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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



May 31, 1906 



but the generality of us never will, on account of the enor- 

 mous amount of practise and skill called for. The working 

 idea of this hive, you understand, is to put the brood-combs 

 far apart, and so to divide up the intervening space that 

 bees can harbor there freely but not build comb. Ingenious 

 idea. And, "How does it work?" is the question most 

 legitimately on the carpet. Manifestly the idea can't be 

 tried much on a weak colony in spring weather of the windy 

 and cold sort. Ruinous to the colony. And, perchance, the 

 colony which is, early in spring, perfectly suitable for the 

 trial wouldn't have swarmed, anyhow. Page 302. 



Bible References to Honey 



Mr. Winter has done a good work for us in collecting 

 into one all the Bible texts that speak of honey. But he 

 certainly should have put in also the three additional texts 

 that speak of bees without using the word "honey." (Deut. 

 1 : 44, Psalms 118 : 12, and Isa. 7 : 18.) The first and second 

 of these are good evidence that the ancient bee of Palestine 

 was not always gentle ; while the ease with which Samson 

 seems to have gotten the honey, as an off-hand incident on 

 his journey, when he must have been unprepared, is good 

 evidence that gentleness during a heavy honey-flow was not 

 unknown. One of the texts given shows that honey was 

 used to sweeten pastry. The next text is the puzzle. Cakes 

 were often burned on the altar of the Lord ; but no honey 

 must be put into any cakes used for that purpose ; and 

 leaven was also barred. Why should so good a thing, and 

 so highly spoken of a thing, as honey be forbidden on the 

 altar ? Symbolism, most likely. Leaven a symbol of sin, 

 in its capacity of spreading from heart to heart ; and honey 

 a symbol of fleshly indulgence. Page 301. 



Doctor miller's 

 Question * Box 



j 



Send questions either to the office of the American Bee Journal, 

 or to Dr. C. C. Miller, Marengo, 111. 

 Dr. Miller doe6 not answer Questions by mail. 



Emptying T Supers by Gravitation 



On page 288, my good friend, 8. T. Pettit, whose picture I was 

 very glad to see on page 377, commend6 the plan of taking sections 

 out of supers by giving them time and letting gravitation do the work. 

 Just as his letter reads, a beginner would be likely to think that the 

 whole work of getting sections out of T-supers is done in this way, 

 which I hardly think Mr. Pettit would advocate— certainly not, if 

 conditions are the same with him as with me. 



For many years I have taken advantage of gravitation whenever 

 circumstances favor it, as may be seen by reference to " Forty Tears 

 Among the Bees," page 205, where it is said: "If there is a lot of 

 glue, and if it is warm, stringy and sticky, it must be humored a little. 

 It can hardly be jerked loose suddenly any more than if it was nailed ; 

 but if it is allowed time enough the weight of the sections may be 

 enough to bring them down." 



Generally, however, at the time when sections are taken out the 

 glue is so hard as to resist entirely the effect of gravitation. Even 

 when glue is so soft or so little of it that the sections drop immediately 

 upon being turned over, it is advisable to use the push-board, as the 

 super is not likely to be lifted off without some of the sections catch- 

 ing and making trouble. C. C. M. 

 « * » 



Best Honey Producing Bees and Queens 



The following questions have been sent in with the request that 

 they be placed before the readers of the American Bee Journal, and 

 that experienced bee-keepers should send in answers: 



1. What race of bees are the best honey-producers! 



2. Please recommend the queen-breeder whom you think has the 

 best honey-producing queens for sale. 



3. Can you get more honey by crossing 2 races of bee6? 



Indiana. 

 Answers.— The evident intent is to get an answer from a number 

 of different persons, 60 as to have the fullest light possible. If dis- 

 interested information could be obtained, it would no doubt be a 

 desirable thing, as not a few would like to know just what bees to get, 

 and where to get them. But the attempt would not succeed to the 

 satisfaction of all parties, and possibly to the entire satisfaction of 

 none. It would be opening the columns of this Journal to an un- 

 limited amount of free advertising, which would be unfair to those 

 who pay regular rates, and at the same time the information would be 



anythiog but disinterested. Some one who has less modesty than 

 others would be likely to make the strongest claims, and those who 

 are most reliable would be more likely to hold aloof from tooting th«ir 

 own horns. See editorial on page 441, on " Claims of Advertisers and 

 Subscribers." 



I will, however, do the best I can at answering your questions. 



