140 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Stray Straw^s 



Dr. C. C. Miller, Marengo, 111. 



Dr. E. F. Phillips made a short visit 

 with us lately. Just now he is trying to 

 learn what instruction to give the bees for 

 best wintering in cellars. I practiced cel- 

 laring bees before Dr. Phillips was born; 

 but he gave me points on it that made me 

 open my eyes. 



David Roberts says, p. 116, " Shelter is 

 not conducive to sw^arming except so far as 

 it favors brood-rearing." Doesn't the kind 

 of shelter have a bearing? The shelter of 

 an apple-tree tends to prevent swarming. 

 The shelter of buildings, bushes, etc., on all 

 sides, preventing a free circulation of air, 

 tends to favor swarming by making the 

 bees too warm. 



J. E. Crane, I think you have things 

 straight about European foul brood, p. 84, 

 and it might also be added that a change of 

 queens would be helpful, even if the new 

 queen be not an iota different from the old 

 one; but when a new queen is introduced 

 there is nearly always at least a little break 

 in brood-rearing, and that helps the bees 

 about cleaning up. 



" In 1896 Bradstreet's compilation of the 

 wholesale prices of 106 commodities, in- 

 cluding all the leading commodities of com- 

 merce, was 59,124; in 1900 this figiire had 

 risen to 78,839; in 1905 to 80,987; and m 

 1912 to 90,362."— Daily. 



Let us see how the price of honey com- 

 pares with this. Take quotations for comb 

 honey, Sept. 1, in each of the years named, 

 and find the average of the highest figure in 

 each market. In 1896 it was 13.3 cents. If 

 the advance in honey was the same as in 

 the 106 leading commodities named, then 

 for the years 1900, 1905, and 1912, respec- 

 tively, it should be 17.7, 18.2, 20.3. It was 

 16, 13.9, 17. Take extracted in the same 

 way. In 1896 it was 6.6 cents. In 1900, 

 1905, and 1912, respectively, it should be 

 8.8, 9, 10. It was 8, 7.2, 9.4. No doubt 

 other factors have a bearing, which might 

 make the showing better or worse ; but in a 

 general way it w^ould seem that honey has 

 not climbed with other commodities. [This 

 is interesting in more ways than one. It 

 shows that the price of honey declined from 

 1900 to 1905, and from that time on, es- 

 pecially beginning with about 1908 or '9, 

 prices on food began to soar. This onward 

 and upward tendency advanced the honey 

 market at the same time, but not in propor- 

 tion, as it would appear, to the price of 

 other food stuffs taken as an average.— 

 Ed.] 



" One-pound section " is a term in com- 

 mon use; yet, strictly speaking, the one- 

 pound section is a sort of myth, for not 

 often is a section found wliich weighs 16 

 ounces, said section being 4%^ x 1%, wliich 

 is the section mostly in use. For years 

 there was more or less dishonesty about 

 these sections, for grocers too often sold 

 them as full pounds. Now, however, the 

 public is better informed, and there is not 

 so much trouble on that score. Custom, 

 however, varies, and in some jDlaces honey 

 is sold by the section and in other places 

 by the pound. Our honey cmotations are 

 given by the case, also the pound. Is there 

 any likelihood that, in the near future, 

 there will be uniformity in this regard? 

 Will the Cincinnati convention dare tackle 

 the question? There is a gradual increase 

 of quotations by the case. Is that really 

 the better way? and if so, can it be made 

 the uniform way? [Yes, it is true that the 

 one-pound section, strictly speaking, is a 

 misnomer. To get a section of that weight 

 414 square would make it neeessai-y to have 

 it 2 inches wide for the combs to average 

 one i^ound. This makes a comb too thick 

 to insure quick ripening and quick sealing. 

 A section 4 x 5 x 1%, plain, comes nearer 

 to a pound; but to average a pound it 

 would have to be IV2 inches wide. A rela- 

 tively large thin comb is far better than a 

 small thick one. This is one reason why the 

 4x5 size is crowding the 4^ square out of 

 some markets. We believe the time will 

 come when it will be the universal section. 



From every point of view, we believe it 

 is better to quote sections by the case rather 

 than by the pound. Under the Colorado 

 grading-rules this insures a more uniform 

 weight of sections. It compels the producer 

 to aim for a higher standard, both as re- 

 gards weight and filling; and this is right. 

 If the cases are sold by the pound, it has a 

 strong tendency to let in any bulged or fat 

 sections that are unsightly, as well as those 

 that are lean and unsealed. Under the Col- 

 orado rules, the sections must not weigh 

 more than a certain minimum nor more 

 than a certain maximum. If the producer 

 will " separator " or " fence " his supers, 

 and use full sheets of foundation, he is usu- 

 ally able to meet the conditions of the gi-axl- 

 ing rules. We are. therefore, strongly in 

 favor of selling by the case, pro^■iding the 

 individnnl soclions are graded according 

 to the Colorado rules. If they are not so 

 graded, the cases should have minimum 

 weight. — Ed.] 



