Apr. 15, litri 



Bottom-board Adapted to Holding the Alexander 

 Feeder 



I have made thirty new bottom-boards to accom- 

 modate the Alexander feeders. 1 made the sides 

 three Inches wide and let them extend the width of 

 an Alexander feeder back of the hive, with a notch 

 cut out of tlie top of the side rail the thickness of 

 the feeder. I made the back end piece the entire 

 width of the side rails, and set the end.s in the side 

 rails the same depth that I plowed for the floor 

 pieces. 1 did not halve-in tlie cross-piece at the 

 front, but made it as wide as the bottom of the side 

 rail to the floor board, and set it back three Inches 

 from tlie front end so the nails would not be so apt 

 to split the sides. 



The beauty of a bottom-board of this style is, no 

 matter how uneven the ground or foundation of 

 the hive may be, it will always fit up to the hive 

 bee-tight, so no robbers can possibly enter from 

 the bacK end. The side rails of the common bot- 

 toms are all thicker than the feeder, and it is a lot 

 of trouble to block the feeders up to fit the hive. 



Ponca City, Okla. J. O. Williams. 



Sciatic Rheumatism Cured by Bee Stings 



In answer to your inquiry regarding the bee- 

 sting cure for rheumatism, I would say that, previ- 

 ous to my commencing with bees, I was very much 

 troubled with rheumatism and sciatica — so much 

 so that 1 was for weeks at a time confined to the 

 house. About twelve years ago 1 bought a few col- 

 onies of bees, not thinking, of course, that they 

 were going to cure me of my trouble. But I, like 

 most beginners, was stung a few times. But they 

 never cause ^ much swelling. However, after a 

 time I began to miss my rheumatic and sciatic 

 pains: and as I took Gleanings at that time I no- 

 ticed that a French scientist had declared that he 

 had cured some very bad cases of rheumatism. 

 Then I saw several items in the Canadian Bee Jour- 

 nal regarding the sting cure, so I began to think 

 that, perhaps, was the reason I was no longer 

 troubled with rheumatic pains. Since I began 

 keeping bees I have been troubled but very little 

 with rheumatism. I never feel as well as when I 

 am working among the bees and getting a few 

 stings occasionally. My hands are drawn up from 

 the effects of rheumatism: but the pain Is all gone. 

 I have come to believe that the acid in the sting 

 neutralizes the uric acid in the blood, thus remov- 

 ing the pain. I have heard of several persons who 

 have had the same experience as I, who believe the 

 stings cured them. 



Blyth. Ont., Feb. 21. Alfred B. Carr. 



[While visiting the Ontario Agricultural College 

 we had occasion to say before the students of the 

 agricultural school that, in our opinion, the bee- 

 sting cure for rheumatism had been greatly over- 

 estimated: that we thought, in the great majority 

 of cases, it was of no benefit whatever. We conced- 

 ed, however, that there were some cases where re- 

 lief had been afforded. Mr. Alfred B. Carr, who 

 was present, afterward came to us and stated that 

 he belonged to the latter class. As his experience 

 was ciulte remarkable we asked him to write it up, 

 which he did as given above.— Ed.] 



Wintering Bees in Chaff Hives 



My bees had a fine flight Feb. 20 — the finst since 

 Dec. 12. They are wintering nicely. The weather 

 during .January and up to Feb. 20 has been very 

 cold. The thermometer has several times regis- 

 tered from 20 to 30" below zero. 



I have 110 chafT hives, all well packed and warm. 

 I use a piece of old wool carpet over the frames. I 



253 



then fold three bran-sacks over the carpet. On top 

 of this 1 place a bran-sack containing a bushel of 

 chaff or dry sawdust. The wool carpet absorbs the 

 moisture better than any cotton material. I find 

 that bees, as well as people, like the warmth of 

 woolen blankets during cold weather. 



The main thing in wintering bees in chafT hives 

 is to keep them very warm on top. 1 close the en- 

 trance, except a space 2 inches long by % wide. 

 There has been a good deal said about the extra 

 expense of chafT hives. The difference between a 

 single-walled and a chaff hive is only 30 cts. I have 

 chaff hives that have stood on the same spot for 30 

 years. Why fuss with paper, and build clamps, 

 when :50 cents extra will buy a chaff hive that will 

 last a lifetime? My bees are blacks and hybrids. 

 Sixty pounds of comb honey per hive has been my 

 average yield year after year. 



Fair Haven. Vt., Feb. 22. I. N. Howard. 



Questions from a Beginner 



1. Are Italians as apt to rob as blacks 7 



2. Which is better — to jar bees off the frame or 

 brush them off ? 



3. Will there be any brood in the hive 21 days aft- 

 er the first swarm is cast ? If not, wouldn't this be 

 a good time to transfer ? 



Huntley, Ont., March 19. Cameron Black. 



[1. It depends more on the individual colony 

 than upon the strain of bees or the race; but on an 

 average we suppose Italians are a little more likely 

 to rob than the blacks. However, this is not be- 

 cause of any greater desire on their part to get 

 honey for nothing, but because of the fact that 

 they are more industrious than the blacks, as a 

 rule. 



2. It depends altogether upon circumstances as 

 to whether It Is better to jar or brush liees from a 

 comb. Briefly, we may say that a combination of 

 tlie two plans is often the best. It irritates bees 

 much less to jar them off; and the best plan, there- 

 fore. Is to shake off all you can and then brush the 

 few bees remaining. Some bees are much harder 

 to dislodge from the combs than others. Italians 

 cling tighter than blacks, for instance. Of course, 

 there are certain times when fresh honey is being 

 brought In when It does not do to shake the combs 

 very much, for that would spill the green honey 

 over every thing. 



3. It depends on circumstances as to whether 

 you would find brood in the parent colony 21 days 

 after the prime swarm Issues. If for any reason 

 the swarm had been delayed till the young queens 

 were practically ready to hatch, one of these young 

 virgins might be mated by the seventh or eighth 

 day following the Issuing of the swarm, and would 

 be laying within two or three days afterward.— Ed.J 



A Sweet-clover Crank 



My hive-stands rest on posts two feet high, so as 

 to be above the high-water mark. I live on the 

 bank of the river, and two years ago I lost most of 

 my bees by high water. 



I am called a " sweet-clover crank" by my neigh- 

 bors: but some of them are coming to my way of 

 thinking. I have about one-fourth acre of white 

 sweet clover, and I find that my horse and cow eat 

 it as readily as any other grass. This season I am 

 going to experiment cutting it for hay. Last fall, 

 when the seed was ripe, 1 flailed out about a bushel 

 of seed and gave it to my neighbor. He has a 

 stony pasture of about fifteen acres which he sow- 

 ed with the seed 1 gave him. 



I believe sweet clover will soon take the place of 

 alfalfa. To insure a good stand I sow oats with it. 

 Of course, different soils and different localities 

 may make a difference. 



Wakarusa, Kan. M. E. McFadden. 



More than One Hive Needed on the Scales to Indi- 

 cate What is Being Done 



I note in Stray Straws, p, 98, Feb. 15, your answer 

 to Dr. C. C. Miiier, where you speak of a scale hue. 

 I found out long ago that one hive on a scale is not 

 sufiicient to indicate accurately an apiary's losses 

 and gains, as different colonies vary so much when 

 gathering honey, when apparently just as strong. 

 I used to have two colonies on scales. Of late years 

 I have four. I made one for the purpose, which 

 cost about 85.00, and 1 find it very satisfactory. I 

 can tell accurately the gain or loss of the apiary. I 

 record the weight each evening when interested. 



Williamsburg, la. M. W. Harrington. 