1. The majority of bee-keepers probably favor Italians, yet opin- 

 ions are by no means a unit, and if you will look over the back num- 

 bers of this and other bee-papers, you will get the opinions of those 

 who prefer other kinds with probably as much satisfaction as if you 

 got a lot of fresh opinions — possibly more. 



2. You will find a reply to this question in the editorial, page 441. 



3. That question can not be answered by a word of one syllable. 

 A fir&t cross is likely to result in increased vigor, but there is a loss of 

 fixed type, and without intelligent care in selection there is likely to 

 be deterioration in future generations. The expert breeder may suc- 

 ceed in fixing the type of a cross profitably, but the average bee- 

 keeper will do well enough to continue something already estab- 

 lished — if he can. The probability is, however, that in nearly all 

 case6 there will be a gain by introducing occasionally fresh blood of 

 the kind already in use, and it may not be amiss to do 6ome experi- 

 menting with other kinds. A safe piece of advice for all bee-keepers 

 is to breed not from the poorest, but from the best. 



Rearing aueens-Patented Hives 



1. In " Modern Queen-Rearing" it says, on page 21, the larva is 

 removed from the comb and placed on the royal jelly in the wooden 

 cell-cup, and then placed on the frame and given to the colony. Now, 

 won't the larva drop out of the cell-cup when placed in position, 

 which is with the opening down* 



2. Would it be as good to put a thin coating of hot wax in the 

 cell-cups instead of buying the wax-cells, if only a few queens are to 

 be reared ? 



3. As I understand it, the Danzenbaker hive is patented; there- 

 fore, is a person liable to get into trouble by making this hive for his 

 own use? If you don't known, please tell me who does know. 



4. How would it do to take — well, I 6ee those more experienced 

 bee-men are laughing at my ignorance, so I will sit down. 



Illinois. 

 Answers. — 1. No, there is no danger of the larva falling out; 

 the adhesiveness of the jelly holds it. 



2. I'm not sure whether I understand you. The wooden cell-cups 

 are never used without a coating of wax, and if you have cell6 of wax 

 they don't need a coating. 



3. That's one of the things I happen to know without asking any 

 one else. If you make and sell a thousand of any patented article, 

 you are liable to prosecution for infringement; if you make a single 

 one for your own use, you are just as liable. 



4. After you've been sitting long enough to think up some more 

 questions, get up and ask them. I've a lot of answers on hand I'd 

 just as soon use as not. 



Wiring Shallow Extracting Frames— Queenless Bees 

 Gathering Pollen— Zinc Excluders 



1. Is there any need of wiring extracting frames 5J£ inches deep? 



2. Will bees in a queenless colony gather pollen? 



4. Is the zinc board supposed to lie on the brood-frames, or is it 

 meant to have strips of wood between the zinc and the frames so as to 

 make a space between the zinc and the brood-frames? Iowa. 



Answers. — 1. Not nearly so much need as for deeper frames, but 

 while these shallow frames are new it would be better to have the 

 strengthening of the wires. But with sufficiently careful handling 

 you can manage them while new without wiring, and as they become 

 older they grow tougher. 



2. Yes, you will generally find an extra amount of pollen in a 

 queenless colony, because they keep on gathering when they are not 

 U6ing much pollen ; but after a colony is queenless long enough you 

 will see very little pollen carried in, the bees seeming to have sense 

 enough to know that they already have pollen enough on hand. 



3. If all-zinc excluders are used, strips are generally placed 60 as 

 to keep the zinc J^ inch above the top-bars; wood-zinc excluders are 

 rigid and stay up themselves. 



Requeening— " Beginner Improving Stock" 



In the appendix to " Forty fears Among the Bees," under the 

 heading, " Beginner Improving Stock," you say, " Put this prepared 

 frame in the center of any strong colony after taking away its queen 

 and one of its frames." 



1. Do you give this prepared frame immediately after removing 

 the queen? 



2. Would the bees from which a prime swarm had issued swarm 

 if all the queen-cells were cut away but two ?■ In others words, would 

 it be as well, or better, to leave only 2 cells instead of 1? 



3. How soon after a queen is removed do the bees become con- 

 scious of their queenlessness and commence to 6tart queen-cells in 

 case they have brood young enough from which to start them? 



Minnesota. 

 Answers. — 1. Yes, have your prepared frame ready, go to the 

 strong colony and take out a frame of brood with its adhering bees 

 and queen — you can take away 2 or 3 such frames if you want to, the 



