1888 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



531 



pounds of bees and untested queens. As 

 you say you have foul brood in your vicini- 

 ty, I don't think I should buy bees near you. 

 If you can get colonies two or three miles 

 distant from you in box hives, so as not to 

 exceed more than SH or $4 per colony, you 

 might make a start in this way l)y transfer- 

 ring. See " Foul JJrood," in the A B C. 



IS IT AN ADVANTAGE TO LEAVE ON WINTER 

 PACKING UUIiING SUMMER? 



What would be the ot).iectioii to leaving bees 

 packed as for winter all summer? Would it not be 

 a g'uard ag'ainst the e.xtrorae heat of the sun, and 

 also retain the proper warmth in cold nights and 

 cold rainy spells? Would they need more ventila- 

 tion? A. 



Friend A., you will remember that our 

 chaff hive is niade expressly for holding the 

 packing, both winter and summer. We 

 have sometimes thought that the protection 

 was of almost as much value in summer as 

 in winter. Instead of needing more venti- 

 lation the bees will not need as much, other 

 things being equal. Of course, the chaff 

 cushions are not left on in the summer time, 

 for the upper story usually contains either 

 extia frames or surplus boxes. If you leave 

 the chaff cushions in too late, it may cause 

 the bees to cluster on the outside of the 

 hive, because they shut up the ventilation. 



THAT IMPROVEMENT ON THE SMOKER. 



Friend R' ot:—\ am 80 Of 90 miles from home, on 

 the Cowlits and Columbia Rivers, transferring- bees 

 and g-etting the folks started right in making- sec- 

 tion honey. We put on the sections, and in just a 

 week they were capping- them over. We had two 

 swarms the 15th, and section honey the earliest I 

 ever knew in Oiegon or Washington Territory. In 

 your improvement on smokers you nearly got the 

 right idea in the loose valve; but why didn't you 

 put it in the top, then it would fall open of itself? 

 I have been using one that way for three weeks, and 

 it appears about like the others. With one day's 

 work the smoke and beat float out whenever it is 

 set down, and it works like a new one all the time. 

 If the improvement is good, let the bee-world have 

 it. As to the large tube, I think that will make 

 matters worse. It will draw in more smoke and 

 make the blast too short. The cleaning of the tube 

 is no trouble with a red-hot wire; but you can't clean 

 the valve and sides. Put your sandpaper on the 

 right of the fire-box. One day's ti-ansferring will 

 spoil one where you put them. E. K. Poppleton. 

 Freeport, W. T., April 3:5, 1S«8. 



If you put a valve on top of the bellow^s, 

 friend P., it will not respond quick enough. 

 Careful experiment has convinced us that it 

 is much better where it is. The valve should 

 work so easily that it will close only by its 

 own weight, in the ( 'lark smoker. As to the 

 proper size of the tube, the best way to con- 

 vince you that tlie large tube is much better, 

 is for you to try one. We find it will send 

 just as good a blast as the small tube. It is 

 unnecessary to use a red-hot iron in such a 

 tube. As to the sandpaper, we have thought 

 several times of making a change, for the 

 reason you mention. Since reading your 

 letter we have finally concluded to locate the 

 sandpaper on the right of the fire-box. 



MORE ABOUT HEMP AS A HONEY-PLANT. 



I saw an article in Gleanings relative to hemp as 

 a honey-plant. I had some growing near my apiary 

 last fall, and the plant was covered with bees from 

 morning until after dusk, the whole day, with such 

 a roar— almost like swarming— and it yielded a nice 

 clear amber honey too. The bees would not have 

 made such a fuss over it had it yielded only pollen. 

 I think it equal to the Simpson honey-plant; and 

 then by perusing the daily papers we «an see that 

 it is quite necessary for the plant to be raised. 



Thornton, Tnd., June 13, 1H88. J. A. Utter. 



Friend U., we are very glad indeed to 

 know that hemp does, at least sometimes, 

 produce honey. Now, will it not pay to 

 liiiiit up large hemp-fields, and plant hives 

 of bpf>s near them? — Yes, it is true that 

 hemp is a necessity, and it is a sad, sad 

 truth. There have been some recent sug- 

 gestions in regard to punishing criminals by 

 using electricity instead of hemp. May 

 (Jod grant that the electricity and hemp 

 both may be employed for some purpose 

 that does not strike horror to the heart of 

 every good man. 



HEMP NOT A HONEY-PLANT. 



In Gleanings for .lune 1, J. Cadwallader speaks 

 of bees working on hemp. There is perhaps more 

 hemp raised here in the Blue Grass region of Ken- 

 tucky than in any other part of the United States; 

 but I have never seen bees work on it. I do not 

 tloubt, however, that they do, but I do not think it 

 amounts to much for honey. There are several hun- 

 dred acres of hemp within reach of our bees. The 

 hemp that has the seed does not bloom. This does 

 nol seem right, if the hemp depends upon insects 

 for fertiliziition. Walter 15. Downing. 



Lexington, Ky., June 8, 1888. 



Your e.xperience does not agree v.illi the 

 previous letter. 



the CLARK lasting 9 YEA)(,S. 



Allow me to say a good word for the Clark cold- 

 blast smoker. Although your books will show that 

 I have bought a goodly number of them, I have 

 used but one in my apiary, having- now the first 

 and only one T ever used, eight or nine years, and 

 keeping from 50 to 100 colonies of bees, and yet it 

 is in good working order. Would it not be an im- 

 provement to place the sandpaper at the Mde of the 

 flre-box instead of the end? 



Vou placed my last report in Reports Discourag- 

 ing. All right for the report, but please do not 

 place-me with the report. 



You ask in regard to the alsike honey granulat- 

 ing. The last year's production did granulate 

 liadly ; but I have samples of 1885 liquid honey. 



REVERE LOSSES. 



I have suffered severe losses in wintering my 

 stock of bees, and nine-tenths of the dead colonies 

 leave a good supply of honey. stores, showing the 

 trouble to be quality instead of quantity of the 

 feed. Neither was it the cellar, for I have been 

 heretofore successful, and my losses were greater, 

 proportionately, with those wintered on their sum- 

 mer stands. I see my friend Dr. H. Hesse places 

 the loss at 30';/.; but my judgment is, it is some 

 greater, some of our most successful bee-keepers 

 losing fully a half, and some still more. 



Ashley, Ohio, Apr. 1(5, 1888. Elias Cole. 



In regard to the improvement on smokers, 

 see previous column. 



