310 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 



t^ad§ 4 



Uvain^ 



From Different Fields. 



SOME SUGGESTIONS IN REGARD TO MAKING FDN. 



SAM using one of your C-inch mills, and it is just 

 going nicely. I had trouble at first, as the rolls 

 wfi-e rough; but now it goes well. I am using 

 the oiiginal Oincih mill 1 got of you some time ago; 

 have not had f/ny complaint about the bees not 

 working it out. I have about 1000 combs ( f fdn. 

 built out from it, and perfect. 1 use a table to the fl- 

 inch; lay a sheet on straight, and it goes through 

 straight. I have not had to adjust the rolls for a 

 long time. They are always ready. 1 dip the thin 

 edge in cool water before entering between the 

 rolls, and they don't stick. 1 use soap root boiled 

 down, then thinned about as I think right, and I 

 have no sticking to the rolls. The sccrrt is, that I 

 fit a piece of wood li inch over the top roll, whole 

 length, with pieces of f ponge so fastened that they 

 brush the upper roll, and take th ' raoi.sture, and 

 hold it so the top roll is always wet. Could you in- 

 corporate a long brush instead of the sponge, to 

 bear on the top of the top roll, to take the water and 

 hold it to keep the top roll always wet? The trouble 

 has generally been with me, with the top roll. It 

 would get dry before the sheet was through. 1 use 

 an easel for holding two sheets near the stove, on an 

 incline, thick end down, and nearest to the stove. It 

 will soften fast enough to make lively work for two 

 to run the mill. I put on a dozen or two sheets at a 

 time, and a good heat, especially if the weather is 

 cool. The dipping-boilers don't need divisions. 1 

 took mine out. The bottom ot the bnik-rs should be 

 smaller than the top, so that, when through dipping, 

 we can place the boiler on the stove to heat the wax, 

 then let it cool; and when cool, take it out and re- 

 move any sediment at the bottom. A little hot wa- 

 ter at the bottom of the dipping-boiler prevents cah- 

 in{j at the bottom, and keeps wax in condition for 

 dipping longer. 



Wax is high and ecurce. I paid 27'2 ntuKMcts. in 

 San Francisco. 



More rain; ground soaked: bees swarming. 



Napa City, Cal., Apr. 12, 188t. J. D. Enas. 



Friend K. uses the soap root, which is 

 natural to his region. We luive used soap 

 bark and a great many other lubricators, 

 but now prefer common starch. Very like- 

 ly a row of sponges, or a brush along the top 

 roll, to keep it lubricated, would be a good 

 idea. The suggestions in regard to having 

 the dipping - tanks made tapering may be a 

 good one ; but we always pour out the wax, 

 instead of allowing it to cool in these tanks. 

 — Tlie objection to putting in thumb-screws 

 to adjust the tiiickness of the fdn. is, that 

 the hands would be all the time turning 

 them.— Fi lend E., we think you very fortu- 

 nate indeed if jou can get wax froiii '2,11 to 

 30 cts. Wc are glad to get it for 33 cash or 

 3o trade ; and for very nice clear cakes of 

 bright yellow, we would pay 35 cts. cash. 



REVEUMBLE FR.^MES; DOES FDN. PAY IN BUOOD- 

 FRAMES? 



I Still think the best reversing device is like the 

 sample I sent you some time ago, to slip on top and 

 bottom bar like a lid op a feet cage, put after be^ 



ing said what there has been, I have decided to wait 

 till the problem is better soh-ed. However, I am 

 satisfied a reversible frame has decided advantages 

 for raising comb honey. I should like to know how 

 you turn a Simplicity hive over, without letting the 

 rain run in at the bevels. I turned one over and 

 cut grooves in the lower ends: fastened frames in: 

 turned back and put a crate on top of bottom-bars, 

 and it worked well enough; but 1 tear it is getting to 

 be too much fixing, and perhups the reversing de- 

 vices are too. However, it is a trood way In having 

 foundation built out. And, by the waj.howis it 

 that, while we are fussing with fdn., feeders, etc., 

 there are those who use them litile, and certainly 

 their reports yes^r after year fhow that they are 

 making their business paj 'f G. M. Doolittle says be 

 has never used 10 lbs. of fdn. in brood-frames. 

 Marihallville, O , April 1). C. Weckesskr. 



It is true, friend W., that if you turn a 

 Simplicity hive over, the rain will run in at 

 the joints ; but for that matter, a great 

 many use hives tiered up one above another, 

 sitting squarely on each other without any 

 bevels at all to keep the water out. If friend 

 Doolittle says he has never used 10 lbs. of 

 fdn, in brood-frames, I should say that he 

 has never accomplished nearly what he 

 might do. Perhaps it may be explained in 

 this way : That he ha:} plenty of nice brood- 

 combs from year to year, and iherelorehas 

 no occasion to have new ones built. He 

 does not sell bees, as we do, you know. If 

 friend D. were commencing with half a doz- 

 en colonies, and wished to build up to 100 or 

 more, my opinion is, that he could afford to 

 use fdn. for brood-apartments, even if it 

 cost him 82.00 per lb. Of course, he or any 

 one else has a right to a different opinion, if 

 he chooses. 



nONEV-DEW FROM PEACH-LEAVES. 



April 4lh my bees worked on the joung peach 

 limbs and leaves; again on the 9th; the day was 

 cloudy, with gentle north wind. The bees worked 

 very busily all day on peach-leaves, almost neglect- 

 ing black and red haw, both of which arc now in full 

 bloom, and not far away. Was it honey-dew? I 

 never saw the like before. Last year I took lessons 

 in bee-keeping from your old friend Daniel Kepler. 

 ARCn. A. MooRE. 



Hubbard City, Texas, April 11, 1884. 



I suppose it was honey-dew, friend M. 

 Did you look carefully to see if there were 

 any aphides on or about the leaves? If 

 there were none, we shall have to conclude 

 it was an exudation of another kind, from 

 the leaf itself. 



GRANULATED SUGAR FOR FK.EDING BKES. 



On page 140 I see you recommend granulated su- 

 gar for feeding. If it is intended to b'j stirred into 

 honey, for any benetlt it will be to the bees, from ex- 

 perience I would as soon have so much sand. The 

 sugar will not dissolve, and will bo loutid at the bot- 

 tom of the hive. VV. I'. Taylou. 



Fitzroy Harbor, Oat., Can , Feb. 2(i, 1884. 



, Friend T., are you not a little positive in 

 your remarks? I know tliat bees do some- 

 times lick out the honey, and let the sugar 

 crumble to the bottom; but this has been 

 the exception rather tnan the rule with 

 us, and we have used it largely. Perhaps 

 you are not aware that bees will often sub- 



