106 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 



aged to carry the tar: and as the tar was quite stiff 

 and bitieli we could detect every movement. The 

 bee did not fiisk and dodge about with his wings 

 and tail up as they do when gathering pollen, but 

 settled right down to business, biting and twisting 

 away at a little pellet of the black tar; and as soon 

 as he had it in the right shape to suit him, he 

 snatched it from his mandibles with his fore foot, 

 passed it to his next foot, and that foot stuck it 

 in the pollen - basket and patted it down with 

 several strokes. Now you have an idea about how 

 fast Mr. Bee handles his feet; but the pellet of tar 

 was so large and black, the bee at rest, and the sun 

 shining brightly, that we saw with our own eyes, 

 and we both agree that the foregoing is correct. 

 Valley, Ky., Jan. 16, 1886. G. F. Heselton. 



Thank you, friend F., for so carefully 

 watching the operation. I have seen bees 

 take pellets of wax, but could never witness 

 the action of the middle leg in depositing it 

 in the pollen-basket; but I was anxious to 

 ascertain just how this middle leg grasped 

 the pollen or wax. Did you notice whether 

 the foot of the middle leg, or one of its joints, 

 picked up the little pellets, and transferred 

 them to the hind leg? Ehxest. 



A KEPOIiT BOTH ENCOURAOINC; AND DISCOUR- 

 AGING. 



Jfy bees diminished from 24 to nothing, and my 

 siibscription to Gleanings has expired. I have 

 enjoyed reading it much, but have yet to learn the 

 taste of nice honey made by my own bees since 1881, 

 wlien I began with one swarm. I have raised a 

 club for the S. S. Times, for 1886, and sent direct to 

 publisheis. Thanks for past favors, and best 

 wishes for your future. A. W. Valentine. 



IJethel, Me., Dec. 32, 188,'). 



Friend V., we are very sorry to hear that 

 you have not had a taste of honey yet, even 

 with so many bees as that; but we are glad 

 to know that you have dropped oft' from our 

 listof the Sumlan- School Thnes, and have rais- 

 ed a club in your neighborhood. Several 

 liave reported in a similar way in regard to 

 tlie .7V«((.s, and that is what 1 regard as en- 

 couraging; for it can not go into any com- 

 munity without raising the general standard 

 of morals of the people. 



i.angstroth's new book, etc. 



Mr. Editor:— \Ve wish to thank yftu for your kind 

 notice of the revision of " father Langstroth's 

 l)Ook;" and in answer to inquiries already coming, 

 we wish to state that the revision is not yet half 

 through, owing to our gathering new matter and 

 engravings and information from different parts of 

 Kiirope and Ainerica. The book will not appear be- 

 fore spring, perhaps not till fall. In connectioii 

 witli this work we wish to correct the erroneous idea 

 entei'tained by some, and found in Mr. Heddon's new 

 book, that we use the closed-end Quinby frame. 

 The frame we use and prefer is the old hanging 

 (Quinby frame, made exactly on the principles of 

 the Langstroth invention. The publication of the 

 iior Lang-stroth book will be duly advertised in the 

 bee-periodicals, when ready. 



Hamilton, III. Chas. Dadant & Son. 



THE solar WAX-EXTRACTOU. 



f think I have an idea that is good; at anj' rate, I 

 venture. Take a dish, or rinsing-pan, from your 

 fid cent counter; solder a tube in the liottom near 



the side; now place this in a square box with a 

 glass cover. I would have a shelf fixed on the 

 south side of my honej--house, directly under A win- 

 dow. I would use the pan for an uncapping-can, 

 and when it becomes nearly full I would set it out 

 to melt. I am of the opinion that reflectors are un- 

 necessarj', also that one glass is enough. The dish- 

 pan is just the right shape, and will astonish one to 

 notice the amount of heat they attract. I have, by 

 holding the pan at the proper angle, lighted a cigar 

 iri less than two minutes; but of course the heat is 

 diminished when the bottom is covered with wax. 

 I should like to ask if an ordinary tin tea-kettle, 

 with a screw top, would generate sufficient steam o 

 extract the Avax in a Dadant uncapping-can. The 

 kettle could be connected with the chii by a few 

 feet of rubber tubing. Walter S. Poitder. 



Groesbeck, O., Jan. 3, 1880. 



Thanks, friend P., for your idea of the 

 dishpan. Our largest size of retinned, 

 stamped dishpans would doubtless make 

 quite a powerful reflector. We shall prob- 

 ably soon get out a solar wax-extractor that 

 is eft'^ctive, and does not cost very much 

 money either — may be something made from 

 common utensils we have in every-day use. 

 A common tea-kettle, arranged as you sug- 

 gest, would, 1 think, melt the cappings nice- 

 ly in a Dadant uncapping-can, providing you 

 do not put in too much at once. 



A PLAN EOR heating BEE-CELLARS. 



I desire to present to you a plan for heating bee- 

 cellars, or, rather, modifying the temperature. 

 Place in your kitchen, near the cook-stove, a boiler 

 tliat any plumber-supply dealer can furnish for 

 $4.(10 or f.'i.Oi). Pass a i)ipe from the boiler through 

 the fuel chamber of your stove, and to your bee- 

 cellar i>ass a pipe around the cellar near the floor, 

 and back again to the boiler. If the cellar is away 

 from the house, place the pipe five or six feet be- 

 neath the surface, fill the boiler and pipes, and you 

 will have a circulation of warm water that will nice- 

 ly temper the atmosphere, and give an opportunity 

 for good healthy ventilation. If necessary, you can 

 supply a cut-ofl' pipe so you can cut off circulation 

 through the cellar, and cool it if necessary; but 1 

 should think it better to ventilate well. Vt)ii can 

 easily keep the temperature at 40° to 50°, and gi\ e 

 the bees a good ventilation. As to detail of arrange- 

 ments, any plumber can give you full particulars. 

 Charles E. Parks. 



Watertown, Wis., Dec. :50, 188,5. 



Friend P., yom- arrangement is substan- 

 tially tlie hot-water plan generally ustul for 

 greenhouses and conservatories, only in- 

 stead of heating a part of tlie pipe, the boiler 

 Usflf forms a part of the circuit, and the 

 heat is applied through the boiler, or through 

 Hues in the boiler, and the only place wheie 

 the circuit is open to the outer air is at some 

 point in the greenhouse furthest from the 

 furnace. Here is what is called a stand-pipe, 

 to till up what is lost by evaporation, and al- 

 so to allow the water to expand and contract 

 by the difterent temperatures. As soon as 

 heat is applied, a circidation commences. 

 Hot water goes from the boiler out to the 

 stand-pipe, and the cold water goes back in- 

 to the boiler again. A liome-made apparat- 

 us, such as you describe, will often answer 

 very well for special case . 



