1886 



GLEAKINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



601 



on the hilltops. You will remember that 

 friend Kendel said, some time a^o, that he 

 would have to give up raising' comb honey, 

 by reason of the soot; and later I think he 

 lias said he will have to abandon lifpiid hon- 

 ey for the same reason. The Uavor of the 

 honey, I should call beautiful— in fact, I be- 

 lieve I shoukl prefer it to honey made from 

 common white clover — that is, at lu'st taste. 

 Now, can't some of the friends who have 

 been raising melilot by the acre tell us if it 

 always has a dark, sooty color ? If melilot 

 can be made available for some other pur- 

 pose than the honey it produces, it seems to 

 me it would be quite promising as a honey- 

 plant. 



m I — 



A KIND REPORT FROM ONE OF OUR 

 FRIENDS OF THE MINISTRY. 



GETTING HOLES IN 'I'lIK COMUS FOK WINTER, 

 ICTC. 



Y DEAK BROTHER A. I. ROOT:-I thought 

 I might venture a line in Gleanings, imtl 

 thus in a small way reciprocate the kind- 

 ness of others who from time to time have 

 given to such as me encouragement and 

 instruction. However, I shall not assume the ralr 

 of Instructor. 



I began last season with one colony of Italians; 

 increased to 3, but took no honej'. They wintered 

 nicely, in the main. The ones in the single-wall 

 Simplicity— upper story filled with chatf, and pro- 

 tected on the west and north by a wall of empty 

 hives— came through sti'onger, however, than the 

 ones in the chaff hive. At the suggestion of Bro. 

 James Walcher— an apiarist of not a little celebritj', 

 located near Millersville, this State— in the Sim- 

 plicity single-wall I cut holes through the combs 

 near the top-bar, about one inch in diameter, that 

 the bees might have easy access to all the combs, 

 without passing around at the bottom, and thus ex- 

 pose themselves to the cold. I do not see b.ut it 

 answers the same purpose of Hill's de\ice; and if 

 so, dispenses with this much that would demand 

 care and space. I did not accommodate the bees 

 in the chaff hive with this "short cut," though in 

 other respects they were the same; so I am per- 

 suaded that the holes were a decided advantage, 

 and especially for a winter such as last. 



This spring I proc.i red 3 colonies more— Ttnllans. 

 Two of them were quite weak, so to start with T 

 had 3 strong and 3 weak colonies. I have increased 

 to ]3 colonies, and have taken, with the aid of tlie 

 Novice extractor, !ir)3 lbs., and i)li llis. in l-lb. sec- 

 tions, making in all 1049 lbs. 



We had an ideal spring, and the summer thus 

 far has been uncommonly fine. We have had 

 flowers in profusion, and the flow of nectar has 

 been most copious. The white clover and linden 

 have both yielded profusely, and now the mustard 

 and sinartweed are making yellow and pink every 

 nook and corner, and all these flowerets seem to be 

 doing their best, so the busy bees are still invite<l 

 to sip, and will continue to provide, for weeks to 

 come, 1 doubt not, these delicious juices. 



While it is my chief concern to herald the glad 

 tidings of God's full and precious Christ to poor 

 lost ones, I can fill up the spare hours most hap- 

 pily in looking after the liees, and 1 am made to 

 sing from a full heart at each new unfolding, 

 " How good is the God we adoi-e ! " 



I have found the ABC book and Cook's Manual 

 valuable aids; they have helped me through many 

 a perplexity. I may add, I began with gloves and 

 veil, but I have dispensed with both. 



The 10-cent honey-knife is just the thing. It has 

 done all our uncapping. Frank C. Blount, 



Lawndale, 111., .Tuly U, 188C. 



Thanks, friend I]., for your kind letter. 

 Some years ago it was quite common to cut 

 these winter-passages ; but the bees often 

 seal them up diu-ing a good honey-tlow, antl 

 some of the friends think it makes the 

 combs look unsightly. Another objection 

 is, sometimes the cluster is over at one side 

 of these holes, and they don't answer the 

 purpose. To obviate this latter, two holes 

 have been suggested, 8 or 4 inches apart; 

 but as the Hill device, or some equivalent, 

 permits the bees to pass out and around, 

 and does not mutilate the combs, we have 

 rather preferretl it. 



IMPROVING OUR SEED BY CAREFUL 

 SELECTION OF STOCK. 



SOME KIND WORDS FROM THE OHIO AGRICULTU- 

 RAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



fRIEND ROOT:— I have been quite pleased i)i 

 looking over your journal of the 1.5th, to see 

 what you say about selecting seed. I have 

 been working in this line here at the station 

 for some time. I have not done much to- 

 ward the improvement of vegetables, except toma- 

 toes; but I have tried to show the importance of 

 selection, as you may have seen in our report. 

 The character of stock from each seedsman is there 

 commented upon. This has not been undertaken 

 for the purpose of exposing the poor stock of any 

 one in particular, but rather for the purpose of 

 calling attention to the importance of selection in 

 growing seed. We shall continue the work, and 

 enlarge ui)on it as fast as possible. 



My purijose in writing tliis is to call your atten- 

 tion to the excellence of Mr. Brill's cabbage-seed, 

 especially that of his Early Wakefield. I regard it 

 as the best to be found in the market. Under fa- 

 vorable conditions I am sure that 95:^,. will form 

 marketable heads, and they are remarkably uni- 

 form. If you refer to me, perhaps Mr. Lrill will 

 send you a better grade of stock than he other- 

 wise would, as he has, as all growers have, what 

 they call stock seed, also ordinary trade seed. He 

 may send you some stock seed. His Early Sum- 

 mer is also excellent, as are all his cabbage and 

 cauliflower seed. Have you tried the Deacon 

 lettuce '? If not, Joseph Harris has it. You are do- 

 ing a good thing- for the public in showing what 

 may be done in gai-dening. W. J. Green. 



Columbus, Ohio, July 19, 1880. 

 Experiment Gr(ninds at the Ohio State University. 



Friend G., I presume your kind letter was 

 not intended for publication ; but as it will 

 be read with interest, I am sure, by many 

 of our readers, I take the liberty of giving it 

 here. 1 have never tried the Deacon lettuce, 

 but I will order some at once, aiul perhaps 

 many of our readers will be glad to avail 

 themselves also of the opportunity. I have 

 had you antl your work in mind, friend 

 Green, all along in my work at seeds and 

 plants. 



