136 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 15. 



" Do you think 6 Hoffman frames would be 

 large enough for the brood-chamber ? I think 

 you have recommended that number." 



" If my sole object was comb honey, allow- 

 ing the bees to swarm, as most beekeepers 

 do, I should prefer six Hoffman frames to 

 eight or ten ; but seven would be more nearly 

 the right number, in my opinion, it it was nec- 

 essary to have any set number. But from my 

 present standpoint I should prefer a ten-frame 

 hive, and then use five, six, seven, eight, nine, 

 or ten Hoffman frames, just in accord as I 

 found the queen was using, five days before 

 the expected honey-flow, filling up the unused 

 space with dummies. The amount of comb 

 occupied with brood just before the flow com- 

 mences is the right number of frames to have 

 in the brood-chamber during that flow, if we 

 would secure the best results. This is the can- 

 did opinion of Dooliitle." 



[I solicit questions for this department; but they must be 

 put on separate slips of paper, anil mai Red '• Gleanings De- 

 ( partment." If you desire an immediate answer, say so at 

 the time of writing:, and a private reply will be sent you in 

 advance before your que-tion wilh answer appears in these 

 columns; but questions that are mi.xed up with business mat- 

 ters will not only be subject to considerable delay, but pos- 

 sibly will receiveno answer at all.— Editor.] 



KEEPING BEES NEAR SUGAR-REFINERIES. 



I am situated within a mile of the three 

 largest sugar refineries in this city. Would it 

 do to keep bees here ? and would the honey 

 be of any value if they gathered the sugar ? 

 As I am a beginner, please give a brief ac- 

 count. Wm. Ryan. 



Philadelphia, Pa., Jan. 11. 



[It is a little difficult to say what would be 

 the result. The probabilities are that your 

 bees would visit the refineries, and perhaps 

 make a deal of trouble. 



As to the second question, that has been the 

 occasion of much controversy; but I think all 

 chemists are agreed in this : Thin sugar syrup 

 fed slowly to bees, and stored in the combs, 

 wall be given a honey taste ; that is to say, it 

 will be partly digested. After i*^ has been act- 

 ed on by the bees it assumes a different chem- 

 ical form ; and from the standpoint of a chem- 

 ist it is inverted, or honey ; but on account of 

 the fact that bee-keepers might feed sugar 

 syrup for the production of comb honey, and 

 put the same on the market as honey, the prac- 

 tice has always been condemned. No objec- 

 tion is made to feeding syrup for winter feed 

 or for brood-rearing. 



Honey has been defined as being the nectar 

 of flowers, gathered and digested by the bees, 

 and stored in the combs. Sugar syrup sub- 

 jected to the same process has been called 

 sugar honey, but was not regarded as real hon- 

 ey bv Thos. Wm. Cowan and Prof. H. W. 

 Wiley, United States Chemist.— Ed.] 



MOVING BEES IN THE DEAD OF WINTER — 

 HOW TO DO IT. 



I am going to move to Southern Kansas 

 about the middle of February (about 700 

 miles); how can I fix my bees so that I can 

 move them with safety ? I will have a railroad 

 car with stock, household goods, etc., so that I 

 can be with them. I came from there two 

 years ago next April. The weather was warm, 

 and I tacked wire screen over the top, and 

 they came through nicely ; but I have never 

 heard of any one moving bees in cold weather 

 (or it is liable to be at that time). I have 

 looked the last 14 volumes of Gleanings 

 through carefully, and also ABC book, but 

 not a word do I find about moving bees in 

 cold weather. My bees are on summer stands, 

 with super on top, with three or four thick- 

 nesses of burlap next to the bees, with super 

 filled with oat straw. D. F. D. Pomeroy. 



Cuba, 111., Jan. 2--'. 



[Personally we have never had any experi- 

 ence in moving bees in'winter, and are there- 

 fore not able to give you much advice ; but it 

 is a little risky to move bees in carloads in the 

 dead of winter, especially if it should be very 

 cold outside. However, if you jniist move 

 them, place the hives on top of abotit four 

 or five inches of straw in a box car, and 

 place some straw between the hives, so that, 

 when the cars are bumped, it will not produce 

 a dead shock on the combs, which would break 

 down very easily if the weather was very cold. 

 It might be possible for you to leave the cov- 

 ers right on the hive if the weather is cold ; 

 but should it moderate there would have to be 

 some provision by which you could give the 

 bees air. I would, therefore, suggest that you 

 place wire screens on top of all the hives, and 

 then, if the weather is cold, you can put the 

 cover on top of the screen ; and if for any rea- 

 son the bees require ventilation the covers can 

 be lifted. If your combs are of the loose un- 

 spaced type it may be necessary to run spac- 

 ing strips down in between the frames. If 

 any of our readers have had a special experi- 

 ence in moving bees during winter, I should 

 be glad to have them tell us about it. — Ed.] 



ENLARGING A BEE CELLAR ; POINTS OF CON- 

 STRUCTION ; CONVEYING BEES TO THE 



CELLAR. 

 I wish to enlarge my cellar to 10x18 in the 

 spring, and intended to put in a brick wall and 

 a brick floor with an air-space between it and 

 the outer wall. Do you see any good points? 

 and will not the brick absorb the dampness? 



Will bees winter as well when placed in the 

 cellar, as given on page 97, 1899, as if placed 

 in without jarring? 



When your bees are in the cellar, just apply 

 your ears and nose at the door, and that con- 

 tented hum and pure air says Doo-little with 

 me. C. R. MORTS. 



[Dr. Miller prefers a dirt floor; but on this 

 point a great deal will depend on the locality, 

 and the character of the soil. In this vicinity 

 a grout cement bottom is almost a necessity. 

 One of brick would not keep out moisture or 

 water, while that of cement would. If the soil 



