for a more detailed de- 

 scription of my machine for removing sections 

 from supers, mentioned on page 34.2, Glean- 

 ings for May 1st, I have promised that, if the 

 editor permits, 1 would endeavor to give the desir- 

 ed information through his columns, so that one 

 explanation might answer for all who wish to know 

 about it. Although the machine is not intricate, 

 yet I think it can be more easily explained and bet- 

 ter understood by the use of illustrations, so I will 

 endeavor to give a rude sketch, or outline, of the 

 different parts, to assist in conveying, if possible, a 

 clear idea of its structure and workings. 



The frame of the machine is 

 composed of four pieces — two 

 end -pieces, one bed -piece, and 

 one top-beam, all of which should 

 be made of l?4-inch i)lank, after 

 being dressed on both sides. Pine 

 or basswood will do. The dimen- 

 sions may be varied to suit cir- 

 cumstances. If you \visli to stand 

 up to work, nuike it high enough 

 to be convenient for that pur- 

 pose; if you i)refer to sit down 

 when emptyingsupors, make the 

 end-pieces shorter. 



Vig. 1 is a diagram of one of the 

 end-pieces, which should be 1") in. 

 wide at the lower end, and 6 in. 

 wide above the bed-piece. The 

 distance between the Ited-piece fig. I.* 



and top-beam is 'i'Z in., the lower part to be of such 

 length as will give the desired height to the bearing- 



* The diagram.* are not iiiadt' cxat'tl.v to the scale; the read- 

 er wiU, therefore, fret his exact dimen-ions from theontoxt. 

 Editor. 



I rf I /) 



