GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 1. 



Pollen ill the sections Is usually the result of 

 too much contraction in the brood-nest: and 

 the tendency of the times is against contraction 

 to less than 8 L. frames. It is far better to have 

 a big. rousing colony on 8 frames than a medi- 

 um one on 4 or (5 frames. If perforated zinc will 

 keep pollen out of the sections, it ought to out 

 of the brood-nest when drone-guards are on. 

 r^ What you say regarding cappings from old 

 brood-combs is.to a certain extent, true; but I 

 don"t quite see how perforated metal will make 

 much difference, unless it be the slight obstruc- 

 tion f]-om the perforations. Some of the pretti- 

 est and « hitest comb honey I evei- saw was pro- 

 duced in Vermont and York vState. without 

 perforat<»d zinc houey-boards. As supi)ly deal- 

 ers, and the largest manufacturer, of "perfor- 

 ated zinc, we ought to boom that article, 

 whether for comb or extracted honey: but we 

 don't want bee-keepers to buy it for comh-hon- 

 ey ])roduction if it is not needed. 



I know that top-bars l^V inches wide leave ratli- 

 er scant room for the fingers. With a follower 

 and fixed distances, either closed-end or Hoff- 

 man, it gives no trouble. 



After you hiiVe used closed-end frames for a 

 wliile. you may modify your views somewhat in 

 regard to the plain, slatted honey-board. Fixed 

 distances will ixMniit of narrower and thinner 

 top-bars in the riddance of burr-combs.j 



E. R. 



THE TINEID MOTH. 



PROF. COOK TEI.T.S I^S ABOUT THE LITTLE EGG- 

 SHAPED COCOONS ON THE APPLE-TKEES. 



Mr. Chester Olmstead, East. Blooihfield, N. 

 Y.. desires to hear through Gle.^nings of the 

 eggs (?) which "'literally cover"" the twigs of 

 his apple-trees. These are not eggs, though 

 they look so much like them that it is not 

 strange that ^Ir. O. mistook them for eggs. He, 

 however, seems in doubt, for he adds, •" I take 

 them to be eggs." 



These are the cocoons-of a beautiful little 

 moth. Bucciilatrix pomifoUelln, Clem. 



As we see by the cut below (the single one is 



shown natural size), they rest side by side on 

 the twig, often as many as eight together. 

 Sometimes they are so abundant that they do 

 "literally coveJ- the twig," as Mr. Olmstead 

 states. They are a quarter of an inch long, 

 white in color, and elongated, as seen in the 

 figure. The cocoon is ribbed, and firmly attach- 

 ed to the twigs. Next spring a beautiful tiny 

 moth will come from each of these cocoons, un- 

 less the pupa has been destroyed. This moth 

 is less than an eighth of an inch long, and 

 measures but litth; more than a fourth of an 

 inch from tip to tip of the wings when the lat- 

 er are spread. The fore wings are white, with 

 yellowish reflection. There are three brown 

 ^pots on each wing— one a mere dot at the tip of 



the wing — as seen in the figure. The posterior 

 wings are triangular, and beautifully fringed. 

 as is generally the case with the Tincid moths. 

 The moths lay their eggs early in tlie spring. 

 In June the caterpillars may be seen eating the 

 leaves. If disturbed they fall from the leaf, 

 letting themselves down by a thread of silk 

 which they spin for the pur])ose. They are 

 nearly half an inch long when full grown; are 

 dark yellowish green, reddish toward the head, 

 which is brown. This first brood — the insect is 

 double-brooded — spins its cocoons on the twigs, 

 but among the leaves they are not so conspicu- 

 ous as are the winter cocoons. The second 

 moths come forth in late snmmei-; the second 

 larvte feed in autumn, and the brown pupie 

 pass the winter in the elongated cocoons. Thus 

 we have the life-history of this beautiful and 

 interesting little Tincid moXh. 



The^e moths are so called because they belong 

 to the family Tiiicida'. As we should supijose. 

 the moths of this family are very small. Thus 

 they are sometimes calh'd Micrnlcpidopteni. 

 Our common clothes-moths, some of the worst 

 grain insecis. and leaf-miners also, belong to 

 this family. 



In looking at these cocoons I find many with 

 holes either at the end oi- on the side. These 

 holes show that some parasite has eaten up the 

 insects, matured, and gone forth to destroy 

 other of our insect enemies. Again, on the buds 

 of the twigs, and crowded in between the co- 

 coons, many plant-lice eggs are to be seen. 

 These are minute black eggs. They will hatch 

 in the spring just as the leaves unfold: and the 

 plant-lice which come from them multiply so 

 rapidly that, unless checked by other insects — 

 which is usually their fate— or the orchardist. 

 they will do much harm. 



These tineids are so small that they usually 

 do little harm! If so abundant in June as to 

 seriously damage the trees they would quickly 

 succumb to the ar.senites — the' same that so 

 speedily destroy the codling-moth and the can- 

 ker-worms. A. J. Cook. 



Agricultual College, Mich., Dec. 22. 



WEARING GLOVES. 



DUESS FOi: LADIES AVHEN AMONG BEES 



In working with bees I always wear gloves. 

 I think Dr. Miller has mentioned it in some of 

 his articles, also, that he thought I would give 

 them up some day. You need not tell him that 

 I said so, but I don"t believe I ever shall. Aside 

 from the saving of stings (and gloves have sav- 

 ed me a good many stings), it doesn't seem to 

 me as if I could ever fendure the sticky propolis 

 on my fingers. 



I sew a pair of white sleeves securely to the 

 top of my gloves, leaving no opening for the 

 bees to enter. I use white, because the bees 

 seldom, if ever, sting white. I used to fasten 

 the sleeves to the shoulder with a safety-pin, 

 but I found that very cross hybrids managed to 

 get in a good many stings on my shoulders 

 above the sleeves, as the sleeves did not reach 

 (juite far enough. I now make the sleeves very 

 long, so they will reach well up on the shoul- 

 ders, and fasten them together in the back with 

 a little strap, buttoning them together in front 

 with a similar strap. It takes much less time to 

 put them on in this way. 



One objection to wearing gloves is the time it 

 takes to get rigged up for work. But I really be- 

 lieve I can work faster and better with than with- 

 out them, for I do not feel so nervous about stings. 

 Another advantage is, that they materially 

 help to keep your dress clean — or, rather, the 

 sleeves do. 



