1891 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



885 



was black, wliile the common bee was blown in 

 color. Now, our native bees are not black — 

 they are brown. When yon have had the Punic 

 bees one season, or long enough to have them 

 fly out and work, you will find that their true 

 color is as black as the ink used to print these 

 words. Not only will you see the difference in 

 color, but in all other characteristics peculiar 

 to the honey-bee. 



While speaking of one race of bees being 

 marked like another, let me say that there are 

 hundreds of old bee-keepers who can not tell the 

 difference by their markings between the Ital- 

 ians, Holy-Lands, and Cyprians. Only an ex- 

 pert can distinguish any difference in their col- 

 or and general markings. Now, does any one 

 pretend to say there are no such bees as Cyp- 

 rians and Holy-Lands because they are marked 

 so much like the Italians? Why doesn't some 

 one who never saw any of the yellow races get 

 up and say he does not believe there aiv any 

 such bees? Would not such a person be as 

 consistent, and his evidence as good as that of 

 the editors of the Brltisli Bee Journal respect- 

 ing the Punic bees? 



Well, friend Root, I can show you one of the 

 best colonies of bees to be found in America. 

 Their hive is so full of bees that it I'equires 14 

 L. frames to accommodate them with all the 

 room they actually need. The bees in this col- 

 ony are as gentle as flies, and their color is as 

 black as the blackest thing you ever saw. This 

 colony has stored L'.") more pounds of honey than 

 it needs to winter on, all of which was gathered 

 since September 1st. Very few of the bees in 

 this colony were old enough to fly till the last 

 week in August. These bees I call Punics. 

 The quren came from Africa. I believe this, as 

 1 know the importer of these queens, Mr. Hew- 

 itt, is honest and fair. 



So far as my expei'ience has gone with the 

 new races, I unhesitatingly pronounce the Pu- 

 nics best of all. They seem to possess the most 

 desirable points and the fewest undesirable 

 features of any bees I ever saw. If, after a fair 

 test of this new race they do not maintain their 

 reputation as now established on short ac- 

 quaintance, then I will cry them down as I did 

 the Cyprians. Holy- Lands, dark Carniolans, and 

 albinos. 



THE AUTOMATIC SVPARMER. 



One of your writers, wh6se article appeared 

 in a recent issue of (jI-eanings, gave a very un- 

 favorable report of this new device for self- 

 hiving a swarm of bees. Now, I am free to say 

 that the swarmei' was not a success in the 

 hands of all who tried them, while in the apia- 

 ries of others they were a perfect success. 

 When the unfavorable reports are all in, I will 

 try to so explain matters that all can make the 

 swarmer work successfully. Hexry Alley. 



Wenham, Mass., Oct. 34. 



[Although Mr. Cowan did say he knew noth- 

 ing of such a race, yet if you will read over his 

 footnote again you will observe that he referred 

 more particularly to bees of that name; and yet 

 it is pretty evident that ha has a good general 

 knowledge of all the bees from Africa. He de- 

 *icribes quite minutely those kept by the Kaby- 

 les. bees small and black, and great propolizei's. 

 The inference was, that these were the same 

 race as the Punics, and these, Mr. Cowan says, 

 were discarded. Still, tliese may not be tlie 

 same bees, and we await with interest the fur- 

 ther development of the Punics. 



Mr. Alley evidently does not have in his 

 locality the small black bees that we have in 

 Ohio. It is generally understood that there are 

 two kiiuls of common bees, although they ai'e 

 quite alike in general characteristics. One is 

 described as a large brown bee, and the other 



as a small black bee. The latter do resemble 

 very much the bees from ourselect tested Punic. 

 It is too early for us. however, to judge of the 

 general characteristics of the new bees, espe- 

 cially from their g(Mieral appearance. As de- 

 scribed in our editorial, in the issue for Nov. 1st, 

 they seemed to be quiet on the combs, like Ital- 

 ians. 



In regard to the automatic swarmers. we 

 have seen only two good rejjorts of their use. 

 Although we do not doubt but they have work- 

 ed well, as you say, it rather strikes us that 

 Mr. Dibbei'u has made an improv<'m(>nt. See 

 his article elsewhei'e, on this subject in this is- 

 sue.! E. R. 



THE HOFFMAN FRAME, ETC. 



THEIR POINTS OP MERIT REHEARSED. 



I have been taking quite an interest in the 

 discussion pro and con lately, relative to the 

 Hoffman fi'ame. I notice there is quite an in- 

 terest shown among the bee-keepers in regard 

 to which is the best frame to use. I for one am 

 willing, and not only willing but glad, to put 

 in my testimony in favor of the Hoffman frame, 

 although I have had but two years' experience 

 with it; but I think it far surpasses the old 

 style of hanging frames in more than one way. 

 In the first place we are sure that our frames 

 are spaced evenly through the hive; but with 

 the hanging frame we have to use the forefin- 

 ger as a spacer: and in pressing one frame up 

 to the other we sometimes crowd the last- 

 placed frame up closer to the other one. and 

 then where is our bee-space gone ? But with 

 the Hoffman frame we can put one frame 

 up as tight to the other as possible, and 

 we are still sure of the bee-space being there. 

 Then, too, when we want to move some of 

 our colonies to an out-apiary, or return them 

 home again, we do not have to lose half a day 

 in getting the frames in shape so vve can be 

 safe in loading them on to a wagon; for all 

 there is to do is to be sure to take enough en- 

 trance screens with us to close the entrances of 

 the colonies we wish to move, and drive two 

 wire nails into the covei- to be sur(^ the bees 

 will not get out that way. and then we are 

 ready to put them on to the wagon or in the 

 cars, and feel safe that the bees will not get 

 crushed between the frames, for there is no 

 way for them to get loose unless the hive should 

 g(>t broken open. 



Then there is a great advantage in handling 

 them in the apiary. As you can take out as 

 many frames as you like at a time, if you want 

 to lift one of the frames it is a very easy mat- 

 ter; or if you want to lift three or more it is just 

 as easy; so we find that, in manipulation, they 

 are just the frame we want, for we can divide a 

 colony (if we practice this way for increase) 

 without tearing it all to pieces as we would 

 have to in the old-style hanging frames. We 

 can also leave them in a compact cluster. You 

 see. I am in favor of the Hoffman frame. 



The next question of importance with me is 

 hives; but I can not make up my mind just 

 what kind of hive I want. I have tried the 

 Simplicity, but I find that they are not quite 

 the hive to winter safely in. so I have now 

 about fifty of the Root chaff' hives in my home 

 apiary. This hive seems to be about the one 

 for wintering in; but they are so very large 

 and heavy that it needs two good strong men to 

 handle them; or, if one has a small farm and a 

 good yoke of oxen, he might get along all right; 

 but I think they are just about right for Mich- 

 igan weather. 



I have 5.") of the one-story chaff hives, after 

 the M. H. Hunt pattern, which I think are very 



