7(i(j 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 



THE YELLOW VS. THE BLACK KACE. 



This lias been a good season (not for honey) to 

 test the two races of bees, black and yellow. My 

 two colonics of blacks— being in the same apparent 

 condition as the ten colonics of Italians in the same 

 yard, secured no surplus, while the Italians gather- 

 ed from 'ZQ to 50 lbs. each. When the honey-flow 

 was over, the Italians remained quif tly clustered in 

 and on the hiv^e, while the blacks were nosing 

 around everywhere, trying to rob; and when the 

 jam-making process was going on, the liitchen was 

 swarming with bees, and, to mj- surprise, every sin- 

 gle one of them was black. We all know Italians 

 will rob, l)ut they seem much less inclined to do so. 



THE POISON OF THE STING. 



The i)oison of the bee swells me badly, and the 

 only positive panacea I have found is to take the 

 sharp i)oint of my penknife and make a slight cut 

 just whei-e the bce-stiug enters, and insert a small 

 (luantity of carbonate of soda (common cooking 

 soda) iu a few drops of water. I keep a small vial 

 of the solution convenient, and the swelling is 

 averted every time. J. S. Reese. 



Winchester, Ivy., Sept. 18, 1>-8S. 



Friend K.,tlie point you make in regard 

 to letting- your bees into the brood nest, is a 

 good one. Dr. Miller's excellent arrange- 

 ment, shown on page GSl of our last issue, 

 is, I presume, open to the objection you 

 make.— We decided, years ago, that enam- 

 eled cloth Avas the best thing we had ever 

 got hold of for covering frames, sections, or 

 any thing of the sort.— My objection to your 

 corrugated iron for hive-covers would be 

 the weiglit, and I feel quite sure that thin 

 r<ioting tin costs less per square foot than 

 the iron, and the iron is certainly mucli 

 heavier to handle. Either one must be 

 kept painted, to avoid rust.— -I believe the 

 general testimony is like yours in regard to 

 blacks and Italians, although circumstances 

 may for a time, in rare cases, make a show- 

 ing the other way.— In regard to the bee- 

 sting remedy, if you are to cut into the llesh 

 so you can get the alkali to reach the poison 

 before it gets into the circulation, there 

 might be some reason in the remedy. But I 

 confess that I should prefer not to have my 

 flesh dug into after that fashion, even if it 

 were desirable to get the alkali down into 

 the spot. 



FROM DIFFERENT FIE I. -OS. 



UEE-KEEPEKS at THE WEST VIRGINIA EXPOSITION 

 AND STATE FAIR? 



EDITOR GLEANINGS:— It would, perhaps, be 

 interesting to some to know that there are a 

 ' few live beekeepeis to keep the Imll rolling, 

 by an exhibit at the above tri-state fair. 

 While we can not detail all, we will make 

 special mention of the exhibit of our friend C. L. 

 Sebright, of Blaine, Ohio. 



Tpon entering the hall we first notice the smil- 

 ing faces of Mr. and Mrs. Sebright behind a Novice 

 honey-e.xtractor, entertaining a crowd of curious 

 visitors, and telling them just how the machine 

 would "sling honey." Then the hive of beautiful 

 golden-edged Italians, just too sweet for any thing. 



and "so tame," kept friend Sebright busy in 

 " using his chin," answering questions, telling all 

 he knew about bees. A pyramid of beeswa.x, cap- 

 ped by the " stars and stripes," was conspicuous. 

 Several cases of snow-white honey-jars, and cans 

 of extracted honey; piles of hives, and a full line of 

 implements for the apiary, were displayed with 

 taste, and carried the " red ribbon" over all com- 

 petitors. Brother Sebright is blessed with a whole 

 live woman for a companion, and last year carried 

 off the premium for the " best baby," so you see it 

 is no wonder that he is such a progressive bee- 

 keeper. Altogether he is a genial good fellow, 

 whom it is a pleasure to meet. Bee-keepers of 

 Eastern Ohio and West Virginia owe friend Se- 

 bright a debt of gratitude for his efforts to improve 

 apiculture. D. H. T. 



WILD CUCUMBER, AND THE HONEY IT FURNISHES. 



As I have never seen wild cucumber mentioned 

 as a honey-plant iu Gle.\nings, I will send you a 

 sample of unripe honey; also a piece of the vine. 

 It is our best fall honey-plant along the Kaw River. 

 We shall get some surplus from it this fall, besides 

 ])utting our bees in fine shape for winter. If you 

 don't know the name of the plant, send it to Prof. 

 Cook, and reply through Gle.\nings. 



.1. K. WlLLlAiMSON. 



Edwardsville, Kan., Sept. 8, 1888. 



Friend W., we are very much obliged for 

 the honey, and the information you give in 

 regard to it. The plant is the star cucum- 

 ber, or Sicyos (uigulatur. The botany says it 

 is so rapid in its growth that, when a stick is 

 presented to one of the feelers, or tendrils, 

 it will wind around it with a motion that is 

 visible to the naked eye. I think the plant 

 grows spontaneously in our locality. I will 

 explain to our readers, that the honey is 

 pretty fair, having a very perceptible cu- 

 cumber flavor. As you say it is unripe, it 

 will perhaps improve a good deal on being 

 ripened and sealed up in the hive. 



CIRCULATION OF AIR NEEDED FOR EVAPORATING 

 HONEY, FRUIT, OR VEGETABLES. 



Your suggestion about the need of a circulation 

 of air in evaporating water from honey, in reply to 

 (juery 6.5, p 576 is important. I have been anxious 

 to devise a plan to have a current of air over the 

 honey under the cover. One of my neighbors has 

 been experimenting on a fruit-dryer. Ho-consld- 

 ers a strong current of air immediately over the 

 fruit the most important principle. 



DECOY HIVES IN CALIFORNIA. 



Mr. G. F. Merriam, of Escondido, San Diego Co., 

 Cal., says in a letter to mo that he left empty hives 

 in an apiary from which he moved the bees, and 

 during this season .'Hi xtrii;/ swaiiiDs c(tnu' and en- 

 tered the hires. I thought I did well when I had two 

 come to me or.e season. 



San Buenaventura, Cal. R. W. Wilkin. 



Why, friend \V., this is indeed wonderful, 

 but I presume it is owing much to the great 

 abundance of bees in your beautifid climate, 

 especially to the number of stray swarms 

 going about loose. By the way, friend W., 

 I expect to make you a call i:i Ave or six 

 weeks. T mentioii it here in order that the 

 rest of my bee-friends in California may 

 know that I propose looking in upon therq. 



