r.i()i 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CUL'lURE. 



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bees poisoned, nor any poisoned honey car- 

 ried into the hives. I think bee-keepers 

 may rest easy on this matter, and may safe- 

 ly stand by and let the cotton-men poison 

 all they want to. 

 San Antonio. Texas. 



[The discussion on Hoffman frames has 

 not been without its value. The suggestions 

 made in our symposium on page 980, Oct. 1, 

 and by our two correspondents as above, are 

 in line with those made at different times by 

 various users of the Hoffman frame. It is, 

 perhaps, not too much to say that we are se- 

 riously considering the advisability of mak- 

 ing end-bars with square edges, and, not 

 only that, but a little thicker. During the 

 season of 1905 we shall be prepared to fur- 

 nish either square or V edge as an option. 



Whether it would be advisable to make 

 the top-bar thinner is a question. A frame 

 with a 5-thick bar is very much stiff er than 

 one with only a J-inch bar. 



As manufacturers we desire to have the 

 truth; and especially do we wish to know 

 what the users of these frames want. We 

 shall be glad to hear from others of our cor- 

 respondents, either privately or for publica- 

 tion, for the votes that we get will deter- 

 mine to a great extent what our future policy 

 with reference to these frames will be. 



It is, perhaps, unnecessary to state that 

 both of these articles came unsolicited. — 

 Ed.] 



sf?r^^^ 



A PLEA FOR ENAMELED CLOTHS AND QUILTS. 



Mr. Root: — Is there not also a bright side 

 to the enamel-cloth question? I can see 

 that you have a decided opinion on the use 

 of enamel cloths and quilts above the brood- 

 nest ; moreover, this opinion is, doubtless, 

 based upon practical experience. I there- 

 fore ask you, not to raise an argument, but 

 to gain information, whether you have not 

 found points in favor of the cloths that 

 might counterbalance the blemish you have 

 set forth from time to time? 



Barring the cost of the cloth and the la- 

 bor involved in hoisting that proverbial 

 " 20-lb. stone," or adjusting such other fas- 

 tening as will serve to hold the cover in its 

 place, is not the bee-keeper to be envied 

 who can "peel" his enamel cloth back at 

 his own pace, with his faithful smoker driv- 

 ing down any turbulent spirits as each suc- 

 cessive space is exposed? When he begins 

 operations on a hive, he requires no tool 

 whatever. That ' ' hermetically sealed ' ' 

 cover must be pried ever so carefully if one 

 would avoid that fatal snap as it leaves the 

 hive. Next thing, instead of single hives of 



combatants (I mean no injury to the little 

 bee by applying this term), there is a whole 

 sea of bees to be driven down between the 

 frames. If you have proceeded so far with- 

 out receiving a sting, then good. But the 

 bees that remain adhering to the cover are 

 still a nuisance. They have no access to 

 the honey "vats;" the queen you are look- 

 ing for is possibly among them instead of 

 being on the combs you are examining. 

 They become restless, and, having been de- 

 prived of that "good dinner," they may 

 leave the cover and drive you to cover. 

 Well, suppose they don't, and you have 

 been successful in your operations. Those 

 bees on the cover, if they're any good, will 

 not have been idle in this interim either. I 

 warrant that they have shifted their posi- 

 tion; they have either crawled into a posi- 

 tion that will be unpleasant for your hands, 

 or one that is not conducive to their longev- 

 ity, should the cover be carelessly replaced. 

 Why would it not be better to keep the bees 

 from trespassing on the cover at all? also 

 in this bee-space system, when new fixtures 

 are used and ruptures have been made in 

 the exalted hermetic seal, there still re- 

 mains the danger that the cover may be 

 lifted off by a demonstrative gust of wind. 



Also, what is the objection to a hive built 

 with a bee-space below the frames and none 

 above, if you pass over the difficulties you 

 may have experienced with the quilt? I 

 think I could point out at least one advan- 

 tage ; namely, the immunity from burr- 

 combs when breeding in two stories. 



I hardly think the catacomb-like condition 

 of which Mr. Bowey writes on p. 848 could 

 obtain where there is no bee-space above 

 the frames. R. Wueste. 



San Diego, Cal., Sept. 8. 



[There is no denying the fact that the en- 

 amel cloth has some good features, chief 

 among which is that of peeling off without 

 arousing the anger of the bees. Its unde- 

 sirable quahties I have already given, and 

 will not repeat them here. To put the bee- 

 space at the bottom instead of at the top 

 would be a serious mistake. If it is desired 

 I will at some future time give the reasons 

 why. It would require an extended article 

 to explain. —Ed.] 



HOW MANY ACRES OF HONEY-PLANTS WILL BE 

 REQUIRED TO SUPPORT 100 COLONIES? 



How many acres of good honey-plants are 

 required to keep 100 colonies of bees busy 

 during its blooming period? Can some alfal- 

 fa man tell about how much honey an acre 

 of alfalfa would produce? also how many 

 acres of the same clover are required for 10 J 

 colonies of bees? F. W. Morgan. 



De Land, 111., Oct. 24. 



[No definite answer can be made to your 

 question, as every thing depends upon the 

 locality and the honey-plant. As a rule we 

 may say that basswoods will yield a larger 

 amount of honey per acre than any other 

 plant unless it be the logwood of Jamaica, 

 in a general way we may say that honey- 



