456 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



June 15. 



think no other management will produce better 

 results for surplus honey and little or no in- 

 crease. 



Please allow me to go back a little to the up- 

 right trap, Gleanings. May 15, and say that, 

 if you want a full-sized swarm upstairs with 

 the queen, without any assistance, use your 

 bottom-board between the two hives only, and 

 a hole or a connection in it with perforated 

 metal tacked on. An inch hole is sufficient. If 

 you want every thing in bees upstairs, put a 

 bee-escape in place of the metal. Every bot- 

 tom ought to be supplied with vent for air, and 

 so arranged as to close when not wanted. 



I have studied days and weeks, nights and 

 Sundays included (excuse me; I remember Mr. 

 Root's Sunday thoughts while the minister was 

 preaching — couldn't helj) it, you know), to per- 

 fect a trap or traps that would allow me time to 

 care for bees from homo. I expect to keep right 

 on studying; and any skeptic who doubts my 

 being able to do it can get positive proof by 

 sending for a list of free testimonials. 



I don't want it understood that I care-for my 

 different yards of bees alone, and allow my 

 bees to swarm to their hearts' content. No. 

 sir; I don't do it. It may be a little new, per- 

 haps, but I am preparing now, ready for use, a 



COMB-KECEIVICR 



for every hive of bees. I hang it on the side of 

 an eight-frame hive, with openings between it 

 and the brood hive, so constructed that it is 

 open for queen and bees and all to pass in 

 either apartment, or perforated metal, to sepa- 

 rate queens only. If more than one, or close, it 

 entirely separates the comb-receiver from the 

 hive. 



I use this comb-receiver for the following 

 purposes: As a feeder, a nucleus hive supplied 

 with bees from the same colony, attached to it 

 or any other. My queens are all mated from 

 them. Every strong stock is a nucleus; every 

 nucleus is a strong stock of bees, using it at any 

 or all times when wanted; and when you don't 

 want them any more, the bees belong to that 

 colony. It needs no extra preparation for unit- 

 ing or building up nuclei. 



I use it to prevent swarming, by taking the 

 comb the queen is on, bees and all, in the re- 

 ceiver when the stock is preparing to swarm; 

 and I hold her there until I care to return her 

 back to the stock she came from, or any other. 



I use it to introduce queens or supersede any 

 queen you wish to dispose of. No time is lost 

 in egg-laying; no queens are lost in introducing. 

 If for want of time, or I can't find the queen 

 when exchanging the queen to the comb-receiv- 

 er, or any other carelessness or absent-minded- 

 ness, I am arranging for such emergencies to 

 let the traps return the queen to the receiver. 

 Either trap will do it; and when I have an out- 

 yard marked to return in four days. I know 

 every thing is all right. I can sleep better by 

 knowing it. I know this location. Everybody 

 ought to know his location well enough to 

 know when to expect honey, and about when to 

 proceed as above. At times, when only occa- 

 sionally a swarm issues, let the trap do the 

 work: time is money, and bee-keepers must 

 adopt new methods if they succeed at the pres- 

 ent price of honey. 



Bee-keeping is the most enticing business I 

 know any thing about; and I have never known 

 a genuine bee-man to give up the business who 

 ever succeeded in any thing else. He is spoiled 

 for any other occupation. 



SUCCESS IN BEE CULTURE. 



He who obtains it is the most happy man liv- 

 ing. " Blasted Hopes " means the most misera- 

 ble being living. I have been there, you see. 



Mr. Root. I suppose it is customary among 

 readers of Gleanings who invent or introduce 

 something new, to send you reliable testimony 

 as to the success of their inventions. Allow me 

 to present to you testimonials of reliable men 

 where I keep bees; also my neighbor bee-keep- 

 ers. 



A FEW AFTER-THOUGHTS. 



I received a patent, May 3, 1892, for my side 

 trap; patent applied for on upright trap and 

 other things connected with it. When these 

 traps get clogged with hundreds of dead drones, 

 clear them. Several swarms at one time will 

 often all unite and cluster together. I hear 

 of heavy losses of bees all around me. My loss 

 is less than 3 per cent. Young queens out mat- 

 ing will often lead swarms off. 



Wesley Dibble. 



Middleburgh, Scho. Co., N. Y. 



[Mr. Dibble has sent us a number of reports 

 from bee-keepers and friends, testifying to the 

 success of his automatic swarmers. Now, per- 

 haps you would like to know just what we 

 tliink of his swarmers. We have had no experi- 

 ence, and can not at present offer any opinion 

 of any of the swarmers. 



Since the foregoing was written we have had 

 a little experience — just a little. We prepared, 

 as mentioned elsewhere, several colonies a la 

 Pratt. From one of these a swarm has just 

 come forth. The queen went into the prepared 

 hive below, and finally the bees returned and 

 assembled on the entrance. They act very much 

 disconcerted, however — as if they hadn't been 

 satisfied. Well, we haven't time to tell you 

 how it will " pan out," because Barney, the 

 boss printer, says " this hole " must be tilled up 

 now. so as to get this form of type on the press 

 in time.] 



Ud/e$' Conversazione. 



WEWAHITCHKA APIARIES. 



AN INTERESTING LETTER FROM MRS. L. HAR- 

 RISON. 



Mr. Alderman had made ai'rangements for 

 me to visit the company's large apiary, located 

 at the home of Mr. Roberts; and on the morn- 

 ing of April 14th I was driven over to the vil- 

 lage of Wewahitchka, where I met Mr. Alder- 

 man, who was my companion the rest of the 

 way. This drive of five miles was a delightful 

 one, especially to a Northerner unaccustomed 

 toil. Part of the drive was over the roadbed 

 of the old .St. Joe railroad, discarded since the 

 town of St. Joe was destroyed by yellow fever 

 many years ago. Tall trees lined the way each 

 side of the road, covered with semi-tropical 

 verdure, creeping vines, Cherokee roses, etc. 

 Pari of the roadbed was' peculiar, reminding me 

 of the walks around the Japanese building at 

 Fairmount Park during the Centennial at 

 Philadelphia. They are neither hard nor soft, 

 muddy nor sandy; the wheels of the vehicle did 

 not cut in, bnt rolled over this soft, springy 

 substance, which words fail me to describe. 



Mr. and Mrs. Roberts, and their interesting 

 family of nine children, gave us a cordial recep- 

 tion, and we were soon talking bees as no others 

 can who have no practical knowledge of and love 

 for these industrious insects. Mr. Alderman 

 drove away to another apiary, while I remain- 

 ed and was soon out among the bees. I never 

 saw such a large bee -city before — six hundred 

 colonies, under sheds with upright roofs; two 



