GLEANINGS IN BEE CoLTURE 



ALCOHOL FOR CLEANING SECTIONS 



BY S. N. HATHAWAY. 



I have noticed that all my late sections 

 are soiled more than those used for the 

 early crop. This probably comes from the 

 natural desire of the bees to chink up every 

 crack and cranny as a preparation against 

 the cold winds of winter. Some swarms 

 seem to try to daub on all the propolis they 

 can make, while others are quite modest in 

 the use of it, even to the last super. I had 

 several sujoers this week that were so badly 

 daubed that I nearly despaired of making 

 them presentable in the shipping cases. 



As I sat thinking how this could be entire- 

 ly removed in some other way than by 

 scraping so much, I chanced to see a bottle 

 of denatured alcohol. Knowing that it would 

 cut was and propolis I made a swab by 

 rolling some soft cotton cloth and tying it 

 so as to make it convenient to use as a 

 brush. I applied it freely, and then with a 

 piece of cloth rubbed it off and scraped 

 with the knife. When the sections were 

 badly stuck up I repeated the dose and 

 rubbed it again. It was a success ; for when 

 all had been treated, and were in the cases, 

 they were as clean and nice as a newly filled 

 super. This may not be new to the ''old 

 soldiers" in the business; but it is new to 

 me, and is a time-saver. 



GLASS NOT NECESSARY IN SHIPPING CASES. 



It is my opinion that a one-tier 24-seetion 

 case is the best for all purposes, with only 

 a two-inch glass, if there must be any glass 

 at all. The more glass used, the weaker the 

 case is, and the more cracked sections in the 

 cases. So I say, no glass. I think a bottom 

 made of yg-inch board, cut to fit inside the 

 case, would make it perfectly safe, as there 

 would be no spring to the bottom, and con- 

 sequently no chance to crack the honey un- 

 less the case should be dropped by some 

 careless handler. 



If the whole width of the front of a case 

 is glass, a buyer sees but four sections, 

 wliich may be extra fancy or No. 1; but if 

 the packer is not honest and square, it's a 

 g-uess as to the rest of the case. My verdict 

 is, no glass. Take off the cover, and then 

 you will know what is inside. 



Each case should have a printed card, 

 pasted on the top, reading, "Comb Honey, 

 this side up. Handle with care." Follow- 

 ing the above should be printed the several 

 grades of honey, all of wliieh may be cross- 

 ed off with a pencil except the one packed 

 in the case. The weight, tare, and net should 

 be on the same card . 



Waldron, 111. 



[You are entirely right in urging no 



glass in comb-honey shipping-cases. More 

 and more glass is being discontinued by the 

 large producers, and we hope ultimately it 

 will be a thing of the past. Shipping-cases 

 with solid back and front are much strong- 

 er than the glass cases. — Ed.] 



A SWEET-CLOVER-SEED STRIPPER 



BY C. A. BUNCH. 



Last fall I made a seed-stripper for gath- 

 ering sweet-clover seed, which I found very 

 useful. The construction is explained very 

 fully bj' the illustration. The nails shown 

 in the crosspiece are ten-penny size, driv- 

 en zigzag about 1^/2 inches apart. The strip- 

 per should stand on a good-sized wash-tub 

 or tight box, and the whole apparatus se- 

 curely roped to a wheelbarrow. 



It takes three persons to gather the seed 

 to the best advantage — one to cut the sweet 

 clover with a sickle, and carry it to the 

 stripper ; another to draw it through the 

 stripper, and run the wheelbarrow, and a 

 boy or girl to handle the lever. We gath- 

 ered four bushels of seed last fall, and the 

 cost did not exceed two dollars per bushel. 



When we get ready to harvest the seed 

 we move the whole outfit out to the sweet 

 clover, with a wagon, then proceed to rope 

 it to the wheelbarrow. I do not fasten the 

 rope to the tub, but to one end of the frame, 

 then down under the wheelbarrow floor, 

 and up to the other end of the frame, which 

 holds the whole thing firmly. The rope 

 must be drawn tight so as to make every 

 tiling solid, as pulling the clover through 

 under the lever requires considerable 

 strength. It is a good plan to spread a 

 grain-sack or cloth across the handles of 

 the barrow to catch the seed that might fall 

 outside. 



Lakeville, Indiana. 



