1908 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1425 



UNCAPPING BY MACHINERY. 



Schemes for uncapping combs are still receiv- 

 ing more or less attention. In the American Bee 

 Journal for November is shown a machine that 

 works on a principle somewhat similar to some 

 described heretofore. But these machines have 

 never gone beyond the experimental stage. Pos- 

 sibly the application of steam heat to the knives 

 may go a long way toward solving the problem. 



MILKING HONEY OUT OF EXTRACTING-SUPERS. 



Strange as it may seem, a subscriber has a 

 scheme for "milking" the honey out of a hive 

 without the removal of a comb or uncapping the 

 same; and, stranger still, he has actually sucked 

 the honey out of several supers by means of a 

 strong suction-pipe. We are not at liberty to 

 give the details just now, but we expect to do so 

 when the inventor has perfected his invention. 



SHOULD DRONE COMB BE USED IN EXTRACTING- 

 SUPERS IN PLACE OF WORKER.? 



In the American Bee Journal, Mr. M. H. Reed, 

 secretary of the Irish Bee-keepers' Association, is 

 said to urge that, for extracting purposes, drone 

 comb should be used, for the reason that honey 

 will flow more readily from the larger than from 

 the smaller cells during the operation of extract- 

 ing, and for the further reason that " bees natu- 

 rally draw out drone-cells more readily than 

 worker- cells. " 



We should be glad to hear from some of our 

 subscribers on this point. Unless perforated zinc 

 zinc is used, the queen would be quite sure to oc- 

 cupy this drone comb, and the result would be a 

 lot of waste in the rearing of useless drones. This 

 is a good theme for discussion, and we should be 

 glad to hear from some of our subscribers. 



IT PAYS TO MELT OLD COMBS. 



On p. 1366, last issue, we promised to give fig- 

 ures showing the results of rendering the very old 

 combs mentioned. There were 225 combs, Lang- 

 stroth size, and the total amount of wax secured 

 was 69 pounds, which is a little over 3 pounds to 

 each 10 combs. The total time of rendering was 

 9 hours. The combs were melted in two wash- 

 boilers, and run through the press twice, yield- 

 ing 63 lbs. of wax the first time, and 6 the 

 second. 



At 30 cts. per lb., 69 lbs. of wax will bring 

 $20.70. From this we must deduct the cost of 

 the labor, $1.80, leaving $18.90. 



Medium brood foundation, to fill 225 Lang- 

 stroth frames, at 51 cts. per lb., amounts to about 

 $16.32, so that we get our full sheets of founda- 

 tion for nothing, and have considerable left. The 

 work could usually be done when the labor 

 would not be worth 20 cts. an hour. But even 

 if this is not possible, there is nothing lost. 



ALEXANDER'S ARTICLES IN BOOK FORM. 



We have had so many requests of late to put 

 Alexander's articles in book form that we are now 

 arranging to publish a collection of his best pa- 

 pers. The little volume will be ready for dis- 

 tribution probably some time in January, and 

 will be sold for 50 cts. In the mean time we 

 shall be glad to club it with Gleanings one year 



both for $1.00. We will enter subscriptions im- 

 mediately, and will send the book as soon as it is 

 published. 



The new volume will contain the cream of Mr. 

 Alexander's writings; and when it is remember- 

 ed that his career as a bee-keeper covered over 

 forty years, and that during that time he man- 

 aged hundreds of colonies in one yard, produc- 

 ing carloads of honey in a single season, his book 

 should have a ready demand, especially when it 

 is clubbed with the journal for $1.00, for this is 

 the only way in which it will be sold for the 

 present. All arrears, if any, must be paid before 

 advantage can be taken of this offer. 



special offers on renewals. 

 At- this season of the year, many subscriptions 

 for this journal will expire. Owing to the recent 

 ruling of the Postoffice Department we are not 

 permitted to send the journal but for a short time 

 after the period for which the subscription has been 

 paid; and we desire to remind those in arrears 

 that, if they wish the journal without a break, it 

 will be necessary to renew at once. In view of 

 the fact that we can not continue the journal very 

 long after the time paid for, we are making ex- 

 ceptionally low offers. If our friends will take 

 advantage of them at once they will not miss a 

 single issue. For example, we are making a spe- 

 cial low offer on Gleanings one year, and Doo- 

 little's 50-cent book, both for the price of the 

 journal alone — $1.00 ; but all subscriptions must 

 be paid for one year in advance before advan- 

 tage can be taken of this offer. 



1908 crop of honey not as large as first 

 reported. 



Evidence is beginning to come that indicates 

 that the crop of honey the past season, outside of 

 the central-northern States, was not as large as 

 earlier reports showed. One large buyer of hon- 

 ey is reporting that, in some sections at least, the 

 crop is much lighter than it was last year, and 

 that offers he has made have failed to secure hon- 

 ey. Another buyer went so far as to state that, 

 even in the central-northern States, the crop was 

 not as large as was first reported, as he finds some 

 difficulty in getting all he requires for his trade. 



Apparently our advice to sell honey around 

 home has had some effect, as we have been in- 

 formed that the local trade all over the country 

 has been developed this year as it never was be- 

 fore. If, on top of this, the aggregate amount of 

 honey in the United States was lighter than was 

 reported early in the season, it is evident that 

 prices ought now to stiffen. But it is now get- 

 ting late, and comb honey, at least, ought to be 

 disposed of before the general stagnation in price 

 takes place that is apt to follow after the holidays. 

 On the other hand, it may be advisable, in some 

 cases at least, to hold over good extracted, await- 

 ing a better market for another year. 



WILL THE DROUTH THIS FALL AFFECT THE CLO- 

 VERS FOR NEXT SEASON.? 



On page 1365, November 15, we quoted the 

 editor of the Re-z^ieiv as fearing that the long 

 drouth had so far killed out the clovers that next 

 year would be a light one for honey. Over 



