GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 1. 



it for cleaning supers, but didn't like it. I 

 am sure it would not do to clean fence sepa- 

 rators with it, for they are put together with 

 glue, and when you put them in the boiling 

 lye they would be ruined. I have not had 

 enough experience cleaning fences to find an 

 easy way to clean them, but my former faith 

 that they could be as easily cleaned as plain 

 separators has all oozed away. [But those 

 who have tried both extensively say they are 

 easier. — Ed.] 



WHAT TO DO WITH CANDIED COMB HONEY. 



I have some beeswax on hand, and I intend- 

 ed to get the wax from my 30 hives and ship 

 all to you ; but I ran against trouble. The 

 combs, being old and dark-colored, don't sell 

 well ; so I can hardly sell it in the comb ; and 

 when I tried to get the honey out of the combs 

 I struck another snag, and a serious one to 

 me. It is this : About a quarter or more of all 

 the cells are filled full, or nearly full, of can- 

 died honey. I have tried every plan I can 

 think of, and so far I have failed to get the 

 honey out. If you know of any way to get 

 this honey out, please let me know. 



Cross Keys, Ga. John Barford. 



[The best use you can make of these combs 

 filled with honey candied solid is to put them 

 into the solar wax-extractor next summer. 

 The honey and wax will both be reduced to 

 the liquid form — the former being separated 

 off in a cake by itself. While the honey is not 

 of as good quality as that which has been tak- 

 en with the centrifugal extractor, yet it will 

 do very well. If there is another and better 

 way of treating such combs I should be glad 

 to be informed of it. Bees will sometimes 

 take candied honey out of the combs and use 

 it ; but more often they will drop the granules 

 on the bottom-board ; and when warm weath- 

 er sets in, these granules will be shoved out of 

 the entrance. After the first rain these will 

 be wet down, resulting in more or less rob- 

 bing ; so that I recommend that combs 

 containing candied honey be treated as I have 

 explained. — Ed.] 



a good record; over $960 from one api- 

 ary. 



I started in the spring with 60 stands strong, 

 and 20 weak. I increased to 150 stands. I have 

 sold $715 worth of extracted honey and 160 

 lbs. of wax. My 70 stands of bees at $3 00 net 

 brought 8210; 150 lbs. wax at 23 cts., $34.50 ; 

 extracted honey, $715. Total, $959 50. Have 

 you a better report than this from 80 colonies? 

 Thos. M. SkEIvTON. 



Fresno, Cal., Nov. 23. 



COI.OR OF HONEY-DEW FROM HICKORY. 



What is the color and quality of honey-dew 

 from hickory? E. D. HowEi^L. 



New Hampton, N. Y. 



[I can not be very positive, but my opinion 

 is it is very dark in color and rank in flavor. 

 In fact, that might be said of almost any hon- 

 ey-dew ; but that from hickory is particularly 

 bad.— Ed.] 



PLAIN SECTIONS AND BEEWAY SECTIONS 

 COMPARED. 



The fence and plain section please me very 

 well. I had a few cases of sections with insets ; 

 and when these were filled the boxes looked 

 well and the honey tempting ; but when I went 

 and got the plain boxes that were equally well 

 filled with honey, and set them down beside 

 them, I did not have any hesitation as to my 

 choice, which is the plain-section honey-box. 



Cuba, Kansas. Wm. H. EagerTY. 



TRANSFERRING BY THE HEDDON METHOD. 



Mr. James Heddon says, regarding his meth- 

 od of transferring, that in 21 days he makes a 

 second drive and cleans the hive of bees. If 

 he puts the second drive with the first, won't 

 they fight after .so long a time ? 



Melvin Mills, N. H. F. C. Burnham. 



[It will be very seldom that bees will fight 

 at the second drive. If they do, give them a 

 little smoke and all will go well. — Ed.] 



CHUNK HONEY ; INCREASING DEMAND FOR 

 IT IN THE SOUTH. 



You are aware of the fact that comb honey 

 in tin cans is rapidly coming in demand every- 

 where, and especially so in the South. We 

 have demonstrated that fact the past season, 

 for our orders for honey from local dealers over 

 the State are over five times as much for chunk 

 honey as for one pound sections. We will run 

 at least half of our bees this year for chunk 

 honey. O. P. Hyde. 



Hutto, Tex., Jan. I, 1900. 



HONEY THREE MEAI.S A DAY AND BETWEEN 

 MEALS. 



I enjoyed the illustration of the "Cincin- 

 nati housetop apiary," page 678. It is neat 

 and regular; also "pineapples," page 685. 

 Speakiny of honey for breakfast, page 726, I 

 would say it is a very common custom here to 

 eat honey three meals a day — at least among 

 bee-keepers. At our home it is eaten at each 

 meal, and between meals when we have it. 



The last few numbers of Gleanings are sim- 

 ply fine — such good illustrations. I am glad 

 your subscription is booming. 



W. W. Lawrance. 



Centreville, Tex., Dec. 8. 



THE WIRE-CAGE METHOD OF INTRODUCING 

 QUEENS. 



In regard to the wire-cage plan of introduc- 

 ing queens, as referred to on page 857 as being 

 a good and reasonably safe one, I heartily 

 agree, yet I think I once lost a queen by that 

 method. The queen had laid a number of 

 eggs in the cells from which the young bees 

 had emerged. When she was released she was 

 accepted with gladness ; but having occasion 

 a few davs afterward to open the hive I found 

 queen cells started from the patch of eggs laid 

 under the wire cage, and the queen dead. 

 Since then I close the wire cage, after the 

 queen is released, and leave it so for a few days 

 so they can not have access to the eggs. 



J. W. South WOOD. 



Monument City, Ind. 



