888 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dk6. 



ber, and we have had zero weather every 

 night.for almost a week— one night -5 below 

 zero, aiid this in the last of November. liv- 

 ery season has its peculiarities and unheard- 

 of extremes ; and it is an excellent idea to 

 be prepared for these. I am very much in- 

 terested in that cave of yours in the side-hill, 

 and I don't remember that you have ever 

 given us a good description of it ; but unless 

 you get some cold air from outdoors, I don't 

 see how you will manage to keep the tem- 

 perature down below 47. A\^hen we discuss- 

 ed this about two years ago, I think that we 

 decided the average temperature of the 

 earth, say eight feet below the surface, is 

 about 52-. Friend Green says 52 is the tem- 

 perature of the coal-mines in Dayton, 111. 

 As most coal-mines, however, have venti- 

 lating air-passages, I suppose they would 

 not give the true temperature of the earth, 

 unless at such times as when the air is still. 

 Mammoth Cave, I believe, averages about 

 55^. I suppose the temperature of deep 

 wells will decide pretty nearly the average 

 temperature of the earth in any given local- 

 ity. As a good many recommend a stove to 

 warm up a bee-cave occasionally, is it likely 

 that 55" would be any too warm? In an arti- 

 cle for next issue, Dr. Mason says he is com- 

 ing to the same conclusions as yourself ; but 

 he finds the bees very quiet at a temperature 

 not below 48 nor above 50 during October 

 and November. With our plan of packing 

 them in chaff hives outdoors, however, I 

 think we come to pretty nearly the same re- 

 sult, for our bees are all finished up and put 

 away for winter before tlie middle of Octo- 

 ber, as a rule, and they seldom fly much aft- 

 er that time. 



THOSE UNFINISHED SECTIONS. 



THEIR ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES DIS- 

 CUSSED ; FRIEND ROBBINS EXPRESSES 

 HIMSELf DECIDEDI^Y IN FAVOR 

 OF NEW FOUNDATION. 



T PERCEIVE by Mr. Green's article on page 764, 

 j^f that he Is not partial to them. I have for some 

 ^t time been wondering- if I were alone in this 

 "*■ matter. I used to regard them as quite valua- 

 ble, but they are becoming less a favorite with 

 me every year. They possess two qualities of some 

 value: 1. They do often entice bees into the surplus 

 arrangements a little earlier than they would oth- 

 erwise enter them; and the comb being already 

 built, there is that much gained. I usually put 

 them in the rear end of the case; or, when I use 

 wide frames, I place them nearly or quite over the 

 center of the brood-nest, with one or two frames of 

 sections containing foundation starters at one side. 

 As these approach completion, I put other fi-ames 

 in the opposite side. In that way the sections con- 

 taining comb are finished first. On our own table 

 we use those sections that are not quite suitable for 

 the markets. Many of these, especially those 

 taken off in the fall, have rows of empty cells next 

 to the box, on all sides. I cut the honey out, and 

 leave the unfilled comb in the box. These natural 

 starters I used to put on the hive the next year, 

 and 1 flattered myself at first that it was a brilliant 

 idea; but more decidedly than the idea lifted me up 

 did its outcome set me down. The bees, I found, 

 would work all around these sections; and boxes 



containing only fresh foundation starters would be 

 filled while these were yet untouched. Yet, un- 

 finished sections put back as the bees had left them 

 would be as readily built out and finished as any. 

 When placed at the extreme side or end of the 

 hive they are not filled out so readily. 



A secondary consideration here, is their conven- 

 ience in case a frame or super, when taken off, 

 contains no sections, or, at least, only a few that 

 can be profitably marketed or used. The super can 

 be packed away, and then in the rush early in the 

 season it can be easily put in place again. 



Again, if one must feed, particularly in the 

 spring, these unfinished sections are the cheapest, 

 handiest feeder known. Just set them on the 

 alighting-board, drum on the front of the hive till 

 the bees come flocking out, and it is done. Of 

 course, it is best to take the emptied sections away 

 in the morning. If those in the cases contain hon- 

 ey they can be placed on top of the sheet, after the 

 chaff packing has been turned up to furnish a pass- 

 age for the bees. I often, in place of extracting 

 the honey, at least if the quantity of honey is not 

 great, put the sections in an empty hive and close 

 it up so nearly as to leave an entrance for only one 

 bee at a time. The bees will quietly and harmless- 

 ly remove the honey to their hives. 



The foregoing are their advantages; but the dis- 

 advantages are nearly or quite enough to over- 

 weigh all benefit derived from them. It Is worth 

 them all to keep them over. If one has any thing 

 of a crop of honey it does not leave much surplus 

 room in which to keep them. Air, light, and dust, 

 if ott' the hive (and the bees, if for any reason they 

 are left on the hive), will darken their edges, and, as 

 a result, we have bad-looking honey. If the box is 

 nearly full of comb, the finished section has a dirty, 

 ugly appearance that quite mars it when placed be- 

 side the fresh white ones. If the section is only 

 partly filled when put on the hive, I find, on cut- 

 ting into it when filled, a black streak that tells 

 precisely where the old leaves off and the new be- 

 gins. This looks bad. I have never heard a com- 

 plaint from a customer, concerning' such honey; 

 but I know not what the many consumers of my 

 honey, who do not know me personally, think 

 about it. T am convinced of this: It is impossible 

 to raise gilt-edge honey from any old combs or 

 natural starters. The comb in these unfinished 

 sections will produce nearly wax enough to pur- 

 chase half-sheets of foundation, and there is scarce- 

 ly any thing, according to my observation, on which 

 bees like better to go to work than nice fresh 

 foundation. Half-sheets or less will start them 

 nicely. The presence of this pure wax is hardly 

 perceptible to me, nor, I think, to others; and as a 

 I'eputation as the producer of a first-class article 

 must prove a part of one's best capital, I have de- 

 cided that it will pay me to pretty generally dis- 

 card all unfinished combs. I shall use them only 

 when their advantages will be pretty obvious. The 

 old sections I shall wash up and use again. Many 

 of them scarcely become soiled at all. But even if 

 they do, folks look much more at the honey than at 

 the package. Generally the latter, at least in my 

 home market, is not noticed when delivered to 

 customers, and the sides of the sections are not 

 seen as they ait in the case at the retailer's. Still, 

 I may yet find reason to throw out every soiled 

 box. Geo. F. Robbins, 57, 65, 53. 



Mechanicsburg, 111., Nov. 13, 1887. 



