912 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



by the toads with their furred tongue when they are 

 not swept away from the alighting-board. 



BEES SUFFOCATING OVER SOLID ESCAPE-BOARD. 



I like very much the idea of the ventilated escape- 

 board with screen instead of wood. This year I had 

 an illustration of the danger of the common bee- 

 escape used where there is no protection from the 

 sun. Two hours after setting the escape, I accidentally 

 had to raise one of the super.s. I found that the 

 bees were suffocating from lack of ventilation before 

 passing through the escape. With wire screen there 

 would be no danger. I have noticed, also, that the 

 next morning the combs are cold instead of warm, 

 as they would be if the heat from below were pass- 

 ing up. C. M. Carmona. 



San Rafael, Trinidad, B. W. I., Sept. 6. 



[There are many instances of colonies swarming, 

 even though the queens are less than a year old; but 

 as a rule the colonies with young queens are less 

 likely to swarm than are those with older queens. — 

 Ed.] 



From the Old Country, Cumberland". 



I have never seen an article from the Old Country 

 in Gleanings, and I wonder if you can spare a 

 corner for a few lines from a Cumberland lass. My 

 husband has been interested in bees for several 

 years, but recently he got another " bee in his bon- 

 net," and was married; so, of course, his bees had 

 to follow him to his new place of abode. 



We brought the colonies by train, one at a time, 

 then had to carry them about two miles. Though 

 very slow work we had the satisfaction of knowing 

 that hardly a bee was damaged, and the following 

 morning they were working away quite at home. 



Being in business in the city, my husband has 

 only his evenings and one afternoon a week off duty, 

 but now, being an apprentice, I am able to help him 

 a little in making frames, wiring and fixing founda- 

 tion, and looking out for swarms. I also help while 

 he is manipulating. I can spot the queen almost as 

 soon as he can. Fortunately we have had only one 

 swarm among our home colonies ; and, needless to 

 say, I was most excited (not being used to bees). 

 As they were not likely to settle I had to resort to 

 the sprayer; and, not having gained sufficient cour- 

 age to secure the swarm myself, I had to seek the 

 aid of a neighbor. However, by next year I hope 

 to be more proficient. Bees, I consider, are a most 

 fascinating study as well as a profitable hobby. 

 Nearly all my reading at present is confined to bee 

 literature — my husband, fortunately, having a good 

 many books on the subject. 



We have six home colonies, and seven about six 

 miles distant, including American and British Gold- 

 ens, Italians, and Black. 



A Happy Wife. 



The Smoke Method of Introducing Queens. 



On page -388, May 15, Major Shallard practically 

 asks if any one adopted the above method of intro- 

 ducing queens before 1885, the year he commenced 

 to do so. I may state that I adopted the method in 

 1882 and in 1883 and afterward, when queen-rear- 

 ing on an extensive scale, I rarely introduced in any 

 other way unless the conditions were very unfavor- 

 able. Both virgin and laying queens were intro- 

 duced by smoking, and the losses were, if any thing, 

 less than by caging. Many a morning I have run in 

 20 or 30 queens by smoking after removing the 

 originals to .send away by mail — all finished in 

 seven or eight minutes. The smoke method is by no 

 means new, as will be seen by turning to some of 

 the bee-journals for the '80's. I have been surprised 

 to see so mudi made of it of late, as though it were 

 a recent discovery. 



Auckland, N. Z„ June 24. I. Hopkins. 



Simple Spacing Device. 



The illustration shows my frame-spacing device. 

 My idea is to bend each end of the metal one-eighth 

 of a full turn. The reason for giving only one end 

 a twist is that with a quarter turn the metal some- 

 times tears partly off. 



My frames have narrow ends as shown in the 

 drawing. I like them thus, as it gives a better grip 

 for the fingers. 



Sacramento, Cal., Nov. 12. A. D. Munger. 



Buying vs. Making Foundation. 



On page 371, May 15, Arthur C. Miller says that 

 he buys his foundation for five cents a sheet, and is 

 thereby saved the trouble of making it. Now, that 

 is all right for him ; but I have to pay 65 cts. a 

 pound for brood foundation; and after paying 

 freight and having a lot broken besides, I find that 

 it costs me about $1.00 a pound for full sheets of 

 foundation in good condition. Since I prefer to use 

 full sheets, I believe that in my circumstances I am 

 better off by making my own. 



Albany, Vt. J. M. Carter. 



New York, Not Massachusetts. 



In the Oct. 15th issue you have the address at 

 the end of my article on swamp bee-pasture, p. 812, 

 as Mayfield, Mass. It should be Mayfield, N. Y. 



My bees are all ready for winter. Sugar is high, 

 and some will not feed on this account. Bees will 

 have to be fed here more or less — some half. 



Mayfield, N. Y., Oct. 24. G. W. Haines. 



Four Swarms from One Colony. 



I had one colony that gave four swarms in eight 

 days, and kept strong in bees all through. They 

 were all good-sized swarms. 



Waterford, Ct. F. M. Jacques. 



Handy place for matches. Suggested by G. E, 

 Leavitt, Chattanooga, Tenn. 



