206 



GI.EANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mar. 15. 



The uncapping-fork seems to receive 

 only praise in German and French journals — 

 works more easily and rapidly than the knife, 



works well on tender and uneven combs, and 

 costs less than the knife. Has any one tried 

 it on this side ? 



Don't get things mixed. Soiled sections 

 and greasy sections, more properly watery sec- 

 tions, are two quite difTerent things. S iled 

 sections, covered with so-called travel-stain 

 or greasy- looking bee-glue, may be found over 

 all colonies in certain honey-flows, and espe- 

 cially at the close of the honey-flow. Greasy 

 or watery sections, caused by lack of air-space 

 between honey and capping, may be found 

 over certain colonies at any and all times with- 

 out regard to season or honey-flow. A section 

 may be soiled and not watery ; it may be wa- 

 tery and not soiled ; or it may be both. [I 

 suspect we have been a little careless in the 

 use of terms for designating certain faulty 

 boxes of honey. If so, let us use that phrase- 

 ology which will describe the exact condition. 

 But water-soaked comb honey, so called, and 

 greasy comb honey, are practically synony- 

 mous terms to most people. — Ed] 



Messrs McLean and Whitney have ex- 

 plained how greasy sections depend on the 

 honey-flow and conditions. Now, friends, 

 please explain this : I had a colony of Funics 

 which made greasy sections all through the 

 season, fast flow or slow flow, while other col- 

 onies made white sections. Also, last season 

 I had a colony which made paper-white sec- 

 tions in a very slow flow, and all through the 

 season, and no other colony did quite so white 

 work at any time — same apiary, same shade, 

 same conditions. Another thing : When the 

 Funics had filled but not yet sealed a super of 

 sections, I gave it to another colony, and it 

 was sealed white, while the sections left on 

 the Funic were sealed greasy. [Then you 

 agree with Mrs. Barber and others that the 

 queen or the bees, rather, do have a good deal 

 to do with the greasy -section question ; but it 

 seems reasonable to me that weather condi- 

 tions may have some slight effect, although it 

 is probable that the kind of bees has the most 

 to do with the matter. — Ed ] 



That best results in surplus honey could 

 be obtained by allowing one swarm from each 

 colony, was, I think, once the general belief. 

 Gradually that belief has faded away, and able 

 men who formerly advocated it are now 

 among those working most diligently to se- 

 cure non-swarming. [But are you sure you 

 are right, doctor? It strikes me that most 

 authorities still think that the one-swarm plan 

 is the best under most conditions. Do you 

 know of any non-swarming method for the 

 production of comb honey that is regarded as 

 practical for every one? The caged-queen 

 plan is used very successfully by a few of the 



largest bee-keepers of New York, but a good 

 many others do not like it. I had hoped that 

 the large-brood-chamber method might be 

 productive of good results, but many again 

 declare this is not a success. — Ed.] 



i'«'«gAg3fe^a^3flc^Bc^acaft^flteflii^tfti:^8t^a>^ 



^ICZKII^GS 



\t^fiOM OU/i NEIGHBORS FIELDS. 2^ 

 Brt3Tt:/>/oc-." "^ 



Old Sol has reached th' equator's line ; 



The 20th he'll crawl over, 

 And call to life the dormant buds, 



The flowers, the grass, the clover. 



His face (a million miles across) 

 Is clothed with smiles and blessing ; 



He drives the fogs and damps away. 

 The earth with beauty dressing. 



The sun ! the sun ! he darts his rays 



O'er ninety million miles ; 

 The sick revive, and bless the day 



That brings his vernal smiles. 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 

 Frof. Cook tells us of a Mr. Clark, in Cali- 

 fornia, who has a spring situated some distance 

 to the west of his apiary in the canyon. He 

 had a fine Jersey cow which he used to picket 

 out to feed. The forage was especially good 

 between the apiary and this spring. Mr. 

 Clark observed that the bees were flying to- 

 ward the spring for water in great numbers,, 

 yet the good feed tempted him to picket the 

 cow on this line, as the apiary was some dis- 

 tance from the place, and he apprehended lit- 

 tle or no danger. Yet the fact that there were 

 so many bees did raise a question in his mind, 

 but, not knowing that cattle were unlike horses, 

 he picketed the cow slightly, so she could get 

 away in case of an attack. At night, when 

 Mrs. Clark went to get her, the cow was cold 

 in death, and a great many bees were dead 

 around her. Mr. Cook adds: "There are 

 several facts in this account that I think are 

 of special interest, and should be noted by all 

 bee-keepers. The first is, that the instincts of 

 the cow when she is stung wili not lead her to- 

 run away as would be the case with the horse, 

 and she stands by until stung to death. Mrs. 

 Clark told me the cow was very close to where 

 she was picketed. She had pulled the stake 

 up so she could have run away if she had been 

 so disposed If Mr. Clark had dis- 

 covered his cow at the beginning of the at- 

 tack, and had led her into an enclosure, the 

 bees, of course, would have left at once, and 

 would have ceased the attack. If this had 

 been followed by the use of wet blankets, very- 

 likely the cow's life could have been saved, 

 even though she might, at the time, have re- 

 ceived thousands of stings." By the way, 

 Rambler gives an interesting account of his. 

 visit at Mrs. Clark's apiary, together with a 

 picture of that lady, on pp. 940, '1, in Glean- 

 ings for lcS95. Those having back numbers, 

 will do well to turn back and read this article. 



