542 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



July 1. 



some peculiarity of the queen i"esults in this de- 

 formity. It would be interesting to raise 

 queens from this queen, and see if her bees are 

 the same. It might be possible to breed a race 

 of one-eyed bees. I presume they would be no 

 better, but, like tive-toed chickens, they would 

 be curious, and, if as good for business, would 

 Hnd a ready sale, if only for curiosity's sake. 

 Ag'l College, Mich., June 13. A. J. Cook. 



[Friend Cook, if you had only one or even 

 two of the bees described, it would be nothing 

 more strange than the monstrosities we meet 

 every little while. But it seems to me strange 

 that there should be a whole half-dozen, and 

 these all alike: and. besides, you have several 

 bees entirely alike, from two different individ- 

 uals, widely separated from each other. This 

 seems to me something very strange, and it is 

 unlike any thing in the way of monsti'osities 

 that has ever come under my observation.] 



CLOSE OR WIDE SPACING OF BROOD-FRAMES. 



THE NATUKAI. SPACING OF C'OMKS; UNEVEN- 

 NESS OF COMH SUKFACE. 



After all the discussions on this subject, it 

 seems not to be exhausted yet. The Keokuk 

 convention had to talk it over, and still some 

 things were, in my opinion, left untouched, or, 

 at least, unfinished, that have an important 

 bearing upon the matter. I judge by the re- 

 port of proceedings, for I was not there. One 

 important item was brought to light; namely, 

 that in nature the spacing of combs is irregu- 

 lar, and that the closest spacing is in the cen- 

 ter—in the brood-nest, the distance apart in- 

 creasing with the distance from the brood-nest. 

 That is just as I want it. An inch and three- 

 eighths, it seems, is the natural spacing of 

 brood-combs. I settled upon that as the prop- 

 er spacing several years ago. If we are to have 

 a brood-chamber for brood alone in the summer 

 season, it would seem that l^i is right, accord- 

 ing to natui'e. 



If expedient it may be a good thing to space 

 the frames further apart for wintering, espe- 

 cially if wintered out of doors; but push them 

 closer together in the spring. Mr. Clarke does 

 not believe in crowding the frames together at 

 any time. If he told why not, it does not ap- 

 pear in the proceedings. I do believe in it, 

 and I will tell you why. Whenever the brood- 

 chamber becomes crowded with brood and hon- 

 ey, as is sure to be the case when honey is com- 

 ing in rapidly, as far as the frames are filled 

 with honey there you will find but a bare bee- 

 space between the combs. Bees never seal 

 honey except in times of great dearth, and 

 leave X or Si inch space. And since nature is 

 satisfied with % of an inch between brood- 

 combs, why not put them that close together? 

 It is claimed that bees will fill the frames more 

 with brood and less with honey if thus closely 

 spaced. While I think that it lias that tenden- 

 cy I am not certain that close spacing (ilways 

 has that effect. But I am certain that the 

 honey lost by lengthening and filling the cells 

 might be profitably saved for surplus recep- 

 tacles. 



Frames spaced IK in. apart are generally no 

 more easily manipulated than those closer to- 

 gether. True, there is more room between the 

 partitions filled with brood. But unevenness 

 of comb surface is one of the greatest of hin- 

 drances to the easy and rapid manipulation of 

 frames. Where combs are thick this uneven- 

 ness is all the greater, and makes the inter- 

 changing of frames all the more difficult. 



When inserting empty combs or hiving swarms 

 on them I always shave them down even and 

 thin, and space them closely for that reason. 

 And, by the way, nothing promotes the build- 

 ing of uneven comb surfaces more than the 

 interchanging of frames, and nothing better 

 counteracts this tendency than close sjiacing. 

 Now, perhaps some one i-ises here to say that 

 nothing also so promotes the bridging of combs. 

 I say, not a bit more than when placed 13-2 in. 

 apart. 



When hiving on frames of foundation I would 

 not place the frames further apart than 1% 

 inches. Further than that will give us thicker 

 and less even combs. I gencM'ally hive on emp- 

 ty frames with starters, and in thai case l}i in. 

 is better. The combs will be less wavy, and 

 less drone comb will be built. 



PKEiMIUMS ON CANDIED HONEY. 



Why should not fair associations offer premi- 

 ums on candied honey — oi', more pioperly, per- 

 haps, why should not bee-keepers take the 

 matter in hand and prevail upon them to do so? 

 We have been for years telling one another to 

 teach folks that the candying of honey is the 

 best test of purity. Yes. and we have been try- 

 ing to teach them, too, but still many do not 

 know it or will not believe it. The work of ed- 

 ucation is incomplete. Let us go on in the 

 work we have been doing, but let us not stop 

 there. What better way to educate the public 

 than by a good fair-exhibit? That is what 

 fairs are for. Stockmen, poultrymen, inventors, 

 manufacturers, horticulturists, bee-keepers — 

 all look upon a fair as a place to make com- 

 petitive exhibits of their wares— to advertise, 

 to educate the people; to show them what they 

 have to offer; to present the claims and test the 

 qualities of their products. And fair associa- 

 tions look to stockmen, etc.. to present their 

 interests before them as well as at the fairs. 

 Bee-keepers must do this or their claims will 

 not be duly recognized. We bee-keepers have, 

 of course, urged the claims of our industry more 

 or less, but we have been derelict concerning 

 the matter I mention. Let us see to it that no 

 apiarian exhibit nor premium-list is complete 

 in which candied honey does not occupy a 

 prominent place. Geo. F. Robbins. 



Mechanicsburg, 111. 



CLOSED-END FRAMES. 



NOT PKACTICAL IN A CLOSE-FITTING BOX. 



I have been very much interested in the dis- 

 cussions in Gleanings regarding closed-end 

 frames, but quite a number of things ai-e not 

 very plain to me. First, I think the closed- 

 end, as El wood and Captain Hetherington use 

 it, is a long way ahead of either hanging or 

 Hoffman frames: but when we come to use it 

 in a hive-body of limited capacity, do we not 

 lose some of its most valuable features? If we 

 have no case we can get the frames apart a 

 great deal faster and easier: and then another 

 reason is. that, with a strong colony in the 

 month of May. eight frames are hardly suffi- 

 cient. Every year I have been obliged to give 

 more room above or take away brood, and this 

 I do not like to do, for it weakens the colony 

 when the honey - flow comes; still, if I do 

 not they an; sure to swarm when the first 

 honey comes from apple-blossoms. Would it 

 not be better to have a hive in which you can 

 use from ten to' twelve frames, and then remove 

 all but your regular number at the beginning 

 of the honey-flow, giving them to weaker colo- 

 nies? Now, why do you have such a wretched- 

 looking cover or cap on the Quinby liive? Why 



