1891 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



roadside, perching on fences, telegrapli wires, 

 tree or bush, as it comes handy. With their 

 dark slate-colored back and wings and white 

 under parts, they are easily distinguishable. 

 When round our bee-yard they are quite alert, 

 as though they wei'e aware that they were aftei' 

 mischief and might be caught in it. 



On one occasion, some years ago, I saw one. 

 sitting on a wire clothes-line, attract a passing 

 bee by a movement of its crest and head: and 

 whenthe bee came within range the biixl's bill 

 was presented open, and the poor unfortunate 

 taken in. I was just then starting with bees. 

 and thought that a terrible enemy had come to 

 close quarters, as the hives were only a few 

 yards away from the spot, and I bethought me 

 of my gun that it would be a necessary weapon 

 of defense. 



The beautiful bright orange feathers in the 

 crest are so well concealed that people who 

 have shot, or seen the bird when shot, are often 

 quite astonished when they are pointed to 

 them, as they had never noticed them before. 

 One can spread them out so as to make them 

 resemble a bright-colo-ed flower. 



Notwithstanding Mr. Porter's view to the 

 contrary. I am inclined to think that, in the 

 matter of regurgitation of food. Mr. T. L. 

 Waite. as reported in the A B C. is right, and 

 that the bird may do tliis thing— though for 

 my part I couldn't easily stand by and give 

 them tinu' to do it. On the lid of a hive, some 

 weeks ago, I found a ball of mashed -up bees 

 which I can account for in no other way: and 

 as proof that, early in life, they have a habit of 

 this kind. I have been assured by the station- 

 master, at the village where my bees are. and 

 who had an excellent opportunity for observa- 

 tion, that he watched a nest with several young 

 one.s. and saw the mother bird repeatedlycarry 

 in food which she would put into the open 

 mouth of one of them, while she would take 

 something from the mouth of another and carry 

 it a few feet away, usually dropping it on the 

 station platform as she flew off again. He 

 pointed out the substance to me. and asked me 

 what it was. I told him that, as nearly as I 

 could make out. it was bird droppings. He as- 

 sured me that it came out of the little bird's 

 bill, and, when I made light of the idea, he said 

 he had watched closely, and was prepared to 

 give his oath to that effect. 



There are some things in nature that are al- 

 most too strange to credit when we are told of 

 them: yet that these strange things happen, 

 we sometimes get ample proof after. 



R. W. MCDOXXELL. 



Gait, Ont., Can.. Aug. 29. 



[Thanks for the additional facts which you 

 give. In regard to the regurgitation matter, 

 as given in the A B C of Bee Culture, we should 

 like further testimony: i. e.. do king-birds on 

 occasion regurgitate wads of bees, as explained 

 by the writer in the A B C. or is this all a hoax? 

 In a multitude of testimony there is wisdom.] 



FKAMES. 



A. GREEN HAS DECIDED TO ADOPT THE 

 HALF -DEPTH CLOSED-END FKAME WITH 

 A HOFFMAN TOP-BAK. 



I have been greatly interested in the discus- 

 sions over the frame question. I have adopted 

 my frame, and have four or five thousand of 

 them in use. and pi'obably shall not change 

 again very soon. Still. I like to hear the talk 

 of those who are not yet out of the woods, and 

 I hope that, from the combined experiments of 

 the many who are just about to adopt some 



form of fixed frame, something may be evolved 

 better than any thing we have now. 



Dr. Miller and Miss Wilson make very plain 

 some of the reasons why fixed frames are supe- 

 rior to hanging frames: and when they come 

 to use them more and learn the very many 

 ways in which time and labor may be saved by 

 their use. I shall pxpect them to grow still more 

 enthusiastic over the subject. 



It would seem, from what I have read, that 

 the usual way of handling Hoffman frames is 

 to set the frames loosely in the hives just as 

 though they were hanging frames, and then 

 crowd them up close together. When this is 

 done a large number of bees must inevitably be 

 crushed. My end-bars fit close for a little over 

 five inches, and I very seldom kill any bees be- 

 tween them. The frames should always be 

 kept tight together as far as possible, as they 

 are set back into the hive. AVhen I I'eplace 

 a frame in the hive I put the bottom of its ends 

 against the ends of those in the hives, and slide 

 it down, keeping the frames close together. No 

 bees can get caught between the uprights, so 

 none are crushed there. The only bees killed 

 are the few that get caught between the ends 

 of thf top-bars as they come together, and be- 

 tween the toi)-bars and rabbet. With a little 

 care, even this may be avoided. As the combs 

 are straight, with no brace -combs between, 

 bees are not hurt by being rolled between the 

 comb surface.s. as so often happens with loose 

 frames. If. for any reason, it is not best to put 

 them together in this way. they may be put 

 nearly down and brought nearly together, 

 when a slight lateral vibration will make the 

 bees get out of the way. 



In order to slidi' frames together in this way 

 so as to avoid catching bees, it is necessary that 

 the end-bars be kept pressed tightly together 

 in order that propolis may not accumulate be- 

 tween. I think you are wrong when you think 

 that the wedge, or. what is far better, the 

 screw, may be dispensed with. Some of my 

 hives havebeen in use four years. The frames 

 have been kept tightly screwed together, and 

 there is practically no propolis between the 

 end-bars. My nuclei are on three or four 

 frames, in the regular hive. The frames are 

 simply pushed up close together. Within two 

 months so much propolis has accumulated be- 

 tween the end-bars that they are much more 

 difficult to handle. 



Dr. Miller wants a better bee-brush. Take a 

 piece of broom-handle of convenient length. 

 Saw a slit in the middle, a little longer than 

 your frame is wide. Crowd this slit full of 

 pieces of binding twine — rope raveled out will 

 do. but is not so good — and then nail through 

 with wire nails, clinching them. Trim the fiber 

 off even, and you will have a brush that will 

 take all the bees off a comb at one sweep, and 

 that does not need to be renewed every day. 

 This idea is not altogether original with me, 

 but it's just as good as if it were. 



Since one of Dr. Miller's " straws"' has drag- 

 ged my rose-bush into print, let me tell you 

 that he hasn't told the whole truth. His in- 

 formation is old. The bush in question, which 

 is a Bomsault climber, covering a space on the 

 side of the house 1.5>4xlT feet (you see I've just 

 measured), has now .36 varieties of hybrid per- 

 petual and tea-roses growing in it. As I write, 

 9 distinct varieties are in bloom, and it has 

 borne a constant succession of the choicest roses 

 all summer. The man who is not helped and 

 made better by a love for and association with 

 the beauties of luiture is an anomaly. 



What about that " sure sign of swarming." 

 quoted from the Canadian Bee Journal ? Is 

 the " raking " motion of bees on the alighting- 

 board a sure indication that thev will swarm 



