484 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE. 



June 



(2) We do not know what you mean by 

 the cotton-tree. If you mean tlie cotton- 

 plant, we would say that it certainly does 

 yield honey, although very sparingly, they 

 all say. But perhaps you mean the cotton- 

 wood-tree, or one of the tulip family. This 

 latter certainly yields honey. See the A B 

 C book. In regard to this matter of honey- 

 bearing trees, we would say that almost any 

 tree yields honey at times. Even the hick- 

 ory has been known to yield some nectar. 

 .Vgain, some of best honey-producing trees 

 will fail in some seasons, notably basswood. 



(3) In answer to this question, I would 

 refer you to an article by C. C. Miller, on 

 the subject of wide frames vs. T supers, 

 page 34.5, May 1st. After considering the 

 pros and cons, the doctor decides in favor of 

 the T super. 



(4) The reversible wire corners are very 

 much superior to the metal-cornered frames. 

 They possess all the advantages of the lat- 

 ter, and several good features besides. We 

 have been introducing them into our apiaries 

 the past year or so, and we are very greatly 

 pleased with them. Combs with reversible 

 wire corners are always nicely filled out, 

 and of an even thickness throughout. 



(5) The ABC says, sprinkle powdered 

 borax over the hills, when the ants will 

 speedily '" pull up stakes " and abscond. 

 The application of turpentine to the hills is 

 also very efficient in making them leave. 



IRRIGATION IN FLORIDA, AND HOW SHALL IT BE 

 DONE ? 



Friend Roof .•—Bee-keeping- in Florida is the same 

 here as elsewhere. The man anil the natural for- 

 age make it a success or a failure. Gardening in 

 Florida is the same. Land and water are the two 

 natural elements of success or failure. We have 

 the usual rainfall of the land during the year, but 

 we are so situated that we have the dry and wet 

 season. The dry is in the winter and spring, when 

 we most desire it for gardening purposes, hence 

 irrigation must be resorted to. Tt has been tested 

 to our pei-fect satisfaction. But the manner of its 

 application is the question. How shall we irri- 

 gate? That is the theme. Sub-irrigation is the way, 

 but how apply it? There, we get all the water. 

 Of surface irrigation, wind and sunshine get more 

 than two-thirds, with no benefit to the plants. Can 

 you enlighten us any on the subject ? 



Altoona, Fla., Apr. 27, 1888. .John Craycraft. 



Friend C, this matter of irrigation is now 

 the great problem l)efore the world. If you 

 are obliged to irrigate when the sun and 

 wind are both hot, it will take a very large 

 amount of water indeed. 8o far as I can 

 learn, experiments made iu the way of sub- 

 irrigation have not been very successful— 

 that is, during a very severe ;ind protracted 

 drouth. 



HOUSE apiahv; transferring. 

 As one of your ABC class, please let me add that 

 my bees have wintered poorly; but it is my own 

 fault, as my house apiary is not ready in season to 

 put them in good winter quarters. From ten colo- 

 nies in the fall there are left now but three. Two 

 died from dysentery, two from snow blown into the 

 hives, and the others prol)ably from dampness, as 

 the combs were moldj\ One colonj', appareiuly 



doing well now, was in a box hive; and finding, a 

 few days ago, that their combs were very moldy, I 

 transferred them, saving a few of the cleanest 

 pieces of their combs, and giving them also two 

 clean frames of honey. 



My house apiary is hexagonal, having the door on 

 the northwest side.'and just room for two Simplici- 

 ty hives in width on each of the other five. Also, 

 there is room for three stories of hives, making 30 

 in all, that the house will hold. 



Is it best to transfer a colony whose combs are 

 moldy? 



Will a house apiary with four inches of dry saw- 

 dust in the walls answer as well as chaff hives? 



Barkhamsted, Ct., Apr. 18, 1888. J. B. Clarke. 



I do not think I would transfer a colony 

 simply because their combs are moldy. If 

 they are populous with bees, the moldy 

 cornbs will be all fixed up sweet in a very 

 short time. Dry sawdust will probably ans- 

 wer just about as well as chaff. In fact, a 

 great many use it where chaff is not con- 

 venient. 



prevention of increase. 



Could you give us something practical on how 

 to prevent increase? I want all my colonies to 

 come out in the fall with no queens older than 

 last summer. I am thinking seriously of hiving 

 all first swarms, which I can not prevent, close to 

 the old stock, and in ten or twelve days take 

 away the queen from the swarm and set it (the 

 swarm) on top of the old stock. 



Chas. Mitchell. 



Molesworth, Ont., Can., Apr. 30, 1888. 



Friend M., this is a wide subject. It has 

 been discussed a great deal through our 

 journals, and you will find much in regard 

 to it in the A B C book. Perhaps Doolittle 

 will give us an article on this subject, as he 

 has had a good deal of experience, and he 

 practices keeping the numl)er of his colonies 

 down to a certain limit. 



use for old fruit-cans. 



Mr. Bout: — Your very interesting talk about 

 transplanting-cylinders of tin suggested the idea of 

 using some three-pound tomato-cans I have. I set 

 them on the stove until the bottom solder was hot 

 enough to jar out the bottom, and I had the very 

 things. Cut out the top; don't melt it <iff; leave half 

 an inch of it all round for stiffening. I tried them 

 on some watermelons first, and they are all right- 

 rather thin for stift' ground, however, but answer 

 well on light soil. 



Your idea of using a wheelbarrow full of them at 

 one time, so as to be able to carry the plants to the 

 fields, was altogether newto me, and opensup great 

 possibilities. 



I had some little trouble in getting the earth out 

 nicely, even after pouring water a little while. I 

 found, however, that by jarring the cans by repeat- 

 ed blows with a small stick while extracting them is 

 a great help. 



My transplanted melons are doing finely. I will 

 try the cans on tomatoes next week. 



I am very glad I read your talk in Gleanings. 

 The boys take it, and all of us want to read it as 

 soon as it comes. We are profited by reading your 

 little sermons. We hope you will live long to con- 

 tinue them. 



Bees arc making honey fast with us. We took 



