.54 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jan. 



bleached in the sun. The result is a stick that has 

 much the nature of punk. Here is something, now, 

 that may be of value to bee-raisers when their sup- 

 ply of punk gives out. I presume there are other 

 vegetable stalks besides hemp that would yield the 

 same result under like treatment. 



T once saw some Chinamen attempting to make a 

 pwarm of bees settle, and they made a big racket 

 with gongs, etc.,. iust as we used to do in America. 

 In fact, the Chinese have such faith in a loud rack- 

 et for remedying all manner of troubles that they 

 may have originated the practice. They attribute 

 all manner of misfortunes to evil spirits, and make 

 outlandish noises to frighten them away. 



I cnce asked a Chinese scholar what was the differ- 

 ence between the teachings of Christ and Confucius. 

 He seemed to wonder a little at the question, and 

 replied : " Why, Confucius teaches how to be an of- 

 flcor, or person of rank. Christ teaches us how to 

 be men." This answer indicates pretty well the dif- 

 ffrence between Christ and all other founders of 

 religious systems. They all know of no other way 

 of overcoming the evil of the human heart, except 

 by processes of study, meditation, and asceticism, ut- 

 terly beyond the reach of ordinary human beings. 

 Christ throws aside all such legal devices as power- 

 less to save any one, and proffers to all the atone- 

 ment of his death, and the renewing of the Holy 

 Spirit, on condition of a simple, childlike faith that 

 is within the capacity of every rational human be- 

 ing. J. E. Walker. 



Foochow, China, Oct. 19, 1883. 



Many thanks for vour kind letter, friend 

 ^V^ I should think by the drawing you 

 send, that the Chinese have made some pro- 

 gress in bee-hives, in advance of the sur- 

 rounding nations. A tea-chest of conven- 

 ient size might be arranged without much 

 trouble, so as to make a pretty fair chaff 

 hive, and it seems to me it would be quite a 

 little advance over the rude clay cylinders. 

 The idea of suspending them under the 

 eaves, however, seems to me is not only 

 novel, but it would be decidedly inconven- 

 ient in handling bees as we handle them. It 

 is a sad, sad thing, friend W., to see what a 

 fearful amount of ruin comes from tobacco 

 and opium. Why can not the people of our 

 own country, as well as China, be taught 

 that true happiness never comes in the way 

 of gratifying tastes and passions with things 

 like theseV It is only Jesus, and he alone, 

 that can take away the sin of the world. 



reversible: frames. 



THEiK advantages; and some other matters 



EQUALLY IMPORTANT. 



^Spj^lllIEND ROOT.— For the past year I have, from 

 jifi time to time, given a deal of thought to the 

 ^^* subject of reversible frames; namely, their 

 advantages, and especially the best possible plan or 

 device for reversing them. The advantages of re- 

 versible frames are many, but I will not now enu- 

 merate them all. Suffice it to say, that for securing 

 large yields of comb honey it is very desirable to 

 have the boxes very close to the brood, bees being 

 oftentimes very unwilling to pass over an inch or 

 more of sealed honey in order to reach the surplus- 

 chamber. T&is unwillingness, as indicated, espe- 

 cially applieg to j)ure Italians. This fact led me. 



many years ago, to uncap the cells of honey in such 

 a way as to force the bees to remove the honey 

 therefrom, in order that they might repair the dam- 

 age thereto. As a rule, if the bees, at the time of 

 uncapping, are working in the boxes, and have 

 plenty of empty comb therein, they will transfer 

 more or less of the honey thus uncapped to the sur- 

 plus-honey receptacles, and the queen will then oc- 

 cupy the vacated cells with eggs. This plan will se- 

 cure brood, generally, close up to the top piece of 

 the brood-frame. After a time I found that the very 

 best device for destroying the caps of the cells of 

 honey is a table-fork — say with 3 or 4 tines. With 

 this I simply srratch the caps, which is quickly done, 

 and this mutilates them, as well as the top walls of 

 the cells, and to such an extent that the bees must 

 take out the honey before they can repair the dam- 

 age done. Uncapping, or scarifying, the sealed hon- 

 ey, for the purpose given, was an idea that origin- 

 ated with me, and was new to friend Langstroth at 

 the time I first called his attention thereto. If you 

 will examine Prof. Cook's new work. Manual of the 

 Apiary, page 189, you will there find that he refers 

 incidents lly to this important discovery in the prac- 

 tical management of bees, though he does not seem 

 to catch the full import of its value. 



The idea of using a table-fork so as to mutilate 

 the comb, more than by simply shaving off the caps 

 of The cells with a knife, was also original with me, 

 and the idea or plan has never, to my knowledge, 

 been referred to in any shape, in any publication up 

 to this date. 



There are hints enough given now, in the forego- 

 ing, to enable any one to induce bees, whether black 

 or yellow, to carry all the honey from the brood- 

 chamber to the top story. Two or three manipula- 

 tions, at the proper time, will force the honey up 

 stairs. 



And now I return to the idea of recersing the 

 brood-frames for securing the same result, and to 

 save the labor of scarifying the cells of honey. The 

 reversing puts the sealed honey, in case there be 

 any, at the bottom of the hive, and in such an unnat- 

 ural position that the bees will uncap it themselves, 

 and carry it above the brood; and the brood being 

 now close up to the top of the frame, the bees are 

 again forced to lake it up stairs to the surplus-honey 

 chamber. 



Let me refer to one more advantage to be secured 

 in reversing the frames, and I will then close. I re- 

 fer now to the fact, that if the frames be reversed 

 during the drawing-out of fdn., That the comb and 

 work at the bottom (now top) of the frame will be as 

 perfect as it always is at the top of a frame not re- 

 versible. In other words, the frame will be full from 

 top to bottom of a complete and solid comb, which, 

 when built on fdn. in wired frames (and no other 

 should be used), will stand shipping by rail or other- 

 wise, anij distance, and will also keep its proper 

 place while extracting, or during any other necessa- 

 ry manipulation. 



So much space has now been used up in discussing 

 some of the adoantagcs of reversible frames, that 1 

 will reserve what I may have to say u^on the best 

 possible plan or device for reversing them, for some 

 future occasion. M. M. Baldridge. 



St. Charles, 111., Jan., 1884. 



Very good, friend B. And now, then, for 

 the best reversing device. Quite a number 

 of very ingenious ones ^re already submit- 

 ted for my approval. 



