1126 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sn-r. 15 



enough honey coming in during July and August 

 to. keep up brood-rearing. If no brood is reared 

 after July it is easy to see that the colonies will 

 not winter well, and that feeding must be resort- 

 ed, to soon after the natural flow ceases, in order 

 ta.give the force of young bees necessary. 



By so doing, tlie winter supply of food is also 

 provided, although for merely keeping up brood- 

 rearing a thinner syrup is fed than would be de- 

 sirable for winter stores. When colonics of 

 young bees are in hives containing plenty of good 

 sugar syrup, and placed in a well-ventilated, all- 

 upderground cellar, they may be kept six months 

 iTi good condition. 



Mr. Smith, after losing a good many colonies, 

 found that it paid him to remove the covers from 

 the hives in the cellar. '1 wo or three thicknesses 

 of burlap are placed over the frames about a week 

 beiore the colonies are put in the cellar, and ttien 

 when the carry! ng-in is begun the covers are re- 

 moved. The idea in this is to leave the bees in 

 such condition that the moisture may have a 

 chance to escape, and then it does not make so 

 much difference whether the cellar is damp or 

 dry. 



If other conditions are right, the temperature 

 of the cellar is also of less importance, for the 

 bees are able to control their own temperature by 

 the way they cluster. Bees closely clustered do 

 not lose much heat. 



These facts go to show that it is a combination 

 of conditions that produces good results in win- 

 tering rather than any one condition alone. 

 Some bee-keepers have found that darkness is es- 

 s^tial. while others make no effort to exclude 

 the light. Some have elaborate systems to pro- 

 vide ventilation, while others say that the venti- 

 lation is unnecessary. In some cases bottom- 

 boards are removed, and in others they are left 

 on. etc. Locality accounts for much of this 

 difference of opinion, and the condition of the 

 colonies and the quality of the stores account for 

 more. 



But it can not be denied that the right combi- 

 nation of conditions must exist in order that the 

 bees be given a chance to take care of them- 

 selves. If the atmosphere of the cellar is damp, 

 then the temperature must not go below 40° F. , 

 for dampness and cold are two conditions thit 

 should not exist at the same time. It is proba- 

 ble, also, that if the temperature is high enough 

 to permit the bees to move about freely, the 

 light should be excluded to keep them from be- 

 caming restless. Foul air should never be toler- 

 ated; and if the construction of the cellar is such 

 that the air is not naturally changed, then venti- 

 lators must be used. A rapid change is not nec- 

 essary, however, for if the bees are semi-dor- 

 mant they need but little air. Colonies have 

 been known to winter well in hives the entrances 

 of "which, by mistake, were left stuffed with rags. 

 Ordinarily, if the bees become so restless as to 

 retjuire a mid-winter flight, then we should say 

 that the combination of conditions is wrong. 



As long as the bees keep quiet, the chances are 

 all in favor of strong colonies in the spring. It 

 is not so important to know how many colonies 

 aie still living when warm weather comes as it is 

 to .knojv how many colonies there are that will 

 be in condition to " do business on the old stand" 

 by the time the honey-flow begins. 



HOT OR COLD UNCAPPING-KNIVES. 



An Argument in Favor of Cold Knives; 

 the Advantage of a Sharp Exlge. 



BY LEbLIE BURR. 



Whether an uncapping- knife should be hot or 

 cild is a question that can not be answered by 

 saving that <ine way is better than the other; hut, 

 as a rule, I think that the knife should he cold. 

 This statement, I know, is not in accord with 

 the views of many hee-keepers in the West and 

 some other parts of the country, perhaps. In my 

 mind, I ca\i see the bee-keeper on th^ Pacific 

 coast as he s.iys, "Weil, I shou'd 1 ke to see you 

 uncap sage honey with a cold knife;" but I 

 should like to ask such a person w-ien he ground 

 his honey-knives last. His rt-ply probably would 

 be that the knives were ground some time last 

 season. 



To uncap honey the knife should he s'^arpand 

 clean. If it has these tw>i t]u ilities, an j is in the 

 hand of a peison who knows h >w, alniost any 

 kind of combs can be iincappfd as last as the 

 largcit extractor now made can extr ct thi m. 



The way to uni ap honey is to h.ive two knives 

 ground sharp and clean. The knife that is not 

 in use should be placed in a pail of water, and 

 when the knife that is in use becomes du'l and 

 gummy, after perhaps from half an houi to three 

 hours' use, the time depending on the kind of 

 combs, it should be cha'iged for the other one. 

 Each time the knives are changed a moment's 

 time should be spent on the blad • with a whet- 

 stone. Not only should the edge he brushed up, 

 but the whole blade should he gone ovc to re- 

 move the gummy coating that his formed, for 

 it is this gummy coating that causes ni'ist of 

 the trouble. 



Of course, there is honey that can not be un- 

 capped with a cold knife, but it is not honey 

 that has been reoentiy gathered I have yet to 

 see honey that has just been tjathertd that can 

 not be uncapped with a cold knife. 



And now as to the way to cut the combs. 

 Only the upper edge of the knife should be 

 sh.irp; the lower edge should be dull, so that it 

 may be used for trimming the wax off the top- 

 bar. Do not uncap with a -av\ing motion unless 

 the comb h^ppens to be an old black one that 

 can not be uncapped otherwise. A d.aw cut is 

 much faster and smoother. 



The advantages ■ f working vvth a cold knife 

 are many. No oil-lamp is needed to heat up 

 the extracting-house, .md possihly set fire to it; 

 there is no clianging of knives every comb, and, 

 last of all, more work can be done and with 

 much less bother. 



Valparaiso, Indiana. 



IN FAVOR OF A COLD UVCAPPING-KMFE. 



I have used uncapping-knives for ten years, 

 and I like the cold knite best. The ed^e, how- 

 ever, must be keen and polished, and the honey 

 warm enough to run freelv. Half the trouble 

 comes from a stained and rust-spotted knife. 



Marion, N. Y. J. A. Crvne. 



[We should be glad to hear from others on this 

 question of hot and cold knife. — f^D.] 



