1888 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



321 



make some sort of estimate of what may be 

 expected during the season U> follow, and so be 

 better able to estimate the price honey should 

 bring- in the various localities. 



CLOSED-END FRAMES. 



The Bee-Keepers' Review for March, 1888, is an ex- 

 cellent number; but the editor, in defending the 

 use of closed-end frames, I think puts it a little too 

 sanguine. In reviewing Cheshire's book, he says: 



It is evident that these gentlemen have yet to 

 learn how to handle a Heddon frame. 



And,— 



While the Heddon hive is especially adapted to 

 handling hives instead of frames, we must pause to 

 explain how its frames can be handled more rapid- 

 ly and with less danger of crushing bees than with 

 either of the above-mentioned styles of frames, or 

 even the hanging frame. 



Then the editor tells us how to handle these 

 frames. Now, with all deference to the editor of 

 the Review, I should say that he has not yet learned 

 how t(j handle closed-end frames in localities where 

 the bees cover every thing with propolis as they do 

 here. With a hive that has had bees in only a few 

 months, every thing works e.vactly as he describes, 

 and frames can be put on the hive without killing a 

 bee. We have one. of the Heddon hives in our 

 apiary, and I have used closed-end frames more or 

 less for twenty years. The end-bars can be slid 

 down by the side of the frame already in the hive 

 very nicely until they are covered with propolis. 

 In Medina County 1 have never known a season 

 when there was not sufficient propolis, sooner or 

 later, so that sliding one frame against another 

 would rub propolis from top to bottom, and catch 

 bees by the legs and wings, and mash them and 

 glue them fast. Patent-right men with hives con- 

 taining closed frames have tried to talk this kind of 

 logic to us for twenty-five years past; but when 

 they exhibit at our fairs they always get a clean 

 hive, free from the accumulations of propolis of 

 many seasons. 



0a^ 0WN )?Pi^RY. 



CONDUCTED BY ERNEST R. ROOT. 



THE CONDITION OF OUR BEES UP TO DATE, 

 APKIL 11 ; NO FOUL BROOD YET. 



fNLY two colonies in chaff hives, up to 

 date, have been lost out of our 240 all 

 told, making the percentage of loss 

 five-sixths of one per cent. The other 

 colonies are in good condition, strong 

 and healthy ; with the present good pros- 

 pects of weather. I hope I shall not be 

 obliged to change the report numerically. 

 Just a year ago, by looking at the records 

 as given on page 820, for April 15, 1887, in 

 this department, I tind that foul brood had 

 just made its appearance for the year. I 

 am happy to state, at tlie present writing, 

 that not a single trace of the disease has 

 reappeared. It should be said, however, 

 that, a year ago, brood-rearing, in conse- 

 quence of the early spring, had progressed 

 somewliat more than now. 



THAT COLONY IN THE HEDDON HIVE. 



Last fall we packed all our colonies in 

 chaff, except one, and that was in the Hed- 

 don hive in only oae section. I thought, 



when colder weather came on I would car- 

 ry it into the cellar; but as the winter ad- 

 vanced I decided to let it stand out, to see 

 how the colony would stand the winter 

 weather, with its brood-chamber reduced to 

 a capacity just sufficient to accommodate it. 

 On or about Dec. 15, examination showed 

 that the bees were quite badly affected with 

 dysentery. In about a week or more, all 

 were dead. I do not give this incident as 

 any thing against the Heddon hive, for it 

 proves nothing either way as far as the hive 

 is concerned. Mr. Heddon does not recom- 

 mend leaving these sectional hives on their 

 summer stands during winter. I had 

 thought, that, possibly, with a reduced 

 brood-chamber, the colony might stand con- 

 siderable cold ; but in this case, at least, the 

 protection was insufficient to prevent the too 

 rapid consumption of their natural stores, 

 the evident result of which was dysentery. 

 All other colonies were amply protected 

 with chaff packing, and were perfectly 

 healthy. I said above, we lost two colo- 

 nies. This was in chaff hives. If we in- 

 clude the loss in the Heddon, which was the 

 result of an experiment, it will make three, 

 or a percentage of H per cent. 



THAT SMOKER WITH A LOOSE VALVE. 



In confirmation of what I said in our last 

 issue regarding the loose-working valve of 

 the Clark, the following card from one of 

 our correspondents was received. It is as 

 follows : 



Friend Ernest:— The improvements that you have 

 made in the smokers is a change ^or the better. 

 Mine got so choked up that I could do nothing with 

 it, so 1 took it to pieces and fixed the valve a little 

 differently. When I put it together again it work- 

 ed all right. Now, my improvement is, I bored a 

 '2-inch hole behind the end of the spring, and cover- 

 ed it with a button. When I want to clean out the 

 tube I open the hole, and have a crooked wire hot. 

 Since I fixed mine I have no trouble. Try one, if 

 you have never done so before, and see how nice it 

 works. W. W. Hunter. 



Davenport, la., Apr. 4, 1888. 



Thanks, friend H. I am sure that the 

 loose-working valve is a decided improve- 

 ment, as any one will see by trying the smo- 

 ker. I omitted to mention, in the last is- 

 sue, that, when using the smoker— that is, 

 when directing a blast of smoke upon the 

 bees — it should be held in such a way that 

 the valve side is downward. On the other 

 hand, if the bellows be worked, fire-box 

 downward, the valve drops, and does not 

 immediately respond to the compression of 

 the bellows. 



I have thought several times that, with 

 the old tube, the best means of gaining ac- 

 cess to it for the purpose of cleaning was by 

 a small hole bored directly opposite the 

 breech end. When not in use, this hole 

 should be plugged, as you describe. The 

 difficulty in the way was, that it would in- 

 crease the expense of the smoker, and we 

 came to the conclusion that the large blast- 

 tube would render frequent cleaning un- 

 necessary, and hence unnecessary a special 

 provision for gaining access to the blast- 

 tube at tlie back end. 



