660 



her last, nearly ten years ago. 

 We hope this consistent use of 

 honey may help to prolong 

 her life at least ten years 

 more. — Ed.] 



Gleanings in Bee Culture 



A DOUBLE -SIDED SHOW-CASE 

 FOR COMB HONEY. 



BY W. J. LEWIS. 



The photo illustrates a show- 

 case designed for exhibiting 

 our honey where it is sold. 

 When set in a show-window 

 it shows the color of the hon- 

 ey, as it has glass on both 

 sides, and is a sign either from 

 the inside or outside of the 

 building. If there is a light 

 on the inside, it shows up fine 

 at night from the outside. 



WASHING DBONE LARVAE FROM 



COMBS WITH A STREAM 



OF WATER. 



Last summer we made a 

 little discovery that may be 

 of benefit to some bee-keepers. 

 We say "discovery," for the 

 reason we never saw it men- 

 tioned in any bee books or 

 journals. We had laid out 

 some frames with drone brood 

 in them, thinking the chick- 

 ens would i)ick out the brood. 

 Some we had uncap])ed. 8oon 

 after, we were using the 

 sprinkling hose and happened 

 to turn a small stream, under 

 heavy pressure from the city 

 supply, on them. I was much 

 surprised to see every larva 

 struck by the stream tly out of 

 the cell, and I could "clear out a comb in 

 less time than it takes to tell it. 



We are pleased to say we never had foul 

 brood; but we have thought this plan might 

 be used to assist the bees in clearing the 

 combs, as w^e notice lately that some writers 

 claim that the bees will clear out the disease 

 if young queens are introduced. 



St. Louis, Mo. 



[With a disease like American foul brood, 

 where the larva' have so changed in consis- 

 tency as to become like hard glue, we ques- 

 tion whether the stream of water would be 

 efficacious in rendering the comb free from 

 trouble. — Ed.] 



DO QUEENS LAY EGGS THAT DO NOT HATCH? 



BY WM. L. COrPER. 



I notice that the editor is inclined to dis- 

 agree with Dr. Miller when he states his 

 opinion, .July 15, p. 418, that a queen very 

 seldom lays eggs that will not hatch. I 

 think the doctor is right, although, like 

 him, I once had a queen whose eggs would 

 not hatch. She was a young and handsome 



V show-case lor e(jiub honey, with glass on both sides to allow 

 the light to shine through the honey. 



queen, and filled her combs regularly. I 

 placed one of these combs in another hive, 

 and the bees cleaned the eggs all out in a 

 few days. 



I had another and more remarkable case 

 in a very strong colony, and the queen in 

 this case was also young. I am in the habit 

 of looking at all colonies once a week, till 

 they are ready for supers. One week this 

 colony was marked as very strong, with five 

 combs of brood. I expected to find it ready 

 for a su]jer the next week: but it had not 

 altered, except that the brood looked a little 

 patchy. I did not pay much attention: but 

 the next time, I found that there was brood 

 in five frames still; but scattered all over 

 were empty cells, eggs, sealed and unsealed 

 brood, in no particular order. Beyond doubt 

 the greater number of eggs had failed to 

 hatch. I think this case proves that Dr. Mil- 

 ler, p. 418, is correct. If a (pieen often laid 

 unhatchable eggs, the appearance of the 

 brood-combs would be more or less patchy. 

 (I have emi)loyed the clumsy word " un- 

 hatchable" to distinguish from drone eggs, 

 which are sometimes styled infertile.) If 



