1891 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



889 



from bits of comb being built on the walls. A 

 year or two ago T thought I would make a nu- 

 cleus hive that would not be objectionable, and 

 made the apartments 1''4 wide. hoi)ing that 

 this closer spacing would prevent building of 

 fins on the side-walls, and thus make it easier 

 to handle the combs. It was a success in that 

 direction. The frames came out beautifully, 

 but so did the nuclei, much too often. I can 

 not say positively what made the difference, 

 but I can only think of that half-inch nar- 

 rower space. So I think I can recommend the 

 (tid nucleus hives that I first made, as being on 

 the whole quite satisfactory. ( '. C Mii-t.kr. 

 Marengo. 111.. Nov. S. 



[Although your locality, doctoi', is a good 

 deal colder than ours, some things have turned 

 up recently that make us wish that oiu' bees 

 were in the cellar. For the sake of expeiimen- 

 tal purposes we winter both in and out of doors, 

 in permanent chaff' hives, and in single-walled 

 hives having winter cases. During our cool 

 days, when the bees bunched up pretty close in 

 the hives, we took occasion to examine the 

 clusters of every colony of our over 'M). Those 

 in the large chaff hives and small Dovetailed 

 chaff' hives, and in the single-walled hives in 

 outside winter cases, had nice clusters, and the 

 winter case colonies were in as nice condition 

 as those in the large chaff' hives. In the single- 

 walled hives the clusters were drawn up tight- 

 er, and. what is more, there were small knots 

 of bees that were left on the outside combs 

 dead, the cluster having contracted so as to 

 leave them, as it were, high and dry. It is evi- 

 dent, then,- that the cool days on colonies with- 

 out protection were detrimental, and that any- 

 where from 5 to 10 per cent of the bees had died 

 prematurely in the unprotected hives, because 

 they were left high and dry. as was explained. 

 This argues strongly for protection, even dur- 

 ing the months of October and November and 

 up until the time the bees are put into the 

 cellar. From this, if future observations shall 

 substantiate it. we shall conclude that we shall 

 do better to carry the colonies that are to be 

 wintered indoors into the cellar early, or put on 

 the outside winter cases temporarily, until the 

 same are put into the cellar: or. what may be 

 better for our locality, leave them with the win- 

 ter cases on all winter outdoors.] 



Ud/es' Conversazione. 



BEE-STINGS FOE RHEUMATISM. 



MRS. AXTELI, SUGGESTS ALSO A KIXI) OF SUIi- 

 GERY AS A RE.MEDY. 



For four years or moi'e I had been troubled 

 with rheumatism in early spi'ing. Sometimes 

 it would begin in the fall, and bother me all 

 winter, more or less. Sometimes it laid me up 

 so I could not work, so severe was the pain in 

 my right hip-joint. Often the pain was so se- 

 vere I could scarcely keep from screaming if I 

 happened to twist the limb out of its accustom- 

 ed positions. I did not have faith or nerve 

 enough in the sting cure to go to the cellar for 

 bees to sting me. I sent to John Linden, of 

 Cleveland. O.. and procured his "little black 

 doctor," the little instrument that holds thirty 

 golden-pointed needles, and the oleum, or ii'ri- 

 tating oil, and book of instructions called the 

 " Exanthematic treatment." I inserted the 

 golden needles by a spi'ing that jerked them 

 into the flesh so quickly they hurt but a trifle; 

 then I covered all with the oil and a heavy 

 coating of cotton batting. The above helped 



me more than any thing the physician could 

 prescribe; in fact, he said I could not use any 

 thing better. The price of instrument and med- 

 icine was but i?6.0<). 



That was about five years ago. I was almost 

 wholly i-elieved for the five years, except a 

 slight lameness occasionally, caused by work- 

 ing on the damp cold ground early in the 

 spring or late in the fall, that yielded readily to 

 a little kerosene on a heavy woolen cloth, and 

 laid on. 



This winter, again, I had a very severe at- 

 tack caused by riding out without sufficient 

 wrappings. On coming home and getting 

 warm, rheumatism took me in my left shoulder. 

 It was a very severe pain. I could hardly get a 

 breath without feeling as if a knife were pierc- 

 ing mv shoiilder. Again I used that needling 

 process, and was wholly relieved in ten min- 

 ut(>s. The application was so powerful that 

 the veins looked swollen in my hand; and 

 great heat ran through the arm, but the pain 

 was gone. This was before time to work with 

 the bees much in the spring: but as warm 

 weather advanced I had plenty of opportunity 

 to prove that bee-stings would not prevent 

 rheumatism, as that same arm seemed to carry, 

 after a few weeks, a continual dull pain which 

 increased from time to time. I consulted three 

 different physicians, and they all pronounced 

 it rheumatism and neuralgia. I used the little 

 needling instrument, but it did not relieve me 

 as before, and I began to fear I should lose the 

 use of my arm, as I could scarcely bear the 

 pain at night, and in the day time I carried it 

 much of the time in a sling. 



I went to my physician and told him that I 

 believed what ailed ray arm was inaction of the 

 liver, and indigestion. He questioned me. and 

 said he thought so too, and prepared medicine 

 to arouse the liver, which helped me wonder- 

 fully. Then peaches and grapes ripened, and 

 he wished me to use them very freely, which 

 has almost wholly relieved me. 



I write the above as so many of our bee-keep- 

 ing friends from time to time write of having 

 rheumatism that I believe many who are trou- 

 bled in that way might find I'elief, not in apply- 

 ing remedies to the arm, but in arousing the 

 liver, and using pi'aches and grapes very, freely 

 — not only a sauce-dishful at meals, but eat 

 freely of them just before meal time, both cook- 

 ed and uncooked. Probably not every one 

 would he tiius benefited, but I am sure many 

 would be. The peaches and grapes are a cheaj) 

 medicine, even if we had to buy them canned. 

 I think they did me the most good when eaten 

 ripe, without sugar or cream, and uncooked. 



I haven't much faith in the sting cure for 

 rheumatism, either to prevent it or cure it. 

 Po.ssibly it might cure some kinds of rheuma- 

 tism. Doctor called mine bilious rheumatism 

 when he saw what helned me. 



Mr. Axtell has had seveial very severe at- 

 tacks of I'heumatism in years past, which have 

 readily yielded to that exanthematic treatment, 

 or needling process, which our home physician 

 greatly recommends for many kinds of rheuma- 

 tism. 



I believe one should not neglect pain, but in 

 some way change the mode of living, or apply 

 an irritating plaster or the exanthematic treat- 

 ment before the disease becomes settled. Kero- 

 sene, poured upon a cloth, and the cloth laid 

 upon a hot stove until as hot as can be borne, 

 and bound on. will often drive rheumatism 

 away, and it is also good in threatening pneu- 

 monia or pleurisy; but. better than all, is not 

 to needlessly expose one's self to cold or damp 

 weather, as an ounce of prevention is bettei' 

 than a pound of cure. Mrs. L. C. Axtei.i.- 



Roseville, 111.. Nov. 1. 



