58 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTLTRE. 



3a1S. 



neighborhood it is known as the cotton-worm, and 

 is the dread of all the cotton-pickers, as it resem- 

 bles the leaves in color, and, on account of its still, 

 quiet nature, it is more often felt than seen flrst. 

 This summer I have seen many of these; and but 

 for their signs on the ground, and the way they 

 strip the cotton of its foliage, they would hardly 

 ever be seen until one runs his hand against its 

 bristles. lam beginning to think we have all the 

 insects in nature in our State. I have often been 

 on the point of writing you about the little miller 

 shown in November Gleanings, the larva of which 

 is almost as troublesome as our regular bee-moth 

 larva; being smaller, it will go where the bee-moth 

 can't get to deposit its eggs; and many times, when 

 we think our nice section honey safe, we find the 

 cappings cut by the little worms, and a gallery 

 right across the face of a nice section of honey. I 

 wonder you have no notice of it in the Manual. 

 Stateburg, S. ('., Dec. 7, 1887. W. .T. ErxisoN. 



^iU BUSHELS OF JAPANESE FROM '^ BUSHELS OF 

 SEED. 



In reading the reports on Japanese buckwheat, 1 

 see the amount sown by each one is very small. 

 Perhaps I can add some to the list. Not being a 

 farmer myself, but having an interest in bees and 

 also in the grain for milling, I induced my cousin 

 to try; and he thought if a little were good more 

 would be better. He sent to Peter Henderson for 

 two bushels, which was sown July 6, and during the 

 drought it looked as though it would not be worth 

 cutting; but after the fall rains it came on in a 

 hurry. He thrashed just UO bushels from the seed, 

 and we have ground some of it into flour, and 

 used it in our family. I don't think the cook could 

 tell the difference between this and other buck- 

 wheat flour. We grind our buckwheat by the new 

 process, and make very white flour. 



Angola, N. Y., Dec. 19, 1887. M. J. Bundv. 



0UR QaE^JFi0]S[-B0?^, 



With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees. 



All queries sent In for 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. 28.-18 it best tofiU section boxes full 

 of fourutatiuJi, or i(,sf starters only one inch in width'/ 



C. C. Miller. 



Dr. a. B. Mason. 



Geo. Grimm. 



w. z. Hutchinson. 



Paul L. Viallon. 



G. M. DOOLITTLE. 



Full. 



Kill full. 



Kill full. 



Fill them full. 



I prefer a full sheet. 



I prefer to fill the section. 



Fill them to within an inch of the bottom. 



Dadant & Son. 

 We have used half-inch with very good results. 

 Mrs. L. Harrison. 

 I have never experimented enough on this to 

 make my opinion of any value. 



O. O. Poppleton. 



So far as my experience has gone, I prefer to use 

 full sheets of foundation in my surplus bcxes. 



James Heddon. 



I have found it best to use full sheets; though I 

 often use triangular starters. A. J. Cook. 



Starters one-third of an inch in width are best for 

 me. Full-sized sheets have a chance to pay for 

 themselves wherever the bees can not keep up 

 with their income. E. E. Hasty. 



It is much more profitable to fill them full. If 

 quality only is considered, starters are better. If 

 foundation is made thin, and used fresh, there is 

 practically no objection to its use in full sheets. 



James A. Green. 



The office of starters one inch wide is only to 

 serve as guide-combs. Thej' would not increase the 

 crop of honey much. But to fill the sections with 

 fdn., increases the crop materially. It does almost 

 as much good as to fill them with newly built comb. 



Chas. F. Muth. 



As a rule, we do not propose to put ques- 

 tions in this department where there is only 

 one opinion expressed ; but in the above 

 case it seems best to find out whether the 

 friends all agree in regard to full - sized 

 sheets for sections ; and it is gratifying to 

 know that the testimony is so much alike. 

 Our good friend Muth seems to have over- 

 looked the fact that recent decisions place 

 full sheets of foundation even ahead of new- 

 ly built comb; that is, where the cells are 

 drawn up to any thing like full length. 



Question No. 29.— Is a triangular stai-ter, with the 

 poiid rcachivfi ncarlu to the bottom of the section, as 

 good as a full .■^hert of tliiii foundation/ 



No. 



No. 



No. 



I think not. 



F use full sheets. 



Geo. Grimm. 



Dk. a. B. Mason. 



w. z. Hutchinson. 



C. C. Miller. 



G. M. DoolittLiE. 



Not in our opinion. Dadant & Son. 



Nearly or quite as good. Mrs. L. Harrison. 



No, not in my experience. James Heddon. 



I prefer a full sheet. Paul, L. Viallon. 



See answer to previous question. 



O. O. Poppleton. 

 It answers very well, but 1 prefer full sheets. 



A. J. Cook. 

 A triangular starter is not as good as a full sheet 

 of fdn. The sections will not be filled in the ame 

 time as when full sheets arc given. 



Chas. F. Muth. 

 If it pays to use foundation, use it. W hy stop 

 half way? Partly filled sections give the bees a 

 chance to build two sizes of comb in the same sec- 

 tion, and make a botch of things. E. E. Hasty. 



No. Firstly, because it will not be finished quite 

 as soon. Second, because it will not be as well fin- 

 ished. The foundation should be cut as large as 

 possible, without having it kink from the lower 

 corners touching the sides, when put in with ordi- 

 nary care. This gives a square, solid comb of hon- 

 ey, firmly attached all around, that is easier to shake 

 bees from, looks much better, and is much less lia- 

 ble to break out in shipment. James A. Green. 



This question, also, seems to be decidedly 

 in a line with the former one. 



