780 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



8KPr. 15 



"remember correctly" my authority, and I 

 can not now recall who it was. Mr. Clarke 

 takes more seriously the word "remon- 

 strate" than its use in this locality will 

 warrant. I did not think of his doing any 

 thing criminal, but foolish and unwarrant- 

 ed. Will Mr. Clarke give us the least proof 

 for his sting-trowel theory? If every cell 

 of honey has a sting applied to its surface 

 before being sealed, surely of the thousands 

 of cells constantly being so treated some 

 one at some time ought to have seen the sting 

 so applied. Mr. Clarke does not say that 

 he ever saw it. No one else has seen it. 

 If the sting is used as a trowel in working 

 wax, it ought not to be a difficult thing to 

 see at least one bee thus using its sting. 

 Bees can be seen working wax with their 

 jaws; but no one has ever reported the sight 

 of a bee working wax with its sting. The 

 sting -trowel theory is a matter of Mr. 

 Clarke's imagination, pure and simple, his 

 silence as the only reply to a challenge for 

 proof made many years ago being the best 

 proof thereof. Still further proof of the un- 

 substantial character of the theory will be 

 afforded by the utter silence that will be 

 the only response to the present challenge 

 for proof that the sting is ever used to work 

 wax or to poison honey. 



CLOTH BACKING FOR FOUNDATION. 



In my work this season I have been led 

 to wonder if strips of cheese-cloth or some 

 other very thin fabric given a thin coating 

 of wax, and passed between the rollers, 

 would not be about right for brood founda- 

 tion. It could not sag, and one wire at the 

 bottom would be sufficient to make a vrry 

 strong comb. It could be produced in con- 

 tinuous sheets, trimmed by machinery in 

 process of manufacture, and rolled up on 

 large spools with a long ribbon of paper 

 between, or cut out and packed like ordina- 

 ry foundation. D. B. Thomas. 



Odin, Mo. 



. [Such a thing as you describe is very 

 nice in theory, but poor in practice. A. I. 

 Root, many years ago, exploited this mat- 

 ter very thoroughly. He tried paper and 

 cheese-cloth; but any thing of a fibrous na- 

 ture the bees would gnaw sooner or later. 

 They would build it out into beautiful 

 comb, and, apparently, cloth-stayed foun- 

 dation was a great success; but after the 

 honey-flow, and sometimes even before, a 

 bee might get hold of a stray thread or 

 fiber. It would then dig and pull, and 

 then other bees would get hold, and keep 

 on digging and chewing and pulling until 

 the whole comb was ruined. The only sat- 

 isfactory stay for foundation is fine wire 

 unless it be splints, as Dr. Miller describ- 

 ed about a year ago. — En.] 



doolittle's oueen-rearing methods in- 

 dorsed. 

 I was much pleased to read both your 

 own and Dr. Miller's system of queen- 

 rearing. It is the height of folly for even 



such men as Dr. Gallup and Mr. Alley to 

 attack a method so long and favorably 

 known, and so thoroughly tested by many 

 men in many localities. C. S. Harris. 

 Holly Hill, Fla., Aug. 25. 



FROM 6 TO 12, AND $75 WORTH OF HONEY. 



This spring I had 6 swarms; now I have 

 12, and about $75 of honey, although no one 

 else around here has anywhere near come 

 up to that. Every one says, " Poor season 

 — too wet;" but I think if they would care 

 for their bees as I do they would complain 

 less. I have sold some honey for 15 and 16 

 My bees never did better than this 

 500 lbs. is comb honey. 



F. W. JUDSON. 



Syracuse, N. Y., Sept. 8. 



cents, 

 year; 



THE DANZENBAKER HIVE IN NEW YORK. 



I think I can safely say I can produce 

 more and better-appearing box honey with 

 the Danzenbaker hive than with any other 

 I have used. Out of six such hives I have 

 secured over 200 lbs., and supers on four of 

 them still. H. F. Parker. 



Fishkill, N. Y., Sept. 8. 



THE OLD GERMAN BEE-KEEPER'S COMPLAINT. 



BV J O. SHEARMAN. 



Ve used to haf box hives galore, 



All standing in a fow 

 Upon a plank or other bench — 



I haf to told you so. 



I used to climb up on a tree 

 To get my swarm of bees: 



But now I cut 'em off der wing 

 So dey comes back to me. 



But now ve haf new-fangled tings, 

 And don't let dot bees shirk 



Dere duty ! for ve soon transferred 

 And sot dem bees to vork. 



And now ve haf so much to do 



Ve're always on the go; 

 Ve haf to hump to keep it up — 



I haf to told you so. 



My leetle gal vas mighty nice 

 Ven she vas very schmall. 



She vants to vork shust like der bees. 

 And tries to do it all. 



She put up sections, crated sweets, 



Vnd many little tings 

 She did, while she's a leetle gal. 



But now her time takes wings. 



She has some very prettj' close — 



Is always on the go; 

 Und vears a feather in her hat, 



Und plays der pi-an-o. 



I haf to tinks sometimes for her, 

 She's not so much to do ; 



But vorks so much like old box hives, 

 I'nd ought to be transfer. 



Ve used to hear of Katy Grimm; 



I'nd venders she cold do; 

 Her father too— ve heard of him — 



He vas a vorker too. 



But our folks don't care much apout 



Der humble honey-bee. 

 Nor jobs to do. Dey likes der paj'; 



Und dot is all dey see. 



They hardly know imported queens 

 From burly bumble-bees; 



If they could only kill 'em all 

 They'd wallow to their knees. 



