l')04 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



81 



-while gnawing her way out, and place it 

 in the nursery-cage as shown in Fig. 11. 

 IJear in mind always that you can not be 

 too careful in handling sealed queen cells. 

 The slightest jar will sometimes kill a 

 queen or injure her seriously. 



F^ig. 13 illustrates a nursery frame full 

 of cages with ripe queen-cells. Put the 

 frame in a strong upper story, or, where 

 this is not obtainable, in any queen-rearing 

 colony, or even one with a normal laying 

 queen. Always see that the cages have a 

 supply of fresh candy so that, should the 

 bees refuse to feed the virgins when they 

 hatch, they will be in a position to supply 

 themselves with food; also see that the tin 

 covers the candy-hole in each cage; if not, 

 the bees will eat their way in and your 

 ca^es of cells will soon be in a bad mess. 

 Where virgins have to remain a week or 

 more in confinement, they will be found to 

 do better in a queenless colony, as queen- 

 less bees will lavish more attention upon 

 them. 



To be continued. 



them don't like the shortened projection of 

 the end bar as now used on the Hoffman 

 frame, and I fancy the nail would be more 

 objectionable still.— Kn. 1 





•X 





NAIL SUPPORT FOR FRAME. 



Mr. Root: — On page 1044 you want to 

 hear from those who have tried a nail for a 

 frame support, and not sooner or later aban- 

 doned it. I first used it in several hundred 

 hives that I built in California as far back 

 as 1876. I then used a cut nail. I now 

 use a headless wire nail, made to my order 

 at the factory, and decidedly prefer it to 

 any other support for a self-spacing hanging 

 frame. But when I used it without any 

 self sfacing device, and allowed the frame 

 to swu g loose, as on a pivot, I soon decided 

 again.- 1 it as being entirely too movable for 

 practita' purposes. Your objection, that a 

 nail is not strong enough, is overcome by 

 using a larger one. A six-penny finishing 

 is much too small. 



If I were using the Hoffman frame I should 

 prefer it supported by a headless nail, and 

 then omit the tin rabbet as needless. You 

 have practically the same thing in the 

 Danzenbaker hive. I. A. King. 



Derby, Texas. 



[The device used on the Danzenbaker is 

 not a nail but a large iron rivet, the shank 

 of which is very much larger than an ordi- 

 nary nail. Then, further, the rivet head 

 is imbedded in the wood on the inside of the 

 end-bar, making the part that projects 

 much stiff^er. 



Extracted-honey men, at least many of 

 them, would object to a nail support for the 

 ordinary hanging frame. As it is, some of 



FORMALDEHYDK FOR FOUL BROOD; THE 

 REASON IT SOMETIMES FAILS. 



I have noticed some discussions about the 

 use of formaldehyde for the destruction of 

 foul brood germs. Some seem to think that 

 it is of no use; but I know the failures occur 

 only through a lack of knowledge of the gas 

 and of its use. Some data I have gathered 

 from government reports and other sources. 

 I have learned that the foul brood germ is 

 a fungus composed of albuminoid matter. 

 Formaldehyde gas unites with it, and de- 

 composes it so that it will not grow. Broth- 

 er Weber's treatment is all right, but the 

 dried-up cells that he speaks about should 

 be immersed in a three percent solution of 

 formalin for a few hours, in a temperature 

 of about 80°, then subjected to a fumigation 

 of the gas in a temperature of 40°, and it 

 will not fail in any case. The English use 

 it in a solid form in the rear part of the 

 hive on the bottom-board. Colonies that 

 are afflicted with the disease are rendered 

 immune as long as the gas is allowed to re- 

 main in the hive, but will reappear when 

 taken awa}'. Formalin gas is now used as 

 a disinfectant for all contagious diseases 

 by the boards of health of various cities and 

 towns of our country. Why not give it a 

 thorough trial? I do not see why Glean- 

 ings should not have a laboratorj', and in- 

 vestigate. I for my part would be willing 

 to pay an increased rate of subscription to 

 cover the expense. The paper would give 

 facts, not summaries. What say you, 

 brother bee-keepers? I think it would pay. 



Massillon, Ohio. E. A. Newell. 



[A laboratory would hardly be practica- 

 ble at this office, as there would not be 

 enough work to keep it going, even if we 

 could employ a competent man to take 

 charge. It would be better for us to depend 

 on the statements of trained men at our uni- 

 versities and colleges, where all the facili- 

 ties are at hand. — Ed.] 



HOW TO PRODUCE GILT-EDGED BUCKWHEAT 

 HONEY. 



The production of buckwheat comb honey 

 during a good season is quite simple, and 

 consists in boxing all strong colonies. 

 Sometimes the conditions are such as to 

 produce a swarming mania. Especially 

 are such colonies disposed to swarm as 

 have old queens. They are usuall}' the 

 colonies we "shook," or the new swarms, 

 and are not on a full set of combs. When 

 the season is not very good, and we care 

 not for any increase, a very good way is to 

 unite two and two of such colonies and 

 shake them. Later these shaken swarms 

 may be reinforced with bees from upper 

 sto'ies, the same as was done during the 

 white honey season. But one must feel his 



