780 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 



sure to do so in the i-iglit way. I have already, in a 

 former number, outlined my method of working lor 

 honey and increase; and in the above I desire sim- 

 ply to call attention to what I deem a point of im- 

 portanjj. J. E. Pond, Jif. 



Foxboro, Mass., Sept., 1886. 



Thanks, frieud P., for tlie points you 

 make ; but I confess I do not see how the pro- 

 duction of brood is in our own hands by means 

 of spacing the frames just right. I agree 

 with you, that the thickness of a comb with 

 capped brood in each side is always exact ; 

 and it lias been suggested that we could 

 make the bees use the combs for brood and 

 nothing else by spacing them just the right 

 distance for the production of brood. Now, 

 wliile I grant that they are more apt to put 

 brood instead of honey in worker-combs so 

 spaced, it is not by any means certain that 

 they will use these combs for brood only, 

 for I have seen brood-frames completely 

 liiled with honey, capped over on both sides, 

 when spaced as you recommend. Very like- 

 ly, however, they did not have room for 

 their honey in deeper combs at one side or 

 over the brood-nest. If the latter arrange- 

 ment is to be used in connection with the 

 proper spacing of the brood-combs, may be 

 you are right. I should like to liave the 

 matter investigated. We notice that friend 

 Ileddon has made the end-pieces of his new 

 hive just If inches. This is done, probably, 

 with the view of accomplishing the object 

 we are discussing. 



FROM REPORTS DISCOURAGING TO 

 REPORTS ENCOURAGING. 



now HE AT T.AST SUCCEEDED IN SECUItlNO 500 

 I.US. OF HONEY PEIl COLONY, SrilING COUNT. 



T N giving in my report for the season I might as 

 |lp well commence with the fall of 1881, when I 

 ^r went into winter quarters with 28 strong 

 "*■ swarms, 23 arranged along side by side, packed 

 in dry leaves, 6 buried in a clamp- The win- 

 ter was one of the most severe ever known, and 

 their stores were composed of buckwheat honey 

 and honey-dew. By Februarj', all those packed on 

 their summer stands died of djscntery ; the six in 

 the clamp were taken out in April. Four of them 

 were alive, though weak. They commenced rear- 

 ing brood ; but the weather came off cold, and most 

 of their brood was killed, and, of c'ourse, the bees 

 were dwindling away until they all lost their queens 

 (1 presume they killed them). I united them all, 

 making one weak swarm. I now gave up in disgust, 

 caring little whether they lived or died. I put all 

 the combs away, with the intention of melting them 

 into wax; but the one swarm rallied, raised a queen, 

 and by the commencement of bass wood bloom they 

 were in fair condition. 



About this time I bought, for $3. 50, a swarm hang- 

 ing on a tree. They proved to be tine Italians— the 

 kind, you know, that drop several feet away from 

 their hives, and, ai'ter getting their wind, go into 

 the hive with that peculiar twist. The queen prov- 

 ed very prolific, and by the commencement of 

 buckwheat-bloom i bought 3 queens and divided 

 my two swarms; and before cold weather they were 

 strong, and had made me 1.50 lbs. of goldenrod and 

 aster honey, mostly aster, which I think is the fin- 

 est honey I ever saw. I wintered the four. One 



was weak, three were strong; they built up very 

 rapidly, and by the 1.5th of May I commenced to di- 

 vide, but not to weaken them. By the commence- 

 ment of clover they were strong enough to work 

 on 20 frames; in about ten days I commenced to 

 extract, and have taken, up to date, 1993 lbs. from 

 four swarms, spring count; and as 1 have given all 

 the boys and girls all the honey they wanted in ex- 

 tracting days, I call it 3000 lbs., or 500 lbs. per col- 

 ony. 1 have increased to 31 strong swarms, and if 

 frost holds off two weeks longer T shall get consid- 

 erably more j'et. M. Vincent. 

 Milan, Mich., Sept. 13, ISi-O. 



ANOTHER HONEY-PLANT. 



ARE THE BEES ATTKACTED BY THE COI.OIl AND 

 BEAUTY OF PLANTS? 



K. S. F. NEWMAN, (f Norwalk, O., sends 

 nie a plant for name which he says is an 

 excellent honey-plant. It proves to be Po- 

 lymnia Canadensis, or leaf-cup. This adds 

 another to the valuable list of the composite 

 honey-plants. It is a near relative of Coreopsis, or 

 tick-seed, and of the thoroughworts and golden- 

 rods. 



By the way, Mr. Editor, I observe this autumn, 

 that, while our majshes have been resplendent with 

 boneset, tick-seed, goldenrod, asters, etc , the bees 

 have beenquite partial to thegoldeni-ods; and if they 

 are governed at all by beauty, why not? I think we 

 have no handsomer llowers in all the tioral wealth 

 of nature than these graceful gold-bedecked solida- 

 gos. In several walks of late, in a lai'ge marsh 

 hard by tlie college, I have iiaid special attention to 

 this mattei-; and while I have seen bees in limited 

 numbc^rs on all the well-known honey-plants, I have 

 seen them Mi'(U»ii}ij/ on the goldenrod. Her.cc our 

 autumn honey, and we have secured no little cf it, 

 is the rich amber color, and most excellent flavor, 

 of the goldenrod honey. Tell me such honey is not 

 good for winter stores! I would as soon have it for 

 my own table, or for the bees, as to have the nicast 

 and purest whito-i;lover honej'. 



I fully believe now that no subject connected 

 with apiculture is so worthy of attention and de- 

 velopment as this very one of honey-planls. Next 

 to that I would i)lace the matter of races of bees. I 

 believe careful breeding may give us a much bet- 

 ter bee than we now have. A. J. Cook. 



Agricultural College, Mich., Sept. 1, 18^'G. 



"WHO SHALL KEEP BEES ? 



AND HOW CAN THE WORLD IN OENERAL BE MOST 

 BENEFITED BY BEE CULTURE? 



fHIS subject has been considerably discussed, 

 and I have no intention to take sides for or 

 against invalids and women. The business 

 of laising honey is assinning proportions of 

 considerable magnitude, and it is time to 

 consider it as a matter of public interest, and not 

 merely with reference to the individual bee-keeper. 

 Here is a source of wealth to the nation, not to be 

 despised; a good wholesome food, for home eon- 

 sumption and for export, to be had for the gather- 

 ing. The public, or, if you please, the state, has a 

 right to consider the best means to secure this com- 

 modity in the best shape and at least expense. It 



