1894 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



051 



-when a crop can be grown in a single season, 

 that will bring in the market a sum equal to 

 the value of the land on which it was grown, 

 our farmer friends have not so much to grum- 

 ble about after all. 



If your readers care to know what Mr. Mc- 

 Coll considers perfect condition of soil for 

 alsike, and his method of attaining it, I shall be 

 pleased to furnish a concise statement for 

 ■Gleanings. Emily J. West. 



Flint, Mich., Nov. 2. 



[By all means give us the particulars, friend 

 Emily.— El).] 



I>ATE-MATED QUEENS. 



I was much interested in G. B. Replogle.'s 

 letter to Dr. Miller (page 9) concerning late- 

 mated queens. My experience along this line 

 convinces me that there is something in the 

 theory. The last four years I have requeened 

 my apiary very late in the fall, so as to get my 

 ■queens mated to select drones. I found these 

 queens very prolific. Several that are now 

 three years old show no signs of failing. These 

 colonies have been the first ones in condition to 

 build cells early in the spring. As they built 

 such nice cells, I have kept them longer than I 

 do most queens, unless it is fine breeding-stock. 

 While these colonies got very strong, they were 

 not any more inclined to swarm than those 

 having fewer bees in them. 



I have forty colonies in winter quarters now, 

 with late-mated queens. Bees were reared in 

 but three colonies before cold weather set in, so 

 I shall have a good number to test the coming 

 season. Before, the queens were used to fill 

 orders; so, but a few were kept through the 

 season. Kince my attention was called to this 

 matter, I don't remember of having a poor 

 queen among any of my late-mated ones. 

 Twenty colonies have been the smallest num- 

 ber in my yard the last four years. Nearly all 

 bee-keepers could requeen their apiary late, 

 even if there were black bees all around them, 

 and get nearly all queens purely mated. If 

 bee-keepers desire, I will give my method of 

 getting late drones— something that would in- 

 terest queen-breeders also. E. F. Quigley. 

 Unionville, Mo. 



[This letter was mislaid. It has just turned 

 up; and as it is good, I am glad to give it place 

 at this late date.— Ed.] 



HOW TO KEEP ANTS, WHEKE THEY* ARE A 

 NUISANCE, OUT OF THE HIVE. 



I have succeeded in insulating a hive from 

 ants, without inconveniencing the bees. I will 

 give the plan. Make a stand somewhat like 

 the Heddon stand, with outside dimensions the 

 same as those of the bottom -board, and the top 

 edges even. We would say, dovetail them at 

 the corners, and only three inches deep. Into 

 each top corner insert a wood screw for the 

 bottom-board to rest on. The screws may be 



placed in the stand so as to make them come 

 under the cleats, or a little back from them, 

 just as you like best. Now adjust the screws 

 so as to make a crack }i of an inch between the 

 cleats and the ends of the stand. Now place 

 the hive on the stand, and watch the bees 

 (after they learn the trick) walk over the 

 cracK and enter the hive. Watch the ants, 

 also, how they caper about and are not able to 

 play the trick. Do not allow grass or any 

 thing to form a connection between the ground 

 and the hive. You will readily notice the 

 stand may be made on different plans, and the 

 space over which the bees are required to step 

 may be varied to suit your needs. 

 Lilesville, N. C. W. E. T. Ingram. 



BEE -SMOKER TO GET RID OF GOPHERS, ETC. 



In many of the Western States the small 

 ground-squirrels — Franklin's spermophile — 

 locally known as the gray gopher, a gray 

 ground-squirrel, etc.. and the striped spermo- 

 phile, local name striped gopher, striped 

 ground-squirrel, etc., are very numerous, and 

 do much damage in the newly planted corn- 

 fields, the first named in particular often de- 

 pleting the fields to such an extent as to cause 

 the replanting of the same. They increase 

 very fast; and in sections where, a few years 

 ago, they were scarce, their name is now legion. 

 They are strictly a prairie-squirrel, and are 

 never found in the timber, though they quickly 

 take possession of the timber lands after they 

 are cleared. Shooting and trapping are slow 

 and unsatisfactory methods of destroying 

 them; and while poison is more sure, many 

 people object to its use on account of danger to 

 domestic animals. My way is, to take a good 

 smoker, charge it with the fuel in common use, 

 mixed with rags dipped in melted sulphur (I 

 suppose sulphur sprinkled on the fuel would 

 answer the same purpose), light, insert the 

 nozzle in the mouth of the burrow, and a few 

 blasts will fill the hole with sulphuric-acid gas, 

 which is certain death to the animal. Sul- 

 phuric-acid gas is heavier than air, and will 

 settle to the bottom of the hole. 



This plan will work en any burrowing ani- 

 mal, providing the holes are all closed to pre- 

 vent the escape of the animal. In using the 

 smoker in small holes, the taper nozzle will 

 usually fill the hole; but for skunk, ground- 

 hog, fox, or other larger animals, it will be 

 advisable to close the mouth of the burrow by 

 laying a board over it with a hole in the center, 

 to admit the nozzle of the smoker. This is fun 

 for the boys, but death to the varmints. 

 Monroe. la. J- A. Nash. 



PUMICE STONE FOR PROPOLIS. 



Did you ever try pumice stone as a cleaner for 

 propolis-stained hands ? Nothing else is re- 

 quired except a little water— the handiest thing 

 I ever tried. H. Dupret. 



Montreal, Can., Oct. 14. 



