36 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jan. 1 



all muscles employed than does the upward 

 stroke. These items become important in a 

 hard day's work when the operator is taxed to 

 the limit. 



The use of hot water on the knife, and the 

 " sawing motion," are both peculiar to the opera- 

 tor who cuts upward, and who necessarily em- 

 ploys little speed. I have not mentioned the 

 waste of honey in hot water, the oil used in heat- 

 ing the knife, nor the extra time wasted in 

 changing knives. All are items worth consider- 

 ing, but not of as much importance as others I 

 have mentioned. 



I find that beginners invariably cut upward 

 when uncapping if left to themselves. 



I suppose it seems more natural this way, be- 

 cause they can see the cutting edge of the knife. 

 I always insist on my method being adopted for 

 the first two days, and have yet to find one who 

 would go back to the old up-cutting method 

 afterward. 



Some may think that the cold knife will not 

 work in thick honey. Perhaps it may wrinkle 

 and break the cappings somewhat, which does not 

 signify much. The underlying surface of the 

 cells will still be found in good shape if proper 

 speed is used. Where honey becomes too thick 

 to be uncapped with a cold knife it is also too 

 thick to be extracted without heat. 



I have viewed this question purely from the 

 point of economy of oil, honey, time, and ener- 

 gy, and backed by years of experience in both 

 methods of uncapping. 



Any one who will lay aside present methods, 

 and persist in uncapping downward for a few 

 days will be convinced that the method is correct, 

 both in theory and practice. 



Springport, Mich., Nov. 16. 



[This is the kind of testimony we like to get 

 hold of, because it smacks of experience direct 

 from the field. 



We dare say that 99 out of a hundred of those 

 who produce extracted honey use the upward 

 stroke in uncapping. It does not always follow 

 that the majority is right. We should like to 

 have this subject thoroughly discussed. — Ed.] 



PROPER SHAPE FOR UNCAPPING- 

 KNIVES. 



A Valuable Article. 



BY ELIAS FOX. 



Referring to Dr. Miller's Straw, Nov. 1, I 

 should like to ask why it is necessary to use a 

 straight-handled tool in plain work, and one with 

 offset handle or straight handle and curved blade 

 to reach the depressions. The Bingham knife, 

 with the offset shank as now made, successfully 

 uncaps the entire comb with ease, no matter 

 whether straight, curved, bulged, depressed, or 

 full of holes. For straight smooth combs, the 

 entire length of the blade comes in play; and for 

 depressions, large or small, holes and zigzag cor- 

 ners, the rounded point perfectly fits them all. 

 So, continue to give us the old reliable Bingham. 



HONEY EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD. 



In reply to the Straw on the same page, regard- 

 ing the keeping qualities of honey, I should like 



to ask what the age limit is. Two years ago I 

 had occasion to liquefy some buckwheat honey 

 that had been kept in an open-top six-gallon stone 

 jar for 18 years. So far as the appearance and fla- 

 vor were concerned, I could detect nothing wrong. 

 The honey seemed to have undergone no change 

 since the day I put it in the jar, although it had 

 been used down until there was only 15 lbs. left, 

 and it was as dry as sugar. 



COLONIES DO BEST IF THEY HAVE NO SHADE. 



In regard to the article by J. C. Davis, page 

 1315, Nov. 1, I will say I have one yard inclosed 

 by a seven-foot board fence, and the hives are ar- 

 ranged around the entire space close to the fence. 

 A part of them, therefore, get practically no sun 

 during the forenoon, and others none during the 

 afternoon, except what little comes through the 

 cracks. The space inside is filled with hives fac- 

 ing south, in rows running east and west. A 

 few are partially shaded by two apple-trees, but 

 the most of them have no shade whatever. There 

 is no difference in the yield, other conditions be- 

 ing equal. My best colony in this home yard 

 faces southwest, and during the honey-flow it has 

 not a particle of shade before 6 p. m. Since I 

 wrote the letter which was published in the Sept. 

 15th issue, page 1140, I have extracted 25 lbs. 

 mere from this hive, or a totil of 450 lbs., and 

 the bees have plenty for winter. For my part I 

 don't want any shade, and I would not give a 

 snap for even a shade-board. 



COLONIES IN TREES HAVE PLENTY OF WINTER 

 STORES. 



I cut twelve bee-trees this fall, and saved the 

 bees, but I put two swarms together, thus mak- 

 ing six of the twelve. This brings my bee-tree 

 yard up to 21. The trees cut this fall, with one 

 exception, had plenty of honey — one 60 lbs.; two 

 75 lbs. each; one 100 lbs. The rest ran mostly 

 from 25 to 40 lbs. I did not care especially to 

 save the bees, but I can not take the honey and 

 leave them in the woods to starve. I sa^ed all 

 the brood by piecing it into empty frames, and 

 several frames were filled with honey by piecing 

 in the same way, and supported by tying com- 

 mon twine around them. In two days the pieces 

 are nicely fastened together, and the frames and 

 strings removed. 



I have never had any experience in handling 

 bees before an audience; but in removing bees 

 from the hollow log after securing the honey I 

 reach in and take them out handful after hand- 

 ful, and very rarely get a sting. If I do, it is al- 

 ways my own fault. 



Hillsboro, Wis. 



[This matter of shade is something that de- 

 pends on locality. In your climate it is con- 

 ceivable that shade or sunshine would not make 

 much difference as to the yield of honey. In 

 other localities, reports seem to show that where 

 there is too much shade colonies do not do as 

 well, and, of course, furnish less honey than those 

 colonies that are more out in the open. On the 

 other hand, in hot climates shade is absolutely 

 necessary. — Ed.] 



HOT UNCAPPING- KNIVES PREFERRED; CUTTING 

 DOWN EASIER THAN CUTTING UP. 



I noticed an article on page 1126, Sept. 15, on 

 the use of uncapping-knives. I have uncapped 



