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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mar. 1. 



that Webster's Unabridged and the Revised In- 

 ternational make the same confusion ; but years 

 ago, Mr. Newman, then publisher of the Amer- 

 lean Bee Journal, recognized the need of more 

 accuracy in the u?e of terms, or limiting the 

 use of said terms to more specific uses. He set 

 the ball rolling, and we believe the publishers 

 of the better class of bee-journals have follow- 

 ed suit ever since. The new Standard Diction- 

 ary, that promises to eclipse the International, 

 will have these terms correctly defined. 



FEEDING BEES SUGAR TO HAVE THEM MAKE 

 IT INTO HONEY. 



The absurdity of this idea is shown on page 

 193, for sugar in Utah costs a good deal more 

 than honey; and, in fact, I do not believe there 

 is a locality anywhere, where a bee-keeper can 

 afford to feed his bees sugar. Fair crops of 

 honey are to be had in almost every locality, 

 and during almost every season, without feed- 

 ing the bees any thing. Now, think of the 

 expense, to say nothing about the trouble of 

 going to work systematically to feed the bees 

 sugar. The statements that have been in print, 

 advising or condoning the feeding of sugar to 

 make honey, is responsible in a large measure 

 for this. There are plenty of real wrongs to 

 fight, without hunting up imaginary ones. 



A. I. R. 



T>ANGDON NON-SWARMER A SUCCESS IN NEW 

 ZEALAND. 



In the New Zealand Farmer, published at 

 Auckland, for December, three writers in the 

 apicultural department speak very highly of 

 the Langdon non-swarmer. Indeed, it seems to 

 be a success with them in every sense of the 

 word. One of the writers, Mr. C. A. Green, 

 summarizes the advantages thus: 



1. With the use of the Langdon nonswarmer, 

 swarming can be reduced to a minimum, if not al- 

 together al)olished. 



2. The full force of workers being thrown into 

 one hive, surplus honey can be obtained earlier in 

 the season. 



3. The first sections will be better filled than those 

 from off single colonies, on account of the great 

 force of workers. 



4. With it bees may more easily be united, T flunk, 

 without so great a danger of fighting. 



5. Hives on which are iion-swarniers speedily re- 

 duce the number of drones in the hive. 



We have had some good reports in this coun- 

 try. Is it not quite possible that it was con- 

 demned just, because of a few unfavorable re- 

 ports? Let's not kill a good invention, one that 

 promises so much as this, without giving the 

 implement a fair trial. Let Bro. Taylor test 

 the Langdon again, constructed as Mr. Lang- 

 don now recommcmds. 



OUR NEW CONTRIRUTOR, MR. MATIIEY. 



We would call special attention to the article 

 on Dr. John Dzierzon, by Karl R. Mathey. 

 It is well jVritten, and is a just tribute to one 



of the great bee-masters of the age. and our 

 Mr. W. P. Root has made an admirable transla- 

 tion of it. 



A good many times we Americans settle back 

 on the idea that every good thing in apiculture 

 originated with us; that the movable frame 

 was fathered by Langstroth. Not wishing to 

 detract any thing from the glory belonging to 

 the father of American apiculture, it is but just 

 to say that Langstroth did not bring to light, 

 strictly speaking, the movable frame. He did 

 invent, however, a frame that had bee-spaces 

 between the end-bars and the ends of the hives, 

 between the bottom- bar and the bottom of the 

 hive, and between the top-bars and cover, or 

 super, above. His, perhaps, was the first prac- 

 tlcal movable frame, but it was not the first 

 Making frames or racks containing comb so 

 that the brood-frame or comb could be examin- 

 ed, is an invention that properly belongs to 

 Huber. Then followed Langstroth, later on, 

 with another great and important step; name 

 ly, putting a bee-space clear around the frame. 

 Strangely enough, some bee-keepers now are 

 giving up part of the bee-spaces, and using the 

 frames more as first used by Berlepsch and 

 Huber. 



The old adage, -'The bees stung him smart in 

 his youth." while possibly old to the Germans, 

 will, we imagine, strike the ears of an English 

 speaker with more or less of newness. Perhaps 

 a few bee-keepers in this country have beer 

 stung smart in two senses of the word, and w( 

 might refer to father Langstroth and fathei 

 Quinby. By the way, the Quinby idea of a 

 frame seems in these latter days to be gaining 

 advocates. 



BISULPHIDE OF CARBON FOR KILLING ANTS, 

 RATS, AND SKUNKS. 



Our readers will remember, some years ago 

 Prof. Cook recommended the use of bisulphide 

 of carbon to get rid of ants' nests near hives or 

 elsewhere. The plan he recommended, if we 

 remember correctly, was to take a crowbar, or 

 other similar implement, and make a hole a 

 few inches deep in the center of the nest, and 

 then pour in an ounce of crude bisulphide of 

 carbon, after which tamp the hole tight with, a 

 plug of earth. A gas is at once generated that 

 will work its way through the winding passages 

 and asphyxiate evei-y ant. 



In the last number of the American Bee 

 Journal, A. C. Tyrrell tells us that the same 

 chemical may be used to get rid of prairie-dogs, 

 skunks, and other burrowing animals. As rats 

 often prov(! to bo a great nuisance in the vicini- 

 ty of honey-houses, it may be well to describe 

 the plan. A few tablespoonfuls of bisulphide 

 of carbon arc poured on to a bunch of rags or 

 waste. It should be jilaced immediately in the 

 mouth of the burrow, and the burrow at once 

 closed. As the vapor is heavier than air it will 

 descend to the lowest part of the burrow, and 



