GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



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



Bottom starters % inch deep in sections 

 are advised, Australaaian Beek( eper, p. 85, 

 and I've seen the same thing elsewhere. 

 The bottom-starter was born "in this locaU- 

 ty," and many years of experience have ap- 

 proved ^ as a proper depth for thin founda- 

 tion. For extra thin, % would likely be 

 better; but when too shallow the bees are 

 likely to gnaw it down. 



J. E. Crane, p. 295, I think that "mix- 

 ture of honey being darker than either kind 

 separate" meant when mixed by bees. I 

 don't know whether that would bs different 

 from your mixing or not. Moreover, I can 

 imagine that a mixture of two shades near- 

 ly alike might be darker than either, while 

 a mixture of very light and very darkwoukl 

 be lighter than the dark. 



The bees needed feeding, and the whole 

 family was on the sick list. So I took the 

 laziest plan possible. I set a tub in a sunny 

 place, dumped ,-in sugar and water, stirred 

 it up, and threw in some cork chips. Work- 

 ed perfectly. It was open to neighboring 

 bees, but I could afford that for the saving 

 in labor. Of course the strongest colonies 

 got the lion's share, but it was easy to take 

 frames from them and give to others. [This 

 is a good scheme; but you do not say how 

 much sugar you used to the water. While 

 that is not, perhaps, so very important, yet 

 the beginner will wish to know. Ordinarily 

 we think it is well to make any sugar mix- 

 ture for outdoor feeding very weak. Any- 

 where from six to ten parts of water to one 

 of sugar is about right. — Ed.] 



The Titanic disaster has caused much 

 comment, and there is clamor that some- 

 thing should be done about it. That's be- 

 cause it's unusual. If it occurred weekly 

 some people would say it is all right. " How 

 do I know?" Please tell me what is the 

 weekly loss of life from drink as compared 

 with the Titanic loss. [Just so. One Ti- 

 tanic disaster caused by an iceberg creates 

 commotion throughout the world. As you 

 say, there are Titanic disasters occurring 

 every week from drink; but we are so accus- 

 tomed to them that they fail to stir us up. 

 But the world does move, and Titanic dis- 

 asters due to liquor will (in another genera- 

 tion at least) be a thing of the past. The 

 liquor people are beginning to see the hand- 

 writing on the wall already. — Ed.] 



Mr. Editor, that's a good comparison of 

 square beeway and 4x5 plain sections, page 

 315, but in a few points some would disa- 

 gree. You don't mention that the tall sec- 

 tion tips over easily. The plain surface 

 makes it easier to scrape, but the greater 

 care required in handling overbalances that, 

 so that on the whole it is harder to clean 

 than a beeway section. It takes less room 

 in a case, but one large dealer says that's^ 



against it, for the smaller case looks of less 

 value, and the grocer goes for the bigger 

 case. " Any article of food looks better. . 

 . . that is taller than broad." For in- 

 stance, a cooky, pie, or orange. The impor- 

 tant place for the looks of a section is on the 

 plate. On a square or round plate the square 

 section looks better; on an oblong plate, the 

 tall section. Are honey-plates mostly ob- 

 long? ' ' There is no excuse for a clerk punch- 

 ing his fingers into either section." Does 

 that in the least change the fact that clerks 

 do punch plain more than beeway? [The 

 statement that "any article of food looks 

 better that is taller than broad" refers to 

 packages and not to the article itself. Or- 

 ange-boxes are oblong. Packages holding 

 cookies, such as are put out by the National 

 Biscuit Co., are taller than broad. A sec- 

 tion holding comb honey is a package. 

 When that section is put into a carton the 

 shape of the carton is more in conformity 

 with other packages of food stuffs. — Ed.] 



Louis Scholl, you're just right as to the 

 importance of good tags for hive-numbers; 

 and if you can wake up manufacturers to 

 the importance of listing them you'll de- 

 serve well of your fellows. I've been on the 

 hunt for years. If I found any thing good, 

 the price was prohibitory. The Root Co. 

 printed some on heavy manilla, but they 

 don't last. Aluminum tags are advertised 

 in German journals. I sent money for a 

 sample, but never heard from it. Until you 

 can buy them, you can make them like 

 mine, which are entirely satisfactory, and 

 good for 25 years or more. Cut tin 4X2^ 

 inches. Paint one side white, and then put 

 on black figures 2 inches high. Fasten on 

 hive with a single one-inch wire nail at the 

 upper end, driving the nail in one-third 

 length, so it can be easily drawn out with 

 claw-hammer. 



If they can find nothing better, I suggest 

 the following for manufacturers: A metal 

 tag 2)4X1)4 (possibly less than 1)4), with 

 figures 2 inches high, a single figure on a 

 tag. Of course there will be all the figures 

 from 1 to 0; then if you want to tag No. 134 

 you will use the three separate tags, 1, 3, 

 and 4. This will not be so convenient as 

 the three figures on one tag; but I suppose 

 it can be furnished cheaper. [The objection 

 to the metal tags is the expense. If the de- 

 mand were large enough, the numbers might 

 be lithographed on the metal, making the 

 cost merely nominal; but as a matter of 

 fact the demand is very limited. But what 

 is the matter with the manilla cardboard 

 tags boiled in parafline? We use them ex- 

 clusively here at Medina, and have for the 

 last four or five years. They are cheap 

 enough so that, when they become soiled or 

 faded, a new number can be put in their 

 place. — Ed.] 



