6(5(5 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Aug. 15. 



Of late, in putting on our supers we have 

 written a memorandum on the top of one of the 

 sections, to keep track of the work of the colony. 

 For example, suppose on the 10th of July we 

 give No. 1:2 the third super. We write on the 

 top^ of one of the middle sections, "' 13, July 10, 

 .Sd." It has been a great help, as we can tell 

 thereby what the colony has done, and how 

 much more room it is likely to need, even sup- 

 posing all the supers but one have been filled 

 and taken off. Before, we had bothered about 

 telling how much room to give. Suppose we 

 come to No. 3. It has a stiper lacking a pound 

 or two of being full. Now. if this is the second 

 or third super it has tilled, it ought to have 

 more room; but if it has been all summer filling 

 this one, it will do very well as it is. By our 

 memorandum we can readily tell how much it 

 has done, and act accordingly. 



Marengo, 111. Emma Wilson. 



[So you have really discovered that keeping a 

 memorandum on top of a section in the hive is 

 less trouble than lugging around a great book. I 

 am glad to hear of it. But, now, why not have 

 a slate on top of the hive, or hanging on the 

 hive, instead of being obliged- to raise the cover, 

 and then make a section unsalable by unsightly 

 figuring '? Stay a little. Perhaps I am in haste 

 in my remarks about "unsightly figuring." If 

 it were done by a feminine hand it might make 

 a difference; but who wants pencil-marks on a 

 section of honey? If the pencil were very 

 shai'p. and the writing small, with fine lines, it 

 might not be so bad, and I should say it is most 

 assui'edly a short cut. Other bee-keepers have 

 found it out, for I have I'epeatedly seen memo- 

 randa written with pencil on different parts of 

 the hive when visiting bee-keepers. Sometimes 

 the memoranda are so voluminous as to cover 

 considerable space. Your suggestion in noting 

 down the rate a colony has been bringing in hon- 

 ey is certainly a big advantage. I have seen ex- 

 pensive, blunders made in just the way you 

 nlention in your concluding sentence.] 



A. I. R. 

 [You have given a true pictuie of the nui- 

 sance of burr-combs between honey-boards and 

 the old-fashioned thin top-bars; and it begins 

 to seem that bee-keepers all over the land are 

 coming to the same conclusion. The slatted 

 honey-board scarcely sells now at all as an ar- 

 ticle "of hive furniture, at the Home of the 

 Honey-bees; and we are infoi'med that another 

 large supply establishment is about to throw it 

 out of their price list. The reason is not given, 

 but presumably the sales had gone down so low 

 it did not pay to advertise it any longer. A 

 year ago this month we had only recently pur- 

 chased our Shane yard. The colonies to the 

 number of about 80 were on loose thin top- 

 bar frames, honey -boards on top. We had a 

 large order to fill from this yard, which required 

 opening about half of the colonies. Honey 

 stopped coming in. and our boys had actually 

 to give up work on account of the tearing 

 loose of the burr-combs, and the consequent 

 dripping of honey and the inevitable result of 

 robbers and cross bees. The next day we sent 

 down a force of three men, and even then they 

 had their match. The apiary is now all on 

 Hoffman frames, with thick top-bars. There 

 are no burr-combs on any of the 80 colonies, ex- 

 cept between two stories of one strong colony; 

 and in this the foundation had got loose so as 

 to bulge into the next frame. TIh! reason was 

 apparent. Well, what a contrast now! We 

 can open or handle any colony, with the excep- 

 tion of the one noted, without breaking a sin- 

 gle burr-comb. We sometimes sever a few 

 brace-combs (spurs of wax between the frames), 

 but aside from this there is not a drop of honey 



that comes from broken combs. You say thick 

 top-bars are a great improvement. Just so; 

 but if you had a bee-space reduced to a scant 

 quarter of an inch, I feel pretty sure you would 

 not find a single burr-comb. The hives you use 

 provide for a % bee-si)ace, if I am correct.] 



E. R. 



Wilh Replies from our best Authorities on Bees. 



Qup:stion 191. I tun a heijinncr. WiU it pitii 

 me to siioid $5t() (tttciid the State convcnthni, 

 or would I better spend the money for pajjcrs 

 and books about bees f I have the A B C. 



Indulge in both. 

 Ohio. S. W. 



C. F. MUTH. 



I would spend it on bee-literature. 

 California. S. R. Wilkin. 



If you think you need expanding a little, at- 

 tend the convention. 

 Ohio. N. W. H. R. Boakdman. 



If you can not afford both, I would say, take 

 the papers and books. 

 Wisconsin. S. W. E. France. 



If you can spend but .^.o.OO you had better in- 

 vest in papers and books. ' It will pay you to 

 put -fS.OO in each direction. 



Michigan. S. W. James Heddon. 



Unless you wish to have the pleasure of meet- 

 ing some of the fraternity, it will pay you better 

 to invest in the bee periodicals and "books. 



Louisiana. E. C. P. L. Viallon. 



That depends upon the individual. Some 

 can not learn from books, but readily "catch 

 on" in conversation and when they see things 

 done. 



Illinois. N. W. C. Mrs. L. Harrison. 



If you can attend a good State convention for 

 an outlay of 1.5, do so by all means, and then 

 you will feel like spending $5 more for papers 

 and books. 



Ohio. N. W. A. B. Mason. 



Until you have read good books and journals 

 attentively, and followed their instructions 

 carefully for at least a year, you had better in- 

 vest your money in books and papers. 



Illinois. N. C. J. A. Green. 



You can probably buy more new ideas in 

 books and papers than you can gathei- at a con- 

 vention; but if you already take the leading 

 bee-journals, and have read the bee-books, you 

 will learn things at a convention which no 

 amount of reading will give you. 



Illinois. N. W. Dadant & Son. 



Having but $.5 to spend, and wishing to make 

 the most of it, you'd better spend one dollar of 

 it for one year's subscription for a papei' devot- 

 ed to bee culture that will report the doings not 

 only of your but many other conventions, and 

 then you have $4 left with which to buy bee- 

 iDOoks. 



Vermont. N. W. A. E. Manum. 



Perhaps you will value my advice more if I 

 tell you that I am sour on conventions, and sel- 

 dom go. Notwithstanding this, if you have 

 five dollars burning in your pocket, and waver 

 between convention and some more books and 



