1SS6 



GLEANINGS IN liEE CTLTUilE. 



!)1.T 



emptying- tlie Simplicity lirst. In perhaps a 

 score of hives, we phiced. on lop of the enam- 

 eled clotli of eacli, three Simplicities and one 

 bread-pan. In every instance the wooden 

 feeders were emptied long b;'fore bread- 

 pans. If any of my readers are skeptical, let 

 tliem try the same experiments and note the 

 difference. I think your verdict will be that 

 you will want no feeders excejtt those made 

 of wood. 



Some one says, •" The Simi)licity is too 

 small."' It is just right for stimulating 

 brood-rearing. When It is desirable to feed, 

 say lU lbs. of syrup at a time, I place ten of 

 the Simplicities right on top of the frames, 

 side by side, leaving a bee-space between 

 each feeder. Over this I place a cou])le of 

 Hill devices, and lay the enameled cloth over 

 the whole, lint it is not often that we need 

 to feed tliat quantity at one time. That the 

 bread-pan is a good feeder, and will do g.;od 

 work, 1 do not deny : but I only claim that 

 the wooden feeder is much superioi-. 



1 KEDINO IN COOL OK FUOSTY WE.VTIIKU. 



While we were feeding, a cool spell of 

 weather with frosty nigiits came upon us. 

 and the bees seemed loath to take down the 

 feed as usual. As they had not then ({uite 

 sutHcient stores for winter. I did not wish to 

 have our feeding prevented Ik cause of a little 

 cool weather. It occurred to me. that if we 

 should put the feeders directly ui)on the 

 frames and cover with a chaff cushion, the 

 feed would be stored in the combs as before 

 As the Hill device would have to come into 

 requisition soon, it would be just the thing 

 to keep the cushion fi'om sagging into the 

 syrup or prevent it from sj covering the 

 feeders as to exclude the bees from the feed. 

 We accordingly put chaff cusliions on all 

 the hives, and arranged the feeders as I 

 have .indicated; i. e.. with a Hill device 

 spanning the feeder, a sheet of burlap cover- 

 ing the wliole,and. last of all. the chaff cush- 

 ion to keep in the warmth. The elfect was 

 all I could desire, and the bees carried down 

 the feed as in warm weather. If the weath- 

 er was too cold they would emi)ty only the 

 Simplicity feeders, and the bread-pans re- 

 mained untouched. In view of these facts I 

 do not think we bee-keepers want any feed- 

 e'rs made of metal, but of wood, and of the 

 simplest construction. 



MAKING SUGAK SVUri' I'.V S'lKAM. 



We have worked up six or seven barrels of 

 granulated sugar into syrup for winter stores. 

 Ity the use of steam. Perliaps some of our 

 readers might be intei-ested as to our man- 

 ner of making it. A barrel of sugar is taken 

 down into tlie '• wax-room." as we call it, 

 and nnheaded at a convenient distance from 

 a large extractor-can. In this the syrup is 

 made. The can is mounted on a box of the 

 proper height, l)oth for convenience in work- 

 ing as well as for drawing off the syrup from 

 the honey-gate into a suitable receptacle. 

 Closely adjoining is a steam-i)ipe to which is 

 attached a rubber hose, the latter reaching 

 into the extractor-can; at the left of the 

 steam-pipe is a watei'-pipe. \\"\{h a long 

 wooden paddle and a tin pail, every thing is 

 ill readiness for making tli(> syrup. 



< )i)r pn 'port in)) of water to sugar tuv mix- 



ing is a gallon of the former to lil lbs. of the 

 latter. If the syrup is to be made on a stove, 

 our proportion" is a gallon of water to 20 lbs. 

 of sugar. ^Vllen heating the syrup by steam 

 we have to allow a little for the condensa- 

 tion of steam. To get the jtrojiortions right. 

 we lirst weigh a pail of sugar, and tlien after 

 that simply measure the sugar by the ])ail- 

 ful. Now. we do not mix the sugar and wa- 

 ter all at once, and then apply steam, but 

 ] we put just enough water in oiir extractor- 

 can so that, when the proportional amount 

 I of sugar has been added by degrees, tlie c^n 

 I will be full of syrup. IJy the application of 

 ; a little arithmetic we can determine how 

 : much water to put in the can so as to come 

 j out right. We will suppose, then, thctt;\ye 

 have poured in the re(|uisite quantity'.of 

 water. Turn on the steam and let the water 

 snap until about the boiliiig-i)i)int ; then 

 scoop up a pailful of sugar, ami with one 

 hand, pour it on the hot water gradually, 

 and with the other one stir with the paddle 

 j I have mentioned. (\)ntinue stirring until 

 the sugar is all dissolved, and the syrup 

 looks transparent. In like manner poiir in 

 the second i)ailful, stirring as before, and so 

 I on until the proportional numbers of pailsful 

 I are exhausted. If your calculations have 

 l)een right, and you have followed directions, 

 your can will be full of beautiful clear syrup. 

 There ought not then to be any granulation, 

 though tiiere may form a little scum on the 

 surface of the syrup. The bee-feed is now 

 hot, and will have to remain eight or ten 

 hours to be cool enough to feed. 



You will perceive that there is not a par- 

 ticle of danger of burning the syrup when 

 heated by steam ; and after the sugar is in 

 we generally let it boil foi- 10 or 1.3 minutes, 

 to make sure that it is all dissftlved. While 

 stirring, occasionally run the i»addle through 

 the gutter that leads to the honey-gate, for 

 oftentimes it may become clogged. 



Now. perhaps some of our readers may 

 think that, in making syrup, we go through 

 a good many unnecessary operations. Pos- 

 sibly we do; at any rate, for the last 

 four or live years this is the syrup that we 

 have fell to the bees, and our success in win- 

 tering during this time has been good, as 

 our readers are aware. Whether the syruj) 

 has any of the credit, I -would not say; but 

 I believe it has been one of the important 

 factors. 



1 IIOAV TO OKI' ItIO OK I.I KK - INSl'KANOK 

 ' AOEXTS, Oi; ANY (rrHEH KIND OF 



: AGENTS. 



i One warm day, after the colonies had all 

 ! been fed up, I was engaged in packing the 

 1 colonies in clialf. Wishing to take advan- 

 I tage of the warm weather as long as it lasted. 

 I I was desirous of getting all the colonies 

 packed before the cold set in, and conse- 

 ! (juently was (piite iiusy. While I was thus 

 occupied 1 saw a lamiliai- form advance to- 

 wiivd me through the aisles of the apiary. 

 Yes. it was the life-insurance agent. As I 

 am a young married man. he was very desir- 

 ous that I should take a ])olicy in his com- 

 l)any. While he was explaining the " semi- 

 tontine "' plan and its advantages, and was 

 about to press his argument, I saw that 1 

 was ticiiig hiiideied. A Itright thought 



