1888 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE. 



351 



West-Indian waters, will please report to Glean- 

 ings. Mahala B. Chaddock. 

 Vermont, 111. 



Mrs. C, I hope you will excuse- me for 

 saying it is not true, no matter wlio said so 

 — that is, I don't believe that genuine bees- 

 wax is found floating on any waters, in any 

 quantity, so as to make it profitable to gath- 

 er it for commerce. There may be some 

 kind of wax, and it may have "some com- 

 mercial value; but it can not be beeswax, 

 from the nature of things ; that is, it can 

 not be " found floating around loose," etc. 



FROM DIFFERENT FIELDS, 



QUESTIONS FROM A BEGINNER; BEES ON SHARES; 

 PREVENTION OF SWARMING. 



T HAVE recently taken ten colonies of bees on 

 ^ shares. I take care of them and give half of 

 ]ll the new swarms, return the old swarms, and 

 give half of the honey, and furnish half of the 

 hives and honey-bo.ves, and deliver their half 

 of the honey to them. 



1. Had I better buy the bees, providing 1 could 

 get them for a fair priceV The bees ai-e hybrids, 

 Italians crossed with the black bee. They want to 

 sell. 3. What are such bees worth this time of year? 

 3. Will they make honey enough to pay for them- 

 selves, providing we have a fair season for making 

 honey? 4. Which is the best way to prevent swarm- 

 ing more than once? Is it better to keep the queen- 

 cells cut out, or kill the (jueens before swarming? 

 5. How often should they be looked over during the 

 swarming season? 6. Is it best to clip the queen's 

 wings to prevent swarms going to the woods? I 

 should like to build up a colony of thirty or forty 

 hives. 7. Is the so-called Simplicity hive a good 

 general-purpose hive tor wintering and summering 



use? M. MEAdHA.M. 



North Monroeville, O., April 1, 1888. 



1. I should not think of keeping bees on 

 shares. If the other parties desire to sell 

 out to you on reasonable terms, I would buy. 

 2. This time of year, hybrid colonies in good 

 hives ought to be worth $5.00. 3. It is a 

 difficult matter to say wliether the bees pur- 

 chased would pay the expense the first year 

 or not. They might do so in a good season, 

 with proper management. 4. The matter of 

 prevention of after-swarms is a diflicult one. 

 In running for comb honey, when contrac- 

 tion is practiced you can not prevent it, 

 though you may discourage it by Qutting out 

 the queen-cells. 5. During the swarming 

 season the bees should be looked over as 

 often as once a week. H. There are about as 

 good reasons for not clipping the queens 

 as there are for it. Clipped queens, of course, 

 can not abscond with their swarms, but they 

 are liable to get lost floundering around in 

 the grass. If an attendant is on hand, it is 

 a great convenience ; otherwise, it is liable to 

 result in loss. 7. The Simplicity hive in 

 northern localities is not suitable for winter- 

 ing on summer stands. If you have no 

 double-walled hives, the colonies should be 

 carried into the cellar. 



SHIPPING HONEY— A GOOD SUGGESTION. 



The remarks on page 83 prompt me to write what 

 I know on the subject. At first I thought every 

 pound of comb honey must go by express. A 

 party insisted on having some sent on a freight car. 

 and I shipped 8 cases, nearly 300 lbs. A single sec- 

 tion only was reported broken. Again I shipped 12 

 cases of 34 sections, each weighingSS lbs. net, to the 

 same party. It was late in November, and frosty. 

 It had to go through St. Paul, to be there trans- 

 ferred to another road, and go in all some 300 miles. 

 It was received all right, not one section broken. 

 I have yet to hear of any lot " badly smashed and 

 honey leaking." A little of .Tosh Billings' "boss 

 sense" is very good to have in boxing up and mark- 

 ing honey to ship. One point is, to have the sec- 

 tions immovable; and in directing, some device 

 to make it plain how you want the box placed on 

 the car. I make a line across the top near one end, 

 which line will cross the sections, and write under 

 the line • 



I*la«>e tills line crosswise ot'tlie oar. 



A case of honey so placed— that is, the ends of 

 the sections to the ends of the car, will stand the 

 ordinary bunting of the car without damage; but 

 if the sides of the combs were placed to the ends of 

 the car. the honey might be badly smashed, and the 

 shipper would lay the damage all to the railroad 

 hands. J. A. King. 



Mankato, Minn., March, 1888. 



We are very glad, friend K., that you 

 have liad no experience with badly mashed 

 and leaking honey. Your suggestion is a 

 good one. 



drones from UNFERTILE QUEE'NS; THE VARIOUS 

 RACES OF BEES COMPARED. 



1. It is generally conceded, I believe, that, it a 

 queen goes 35 days without being fertilized, she 

 probably will not be, and that all her bees will be 

 drones. Are such drones (from an unfertilized 

 queen) capable of fertilizing (jueens? 



3. Are the German, or brown bees the same as our 

 common black bees? 



3. Are the Carniolans and the Italians the same? 



4. Ai-e the Holy-Land and Syrians the same? I 

 have heard such claims as the above made by men 

 who claim to be posted ; and being only a beginner 

 I want to know the truth of it. 



o. How many different kinds of bees are there? 



6. Please give tbe order of value, as considered 

 by the majority of bee-keepers, in which the differ- 

 ent kinds are considered; in other words, the best 

 bees, second best, etc. 1 suppose, of course, the 

 Italians are tirst; which is second— the Carniolans 

 or Cyprians? 



7. Tell us which you consider the best honey-plant 

 for your locality. T. K. Massie. 



Concord Church, W. Va., April 9, 1888. 



1. We have no evidence tliat such drones 

 as you mention are not capable of fertilizing 

 queens. On the other hand, we have had two 

 or three reports given in our back volumes, to 

 the etfect that they are of some service. 

 Most bee-keepers, however, prefer drones 

 reared from a fertile queen. 2. The German 

 bees are considered to be the same as the 

 brown, or black bee. There is, however, a 

 little difference between the two latter. 

 The brown bees are a little larger, and of a 



