1902 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



699 



taking- great risks. There have been too 

 many reports of disease starting- up after 

 colonies have been put into hives that have 

 not been disinfected to warrant the general 

 practice of using- either hives or supers that 

 have been in contact with a colony that has 

 had foul brood. While I think that, in the 

 majority of cases, no foul brood will be 

 transmitted to the new colony from such 

 hives or supers, yet one is always taking- a 

 risk — a risk that he can not afford to take 

 when means of disinfection are so simple. 



The question as to whether it is a g-ood 

 plan to feed or not depends on conditions. 

 If there is foul brood in the apiary, and 

 bees are inclined to rob, I certainly would 

 not feed unless the bees are starving-, and 

 then only nights ; for feeding- is apt to stim- 

 ulate a robbing propensity. — Ed. J 



DR. candy's big HIVK. 



I was much interested in Dr. Gandy's 

 account of his big- hives and methods, but 

 I can't see how there is so much advantage 

 in that five-storj' hive, for he got only about 

 500 lbs. of hone3% and would he not have 

 had more if the five hives were separate, 

 with supers on top, each having a queen? 

 As it was he got only about 100 lbs. per 

 hive, and probably not in as good condition. 



Do you think it advisable to put extra 

 brood-chambers on this time of year? or 

 would the bees now raised from eggs laid 

 at this time eat their heads off ? I do not 

 seem able to find much in the ABC book 

 bearing- on the subject of big swarms, and 

 should be glad of a few suggestions. 



I hope you will visit Dr. Gandy, as sug- 

 gested, and write up for Gleanings fully 

 his methods. 



I fail to see the advantage in big hives 

 un'ess you have big pasture holding on till 

 late in the season. Is that not the whole 

 secret of Gandy's success, together, per- 

 haps, with plenty of bees to gather the 

 honey? H. V. Miller. 



Worthington, Minn., July 21. 



[According to my experience the large 

 colonies gather more hone}' in proportion 

 to their size than the small ones ; that is to 

 say, if we break up a big colony the sever- 

 al parts thereof will not gather an amount 

 equal to what they would have done if they 

 had been all together. Of course, there is 

 a possibility of carrying these matters to 

 extremes. I have never advised every one 

 to use double-decker colonies, for I have 

 always said that much wou d depend on 

 the locality and the man. 



I certainly would not have put on an extra 

 set of brood-frames to increase the size of 

 the colony unless there was a probability 

 of at least two or three weeks' honey-flow 

 some time ahead. The giving of an upper 

 story just before the honey-flow will do no 

 particular good. If given at all it should 

 be given when the bees are crowded for 

 room, and early enoug-h so that the brood 

 reared in it will be hatched out into bees of 

 the right age to gather honej' at the begin- 



ning or the middle of the honey-flow. The 

 time to make big colonies is at least a month 

 before the swarming season. It has been 

 my practice just on the verge of the swarm- 

 ing season to contract when running for 

 comb honey, in order to g-et a large force of 

 bees in the supers. When running for ex- 

 tracted I let them have all their room. — Ed.] 



I got an average of 30 lbs. to the colony ; 

 but most of it they gathered with overcoats 

 and gloves on, all in fine condition now. 

 Season is over. I am 14 miles east of Co- 

 lumbus, on National Pike. 



Frank McGlape. 



Wagram, O., July 24. 



A BURLESQUE ON THE COMB=HONEY MACHINE. 



BY D. L. SCOTT. 



A new machine's invented now that works as slick as 



grease ; 

 'Twill make the little honey-bee his busy buzzing 



cease. 

 With paraffine and glucose and this machine, they 



say. 

 They're making nice comb honey for market every 



day. 

 It seems to me this can not be an easy thing to do; 

 But th' paper tells about it, and I guess it must be 



true. 



They jest bile down the paraffine and run it in a mold. 

 And .'hake it down and fill it up, as much as it will 



hold, 

 And cool it off — jest like my wife makes waffles here 



at home; 

 And when they take it out the molds — why, it is 



honey-comb ! 

 I'd think the stuff would be so soft that it would break 



in two; 

 But I saw it in the paper, so I reckon it is true! 



They mix a mess of glucose up and cook it on the 



stove. 

 And stir vanilla flavor in, or cinnamon or clove. 

 This glucose mixture then they take and fill the 



combs up full, 

 And cap it over neat and slick, just like the whitest 



wool. 

 Thej' stick it fast to .sections jest as the bees would do. 

 At least the paper says so, and it's more than likely 



true. 



I've noticed one peculiar thing about this new ma- 

 chine ; 



That no two combs are just alike of all that I have 

 seen; 



And even, too. the cappings are unlike in shape and 

 size. 



And that's not like machine-made goods to my un- 

 learned eyes. 



The thing somehow looks mighty queer to ine the 

 whole way through ; 



.And, though the paper tells it, I don't tlink it is true. 



I bought some of this honey once, and took it with me 



home. 

 And got nif e fragrant beeswax when I rendered out 



the comb. 

 It's funny, too, that those who write these "items" 



for the press 

 Are apt to talk of " king bees " and of " bee-bread " 



more or less; 

 And since I'm sure the yarn's a lie, I know just what 



to do: 

 I'll write and ti-ll the editor the story isn't true. 



Tarrs, Penn. 



