1898 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



441 



weather like chickens, and are easily raised 

 with little experience, and do well without 

 much water, if only plenty to drink. 



We are much interested in F. Greiner's 

 piece on pollen substitutes, and in every help 

 to sell section honey to responsible buyers. 



I hope you will print your way of grading 

 before time for grading this )'ear's crop, so 

 many of us can refer to it, and have it as per- 

 fect as possible. Cynthia E. Tayne. 



Tuttles, N. Y., May 2. 



[The plain section and fence may or may 

 not set up a new standard for grading. We 

 shall see as the season goes on. At present 

 perhaps we had better wait. — Ed.] 



YOUNG DUCKS NOT KILI^ED BY BEES. 



I notice in Gleanings of May 1, page 352, 

 J. E. Hand says that his ducks die with their 

 throats full of bee-stings. I can't imderstand 

 that statement. I have a hundred stands of 

 bees, and I raise ducks by the hundreds year 

 after year. I have seen the young ducks 

 stung by swallowing a bee, but never had one 

 die from the effects of it. They never care to 

 catch a second bee. Last year I lost lots of 

 half-grown ducks with swelled heads and 

 throats, but it was not caused by bee -stings. 

 I think it is a disease caused by the hot sun, 

 and not having proper shade. I should like 

 to know what kind of ducks he has, that 

 catch bees till they die from the eflfects. 



Braceville, 111., May 16. John Burr. 



[This confirms my statement to the effect 

 that there is no trouble in raising ducks and 

 bees together, J. E. Hand notwithstanding. 

 This leads me to believe that friend H. must 

 have awful cross bees. — Ed.] 



HOWES' BOTTOM-BOARD. 



This is a side view of my bottom-board. It 

 is the same as your beveled bottom-board. 



E 



dK- 



a 



with two exceptions; and those exceptions are 

 what make the board for me. First, the rear 

 cleat is Y^ inch deeper below the bottom-board 

 than the front; this gives the board a >^-inch 

 fall from rear to front, when set on a level 

 (which all hives should be), and does away 

 with rain driving in and remaining to evapo- 

 rate and make the hive damp; also facilitates 

 the removal of dead bees, etc., by the living. 

 Second, the side strips are scant ^ inch thick- 



er at the front end, which allows of the hives 

 being set perfectly level both ways, and gives 

 them %-inch entrance, so necessary during 

 the honey-flow. For contracting the en- 

 trance I use a ><-inch square strip like pattern 

 above, which just slips into the notch under 

 the front end of the hive, and contract the en- 

 trance to Y'i inch. E. W. Howes. 

 Chatham, N. Y. 



[There is no doubt that this would give 

 freer ventilation; but whether it would be as 

 good as one having a deep space of the same 

 depth clear to the back end of the hive, is a 

 little doubtful. It is true, however, that it 

 allows the hive to be perfectly level while the 

 bottom-board itself may slant sufficiently to 

 shed water. 



■^ 



Here is another idea almost in the same 

 line, sent us by another friend whose letter I 

 have mislaid. The principle is the same save 

 that in the one first shown strip A is used to 

 contract the entrance. If the colonies are as 

 strong as they should be I doubt if the full 

 entrance need be contracted, even after the 

 honey season. In winter or during cold 

 weather it may be necessary, however, to use 

 some sort of contracting -strip. — ^Ed.] 



THAT STiNG-PROOF BEE-SUIT. 



Gleanings, April 1, page 253, gives a sam- 

 ple of a bee-proof sting-proof suit. This dress 

 is very good, but it is the right thing to take 

 a warm bath in a few seconds. As represent- 

 ed, it is the first one 1 used when I was a 

 novice. At times I have to replace the upper 

 part of the cloth by a piece of wire cloth sewed 

 all around a straw hat, and shaped in such a 

 waj^ as to outline the shoulders. With such a 

 device, the air coming from all sides makes a 

 great difference in one's comfort. 



Francois Benoit. 



Montreal, Que., Can., May 2. 



THE BELT vs. OTHER FORMS OF SECTION- 

 CLEANERS. 

 Having just read L. A. Aspinwall's article, 

 Review, p. 107, I am perfectl}' astonished 

 when he says on page 109, there is one inhe- 

 rent objection to the belt-cleaner when the 

 fine particles of propolis are thrown into the 

 honey when the edges of the section are clean- 

 ed. Now, that is a mistake, and I want you 

 to test that the very first thing. The section 

 is held when cleaning the edges across the belt 

 like this: Hold one edge at a time length- 

 wise, but a little crosswise, the belt revolving 



