1888 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



25 



good condition for winter. We had a poor honey 

 flow from white clover. Too cold at nights, and too 

 wet in the first part, and then too dry. But bass- 

 wood came in and helped us out, and we think that 

 we did well this season. 1 mean by we, myself 

 and the queen of the house. You see we are in 

 partnership. We sold our honey at :iO cts. 



Now, a few words in regard to filling orders. I 

 have been in the bee business on a small scale for 

 three years, and most of that time I have got my 

 frames, sections, etc., from you, and my orders 

 were always filled just the way I ordei-ed the goods, 

 and every thing came in good shape, and made out 

 of the best of material. I shall need more mate- 

 rial next summer, and, of course, A. I. Root will 

 get my orders as long as he does as he has done 

 in the past. C. E. Habdesty. 



Connotton, O., Mar. 28, 1887. 



NO CAU&E FOR COMPLAINT. 



I Started in the spring with 60 colonies, mostly 

 hybrids. They built up strong by the fii'st of 

 April, and were ready to swarm; but about that 

 time a real Texas northern struck here. The 

 weather was cool a good while afterward— just 

 long enough to stop the honey-flow. The bees 

 killed off the drones at once, and swarming for the 

 time being was given up. May .5th, linn was in full 

 bloom, and the regular surplus honey season was 

 upon us, therefore I used the extractor freely, and 

 did not have any increase at all this season. I 

 have taken 160 gallons of honey, and have had no 

 fall crop on account of a dry summer; and when 

 rain did come, all fall flowers bloomed; but they 

 bloomed out of season, and did not have any honey 

 in them; therefore I conclude that flowers bloom- 

 ing out of season have no honey. My honey is all 

 sold, and I could fill only half the orders that were 

 sent me. Net proceeds in money, $300. I have no 

 cause for complaint. J. W. Ross. 



Phair, Texas, Nov. 11, 1887. 



300 LBS. OF FALL HONEY. 



I wintered my bees in the cellar. They came out 

 in the spring heavy in honey and bees. Only one 

 was queenless which 1 lost. They bred up early on 

 the honey they had. Fruit, white clover, and bass- 

 wood bloom were nearly failures with me. The 

 first week in July I examined them and found 

 them nearly destitute of honey or brood. I bought 

 140 lbs. of brown sugar, made a light syrup, and 

 mixed it with some three gallons of dark extract- 

 ed honey, and fed this to stimulate them to breed 

 up. The last week in August 1 went through 

 each colony, on Mr. Doolittle's plan. I found them 

 to contain from 1 to 30 lbs. of honey, and plenty of 

 sealed brood. I bought 430 lbs. of granulated 

 sugar, made it into a heavy syrup, and fed them 

 to make each colony contain 35 lbs. of syrup and 

 honey. I finished this I'eeding for winter the last 

 week in August. About this time my bees began 

 bringing in some honey from buckwheat and other 

 fall bloom. I received about 300 lbs. of very good 

 fall honey. 



ONE STALK OF THE .lAPANESE BUCKWHEAT 

 YIELDED l;i7r) GRAINS. 



The 10-cent package of Japanese buckwheat you 

 sent me did very well, considering the hot dry 

 weather. I harvested one peck of nice plump 

 seed from it. One stalk I shelled by itself. It 

 yielded 1375 grains W. Hill. 



Prophetstown, 111., Dec. 5, 1887. 



0aR QaEpi0N-B0?^, 



With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees. 



All queries sent in tor this department should be briefly 

 stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question 

 or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper, 

 and marked, " For Our Question-Box." 



Question No. 'ih.—Are sections open on all sides 

 preferable to those open at the top and bottom onlyf 



Yes. 



No. 



D.\DANT & Son. 

 Geo. Grim.vi. 



So far as my experience has gone, I think not. 



C. C. Miller. 



I think not, but am open on all sides to convic- 

 tion. E. E. Hasty. 



I should think they were, but I have had no ex- 

 perience with such. A. B. Mason. 



I have never used sections opening at the sides, 

 and probably ne%'er shall. W. Z. Hutchinson. 



I have never used them, but I think they would 

 do well when separators are not used. 



Paul L. Viallon. 



I use those open at top and bottom only. Many 

 think those open on all sides preferable. 



G. M. DOOLITTLE. 



I never used any, but I think not; unless tiering 

 up, I should prefer them open only at the bottom. 

 Mrs. L. Harrison. 



I have had no experience with sections open on 

 all sides, but am much interested in the subject. 



O. O. POrPLETON. 



No. I tried a few, and never want any more. 

 The objections to them far outweigh the advan- 

 tages. J. A. Green. 



I have used sections open all around hut little. 



I saw no special advantage. Perhaps with more 



experience I should think differently. 



A. J. Cook. 



I think not; although I have not experimented 

 in that line, I am pleased to go on record as saying 

 that I now believe that open-side sections will nev- 

 er be used to any practical extent. 



James Heddon. 



Sections open on all sides are primitive. They 

 witnessed our first attempts, thirty years ago. 

 Sections open on top and bottom, with their sides 

 extending, for the protection of the honey in tran- 

 sit, are late and valuable improvements. 



Chas. F. Muth. 



Dadant c^ Son say yes ; but George Grimm 

 says no. Now, the Dadants have, without 

 question, made some experiments in regard 

 to this matter, and very likely some pretty 

 thorough ones ; and we urgently request 

 them to tell us ail about it. It is certainly 

 an important matter. We should also like 

 to have friend Grimm give us his reasons 

 for saying no. 



Question No. 'Hi.— What width of section is best 

 to use when separators are dispensed with? 



m or I's. 

 Perhaps I'/i inch. 

 Seven to the foot. 



Dadant & Son. 



C. C. Miller. 



W. Z. Hutchinson, 



