1898 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



351 



safety of acetylene should be conclusive. 

 According to the basis given by Mr. Dib- 

 bern, of an explosive mixture of 15 per cent 

 of acetylene with air, the dangers he speaks 

 of are doubtless much exaggerated; and as 

 regards leakage, the danger is obviously less 

 than with city gas, which is fully as explosive 

 in that mixture as acetylene, yet accidents are 

 very few considering the great amount used. 



The strong odor of acetylene, and the small 

 quantity used, about one-fifteenth of the quan- 

 tity of city gas, are greatly in its favor. Its 

 very pungent odor doubtless impressed Mr. 

 Dibbern with a sense of danger, while in fact 

 it is a great element of safety. The same 

 leakage of water gas, for instance, would have 

 been scarcely perceptible while just as dan- 

 gerous. In fact, a person could scarcely 

 breathe in a room having an explosive mix- 

 ture of acetylene, on account of its strong and 

 nauseating odor, while other gas would hard- 

 ly be noticeable. 



Tlie probability is that any leakage of gas 

 in Mr. Dibbern's experience was a long way 

 from causing an explosive mixture. The of- 

 fensive odor of acetylene would likely impress 

 a person with the strong sense of danger with 

 one foot of acetylene in, say, three thousand 

 feet of air; and it is unlikely that Mr. Dib- 

 bern had agreater mixture, instead of one to 

 seven, as might be inferred. His reference to 

 fifteen per cent of gas escaping into a cellar is 

 extremely improbable. In the first place, long 

 before one foot of acetylene would escape into 

 three thousand feet of air in an ordinary cel- 

 lar, the odor would be very noticeable, and 

 even offensive, in every part of the house, un- 

 less the cellar was well ventilated, which 

 would, of course, obviate any danger. 



In case of fire no gas could escape unless 

 the gas-pipes were melted or broken, at which 

 stage of a fire a little more or less heat would 

 be of little consequence one way or the other. 

 Mr. Dibbern entirely overlooks the fact that 

 acetylene unmixed with considerable air ( as 

 is always the case in a gasometer) is absolute- 

 ly non-explosive, and would simply burn like 

 grease, instead of exploding like gunpowder. 



Mr. Dibbern's conclusion that acetylene is 

 explosive because it will ignite from a live 

 coal is quite erroneous, not to say unscientific. 

 It simply shows that acetylene burns at a 

 lower heat than other gas or kerosene, which 

 is much in its favor, as it gives a cooler and 

 more comfortable light in summer time, and 

 there is much less danger of any thing taking 

 fire from being close to a gas-jet, and which 

 has frequently caused disastrous fires. This 

 is particularly significant when we consider 

 that an acetylene flame from the same amount 

 of gas has but two-thirds the heat of a flame 

 of city gas, and that only about one-fifteenth 

 of the quantity is used for the same amount of 

 light. 



There are still objectionable features that 

 have not been fully overcome in hand-lamps 

 for acetylene. However, there are now small 

 generators on the market that are inexpen- 

 sive, and are giving good satisfaction, that 

 will likely take the place of the hand-lamp. 



Buffalo, N. Y. 



ANSWERS TO 



SEASONABLE 



UESTIONS 



L rog. ^ ^ ^ ^-^>^0\^^^ ^> g» ^ ^ J 

 SOMETHING FOR BEGINNERS. 



Question. — I am a beginner in bee-keeping, 

 and have been persuaded to take Gleanings. 

 I see that you have a query department in 

 said paper, and I wish you would tell us 

 through that department what you consider 

 the prime thing a beginner should know first. 

 What is the main thing in bee-keeping neces- 

 sary to know ? 



Answer. — There are very many things in 

 bee-keeping which are considered of first 

 importance; and the beginner should under- 

 stand all of these, if he or she would be suc- 

 cessful; hence no one should enter the ranks 

 of bee-keepers without first reading some one 

 of the many good works on bee-keeping, such 

 as Root's ABC book ; Langstroth on the 

 Honey-bee, by Dadant; Cook's Manual of the 

 Apiary ; Quinby's Practical Bee-keeping, by 

 L. C. Root ; Bees and Honey, by Newman, 

 etc. There are more good books on this sub- 

 ject than I have time to mention here. Hav- 

 ing procured one of these books, carefully 

 read it two or three times till the whole is 

 familiar to you from beginning to end, when 

 you will be ready to subscribe for and read 

 intelligently one or more of the several good 

 bee-papers there are published in the United 

 States. 



Having got so far I will tell you one of the 

 many other things you will need to know, for 

 on this hangs very much of that which will 

 bring prosperity. In nearly all localities 

 where bees can be kept there are certain plants 

 and trees which give a yield of surplus honey 

 at a certain time of year, while, aside from 

 this, there is little more honey obtained by 

 the bees than is needed to supply their daily 

 wants. Some localities give a surplus at three 

 stated periods, others at two, while the major- 

 ity give only one such yield. Hence it must 

 be apparent to all that, if such a honey-yield 

 (or yields) passes by without any surplus, 

 none can be obtained during the season. From 

 this it will be seen that, in order to be a suc- 

 cessful apiarist, a person must have a knowl- 

 edge of his locality, and also know how to 

 secure the laborers (bees) in the right time, 

 so they can be on hand when the honey- 

 harvest is at its best. Failing to do this there 

 is little or no profit in apiculture, and my 

 main reason for writing on this subject is that 

 those who read may obtain the best results 

 from their bees. 



Practically first, then, we have the location. 

 Here in Central New York our honey crop 

 comes mainly from linden or basswood, which 

 blooms from July 2d to 15th, and lasts from 

 ten days to three weeks, according to the 

 weather. In other localities in this State 

 white clover is the main crop, coming in 

 bloom June 10th to 16th; and, again, in others, 

 buckwheat, yielding honey in August ; but as 

 the larger part of those living in the Northern 



