1898 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



627 



question is, "What killed them?" I don't 

 know. I often, several years ago, made 

 swarms in that way, and they always did well. 



Springfield, Ont. John Yoder. 



[It would seem as if the bees had smoth- 

 ered. They will look as if they had been dip- 

 ped in honey when confined in a tight com- 

 partment for a time. But the wire cloth cage 

 — I hardly see how they could smother in 

 that. I give it up. — Ed.] 



LARGE HIVES AND LARGE ENTRANCES; FREER 

 VENTILATION IN THE SUPERS. 



I indorse fully what you say in regard 

 to large hives and entrances. I use from one 

 to four eight-frame bodies, according to the 

 needs of the colonies, and I do not let my 

 be^ hang out. I give what ventilation is 

 needed, at bottom. I had swarms from my 

 " double deckers " that could not be crowded 

 on 8 frames; and I find that, to produce hon- 

 ey, one must have the bees, and <S frames will 

 not give room enough for an average queen. 

 I have some that have filled 14 frames. 



I have never used the fence antl plain sec- 

 tion, but I believe the fence is a good thing. 

 I bored }i holes in part of my separators this 

 season, and I find that the bees commence 

 work sooner, and do much nicer work — fewer 

 pop-holes. I am going to give the fence and 

 plain section a trial next season; also drawn 

 foundation, as I think it will pay as baits if 

 for nothing else. J. T. Hairston. 



Salina, I. T., July 20. 



section-holder supers or t supers — 



WHICH ? the latter PREFERRED. 



I have been using Root's goods for some 

 years, and this year I got six Dovetailed chaff, 

 ten-frame, and ten eight-frame Dovetailed 

 hives, all having the section-holder super, and 

 I was pleased when I looked at them, and 

 thought they were just the thing. I turned 

 two of them over to the bees ; and when they 

 were filled I took them off from the hives, and 

 then when I went to lift out the section-holder 

 I found the whole thing securely glued togeth- 

 er ; and after I got the holdt r out I found the 

 sections glued on each side to the bottom of 

 the holder. Then I thought of the old style 

 of movable slatted-bottom supers, and won- 

 dered where the improvement was ; but by 

 pulling, prying, and twisting I got the two su- 

 pers emptied, pitching the holders and sepa- 

 rators all out in a pile. I then calmly viewed 

 the pile. It seemed like a barrowload. I 

 then wondered what under the sun a man 

 wanted to handle all that pile of surplus stuflF 

 for when three simple T tins would very much 

 better answer the purpose. If ever I got a 

 mean thing from the Root Co. I think it is 

 this. Dr. Miller is ahead. A T super proper- 

 ly made is simplicity and perfection. I am 

 not a man who swears ; but I don't care to be 

 tempted, so I will have these all changed to T 

 supers, and the Root Co. must help. 



Atwood, 111. J. W. C. Gray. 



[There are a large number who hold just 

 the opposite opinion. But let each one take 

 which he likes. We give the option in our 

 catalog. — Ed.] 



We are getting the largest crop of honey 

 since 188.5. I never got so much from clover. 

 Basswood is just opening, but 1 fear the 

 " take " from that will be light. 1 have just 

 harvested "T-iO qts. of strawberries from an 

 acre of ground. Please tell this to A. I. 



Bristol, Vt., July 11. A. E. Manum. 



This year, from 90 colonies, spring count, 

 increased to 130, and we have 7000 lbs. 

 comb honey. Last season we had 2300 lbs. 

 We have .5000 lbs. comb honey to sell. It is 

 clover and basswood; will take 11 cts. per lb. 

 for it. Albert Snell. 



Clayton, N. Y., July 20. 



We have now taken about a carload of 

 honev, nearly all from basswood. This is not 

 a large yield from about 500 colonies, but it is 

 not a failure, as we expect some more from 

 basswood in the northern apiaries, and usual- 

 ly get a good fall crop from all. 



Portage, Wis. Frank McNav. 



This is the best season in this vicinity for 

 the past 10 or 1-5 years. The following are the 

 principal producers, and amount of crop. 

 Ham Smith, 1000 lbs., 12 swarms. 

 A. Gussy, 2000 to 3000 lbs., comb. 

 Jacob Moore, loOO to 2000 lbs., comb. 

 Gracy Talcot, 1000 to 1-500 lbs., comb. 

 I. Badder, 1000 to 1200 lbs., comb. 

 Ionia, Mich. Ham Smith. 



This season has been a very good one in 

 this locality. I have so far secured nearly 60 

 lbs. per colony, spring count. Basswood is 

 now in the height of its bloom. With this 

 and buckwheat yet, I look for the above fig- 

 ure to be considerabh' increased. Basswood 

 has a very heavy load of blossoms, but does 

 not appear to yield as well as it does some 

 seasons. G. F. Tubes. 



Ammimsuck, Pa. 



REPORTS ^ ^ ^ 

 DISCOURAGIMG 



I run my apiary for comb honey. I have 

 been keeping bees ten years. This year has 

 been the poorest I ever had. Out of 45 hives 

 I have taken only 125 lbs., and that of poor 

 quality, being dark and strong. I have visit- 

 ed a number of small apiaries, and find they 

 have no surplus honey. 



Adairville, Ky. J. G. TrauGhber. 



It has not been a good honey year in this 

 locality. There is an abundance of white 

 clover; but much rain in the month of June, 

 and since the fourth of July a severe drouth. 

 We shall have 300 or 400 pounds of white 

 comb honey to sell. Wm. Brown. 



Rochester, Minn. 



