1884 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



727 



the blossoms are very much smaller. It 

 seems to me as though they must have re- 

 lationship some way, but the botanies do 

 not give us any clew to it. They only tell us 

 that they belong to the Onagyacea', or even- 

 ing-primrose family, while the spider plant 

 belongs to the Ccqmaridacece. Both of them 

 are a dark rich pink when tlie blosf:Oms first 

 open in the evening, but fade during the 

 next day. Both of them secrete the honey 

 during the night, and with us the l)ees lick 

 up every drop of it before it is fairly day- 

 light, when the nights are warm enough. 

 Cool nights it secretes little or none. At 

 present we have the seed from only this one 

 plant, but will try to hunt up enough so we 

 can furnish flve-cent packages by another 

 season. 'J'he plant has been sent to us by 

 two different individuals— the one mentioned 

 in an editorial in our last issue, and the 

 other by J. B. Smith, Lincoln, 111. 



We had only two plants this season, and 

 both are in our flower-garden in a made soil 

 perhaps two feet in depth, whicli may ac- 

 count for their great vigor. The flowers 

 cover the plant in such masses of l)loom, 

 that, together with the honey, they break 

 down if not supported. In fact, I am 

 ashamed to say that both of ours bore their 

 crop of honey lying flat on the ground; but 

 you see I did not get up early eiiougli, and 

 so I came pretty near remaining in blissful 

 ignorance of tlie "mine of wealtli" Nature 

 had in store for us. In a locality wheiv few 

 if any bees are kept, perhaps the honey 

 would remain on the plant during daylight; 

 or, more likely, it would, under the "heat of 

 the sun, evaporate so as to leave thick lioney 

 or sugar. 



There is another of the evening-piimrose 

 family, resembling this plant in some re- 

 spects, belonging to the CEnothcm, species 

 AlbkauUa. As the flower looks almost 

 exactly like our phuit above, I should not 

 wonder if it yielded honey in the same way. 

 AVho can tell usV 



REVERSIBLE FRAMES. 



SOME COMMENTS FROM FRIEND BUCHANAN. 



N the Oct. No. of Gleanings, Mr. A. H. Dutton, 

 of Brussels, Out., writes an article on reversi- 

 ble frames, in which I was somewhat interest- 

 ed. He is the gentleman, if I am not mistaken, 

 who described his stjie of frame some time 

 since in the A. B. J. Not altogether liking- his man- 

 ner of arranging the frame projections, I have en- 

 deavored to improve on the plan. 



As I understand Mr. D. he cuts off the projecting 

 arms of the frames, and, finding the center of end- 

 bars of frame, drives two stout wire nails into each 

 end-bar, letting them pi-oject enough to rest on a 

 metal rabbet arranged in the center of the end- 

 boards of hive. 



To give a permanent foot-hold for these nails it is 

 necessary to have end-bars of double thickness; 

 and in case of putting this attachment on to frames 

 already in use, and filled with combs, it is required 

 that a strip of comb be cut away from the end of 

 frame, and an extra strip of wood put in place, 

 and nailed to the ends. Where it is desirable to 

 preatc reversible frames of tjioso alrejidy in use it is 



important to have the attachments for supporting 

 the frames so constructed that they may be quickly 

 and permanently adjusted; and when adjusted, to 

 give no further trouble. 



Herewith I send you a simple metal frame-sup- 

 port that can be quite rapidly attached to any 

 frame; and being '« in. wide, the same width of 

 I frame, is put on accurately with no trouble; and 

 I if the metal rabbets are adjusted true, the fi-ames 

 must hang true in the hive. With this plan for re- 

 j versing the frames there is nothing to do, save 

 turning the frames over in returning to the hive. 



I have never seen this aiTangement described; 

 and if you think it has anj' merits you might illus- 

 trate a frame with the "machine" attached. 



While the subject of reversible frames is in order 

 I wish to give mj- opinion in regard to the four 

 points of superiority claimed by Mr. Dutton. 1st 

 point. " More brood can be obtained in less com- 

 pass." Mr. D. otters an opinion on this point; viz., 

 if you possess the ordinary frame, and practice the 

 plan of spreading the brood, little advantage would 

 be gained by reversing the combs, so far as I can 

 see. 



Concerning this matter of reversing combs and 

 spreading the brood with a view of securing more 

 brood, I have to say I have no faith whatever. 

 Having given this plan fair and impartial trials I 

 have settled down to a flim conviction, that, where 

 bees have plenty of stores to insure them to push 

 along, there will lie as rapid building up of colo- 

 nies severely let alone as can be had by the " scien- 

 tific " (?) process of up-ending the combs and spread- 

 ing brood. We all know well enough that there are 

 old-fogy bee-keepers in every neighborhood who 

 never open their hives from one year's end to an- 

 other, and, " all the same," they " get there" just as 

 early in the season with their swarms as any of us 

 "smarties." We undeistand this well enough. 

 This gets away with the first point. 



2. " Bees can be driven to work in sections." Not 

 unless they are getting honey from the field will 

 they store in the surplus department " at the plea- 

 sure of the apiarist," and, "don't forget it." Any 

 good sti-ain of bees will do this without reversing 

 their combs when there is a fair yield of honey. 



3. "Almost the last drop of honey can be sent 

 above." This point is well taken, from the fact that, 

 when the colony is well at work in the surplus 

 bo.xes, and honey is coming in from the field, by re- 

 versing the brood-eombs and placing the honey in 

 the brood-frames in an unnatural position, it will 

 almost invariably be removed to the sections above, 

 where it is put in shape to bring the apiarist twice 

 or three times the money it will cost to supply the 

 colony with granulated-sugar syrup, which is con- 

 ceded to be the safer for wintering. 



4. "Solid combs are secured." This is a weighty 

 point, and for this alone it would be desirable to have 

 a reversible frame. J. A. Buchanan. 



HoUiday's Cove, W. Va., <^ct. 17, 1884. 



I will explain to the friends, that the de- 

 { vi(;e alluded to in the above is simply a piece 

 I of heavy tin, 2 inches by A. witli a projection 

 of i in the center of the piece, which projec- 

 tion is made by kinking the strip, as it were, 

 so as to throw out a fold. Holes are punched 

 in the piece of tin, to tack it to the frame ; 

 said tacks are to be clinched. If this sup- 

 Y)ort at the center of end-bars of the frame 

 ' should be found desirable, they can be very 



