214 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mar. 



erthat enough; if they are rejected, they will be 

 missing, and it is time we should know it. I have 

 never lost one from opening- the hive the next day, 

 or soon after, and I have introduced hundreds of 

 them. C. W. King. 



Kibbles, Mich., Feb. 10, 1886. 



After reading the above, please turn to page 

 ISG of last number for the rest of the article. 

 — The plan of saving bulged combs for the 

 home retail trade is an excellent idea ; and for 

 economy in packing away neatly, we can set 

 them in the regular retail cases by putting 

 empty sections between sections where 'the 

 honey is bulged out very badly.— The plan 

 of giving tlie brood-combs from the parent 

 stock to a new swarm lias been a good deal 

 practiced : but friend Doolittle and others 

 object, as it often causes continued swarm- 

 ing. When your bees get a swarming mania, 

 very likely this may be a trouble. If they 

 have not a queen to swarm out with, they 

 will often swarm as soon as they can get one 

 hatched. 



MRS. HARBISON TELLS US HOW THEY 

 "WINTER THEIR BEES. 



celijAr wintering compared with chaff 



PACKING. 



R. EDITOR.— Your chaff hives may be the 

 very best for wintering bees, and far ahead 

 of cellar wintering; but, what are we to do 

 who have not got them and are not able to 

 jirocure them? We are wintering forty 

 colonies in the cellar, and, as far as I can judge, 

 they are as bright and as healthy as in June. The 

 cellar is paved with brick, and I occasionallj- sweep 

 up the few dead bees, and the air is sweet and pure. 

 Once, during a very cold spell, the thermometer 

 went down to 38'; but most of the time it kept at 

 the neighborhood of 45°. The bees were put in the 

 2od of December, after enjoying a fly for several 

 days. 



The bee-cellar is partitioned off from the main 

 one, and has a sub-earth ventilator. As far as I am 

 able to judge, the ventilator does not lower the tem- 

 perature, if kept open during severe weather, and 

 there appear to be counter -currents through it. 

 There is a window, hung on hinges, but there has 

 been no occasion to open it as yet. Since the intro- 

 duction of the sub-earth ventilator, the air in the 

 main cellar is much purer than formerly, and no 

 mold accumulates. 



As to "lugging hives in and out," there are plen- 

 ty of men on the street-corners glad to do it for a 

 consideration, and two men could carry in one hun- 

 dred in half a day. Longfellow says something 

 like this: "Take whatever lieth near thee, and 

 work from it thy work of art." I could not com- 

 mand chaff' hives, but I had the cellar, and a few 

 dollars fixed it up for bees; and some men, glad to 

 earn a few pounds of honey, carried the bees in. 



About as many colonies are wintering on their 

 summer stands, protected in four different ways. 

 I had some barrels not in use; some were oil-barrels, 

 others apple and pork barrels. The bees had on 

 Hill devices, covered wjth new muslin, which was 

 fastened down to the top of the hive by running a 

 hot smoothing-iron around to melt the propolis, so 

 no bees could come up; then two thicknesses of 

 woolen cloth and wire netting over this, which was 



kept firmly in place by nailing on little cleats of 

 wood. When thus prepared, and the bees fastened 

 in in front, they were ready to barrel. Into the 

 bottom of this was poured a quantity of chaff, and 

 the hive (an eight-frame Langstroth) dropped in. 

 All around the hive, chaff' was packed very closely 

 —bottom, top, and sides, and then turned down 

 upon its former stand. Colonies in the barrels ap- 

 pear to carry out fewer bees than the others, and 

 during warm days they play as in summer. 



I have one hive called Cj'ula Linswik, as it is fix- 

 ed as nearly as possible as Mr. Hutchinson describ- 

 ed her manner of wintering. A number of hives 

 are placed against the east side of our house, and 

 packed between and around them with leaves, chaff 

 cushions on top, and the whole covered with boards 

 to keep off wet. A few hives are standing singly, 

 with four thicknesses of newspapers above the 

 muslin, and the cap shut down over paper, and 

 chaff cushions above— one without paper. I ex-, 

 pect the barrel hives to come out ahead; if so, it 

 will prove the value of chaff hives. As the bees 

 upon their summer stands have access to water 

 frequently, I shall put wet cotton rags in the porti- 

 cos of those in the cellar, so that they can help 

 themselves if they wish to. Bees are now upon the 

 wing. Mrs. L. Habrison. 



Peoria, 111., Feb. 33, 1880. 



By all means, winter the bees in the cellar 

 when you are situated so it will be the hand- 

 iest and cheapest, Mrs. II. — In regard to 

 cheap help, there are men standing around 

 here in Medina as well as in Peoria ; but my 

 experience is, that it would be about as 

 much trouble to teach them to carry the 

 hives into the cellar, and set them down 

 properly, as to employ expensive help for 

 the purpose ; and sooner or later these same 

 men who have not any thing to do, usually 

 want about as big pay as anybody. — Very 

 likely your barrel arrangements for packing 

 outdoors will answer ; but is it not a great 

 deal more trouble, and, in the end, expense, 

 than to have chaff hives that are always 

 ready for both winter and summer ? 



ANOTHER DANGER AHEAD OF US. 



A THREATENED INCREASE OF POSTAGE ON FOURTH- 

 CLASS MATTER. 



BUR readers may not all be aware there 

 is a movement on foot to increase the 

 postage on seeds, merchandise, etc., 

 although it is now four times what it 

 is in Canada ; that is, we pay one cent 

 an ounce, while the Canadians pay one cent 

 for four ounces. I have written to our Rep- 

 resentative from this district, and I have 

 also written to Prof. Cook, to ask his help. 

 Here is what he advises. 



Dear Friend Boot;— Indeed this postage matter is 

 a subject of tremendous importance. We can each 

 only appeal to our Congressmen; and when we can, 

 write up the matter for papers, and send papers to 

 our Representatives and Senators. Why not you 

 ask all readers of Gleanings to appeal to their 

 Congressmen? I don't think the bill can pass; but 

 there is danger. - A. J. Cook. 



Agricultural College, Lansing, Mich., Mar. 2, 1886. 



Later .-—The bill has failed, 



