1894 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



551 



While the bees have no chance to deposit 

 much propolis, still they will deposit some in 

 any case— jnst enough lo "stick a little." If 

 you would try a few hives at the Home of the 

 Honey-bees, I think your chief objection would 

 soon vanish into air. The Stephens spacer 

 strikes a happy medium between too much and 

 too little "stick." If the bee-master wants a 

 little propolis on his frames, he gets it— just 

 enough to keep the frames from rattling while 

 being moved over rough roads ; and if he 

 doesn't want any at all, he gets as little as it 

 is possible to have where any thing touches be- 

 tween the frames. Geo. W. Stephens. 

 Denison, la., June 5. 



APPLE-BT.OSSOM HONEY OF GOOD FT.AYOR. 



I took 10 lbs. of apple- blossom honey from one 

 hive to-day, in 1-lb. sections, and well capped 

 over. Those of my friends who have sampled 

 it pronounce it the most delicious and aromatic 

 honey they ever tasted. Is that so bad for a 

 first-year dude bee-keeper? Dr. C. F. Hodge. 



Clark University, Mass., May 27. 



[Apple-blossom honey used to be considered 

 rather poor quality: but it is now evident that, 

 from the number of reports like the foregoing 

 that have been received since that, we have 

 misjudged it. To determine the matter beyond 

 a doubt let us have more reports, because there 

 was. this season, a fair crop from fruit-bloom, a 

 large part of which was from apple.— Ed.] 



YELLOW SWEET CLOVERS AND OTHER CLOYERS. 



I've been watching with much interest the 

 blooming of the yellow sweet dovpr—Melilntus 

 cfficlnuUs. It bloomed early in May, and bees 

 have been working upon it. It appears as if 

 this plant should be brought more into notice, 

 as it fills the interim between fruit-bloom and 

 white clover. There is much sweet clover of 

 the white variety — 3/'ci'i7ofi<.s allni — In this lo- 

 cality, of very rank growth, but it shows no 

 sign of blooming. The yellow sweet clover was 

 a great favorite of D. A. Jones, who called it 

 Bokhara clover. Judging from what I have 

 seen of it, I'm of the opinion that it is richer in 

 nectar than the white variety — has finer stalks 

 than the latter named, and is a free bloomer. 

 "White clover— TrifoZiu)/) alha—\s almost a lost 

 tribe in this vicinity, which is probably owing 

 to the severe drouths of past years. The wea- 

 ther has been quite cool of late, and bees can do 

 but little. Mrs. L. Harrison. 



Peoria, 111., May 30. 



[The sweet clover in our vicinity seems to be 

 principally of the white persuasion. It is more 

 abundant along waste places this year than 

 usual.— Ed.] 



EVERY THING RUN DRY EXCEPT THE SALOONS. 



Iowa is suffering from a severe drouth. The 

 meadows and pastures are badly dried up, in- 

 cluding white clover ; and unless basswood 

 gives a fair yield of honey, Sam Wilson's proph- 

 ecy will prove true — '"Less honey in Iowa than 

 last year." Every thing is running dry except 



the saloons this year in Iowa. They are run- 

 ning wet. One saloon in this town is reported 

 to have taken in ^lOoO in ten days; another to 

 have sold 17 kegs of beer in one day. It has 

 been several years since they could go into an 

 open saloon and drink, in this part of Iowa, and 

 the novelty of the thing may create a boom. It 

 doesn't look as if we were seeking first the king- 

 dom of God and his righteousness very fast— go- 

 ing back from prohibition to the open saloon. 

 There should be placed over the door to every 

 saloon the motto that used to be over the door 

 to Stormy Jordan's, in Ottumwa — " Road to 

 Hell." O- B- BARiiOWS. 



Marshalltown. la., June 8. 



[We hope your good people will wake up soon. 

 The Devil is not asleep, but many times Chris- 

 tian people are.— Ed.] 



GALVANIZED IRON FOR HONEY UTENSILS. 



As your inquiry abo\it galvanized -iron vessels 

 did not receive as many replies as I expected, I 

 will throw in my mite to help settle the matter. 

 I have used galvanized iron for honey-tanks 

 and extractor for about 10 years, and find that, 

 when honey is left standing in them for any 

 length of time, that part next to the metal 

 acquires a disagreeable taste, but it is not 

 dangerously poisonous, as no one can eat 

 enough of it to become poisoned. I have fed 

 such honey to the bees, without noticeable 

 effect. I always wax the vessels now by heat- 

 ing them and rubbing a piece of beeswax over 

 them, thus giving them a very thin coat of wax, 

 which makes them all right. 



Leslie, Ga, May 26. T. VV. Livingston. 



ENCOURAGING FOR FLORIDA. 



East Florida has not seen such fine promise 

 for a heavy crop of honey since 1SS4 as now 

 makes its bee-keepers smile. The crop from 

 the orange-blossoms was an unusually good one, 

 and the saw- palmetto and gallb( rry have not 

 shown bloom as at present since the above date. 

 Nearly every one owning bees here is taking 

 honey by the ton : and the black mangrove, 

 not yet in bloom, gives promise of being much 

 earlier than usual, and is lo.'.ded with blossom- 

 buds. An average colony on scales in my 

 apiary is bringing in steadily about eight 

 poundi^ adaij. W. S. Hart. 



Hawks Park, Fhi.. May 21. 



DO FIRST SWARMS EVER LEAVE BEFORE FIRST 

 OUEEN-CELLS ARE CAPPED? 



In the A B C of Bee Culture, p. 382. Note 207, 

 Doolittle says: "I do not believe the first 

 swarm o/f/ic scosofi ever issued until the first 

 queen-cell was capped over." My experience 

 this season contradicts this. May 8th I exam- 

 ined all my 9 hives, and there were no queen- 

 cells. Next day my first swarm of the season 

 issued, much to my surprise. The same evening 

 another swarm issued from the next hive, but 

 returned, as the queen's wing was damaged, 



