1870.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



15 



yon and as many of the readers of the Journal 

 as can conveniently, to make us a visit and go 

 through our apiary, melextractor and all. 'Tis 

 a fine June morning, and we will go ahead and 

 "operate " just as though you were not around ; 

 and, so far as we can, will try and anticipate 

 your questions. 



Here we are, and here are our tools ; very sim- 

 ple it is true, yet they suit vis^very well, and 

 when we happen to mislay one of them, we find 

 to our cost that they are very necessary. 



We first put our pants inside the tops of our 

 stockings, (no remarks about our looks, if you 

 please ; and, by the way, we are going to insist 

 that not one of you shall say one word about 

 anything you see, at least for to-day,) as the 

 the young bees have an "o/ipleasant " way of 

 crawling on things indiscriminately. That long" 

 turkey-quill is not to stick in our cap, but to be 

 put in our left-hand vest-pocket, and in the 

 right-hand pocket Ave place a small screwdriver, 

 such as is used with sewing machines. A milli- 

 net veil with rubber band around the top, to 

 slip on our hat, completes the outfit, when 

 tucked inside of the collar at the lower edge. It 

 is true, we can work without the latter ; but 

 those same young bees in a person's neck and 

 hair are rather a bother. What, hives flat on 

 the ground? Is that the best way? In our 

 opinion certainly, as you will see presently. We 

 do not know how we could have them stuck up 

 on stakes and benches, if we wanted to. 



This hive was emptied of every drop last Mon- 

 day, so that the sealed honey you see here has 

 all been gathered in five days. We prefer to 

 take it out just before sealing, or when it shows 

 only a little sealed near the top of the frame. 

 Yes, they are inclined to be a little cross when 

 the hive is first opened : but observe that when 

 we shake the first frame full on the sawdust in 

 fi'ont of the hive, they become alarmed, even if 

 hybrids, and commence filling themselves with 

 honey. So we are all right. No jarring the 

 frame while removing it. Now, holding the pro- 

 jecting end between the th'uiiib and fingei', slip 

 the middle finger down against the end-piece of 

 the frame to prevent them breaking apart, as 

 they will sometimes do when very heavy. All 

 the bees cannot be shaken off, so here the turkey- 

 quill comes in play. While the frame is held in 

 the left hand, the bees can be brushed away by 

 the other ; and, as many of them will go right 

 back if we stand here, we will meanwhile walk 

 towards the melextractor. A lady has charge of 

 that, uncajis the cells and removes the honey, 

 being careful not to throw out the unsealed 

 brood ; and does this better probably than you or 

 I could. No, we cannot sell that knife, used for 

 uncapping, bvit you can easily make one. Get 

 a long thin-blade knife (cost sixty cents), bend 

 it twice near the handle, so as to stand like a 

 trowel (keep a wet cloth around the blade mean- 

 while, so as to pi'event drawing out the temper, 

 after removing the handle); now grind both 

 edges as sharp as you can, refit the handle, 

 and your troubles are over. 



As soon as we get out three or four frames, we 

 commence bringing them back and fill up the 

 vacant side for the bees to cluster on. Save all 

 drone comb for the second story. When bass- 



wood commences to blossom, we shall only re- 

 move the honey from that. We wish now to get 

 all the white clover honey we can, and let the 

 bees take theirs from some other source. If any 

 sealed drone brood is found, after emptying the 

 honey slice their heads off. There will be drones 

 enough any way. 



We are informed that the honey is up to the 

 wirecloth ; so the whole inside is lifted from the 

 melextractor, and the contents poured into a 

 largo can with a fine wirecloth strained over the 

 top and a faucet in one side. A tin basin, with 

 a circle of the glass jars set inside, is turned as 

 fast as one jar is filled, to the next ; and while 

 they are filling, the girl who presides over them 

 corks them, and puts on the labels. Do not stop 

 to look at her too long, or she may get embar- 

 rassed and let the jars run over into the basin — 

 ■which is nothing serious indeed, only some 

 trouble. We had six hundred labels printed for 

 white clover, and they are all gone now, and this 

 is only June 11th. Good for the bees. 



We are going to prevent swarming as far as 

 we can, but when they get determined on it, re- 

 move the hive and give them a new one and a 

 new queen. We find queen cells in many of the 

 hives now, but remove them all. 



Now, as we have had our say, any further 

 questions, to be answered through the Journal, 

 will give us great pleasure. 



One thing more. On the 5tli of June we no- 

 ticed that the red clover blossoms contained an 

 unusual quantity of honey. In fact, qui te a large 

 drop could be squeezed out ; and on looking over 

 the yard we found a great number of Italians 

 very busy on them. We immediately started for 

 a clover field, but were prevented from making 

 any observations by a thundershower — the first 

 rain we have had for two weeks. As we have 

 had considerable more since then, the bees have 

 not worked on them any longer ; so that our 

 clover honey may be in large part red clover 

 after all. 



Hoping to be able to give you as favorable an 

 account next month ; and that all the readers of 

 this are doing equally well, is the hearty wish of 



Novice. 



[For tlie American Bee .Tourual.] 



The Langstroth Patent, 



Mr. Editor : — As you have inserted Mr. 

 Langstroth's claims in the February number of 

 the Bee Journal, vol. 4, and as every new be- 

 ginner should be posted in regard to any patent 

 hive that he may purchase, and not "go it 

 blind"; and, furthermore, as I have a great 

 many inquiries from new beginners, about whom 

 to purchase the right to the movable combs 

 from, &c., &c., suppose, at my request, you pub- 

 lish the following paper. 



I wish to have the reader distinctly under- 

 stand that there is no collusion between Mr. 

 Langstroth and myself ; or, in other words, that 

 I am not an agent for Mr. Langstroth, and have 

 no other object or interest in recommending his 

 patent than to see the right {ox what I believe 

 to be right) prevail. 



