9^4 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



I)EC. 



flowers at all times of the day. But what aston- 

 ished us all was the proliflcness of this buckwheat, 

 and the great size of the berry. Ail who saw it 

 said they never saw its equal. I sowed it on the 

 site of an old brick-kiln— solid clay soil with almost 

 no humus, and yet ] had a fairly good croi>. I took 

 two bushels to mill, that we might test the flour. 

 The luiller said he never saw so little waste in 

 buckwheat, nor such enormous kernels. Of 

 CCiurse, the little waste would follow from the large 

 Size of the kernel. We have tested the flour in 

 griddle-cakes with maple syrup, and proncunce it 

 A No. I. Dr. Beal says he believes this is our com- 

 mon buckwheat, Faoupiirum esculentum. As buck- 

 wheat is a native of North Asia, this is quite likely 

 Irue; but one has only to see the two side by side, 

 to be convinced that this Japanese is a distinct and 

 well-tuarked variety. 



Before closing, let me suggest reasons why farm- 

 fers, especially bee-keeping farmers, should sow 

 buckwheat as a part of their crop rotation. First, 

 it is sown late in June, and the comparative leisure 

 after planting gives opportunity to prepare the 

 ground. Secondly, it is an excellent crop to pre- 

 cede corn on land that is infested with wire-worms. 

 It seems to starve out these terribly destructive 

 grubs. Again, it is a profitable crop, often paying 

 as well or better than does wheat. It also gives us 

 the basis of our buckwheat cakes, which with 

 maple syrup will tempt the most capricious ap- 

 petite. Last, buckwheat furnishes ofttimes abun- 

 dant nectar for the bees when all else fails. 



Agricultural College, Mich. A. J. Cook. 



Tlie ciireful manner in which you tested 

 it shows the Japanese to be far superior, not 

 only as a yielder of grain, but as a yielder of 

 nectar. For some reason or other, we have 

 not had very many reports with regard to 

 bees working on J apanese buckwheat. Per- 

 haps this is owing to the past bad season. 

 There is not a particle of doubt but that as 

 a yielder of grain it is away ahead of the 

 common buckwheat. We should be glad to 

 have more reports as to its nectar-bearing 

 qualities. We hope all our farmer friends 

 will take the hints that Trof. Cook throws 

 out. 



^ I ■ 



SOME TIMELY SUGGESTIONS. 



BEST SIZE AND SHAPE OF A COMB-HONBY SHIP- 

 PINO-CASE. 



PRIEND ROOT:— I want to make a suggestion 

 about the size of shipping-cases for honey. 

 We are receiving honey fi"om all parts of the 

 country, and we notice a great variety of sizes 

 and styles. Scarcely two bee-keepers are 

 using the same size, and very few use the sensible 

 size that is best adapted to the more or less rough 

 usage that transportation gives them. We notice 

 the shipping-cases that are about 31 inches long 

 and about 10 inches wide, inside measurement, and 

 only one tier of combs high, and glass on only one 

 side, with covers nailed on top (not sunken in), 

 stand the racket the best of any shipping-crate, to 

 the extent that would surprise you if you could see 

 the different condition honey comes in from the 

 same place by transportation companies. 



If a shipping-crate is too near square, and weighs 

 :tt) pounds, there is too much base, or bottom, to be 

 handled easily— too much like a flagstone. Also 



too small crates are a poor way of shipping honey. 

 Almost invariably, combs are in bad order, owing 

 to being so light that it is pitched about too easily. 

 A half longer than wide is the safest size, and not 

 to weigh less than 25 pounds. H. K. Wright. 



Albany, N. ¥., Nov. 10, 1888. 



Thanks for your suggestion, friend Wright. 

 There is not a particle of doubt that, if bee- 

 keepers would ship their honey with more 

 care, many if not all the troubles resulting 

 from leaking and broken-down combs in 

 transit might be avoided. But we fail to see 

 just why a crate 21 infllies long and 10 inches 

 wide is better than one 12 inches wide and 

 17i inches long, inside measure. It is true, 

 the size you recommend uses a narrower 

 cover and bottom board ; but we should 

 hardly think this would make any very great 

 appreciable difference. Now, the common- 

 sized crates are of the latter size given, and 

 will accommodate 24 l|,'i sections, or 28 

 seven-to-the-foot sections. You will see 

 that your width of crate rather interferes 

 with this unique arrangement. We shall be 

 glad to hear fiom other commission men in 

 regard to this matter. Tell us what size of 

 crates come to you in best order ; also wheth- 

 er the case should be glassed on one or both 

 sides, or whether it makes any material dif- 

 ference. 



UNDERSTANDING A LOCALITY. 



BEES FOR THE HARVEST, .JUST AT THE RIGHT TIME; 



FRIEND DOOLITTLE DISCUSSES AN IMPORTANT 



MATTER. 



TT was with much interest that I read friend 

 (^ Poppleton's article on page 838, Nov. 1st; not 

 ]ll because he mentions my name in that article, 

 "*■ but because he touches on an old subject 

 which seems to be almost entirely ignored by 

 the mass of bee keepers, or, at least, by the larger 

 share of those who write to me asking questions. 

 In fact, it would seem that friend P. did not realize 

 how much was dependent on this matter of loca- 

 tion while he was in Iowa; and if as great a light as 

 he did not so realize, while at his former home, how 

 could we e.xpect that the rank and file of bee-keep- 

 ers would do better? As hinted at above, I get 

 many letters which show that the writers are al- 

 most or entirely ignorant of the time of the blooming 

 of the flowers which produce their honey crop, and 

 for this reason I have been contemplating the 

 writing of an article for Gleanings, on the under- 

 standing of a locality, for some time; so as friend 

 P. has suggested the subject, and started the " ball 

 to rolling," 1 will venture a few words on the sub- 

 ject, hoping that all who read will be led to look 

 into their locality more closely. 



Friend P. says, that " different locations require 

 radicallj- different methods of management to ob- 

 tain success," but in this I think he is mistaken, so 

 far as the time of commencing to prepare for the 

 harvest is concerned, for that should be done in 

 reference to the blooming of the flowers which 

 yield honey, no matter where we are. In nearly all 

 localities where bees can be kept, there are certain 

 plants or trees which give a yield of surplus honey 

 at a certain time of year, while, aside from this, 

 there Is little more honey obtained by the bees than 

 is needed to supply their daily wants. Some locali- 



