940 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 



above the brood-nest. The extracting (or brood) 

 frames aiephvced in a super, something like one 

 story ot your Simplicity hive. This super is placed 

 inside of the upper story of the hive. When I 

 ■wish to examine a brood-nest I lift out the super 

 and place it on a box or wheelbarrow, if one is 

 near; if not, on the grass. 



The hive-cover is hinged to the body, and when I 

 wish to look into a hive I simply turn back the 

 cover until it rests on a couple of brackets which 

 are nailed on the back of the hive. As the cover is 

 the same size as the body, and forms one-half of 

 the upper story, when raised it forms two conven- 

 ient shelves on which to lay tools. 13eing made in 

 this way the shell of the hive need project only 5 

 inches above the brood-nest; hence the brood- 

 nest can be easily got at. But the most important 

 point in constructing the hives in this manner is, 

 that they can be made easier and cheaper. Al- 

 most any kind of surplus cases may be used in the 

 hive, and almost any size; but 1 would advise the 

 use of only one size. Now, if I am in error, please 

 correct me. 



Allow me to say that I enjoyed the Chicago 

 Convention very much, but sadly missed the 

 smiling countenance of Mrs. Chaddock and P. Ben- 

 son, A. B. S. W. E. Gould. 



Fremont, Mich., Nov. 2.-., 1887. 



If you will turn back to page 189, March 

 1st, current volume, you will see that we 

 have been making and selling a hive very 

 similar to the one you describe, and which 

 overcomes all the objections to our large 

 two-story chaff, which you name. There is 

 one other defect which you did not men- 

 tion ; and that is. that tiering up can not be 

 carried up more than two tiers of sections 

 high. As our one-story chaff is perfectly 

 interchangeable with the Simplicity and all 

 its furniture, tiering in the one-story chaff 

 can be practiced as far as circumstances 

 may require.— In regard to hinges for covers, 

 we regard them as unnecessary and expen- 

 sive. We tried them years ago, and for 

 obvious reasons abandoned them. 



USB AND ABUSE OF UNFINISHED 

 SECTIONS. 



VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO DISPOSE OF 

 THEM. 



TN the discussion of every question that is 

 1^ brought up in our bee-journals, we have ex- 

 ^r tremists whose advice it would not be wise to 

 ■^ accept. Some say, " We have no business to 

 have many unfinished sections, and with prop- 

 er management there is no need of having them." 

 There will always be quantities of them as long as 

 sections are used, since it is true, that, by a sudden 

 and unexpected ending of the honey-harvest by 

 drought, or by too much rain, the How is cut off, 

 which circumstance can not be controlled by the 

 bee-keeper. This being true without a possible 

 remedy, it is only necessary to deal with the prob- 

 lem of what shall be done with this uncompleted 

 work. Some have advised burning the sections and 

 melting the combs. Now, this is bad advice, bad 

 economy, and poor judgment. To make a fair liv- 

 ing for a family out of the pursuit of apiculture (in 

 most localities) it is wisdom to concede the fact 

 that close, economical management must play an 



important part in the business. These partly filled 

 sections are the best stock in trade about the api- 

 ary. When by actual experience I find that my 

 bees will enter the sections more freely when they 

 contain drawn combs, I want starters of comb, 

 and I want them bad, say what you may about sec- 

 tions tilled with foundation. 



My first experience in the use of partly filled sec- 

 tions was not satisfactory; and especially was this 

 so with those that had been pretty well filled out 

 the previous season. The honey presented an 

 oldish appearance, causing customers to ask, '' Is 

 this not old honey?" 



I will now give my plan of working these unfin- 

 ished sections up into cash. When the honey-har- 

 vest is about closing, and work on sections is so slow 

 that the loss is becoming greater from discolora- 

 tion than is gained by completion, they are at once 

 removed. Those completed are put in crates ready 

 for market. Those almost finished are sold to any 

 who may wish to buy them, at a little less price. 

 What are not disposed of in this way are cut out, 

 put in pans, filling the interstices with extracted 

 honey taken from the poorer finished sections. The 

 pan and all is sold for about full price of nice sec- 

 tions, and no trouble to do it. The partly filled sec- 

 tions, after being nicely cleaned of wax and propo- 

 lis, are run through the extractor, after which they 

 are returned to cases as before, and stacked up in 

 short tiers. These are placed over or near hives at 

 night, to be cleaned up. They are then stored away 

 in a mouse-proof place until the next season. 



Previous to placing these again over the bees, 

 the combs are reduced in thickness so that the 

 depth of the cell is not over one-fourth of an inch. 

 To do this nicely and speedily I got out a piece of 

 sheet iron, smoothed on one side, and just large 

 enough to easily go inside the sections. To the 

 four corners of this are fastened small rods of iron, 

 of a suitable length to permit a small lamp to go 

 under the plate. A good heavy block of wood, hav- 

 ing holes to receive the legs of this small table, 

 makes all solid and a nice place for the lamp to rest. 

 Now, by turning on or off the flame, the plate is 

 kept at such a degree of heat that the comb is 

 quickly melted away to the desired thickness. They 

 are now placed in the cases, and when the surplus 

 room is needed by the bees, these sections are given 

 to the strongest colonies, and at once they go to 

 work on them. After the bees have worked on 

 these combs a few days, I examined all other colo- 

 nies ; and where any are found slow about starting, I 

 take four or five of these sections, bees and all, and 

 place them in the center of the case, which will usu- 

 ally start them at once: but if any colony, for lack 

 of bees or other cause, still refuse to go to work, I 

 exchange a full case, which never fails. 



By melting away part of the length of the cells, 

 the bees are compelled to add new wax in lengthen- 

 ing them out, which, when finished, will be as fine 

 ill texture as though no old comb had been used. 

 If the honey taken from the unfinished sections is 

 not ripe enough to be nice, it must be placed in 

 open vessels in a dry warm airy place, where it will 

 soon become " orthodox " honey. Some advise giv- 

 ing the unfinished sections to light colonies. As 

 long as I can get ten to fifteen cents for this honey, 

 and granulated-sugar syrup for five cents a pound, 

 the latter will be used to supply colonies deficient 

 in stores. J- A. Buchanan, 



Holliday's Cove, W. Va., Nov. 31, 1887 . 



