134 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feu. ir>. 



way. I found iliat the least separation would 

 start them: and then, if they were not repeat- 

 edly scraped, they would soon be so that I could 

 not get all the frames into the hive. 



Now just a word as to that tin rabbet that 

 you illustrate in the same issue of Gleanings. 

 That is a good thing. That is the only common- 

 sense tin rabbet that I have ever seen: but. 

 hold! it is identical in every way with the one 

 that I devised some three years since, and failed 

 to get you intei'ested enough in to make me a 

 supply for my hives when I was making them 

 all over new. If I could have got you to 

 make them for me then I would now have all 

 of my 130 hives fitted with them. I can not but 

 think that you might save us bee-keepers many 

 dollars if you pursued a different course than 

 you do sometimes. It would certainly save us 

 much trouble and anxiety. 



I do not know that I understand how your 

 new top- bar is intended to be at the ends: but 

 I found that it was necessary to have a bee- 

 space at the end of the bar to prevent the end 

 from being fastened to the hive. 'This also al- 

 lows the frames to be moved endwise in putting 

 them together, and shoving the bees out of the 

 way. (iKo. A. Wai.i:ath. 



Norwood, N. Y., Jan 21. 



[That is what we want, friend Walrath — tes- 

 timony for and against the Vingof the end- 

 bar. We saw its great advantage in so many 

 places in York State, and were assured on every 

 side that propolis did not make any serious 

 trouble, that we did not regard it as an experi- 

 ment or an unwise move in putting the V on 

 the end-bars. Perhaps youi- frames were not 

 made right, or were not V"d properly: but there 

 are many friends of the Hoffman fi'ame who 

 have given theii' testimony on the other side. 

 We should like to hear from Mr. Hoffman him- 

 self. Practical bee-keepers would not tolerate 

 at the end of the top-bar any more space than 

 just enough to allow easy handling.] 



hiv(!S very little after some three weeks of con- 

 finement. I sincerely wish I was as sure of 

 having solved the wintering problem at this 

 date as Ernest and his friends seem to be in 

 the picture, page (iO. S. A. Utley. 



Mt. Washington. Mo.. Jan. 28. 



OXK OF NATURE'S BEE-IIIVES IN CAIJFORNIA. 



I have a remnant from one of nature's bee- 

 hives, brought in from the ranch of Mr. Louis 

 Walker. Mr. W. had been burning mustard- 

 stalks on a side hill near his house. After it 

 had burned off', one of his helpers noticed honey 

 and beeswax running over the ground: and 

 upon investigation it was found to come from 

 what was left of the shell of a pumpkin. Near- 

 ly three years ago Mr. W. had pumpkins on 

 this side hill. Many of them were of large size. 

 It appears that a gopher or squirrel had eaten 

 a hole into this pumpkin. at(^ up the contents, 

 leaving the shell, which dried in good shape for 

 the bees to inhabit. Since that time the mus- 

 tard had grown up and hidden all from view. 



I have taken two immense swarms from 

 badger-holes the past season. These are the 

 few of the many odd places that swarms occupy 

 in this section. M. H. Menih.eson. 



Ventura, Cal., Jan. 2.5. 



[The curious places that absconding swarms 

 select as their future abiding-places, and the 

 further fact that they seem to thrive, only 

 proves what a wonderful bee-country Califor- 

 nia is. The old statement of Quinby or Gallup, 

 that bees will do as well in a nail-keg as in the 

 best constructed hive, seem to be verified in 

 California.] 



OOOI) winteking. 

 My 110 colonies seem to be in fine condition 

 after our cold snap. Every one was alive a day 

 or two ago. I am wintering outdoors, packed in 

 chaff. Nearly all of their stores are sugar syrup, 

 with a little honey-dew. The bees spotted their 



Notes of Travel 



FROM A. I. ROOT. 



J((«. 2.— As we approaciied the line between 

 Oregon and California we saw acres and acres of 

 the most beautiful, thrifty-looking fruit-trees 

 of various kinds, and the moss that has hereto- 

 fore disfigured them to have mostly, if notquite. 

 given way. What does it mean, such quantities 

 of apples on the ground undei' the trees, red. yel- 

 low, and white, and the trees have been so full 

 there is not room on the ground, without piling 

 them on each otlieiV I judge we have passed 

 thousands of bushels, seemingly in good condi- 

 tion. At the depots, boys are offering most 

 hedutlful apples at a very low price, so I .judge 

 there must be a glut in the market in this lo- 

 cality. 



We are on the mountain-tops, and the snow is 

 over the tops of the fences. _Fo((r locomotives 

 are pulling th(^ train, and gangs of men are 

 shoveling oft' the snow. In some places it is 

 drifted up to the eaves of the hou.se. and gi'eat 

 channels ai'e cut so as to get out and in. Not 

 two hours ago it was as mild as May down in 

 the valleys; but now we see gi'eat icicles, as 

 large as a man's body, hanging from the eaves. 

 At half-past 2 p. m. Mt. Shasta first came in 

 sight from our elevation on the mountain-tops. 

 It aid not at first seem much difterent from nor 

 mucli largi'i' than nuiuy other p<'aks. only that 

 it was. at least the upper part of it. of snowy 

 whiteness. No speck of timber, vegetation, or 

 rock, marred its waxy whiteness. Again, it has 

 for an hour been almost constantly in sight, 

 first on one side of the car and then on the 

 other, as we wind about in our descent toward 

 its foot. This distinguishes a high mountain 

 from other peaks — its perpetual snow, and the 

 fashion of looking just about the same, even 

 while you travel to or from it, for hours. It 

 now occurs to me I have said but little about 

 the mountains as yet. When I first visited friend 

 March's he told me that, right over his 

 front gate, was a beautiful large mountain, 

 to be seen only on a clear day. It seemed 

 to me for several days that, if a mountain was 

 there. I ought to see it: but not until a clear 

 briglit day did old Mt. Bakei'show itself. Then 

 it loomed \ip in all its icy brightness until one 

 was lost in awe and wonder. Friend M. says 

 he does not believe any human being has ever 

 reached the top. although one or more have lost 

 their lives in the attempt. The trouble is, that 

 it is always covered with ice, and in summer the 

 sun melts caverns in this ice. with only a shell 

 over the top. that often breaks through, precipi- 

 tating the explorer into crevices from which he 

 may never get out. From the same point of 

 view we see two pretty smaller mountains. 

 These are the Twin Sisters, and they are clear 

 up in British America. All these are between 

 (•)0 and 70 miles distant. From Portland we see 

 Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helen, when the day is 

 clear. The former is a rugged peak, and over 

 11.000 feet high, and last July a party was sent 

 to its summit to burn red lights on the eve of 

 the Fourth. By starting several days ahead 

 they made the ascent, and gave an exhibition 

 of fire-works that could be seen for a hundred 

 miles. St. Helen is not quite 10,000 feet, but it 

 is the most symmetrical mountain, probably, in 



