Gleanings In Bee Culture 



Published by The A. I. Root Co., Medina, Ohio 



H. H. Root, Assistant Editor E. R. ROOT, Editor A. L. BOYDEN, Advertising Manager 



A. I. ROOT, Editor Home Department J. T. CALVERT, Business Manager 



Entered at the Postofflce, Medina. Ohio, as Second-class Matter. 



VOL. XXXVII 



DECEMBER 1, 1909 



NO. 23 



Editorial 



By E. R. Root. 



HONEY SOAP. 



In the American Bee Journal for October, 

 Miss Emma Wilson tells how to make honey 

 soap. The recipe looks as if it might be 

 good, and we place it before our readers. 



Cut 2 pounds of yellow soap in thin slices and put 

 into a saucepan with sufficient water to prevent the 

 soap from being burnt. Place on the fire, and as soon 

 as all the soap has dissolved add one pound of honey 

 and stir until the whole begins to boil. Then remove 

 from the fire, add a few drops of essence of cinnamon, 

 pour out into a deep dish to cool, and then cut into 

 squares. It improves by Keeping. 



SECTION COMB FOUNDATION; FULL SHEETS 

 VS. STARTERS. 



In the American Bee Journal Mr. G. M. Doo- 

 little gives a general history of the invention 

 and use of foundation for section honey- 

 boxes, bringing it clear up to the present 

 day. After speaking of the fact that many 

 prefer to use only starters because the bees 

 involuntarily have to secrete wax scales in 

 a downpour of honey he says: 



However, as these downpours of honey can not be 

 calculated on very often, there is no one at the present 

 day but considers it economy to use sections filled 

 with this extra-thin foundation. 



He had previously spoken approvingly of 

 the use of extra thin for the purpose. 



THE cutting of BASSWOOD AND THE DE- 

 CREASING OF BASSWOOD HONEY. 



Mr. M. v. Facev, in the Review, blames the 

 supply manufacturer and the honey-pro- 

 ducer alike for the destruction of basswoods. 

 Why, bless you, friend Facey, the amount of 

 this timber that the bee-keeper or the man- 

 facturer of bee-supplies uses is a mere bag- 

 atelle compared with the amount cut for the 

 furniture manufactories, planing-mills, and 

 packing-box concerns that have no connec- 

 tion with the bee business. If the manufac- 

 turer of bee-supplies were to use some other 

 material for his sections it would not affect 

 noticeably the price of basswood timber, nor 

 would it increase the bee-keeper's honey 

 crop except in some localities from which 

 the manufacturer of sections draws his sup- 

 ply. 



WHITE-CLOVER PROSPECTS FOR 1910. 



Reports indicate that there is a fine pros- 

 pect for white clover next year. In our own 

 locality, for example, there never was a 

 heavier mat of it than we see in the pasture 

 lots in and about Medina. With a favorable 

 winter and spring we may expect a big crop 

 of white clover next year. 



It is very often the case that after almost 

 an absolute failure of white clover there will 

 be a heavy yield from that source the follow- 

 ing season, and, vice versa, when there has 

 been a large crop, the yield will be light the 

 next year. According to this rule, ana espe- 

 cially when we take into consideration the 

 large amount of white clover reported all 

 over the clover belt, we may expect a yield 

 next season. 



WHY that bee-cellar WAS A FAILURE; 



HOW TO MAKE A POOR CELLAR A GOOD 



ONE. 



Where the climate is not too severe, it is 

 undoubtedly better for the beginner to win- 

 ter outdoors in double-walled hives or win- 

 ter cases. The problem of cellar tempera- 

 ture, ventilation, and moisture is a compli- 

 cated one; and to have conditions ideal there 

 should be a proper balance of all three. 

 Sometimes an excess of water or moisture 

 does no harm; but a combination of too much 

 moisture and /oiv temperature is nearly al- 

 ways fatal. A cellar too warm, with lack of 

 or insufficient ventilation, is equally bad. 

 On the other hand, if a temperature that 

 does not vary very much from 45° Fahr. can 

 be maintained, the question of ventilation 

 and moisture is not so important; but a high 

 temperature always calls for a large amount 

 of fresh air. One below 40 is apt to result 

 in too large a consumption of stores, and 

 over-feeding causes dysentery. 



About this time of the year we get numer- 

 ous inquiries, not only as to how to build a 

 cellar, but as to the cause of bees not winter- 

 ing in the cellar last year. To avoid repeti- 

 tion of the experience, the inquirer will de- 

 scribe his cellar and the conditions, and then 

 ask whether he can correct the trouble. The 

 following letter is a fair sample of some of 

 those that we get. As it states conditions 

 met by many another we reproduce it right 

 here, together with our reply. 



I wish to get a little information in regard to a bee- 

 cellar I built last fall, which proved not to be a success 

 in wintering. 



I built a stone cellar 14x28, and 8 ft. high, inside 

 measure, in a side hill, a mixture of clay and .^and. 

 About two-thirds of the cellar is in the hill, and the 

 rest outside with a two-foot wall— no windows— only 



