520 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



July 1. 



any further I may as well tell you now that 

 this letter is written with no special purpose — 

 just because I feel like it ; and if you haven't 

 time to read it now. you can read it a week 

 later. I think the thing that made me feel 

 most like writing you this little letter was the 

 reading of " Ourselves and Neighbors" in June 

 1.5th Gleanings. I enjoyed it ever so much. 

 It's capital. Then your gardening talks inter- 

 est me very much. 



How I'd like to see you, and have a real good 

 talk with you! I feel bad sometimes to think 

 that so much of the writing I do to Medina is 

 so much in the nature of fault-finding and 

 scolding. But if I don't scold, who will? And 

 then I know you'll take it in good part from 

 me, for I'm sure you know that I love you. By 

 the way, I'm glad to say. as you will see in one 

 of the Straws, that the Myers spray pump does 

 grand work on roses and any thing it will reach. 

 It's a pity so much was claimed for it. 



I just believe that, if your identity could be 

 changed, and you lived at San Jacinto. Tropi- 

 co, or Wilson's Peak, and then could come on a 

 visit to Medina, where some one else had a big 

 supplv-plant, a big garden, hot-oeds, etc., you'd 

 find Medina was the one place in all the world 

 that had just the climate to suit you, and you'd 

 want to move there instanter. God bless you! 



Marengo, 111., June 17. C. C. Miller. 



"Pages? -xlO 

 PErYEARj 



And. behold, the devils cried out, sayiiiR, Wliat have we to 

 do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God! art tliou come hither to 

 torment us before the time?— Matt 8: i9. 



We have secured some very excellent photo- 

 graphs of Mr. Langstroth standing in front of 

 the Home of the Honey-bees; and we hope in a 

 later issue to give some of the results in half- 

 tone. 



The Australian Bee Bulletin, Vol. I., No. 1, 

 has just come to our table. It is a monthly pe- 

 riodical, and contains 16 pages. Gleanings 

 extends hfr greeting, and trusts they will meet 

 with success. 



Our bees in the house-apiary are now put 

 into separate hives, and confined exclusively to 

 those stands. This is a great improvement in 

 that it prevents bees from crawling all around 

 on the inside of hives, and mingling more or 

 less from one colony to another. 



We would call especial attention to the auto- 

 biographical sketch of our special artist, R. V. 

 Murray. In its allusion to great persons and 

 things it is exceedingly interesting. It tells of 

 P. P. Bliss. John G. Whittier, Dr. C. C. Miller. 

 P. Benson, Sr.. one or two of the great music- 

 houses, the Chicago tire, and many other things 

 ofinten'St. Bi> sure to read it, and then you'll 

 know who P. Benson was. 



Charles Dadant & Son, of Hamilton, 111., 

 write. " We have never, nevei- seen so poor a 

 season, and yet we think our bees are going to 

 make a crop by and by. Every thing is soaking 

 wet most of the time." This status of things is 

 nearly as bad in our own vicinity, and most of 

 the reports from various parts of the country 

 tell a similar tale. A few have reported, so far, 

 big crops of honey—" best in years." Basswood 



promises " big " if the multitude of flower-buds 

 means any thing, in our vicinity. By the way, 

 adulteration can not be going on very exten- 

 sively, else why do the market reports show 

 "last year's crop of extracted honey scarce, and 

 waiting for new crop '" ? This speaks strongly 

 for little or no adulteration. 



A SORT of impression seems to prevail, that 

 the slotted separators which we have lately in- 

 troduced are regarded by us as something new 

 and original. Nothing could be further from 

 the truth. These separators were introduced 

 years ago; but for some reason or otlier the 

 times were not ripe for them, and they were 

 used only here and there by rather obscure 

 bee-keepers. Wheu we adopted them for the 

 Dovetailed hive, we did so knowing they were 

 old, and so stated it. Some of our friends seem 

 determined to think that we were trying to rob 

 them or somebody of apicultural glory. The 

 mere fact that we introduced them, and they 

 became popular, does not signify at all that we 

 invented or originated it. It does signify that 

 we have seen their practicability, and therefore 

 believe it is our duty to give to bee-ke<pers 

 what is both useful and practicable. 



We are having better success with the Doo- 

 little cell-cups, but we find there is a great 

 difference in colonies in regard to cell-btiilding. 

 While some will complete the whole number 

 given them, others, under conditions that are 

 as nearly identical as may be. will reject every 

 one. We have followed Doolittle's directions to 

 the letter, with all his later suggestions; and 

 we must account for the difference in results by 

 a difference in bees and hives. We are of the 

 opinion that a deeper hive than the Langstroth 

 is more favorable for cell-building, for the 

 reason that the upper story, or the upper part 

 of it is at a greater distance from the brood in 

 the lower hive. Putting between the two sto- 

 ries of the colony an extra empty body or super 

 seems to have a beneficial cfTect. Nine-tenths 

 of all our cells are reared on Doolittle's plan; 

 and while it is not an entire success, it is suffi- 

 ciently so to warrant us in the continuance of 

 the plan. 



Some two months ago we inserted an adver- 

 tisement, in a couple of Lssues (April 1,5th and 

 May 1st) from John Hewitt, Shefiield, Eng., 

 " Hallamshire Bee-keeper," as he has signed 

 himself in his articles. Since giving insertion 

 to his advertisements we have found that he is 

 entirely unreliable. This information we get 

 from various sources in England, and from par- 

 ties there who are wholly disinterested, either 

 in Punic bees or in the Piinic-bee controversy 

 that has appeared in the British Bee Journal. 

 In view of the excellent behavior of the Punic 

 bees we have, we regret very much to say this; 

 but we do not wish our readers who have seen 

 the advertisement of John Hewitt to send him 

 money with no probability of getting any re- 

 turns. And, again, we are assured that the 

 prices he charges for Punic bees are enormous — 

 far in exce.ss of their real value. If Punic (or. 

 rather, Tunisian) bees should prove to be a val- 

 uable acquisition we are informed that they can 

 be imported direct from Africa at a moderate 

 price. 



Bug. Hutchinson, of the Bee-keepers' Review, 

 has ali'eady begun to inquire when the North 

 American shall meet at Washington, and 

 whether it is too early to decide the question. 

 Not a bit too early. Quite a number at Albany 

 thought it would be well to hold the convention 

 on a G. A. R. day when very low railroad rates 

 could be secured; but resident bee-keepers in 



