1886 



GLEANINGS IN J3EE CULTURE. 



&0o 



vention, to be held next year in Chicago, re- 

 marked to me, while we were traveling;: in 

 the cars, that it seemed to him that the time 

 of a convention onght to be occupied main- 

 ly in getting the opinions of those present — 

 hearing from each one in the room as far as 

 possible. lie said that in Chicago they had 

 tor many years ruled out essays and ad- 

 dresses. These can be given through the 

 pages of our bee-journals, while a single 

 subject can not be considered by a hundred 

 bee-keepers all at once, except at a conven- 

 tion. It seems to me there is much wisdom 

 in this, although it is true, many times, that 

 it seems to be desirable to discuss essays 

 which have been read. 



Discussion on wax - extractors, and the 

 hints communicated by a great number of 

 dilferent jieople, were very valuable. For 

 instance, friend Dadant said that where 

 wax is extracted by steam, by no means let 

 the jet of steam strike the wax. Run the 

 steam-pipes down into the water contained 

 in the tub or cask. When it gets the water 

 boiling hot, throw in the pieces of comb. 

 Direct steam has a tendency to get the wax 

 into the well-known granular state, from 

 which it is very difficult, many times, to re- 

 store it. Many reported having used the 

 sun wax-extractor, and all declared them- 

 selves highly pleased with its use. It is 

 practical, however, for oidy small quantities 

 of wax. Steam is best for a large lot. Put 

 only as much comb into the solar wax-ex- 

 tractor as will be melted quickly, and take 

 away the wax often— each day if convenient. 

 Cappings are rendered nicely with the sun 

 extractor, and the honey that comes from 

 them will be found under the cake of wax, 

 good enough to put on the table. In fact, 

 the honey adhering to the cappings is of the 

 very best quality, although it is sometimes 

 darkened by bits of pollen, etc., that get into 

 it. Friend Dadant says they let their cap- 

 pings drain a great deal longer than most 

 people. Sometimes they put them on the 

 sieve of the uucapping-can, and let them 

 stand three or four weeks. When all the 

 honey has run out that will run out, put on 

 another lot, and so on. He says they some- 

 times have several barrels waiting to be thus 

 drained out in the uncapping-can. 



The subject of foul bioodwas discussed at 

 considerable length. Members who had had 

 experience with it gave reports that seemed 

 to indicate to me that the course we have 

 taken is about the best one, all things con- 

 sidered. At the present writing, the disease 

 has not appeared in any case in any of the 

 fifty colonies where the combs were de- 

 stroyed ; and nearly, if not all of them, have 

 been raising brood right along ever since 

 they lost their original set of combs. 



The Chapman honey-plant was presented 

 by two of the committee who were appoint- 

 ed a year ago to examine it and report, 

 L. C. Root being absent. All who have 

 tested the plant seem inclined to give it a 

 front place with plants cultivated for honey 

 alone. 



Spreading brood to induce the queen to 

 occupy more combs, and to put the brood in 

 a more compact shape, was discussed at con- 

 siderftble length by many very uljle bee- 



keepers. I believe the general opinion is, 

 that judicious spreading, in the hands of an 

 expert, may greatly increase the amount of 

 brood on hand at the time when honey be- 

 gins to coniP in; but it is also true, that 

 mixing up the combs, before the colony is 

 strong enougli to be able to bear it, may be 

 a very great hindrance in getting a colony 

 ready for the honey-harvest. 



It is considered quite advisable to con- 

 tract the colony, duiiiig winter and early 

 spring, on to as few combs as will hold the 

 stores and accommodate the cpieen ; and 

 this is best done by movable division-boards. 

 Now, when the (piecn and bees both need 

 room, without any niistdhr, move the division- 

 boards so as t<) make room for one more 

 empty worker - comb. Make this empty 

 space pretty near the middle of the combs, 

 and put in here your frame of empty comb. 

 The worker-bees will almost at once prepare 

 these empty cells for the reception of eggs. 

 Very often the (pieen will have the comb 

 partly tilled with eggs before night. As 

 these eggs are deposited all about one time, 

 they require the attention of the nurse-bees 

 almost at one time, and hatch almost at one 

 timp. 



Whenever I attend one of these national 

 conventions I am powerfully impressed with 

 the advantage it is to any one to meet with 

 the progressive and thinking minds of our 

 age. To look into the faces of these men, 

 and get intimately acquainted witli them, is 

 a powerful exhortation of itself. We some- 

 times get an idea that we are working alone 

 in some of these miexplored fields; but to 

 see some good brother get up and tell how 

 he has gone away beyond us, oftentimes, 

 shows us little conceits that we did not be- 

 fore suspect in our own heaits. 



Of course, to get the full benefit of tlie 

 purpose of the convention, we want every 

 one to give some of his experience, or, at 

 least, as many as possible; and when a single 

 thought is held up so that one after another 

 can give his experience in years past, it re- 

 minds me of concentrating the rays of the sun 

 upon a single point by means of a powerful 

 burning-glass. 



■ ■ ■■ — ^ ■ 



A REPORT FROM AN ABC SCHOLAR 



WHO FUUNISHED US THAT NICK SECTION HONEY. 



K. ROOT:— In commeucing- to give in my re- 

 port I will begin with the fall of 1884, when 

 1 went into winter quarters with 45 colonies 

 packed in sawdust on their summer stands. 

 1 lost five colonies in wintering, on ac- 

 count of the severe winter. Over one-half came 

 through weak. They increased from 40 to 67 by 

 natural swarming. They gathered 1850 lbs. of white 

 clovei- and linden honey, which I sold on an aver- 

 age of 15 cts. per lb. I packed my bees the same as 

 the fall of 1884; lost two in wintering, which left me 

 65 to commence the season. I sold two swarms for 

 SI". 00, used three lor (juetn rearing. This left 60, 

 which I ran for comb honey, giving me ^100 lbs. — 

 an a\erage of ;i5 lbs. to the colony. I kept 100 lbs. 

 for home use; for the rest 1 received 14 cts. per lb. 

 They increased by natural swarming to 98 colonies. 

 IJasswood was an entire failure. The drought de- 

 strojed the white clover the first week in July. A. 



