104 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUllE. 



Feh. 



nearly spoiled, even for second-class honej'. Per- 

 liap' pei-ror;itod tin, as it is used in the extractor 

 described by Mr. Muth-Rasmussen, on page 339 of 

 Gleaninos Cor 1835, would remedy this evil. The 

 capacity of the tray might also be increased by 

 liaving its width uniform, and having- a gutter to 

 catch the melted wax, this gutter having- a slight 

 fall from each end to the center, where a hole in it 

 would permit the wax to fall into a pail. 



Further improvements might be made by having- 

 the legs which support the end of the extractor 

 fixed with a thumbscrew so that it could be sup- 

 ported at any height. A similar arrang-eraent at- 

 tached to the hinged end of the tray might corres- 

 pondingly regulate its incline. Thus the position 

 of the glass might be readily changed so that the 

 sun could strike it at right angles at all times. As 

 there are days nearly up to November when the ex- 

 tractor may be used, this is a matter of importance. 



With these suggested changes I think that the 

 convenience and efficiency of the sun wax-extract- 

 or, as I have used it the past season, would he 

 greatly increased. Mine, as it is, I consider one of 

 the most useful things which I have about my 

 apiary, and I would not be without it for twenty 

 times its cost. Heretofore the storage of cappings, 

 till I had time to render them, was fraught with 

 vexation. They would di-ip, drip, no matter how 

 well they might be drained; and unless a tin recep- 

 tacle were used, I would soon be reminded of the 

 searching and sticky qualities of honey by finding a 

 strain of it making its way over the floor from un- 

 der my barrel of cappings. But there is no vexa- 

 tion of this sort now, and I thank Mr. Poppleton 

 foi- his plain directions which led me to make a 

 solar wax-extractor. Jamks McNeill. 



Hudson, N. Y., Jan. hi. 1888. 



Friend M., there is ii simpler way of get- 

 ling the snn's rays in the morning and eve- 

 ning than Itaving your box on pivots so it 

 must be turned. Vse three or more panes 

 of glass. Have one side at an angle south- 

 east; the middle one at an angle facing the 

 south, and the third at an angle facing the 

 south - Avest. Or, to get a more perfect 

 arrangement still, use a bell glass in the 

 shape of a rounded comb or pyramid. I am 

 astonished to know that the heat of the sun 

 could injure the flavor of the honey. Some 

 arrangement to let it run off befpre it is so 

 hot would surely remedy this. In regard to 

 having drippings or cappings, or any thing 

 else, running down on to the floor, 1 would 

 not hav(^ any such work about me. If those 

 who help about the apiary can't be cured of 

 such tricks, I would swap them off for some- 

 body who omhl be cured. 



A REPORT PROM TEXAS. 



SWAR.MINO-OITT OF NUCLEI. 



TOOK two colonies on shares three years ago 



last spring. I now have 35. I increased mostly 



bj' artificial swarming. I believe it is the best 



way, unless one could be in his apiary all the 



time during the swarming season. 1 made T 



artificial colonies this last summer, every one of 



which swarmed when the first riuecn hatched out. 



This is something T never knew l)efore. I thought 



at first it was on account of their not having any 

 unsealed brood. I gave them young brood and lar- 

 vie, Ijut it did no good— they swarmed all the same. 

 Of course, if 1 had given them a laying queen when 

 the colonies were first formed, the trouble would 

 have been over. One colony I gave a laying queen 

 Avhen formed, and I took over 101 lbs. of honey from 

 it. 'i'hc others all swarmed, and filled their hives, 

 but made but little surplus. 



EIOHT DEGREES ABOVK ZERO, IN TEXAS. 



We are having cold weather here now— eight de- 

 grees above zero, which is uncommonly cold for 

 this countiy. 



< O.MBS BREAKING DOWN BY FREEZING. 



I noticed this morning, while looking- through my 

 bees, that the honey was running out at the entrance 

 of several of the hives; and on examination 1 found 

 that the combs in the outside frames were cracked, 

 and the honey oozing out. This is something else I 

 never saw before. I've seen combs melt down in 

 all kinds of hives, but I never saw them freeze down 

 before. 



DANCiER OF r.KAVING AN I'PPKR STORY ON 

 DITRING WINTER. 



1 have lost one colony this winter. It was a strong 

 one, but I had left the upper story on, :"nd they 

 went above and starved to death, with at least 4) 

 lbs. of nice honey in the lower story. Every frame 

 in the lower story is solid sealed honey. So you see 

 the loss of this colony is attributable to my neglect, 

 for I know very well that bees could not wintei-, 

 even in this climate, on all sealed honey. This is a 

 good country for bees. We have a great variety of 

 honey-producing- plants. The horsemint is the best 

 honey-plant we have here. A good many people 

 keep bees here, but there are ver.\- lev*- who take 

 any pains with them. Most of them hive them 

 when they swarm, set them in a feneecornei-, and 

 that is the last of them until robbing-time. 



J. W. Tho.mpson. 



Decatur, Wise Co., Texas., Jan. lit, 188G. 



Friend T., it is certainly very imusiial 

 for the bees of a nucleus to go out Avith the 

 young queen, when they have brood in all 

 stages in the hive. Of course, a laying queen 

 would set things so much ahead. — One huji- 

 dred pounds of honey from an artificial col- 

 ony is pretty well, for a beginner. I think 

 your locality must be a good one.— Eight de- 

 grees above zero is certainly colder than I 

 supposed it ever was in Texas. No wonder 

 your combs broke and let the honey run out. 

 A chaff hive would effectually remedy all 

 such troubles, and T should most itssuredly 

 recommend chaff hives in Texas, if you are 

 going to have a repetition of the tempera- 

 ture mentioned above.— }?ees are always lia- 

 ble to go into the upper story where it is left 

 on all winter, because the warmth from their- 

 bodies rises naturally, and they follow in 

 their efforts to cluster in the warmest place 

 in the hive. Here is where the advantage 

 of the Hill device comes in. It makes a 

 cavity covered on all sides by the chall 

 cushion. Now% this chaff cushion allows 

 air to pass through fast enough to keep it 

 always piu-e, and at the same time it holds 

 it long enough so the heat of the hive may 

 accumulate in this cavity, inducing the bees 

 to cluster right there, Avith their stores of 

 honey so near them that they are always 

 able to reach it. 



