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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jul A' 1. 



REPOKT FKOM ALAHAMA. 



We have an excellent honey-producing conn- 

 try here, but bee-keepers are many years be- 

 hind the modern improvements. 1 don't think 

 there is a single frame hive in the county, with 

 the exception of what I have, and the bee- 

 keepers come to my place and view them with 

 wonder when I open up the hive and exhibit 

 the combs and bees to them. I have only 16 

 colonies this season, as I was unacquainted 

 with the honey resources of the country, and did 

 not start until late. Kutmy bees have gone clear 

 beyond my expectations. They have the lower 

 story all jammed full of honey and brood, and 

 I put on supers several days ago. N(!Xt year, if 

 the good Lord spares my life, I am going to be 

 ready in time. There is plenty of white clover 

 herei and hundreds of trees and flowers that 

 yield honey. Just now they are working on 

 honey-dew. I never saw the like of it before. 

 I have seen honey-dew in Ohio, but nothing to 

 compare with it here. Inclosed I send you 

 some hickory leaves with it. It comes on hick- 

 ory, chestnut, and poplar. It is well-flavored 

 honey, not like the sickly stuff that we got in 

 Ohio, which killed 50 colonies of bees for me in 

 1883. F. H. Finch. 



Florence, Ala., ^lay ."51. 



HEES ON SHARES. 



What is customary, as a rule, in ke(^plng bees 

 on shares? What must the keeper furnish for 

 half of the honey and half of the increase of 

 bees? Must the keeper furnish supplies for the 

 bees taken, and must he return the same num- 

 ber of colonies wh(m he gives them up as he 

 received — that is, must the keeper furnish, out 

 of his shai'e of increase of bees, to keep the 

 hives full of what may pei'ish. during winter, of 

 the number taken? Who furnishes hives for 

 increase of bees? W. M. Rush. 



Courier, Ind., June 1. 



[Friend R., the customary way has been ex- 

 plained several times in our back nutnbers; 

 and once or twice it has been illustrated with 

 pictures. Briefly, it is this: The bees are let 

 out without any particular understanding on 

 either side, unless it be, "Of course, we 

 will both do what is fair and right in the 

 matter." Before the year is up. however, there 

 will be a big quarrel — sometimes a neighbor- 

 hood quarrel: and if the arrangement is with 

 old friends, they will piobably luivci' b(^ friends 

 again afterward. Jesting aside, there is not 

 any rule that I know of for bees on shares, 

 neither can I see how there can be a rule made 

 that will take in all contingences. If there is 

 among our readers a man who is both bee- 

 keeper and lawyer, and who thinks he can 

 draw up a brief agre<>raent for both parties to 

 sign, and one that will be satisfactoiy on both 

 sides, and not on.it unexpected contingencies, 

 we should be very glad indeed to have him try 

 his hand at it. The trouble will be, the docu- 

 ment will be so voluminous that, when the 

 quarrel comes, it will transpire that one or both 

 parties never read it through carefully.] 



the Reese, or vertical, works with me. I made 

 several the past winter to tit the top of the hive, 

 having two vertical cones 2)4 inches by 3 in 

 depth, with an opening of exit nearly ^p, of an 

 inch. If too small they clog it. and you have a 

 failure. 1 also want a space between the end 

 of the cone and brood-frames of at least an 

 inch. I don't want a bee standing on the top 

 of the frames, not even when two or three deep, 

 to be able to reach the month of the cone. I 

 use no smoke, and put it on just at night, and 

 take off as early as possible next morning. Cool 

 nights give best results. 



OLD PHOSPHATE-SACKS FOK SMOKER FUEL. 



It is said, that necessity is the mother of in- 

 vention. With me it has led to the discovery 

 of a fuel for the smoker, far ahead of any thing 

 else I ever tried. It is a well-worn phosphate- 

 sack. Let me say to Dr. Miller, get the most 

 worn one you can find. Have it perfectly dry: 

 tear it into as narrow strips as possible, or hag- 

 gle it thoroughly with a keen-pointed knife. 

 With these fragments pack the smoker fairly 

 well: pour on a few drops of coal oil to facili- 

 tate ignition; apply a match: now work the 

 bellows until well caught. It is a little slow in 

 getting caught: but. that accomplished, it will 

 smolder for hours. It gives the best suppressed 

 combustion of any thing I know of, punk not 

 excepted. 



Manum's device for hiving swarms is a real 

 pleasure. There is a warm i)lace in my heart 

 for the man who brought it out. It will live 

 after its inventor has ceased to be among men. 



Guys, Md., June 9. Wm. S. Adams. 



EIGHT- FRAME HIVES TOO LARGE. 



Experience here shows that an eight-frame 

 hive is too large when running for comb honey. 

 Anderson vi He, Ga., June 1. S. F. English. 



[Well, well, friend E. While everybody else 

 is afraid that eight frames are hardly large 

 e?)ou(//i for an average colony, you decide it is 

 too large. What, then, shall we have — seven 

 frames, or shall we come down to a six-frame 

 hive? A six-frame hive would be very nice to 

 carry into the cellar; and if one raised bees for 

 sale, they would be very nice for another kind 

 of "seller" — that is, providing the buyer did 

 not object.] 



CUTTING BEES OUT OF A TREE. 



I bought a bee-tree for ¥1.00. The bees went 

 in at the ground. I cut it off' just above the 

 bees, and set a box hive on top of the stump, 

 and smoked them up and chopped in and split 

 off' till 1 got all of the comb out. It had lots of 

 young brood, and the largest swarm of bees I 

 ever saw. VVe carried them home and put the 

 comb into my new frames, and shook the bees 

 out on a sheet. They went in as nice as a new 

 swarm. I saw the queen as she went in. 



Detroit, 111., June 7. Wm. Casteel. 



bee-escapes; the reese only, a success. 

 My bees have swarmed with a vim. Cutting 

 out queen-cells and putting on sections early 

 availed nothing: cutting the queen-cells and 

 returning the swarm about sunset has worked 

 well so far. Wheie this plan works with me I 

 see but one objection — trouble of requeening 

 after the season is over. By doubling my first 

 swarms, and from a few strong colonies that 

 did not take the fever, I have had the pleasure 

 of further testing bee-escapes. I can't agree 

 with friend Brown, page 4.59, June 1. Only 



A SUXDAY-SCIIOOL TENDERS ITS COLLECTION 

 TO TOMMY STRINGER. 



I carried the case of Tommy Stringer (the 

 blind boy) to our Sunday-school, and asked for 

 a collection to be taken children's day for him. 

 It was readily granted, and has been taken. 

 Inclosed find a money order for ¥4..50. 



Harmon, 111., June Ki. Mrs. G. E. Balch. 



[My good friend Mrs. B., Uncle Amos takes 

 the responsibility of tendering his earnest 

 thanks to the dear children for their interest 

 in friend Tommy. Perhaps our friend Helen 

 Keller, if she is liot tasked too greatly, will also 

 send a message to that Sunday-school.] 



