1891 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



857 



LADIES' Conversazione. 



I have been so very busy that I have not 

 found time before this to answer the questions 

 of Mrs. Tittsworth. Yes, we carry our book 

 from lilve to hive, just as we do our smoker and 

 ■chisel. If we are at work near together, the 

 book is laid on a hive near us; then Dr. Miller 

 makes his own entries and I make mine. But 

 when he is at work at one end of the apiary 

 and I at the other, then it is somewhat more 

 difficult to manage, and we have tried different 

 methods. Quite often I call to him. and he 

 makes the entries, or the reverse. But I con- 

 fess I don"t just like this way, as by its use we 

 have occasionally missed making a record. I 

 like better the plan of having a small memo- 

 randum-book tied with a good strong string to 

 my apron, so that I can't lose it. making the 

 records in this, then copying at night each day's 

 work in the large book. Of course, one of us 

 uses the large book through the day. 



There is only one objection to this plan that 

 I know of. I always want to know the previous 

 condition of the colony I am going to work at. 

 and for this I need the large book. It vei-y 

 •often happens for some reason that this may be 

 necessary. For example, there may be a young 

 queen in the hive that needs clipping, and a 

 little caution is necessary not to give too much 

 smoke, or you may have trouble in finding her 

 To obviate this difficulty I write the numbei's 

 in the memorandum-book. leaving space enough 

 at each number for any entry I may wish to 

 make. Then I take the large book, and glance 

 over the records of the different colonies. If 

 there is nothing unusual I leave the numbers as 

 they are, making no memorandum. If I come 

 to one that is queenless, I write '" qless '' after 

 the number in my small book, using different 

 ■characters to mean different things, no matter 

 what, so I understand tliiMu. If I come to any 

 thing very complicated. I make some mark that 

 will refer me to the large book. It takes but a 

 very little time to get my small book ready, 

 then I am quite independent. 



We have tried clipping queens in the way you 

 mention, but have not made a success of it. Our 

 ■queens will not keep still enough. 



In reply to Mr. J. F. Mclntyre, I would say 

 that we allow one page of the book to three 

 colonies, the page being 13 by o% inches. That 

 gives us ample room for all records, as we have 

 a new book each year. 



I indorse what Mrs. Axtell says about small 

 chips used as smoker fuel. I have used them, 

 and found them very good when perfectly dry. 



We were so very busy getting our honey 

 ready for market that some of our feeding was 

 not done until so late that Dr. Miller thought 

 best not to feed sugar syrup, but concluded to 

 feed unfinished sections. For this kind of feed- 

 ing we found our reversible bottom-boards a 

 good thing, as the two-inch space under the 

 frames gave room to put the sections directly 

 under the bees. We tilled a wide frame with 

 these sections, then slipped it under the brood- 

 frames and closed the entrance with a sep- 

 arator cut to tit. leaving room at each end for 

 only a few bees to pass at a time. Sometimes 

 the space was a little too shallow to let the 

 sections under. In that case both wide frames 

 and sections had to be cut down a little. A few 

 brood-combs filled with honey were used in the 

 same way. To hui-ry matters, sometimes the 

 sections were reversed as soon as the upper side 

 was emptied. 



We first uncapped any honey that was sealed. 

 I don't know that I ought to call it uncapping, 

 as we simply struck the cappings a few times 



with a wire hair-brush. It did the work nicely 

 and very easily, and in much less time than we 

 could have done it with a knife. 

 Marengo. III.. Oct. 21. Emma Wilson. 



PHEPARIXG FOR WINTER. 



We had very little surplus. Bees worked on 

 both alsike and white clover, but not much was 

 accomplished after raspberry-bloom was gone. 

 As soon as buckwheat blooms we remove the 

 white honey and diminish the surplus room. 

 This makes fewer boxes to handle and to be 

 soiled if there is no fall honey. It saves heat 

 and causes moi'e honey to be stored below, 

 I'eady for winter. For the same reasons it is 

 best to take off all boxes quite early. As we 

 take off the honey we examine the lower story, 

 frame by frame. All frames not needed are re- 

 moved, being replaced by division-boards and 

 chaff. The number of pounds of honey is noted, 

 small sticks laid across the frames, and a por- 

 ous cloth laid over them. Turn back one cor- 

 ner for feeding. We prepared syrup by heating 

 10 lbs. of sugar with 4 quarts of water and 3 lbs. 

 of honey. As we could not buy feeders we filled 

 two-quart glass cans and inverted on grooved 

 boards. Three or four can he placed in a hive 

 at once, making enough for winter. As soon as 

 the feeding is done, put on chaff cushions to 

 save the heat. We have no pure Italians, but 

 the bees with golden bands are the ones that 

 are wide awake, and ready for work or — rob- 

 bing I^It was in their hives that we found honey. 



■STRAWBERRIES. I 



I should like to tell you, Mr. Root, how 

 Gleanings improved our bed. The whole bed 

 was kept mellow and clean. I went three times 

 over one half, placing the runners six incbes 

 apai't, as Gi-eanings advised. I also placed a 

 chunk of earth on each plant. That part of 

 the bed has now an even stand of plants, in 

 spite of drouth. The other half looks ragged. 

 The plants are thick in some places, with none 

 at all in others. While it is an awful lot of 

 work, it pays. Have the bed smaller, if need 

 be. It also pays to clean out an old bed. as it 

 will make a longer season than a new one. 

 Ladies, please write on other subjects while 

 gentlemen discuss frames. 



Miss Libbie Williams. 



Delavan. Wis., Oct. 3. 



MAKING MONEY WITH CHICKENS— T OTHER 

 SIDE. 



Friend Root: — You speak very enthusiastic- 

 ally in Gleanings about the poultry business; 

 but I should like to give you a glimpse of my 

 experience. I have tried now for six seasons 

 to raise a flock of geese; and the most that I 

 ever had to reach maturity was seven. Last 

 spring my geese laid 30 fine" large eggs, and all 

 hatched but two. 1 had as fine a lot of goslings 

 as you would wish to see; but they got cramps, 

 or something, and about half died, and the 

 rest of them dropped off one by one until only 

 seven are left. I set several hundred hens' 

 eggs. About half of them hatched, and I had 

 about 250 chicks. Well. I worked with the 

 chicks until I did not know what more I could 

 do for them, when some of them began to droop. 

 Upon examination I discovered a few lice. I 

 set to work and greased them, as so many rec- 

 ommend. It killed the lice — yes, and the chicks 

 too. Then I tried insect-powder. This seemed 

 to do pretty wt>ll for a time: but it seemed the 

 vermin soon got used to it. and paid no more 

 attention to it. but kept on killing my chicks 

 until now I have only about .50 lett. How is 

 that for a business? 'Tis true, that eggs are 

 25 cents per dozen; but how often does this 

 happen ? They have not reached so high a 



