58 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



.IA.N. 15. 



ferent character from the ordinary powdered 

 sugar, and seems to be somewhat lumpish In 

 the barrel, and suggestive of starch. We should 

 like to hear from Mrs. Atchley v/ilh regard to 

 the kind she has been using.— Ei>. 



THE RESUI-T OF STIMULATIVE FEEDING. 



We fed our bees most of the summer with su- 

 gar and water (half parts), with a little pepsin 

 in each teacupful, and it seemed to have a won- 

 derful effect on them. From six colonies we 

 got .570 lbs. pure clover and sage honey, as fol- 

 lows: 120 lbs., 110, 90. GO, 8.5, 105, with enough 

 left for winter use. Our friend Mr. Flower, at 

 Ashbourne, who has had bees for years, thought 

 he had a good year, and got only .500 lbs. from 

 10 colonies. He was amazed at our report, as 

 we live only about 4 miles apart. Can you ac- 

 count for such a big difference in the amount of 

 honey obtained? We think it is due to giving 

 them pepsin in the sugar and water. Do you 

 think that would make them do any better? 



Ogontz, Penn., Dec. 5. W. O. Jknks. 



[We don't know about the pepsin, but should 

 incline to the opinion that it has no effect.-ED.] 





DOVETAILED HIVE INDORSED; SUGGESTIONS 

 AND CRITICISMS; SHALLOW BROOD- 

 CHAMBER, ETC. 



As to the " best hive," I suppose there will be 

 differences of opinions just so long as men, con- 

 ditions, circumstances, and localities differ. 

 But as for myself, let me say, that, for the pro- 

 duction of either extracted or comb honey, for 

 adaptability to varylngconditions, convenience, 

 simplicity, and cheapness, Dr. Miller or any 

 other man will have a ditticult task in finding a 

 better hive than the Dovetailed in some one of 

 its improved forms; (^specially should one start- 

 ing a new apiarian outfit weigh well the great 

 advantage found in the fact that this hive is 

 being manufactured along the line of scientific 

 developments; and wh(>n we study the- history 

 of the past it is wonderful to note how the 

 changes and improvements have been so adjust- 

 ed that those who used them could keep right 

 along with the advance without pecuniary loss. 



In view of what I have said it is certainly 

 with much hesitancy that I make a few sugges- 

 tions. First, I hope you will hold on to the im- 

 proved Hoffman frames. That they are supe- 

 rior to those enlarged at the ends, I am sure 

 such a genius as Dr. Miller would soon discover 

 after practical trial. As to the V edge, I care 

 but little. Some colonies till up the space with 

 propolis, others do not; and as for killing the 

 bees — why. it simply cuts them in two, while 

 the flat edges mash them. The fact Is. how- 



ever, by gently pushing one frame against the 

 other, and withdrawing it once or twice, we 

 may avoid killing any bees with either. I be- 

 lieve there is less propolis generally with the 

 Hat edges, especially when the wedge is used 

 behind the division-board, and all keyed up, 

 which I always do. 



Now as to the "bee-space" of the Dovetailed 

 hive as manufactured at ^Medina, I wish it 

 were increased to %, or at least i^ of an inch. 

 My experience has been, more propolis, burr 

 and brace comb, with the less than with the 

 greater space, especially between the top and 

 bottom super when both are in; and between 

 the super and top do we find more propolis than 

 when the space is decidedly fV or %. The 

 structure of the super as now made is for J^-in. 

 space; and let me say, Ero. Root, you allow 

 nothing for the smoothing-plane, which I will 

 use, though the boards as they come from the 

 factory are as smooth as any of that class of 

 work ever turned out from any factory in the 

 land, I believe. Well, this very little shaving 

 is taken off the super edges, and now sometimes 

 the sections, when placed in the holders, will 

 not go down, all of them at least, so as to leave 

 a full i4'-inch bee-space; and whenever it is 

 less, as, for instance, when a section springs 

 up, there you will lind propolis. I tacked a strip 

 ,V inch all around a number of supers last sea- 

 son, and, without one exception, I found less 

 propolis. I am forced to the conclusion that 

 bees will put propolis in a space the least frac- 

 tion under I4 inch, certain. Better, then, con- 

 struct for -{'a, and when, unavoidably, we have 

 less or more by ^V- all will be well. 



Pardon me now if I seem to grow bolder with 

 my suggestions; but I am growing in love with 

 shallow frames; and, unless I have had a pecul- 

 iar experience, what is now the dovetailed su- 

 per, with certain changes, is the coming hive. 



Friend Root, let me ask you and Dr. Miller to 

 pay attention to this: Let the factory at Me- 

 dina make for the coming season some dove- 

 tailed supers, increased to full 5 inchesin depth; 

 then rabbet out sufficiently to receive the usual 

 tin rabbet. Make, for these, frames of the im- 

 proved Hoff'. style, with top-bar ^j inch thick, 

 and bottom-bar I4 inch thick, and saine iridih 

 of top-bar, or else you will surely have burr- 

 combs. Key up all with the usual follower 

 and wedge. Let the bee-space throughout be 

 /;;. Send out a number of these to your custom- 

 ers (free, if you like — I'll take quite a good 

 many at that), and then see what you shall see, 

 and hear what you shall hear. P^'or making 

 nuclei; for queen-rearing; for doubling weak 

 swarms; for adaptability to capacity of queen; 

 for production of either comb or extracted hon- 

 ey, or both; for wintering; for favorable ma- 

 nipulation in brood-rearing in spring, and for 

 economy of time in handling, such a hive offers 

 advantages which those only will ever know 

 who give them a faithful trial. Two or three 



