642 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



October, 1922 



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HOMEMADE PASTE FOR LABELS 



How to Make Paste that will Stick to Either Tin 

 or Glass 



Here is a recipe for making a paste that 

 will stick labels to tin or glass so they will 

 not come off. It is the surest to stick and 

 the simplest to make of any paste that I 

 know ofj and I do not think the recipe has 

 ever been published. I give the directions 

 for a small quantity, and those wanting a 

 larger amount can increase the proportions. 



Place one ounce of cornstarch in a small 

 pan or other vessel, and then measure out 

 one and one-half pints of water. Add a 

 little of the water to the cornstarch and rub 

 it or stir it until smooth, after which add 

 the rest of the water and mix thoroughly. 

 Shake into this powdered lye, stirring 

 briskly all the while until it turns thick and 

 becomes transparent. Instead of the pow 

 dered lye a strong lye solution can be made 

 up and a little of this added instead. Be 

 careful and do not add any more lye than 

 necessary. If a wide-mouthed bottle is used 

 to mix in, the mixing can all be done by 

 placing the cap on the bottle and shaking 

 vigorously. This paste keeps quite well, es- 

 pecially if put in a cool place; and after 

 making it a few times it can be done with- 

 out measuring the ingredients and can also 

 be made very quicklj^. It should be quite 

 thick for best results, and if too thick it can 

 be thinned by adding water. If you have 

 ever had trouble in making labels stick to 

 tin try this next time, as it will surely do 

 the work and is inexpensive. 



Brigham City, Utah. J. H. Peterson. 



ALFALFA YIELDS IN THE EAST 



Forty Pounds of Surplus Secured from this Plant in 

 Pennsylvania in 1921 



It is quite generally believed that alfalfa 

 does not yield nectar in any quantity east 

 of the Mississippi; and I must say in my 

 first seven years of beekeeping experience I 

 never saw a bee on alfalfa bloom, nor alfalfa 

 produce seed. I w;is certain I Avould never 

 g(?t nny siir])lus honey from it in this sec- 

 tion. But alfiilfa gave mc a surprise last 

 yenr (1921), for it yielded not only nectar 

 but a surplus of honey, which in some colo- 

 nies reached 40 pounds, and that which was 

 alloAved to stand produced a big ciop of 

 seed. 



The first cutting of alfalfa was very late 

 last year, due to late frosts and rainy weath- 

 er at harvest time. Some of it was cut ns 

 bite fis .Tulv 2.1 and very little by July S. 

 Tlu! secdiiil cultiiig grew very fast. It \v;is 



this second cutting that yielded the nectar. 

 It began to bloom when about 12 inches 

 high, and instead of a few small flowers it 

 was covered with large fully developed 

 bloom. 



This honey flow came at a time when 

 there was nothing else for the bees to 

 gather. It kept the colonies strong for the 

 fall honey flow from aster and goldenrod, 

 and in excellent condition for winter. As a 

 result they wintered 100 per cent, and I 

 had such strong colonies this spring that I 

 took quite a surplus during fruit bloom. 



Why' did alfalfa yield so heavily last 

 year when it had yielded little or nothing 

 before? Was it the season? Because it 

 was cut late? or has it become acclimated? 



At that time I thought it was because the 

 first crop was cut so late. Some fields that 

 were cut early didn 't yield at all, but this 

 year the first cutting yielded nectar during 

 May. And the second cutting promises to 

 do as well as last year or better. 



Landenburg, Pa. John Lund. 



BEES ROB COLONY BEING FED 



Hov 



Beginner Learned a Valuable Lesson in 

 Feeding Late in the Season 



Last year was my first experience with 

 bees. I bought three colonies from an old 

 lady neighbor. These were in old box hives, 

 and my experience began immediately. 1 

 had supplied myself with eight-frame Jumbo 

 liives complete and made the transfers in 

 approved form, save only the stings were 

 not omitted. One of the old boxes being 

 especially frail and open, I got an unusual 

 number of stings, but I never rested till all 

 were properly in their new homes and in 

 place under my splendid peach trees. This 

 transfer was made late in August, and I 

 soon found it would be necessary to feed. 

 Here is where my first disaster occurred. 



I read everything they sold me on "Feed- 

 ing" and proceeded. I bought 100 pounds of 

 sugar and with carefully prepared friction- 

 top tins gave it to them, not forgetting the 

 temperature. My tenants were properly 

 housed on full sheets of the best Airco 

 fouiidatiiiti. I forgot, after supplying the 

 teni]iting sweet, to contract the otherwise 

 large entrnnces. After a while I looked in 

 tf» see how snugly they had placed their 

 si ores. Can you imagine my surprise? Not 

 ;i, comb drawn, not a cell filled! Don't say 

 "Eo])bers!" I guess I know it! If I hadn't 

 had two otlier old colonies in the orchard, 

 my disaster would have been complete. Not 

 only was my sugar gone, T)ut the colonies 

 tlius rolilicil (lied of sfarxation. I was re 



