1881 



GLEANIisGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



119 



tion of the N. E. B. K. Association, which was this: 

 " ResoJvcd, That this convention believes that foul 

 brood is a very dangerous disease, and that we ad- 

 vise all to be careful in experimenting in regard to 

 its cure. If but two or three colonies are afflicted 

 in any apiary, destroy hives, combs, and all." We 

 would do this for the reason that we should consider 

 the risk of experimenting, or trying to cure the two 

 or three, greater than the value of them. We are 

 happy to announce that the disease has pretty much 

 disappeared in Xew York State. 

 Borodino, N. Y., Feb. 16, 1881. G. M. Doclittle. 



TINDER. THE BOX-ELDERS. 



AN ABC SCHOLAR IN LOUISIANA. 



LLOW me the liberty of giving you my expe- 

 rience in bee culture for the last two years, 

 as I have been in your ABC class for twelve 

 months, and to ask what steps to take next. Two 

 years ago I began to take quite a likiug for bees. I 

 had one swarm in an old box hive to start with; the 

 first thing, I went in the woods to hunt for a few 

 more during the summer. I found five and hived 

 them in boxes of my own make; but I could not ex- 

 amine them, as they did not have frames in their 

 boxes, so I rode o%-er to see one of my neighbors 

 who had six swarms in what he called Simplicity 

 hives, and I was much pleased with them. They 

 had glasses in them that enabled me to look at them 

 without moving the bees. I made six exactly like 

 his, and moved all mine into them by smoking, and 

 breaking the old boxes to pieces. Being ignorant of 

 the business, I lost all the young bees and comb. I 

 was not aware that there was any such thing as 

 transferring, which I have learned since. After 

 all, they went to work, and in six weeks they had 

 their hives full of comb and honey. I had them in 

 a row 7 ft. apart, in nicely painted hives. On the 1st 

 of September, 18T9, we had a severe storm that blew 

 them on the ground upside down, killing many of 

 the bees and crushing the comb. I went to their as- 

 sistance, placed them up again, and put them in a 

 row behind a large tree, to protect them from the 

 wind as much as possible, as it was blowing a per- 

 fect gale. Unfortunately, the tree blew down, and 

 crushed the last hive and bees underground, just as 

 if Providence had ordered it done so. I did not do 

 as Blasted Hopes did — leave for Kansas. I said, 

 better luck next time, and concluded to get the 

 ABC and learn as I went. In Jan., 1880, I bought 6 

 swarms for S15, and commenced again. They were 

 all black. In April I made 4 artificial swarms, and 

 they did well. What I wish to know is t|hi8: how 

 many times can I make artificial swarms out of the 

 same old swarms? Last year I made an artificial 

 swarm out of one of my artificial swarms as late as 

 the 5th of August, and they are doing well. I in- 

 creased my number up to 22 strong colonies, for 

 which I give your ABC credit and good luck to- 

 gether. M. A. Garrett. 

 New Iberia, Iberia Parish, La., Feb. 15, 1881. 



I can not well say how many times you 

 can increase, friend G.; but as you have 

 tried making a ss\arm from a swarm, I 

 sliotild think yon would be pretty good au- 

 thority in the matter. From your letter, I 

 should opine that I could do a pretty large 

 business increasing in your favored locality, 

 even if the wind does blow sometimes. Why 

 not set your hives right on the ground, then 

 they can never fall down? 



HERE is nothing about our homes more restful, 

 more pleasing to the eye, than a well-trimmed, 

 well-kept lawn; and it is within the reach of 

 almost every one who owns an acre of land and has 

 a desire to make heme pleasing and attractive. It 

 is inexpensive, likewise, and, when once established, 

 "it is a thing of beauty and a joy forever" to its 

 possessor. 



These thoughts passed through my mind as I 

 opened the gate and stepped out upon the neat, 

 shaven lawn of our old friend Duster, who, by the 

 by, was swinging under his favorite box-elder trees, 

 in his hammock, with one leg carelessly hanging 

 over the side, while his lawn-mower, close at hand, 

 told what had been his occupation. After the usual 

 greeting, Mr. Duster at once introduced the subject of 



WINTERING BEES IN CELLARS. 



"I have been thinking of the matter since our last 

 talk, and the different reports and ditferent results 

 by individuals of which we read, and have come to 

 about this conclusion: that those who have reported 

 wintering in cellars as a partial failure, the fault is 

 in the cellar and not in the method. Any and every 

 cellar will not do; and if the cellar is not clean, dry, 

 and sweet, and likewise free from all frost, there 

 will no doubt at times be partial failures. I have 

 never lost a stock of bees in all these years that I 

 have wintered in such a cellar, and I am sure of all 

 my bees coming out in the spring alive and strong, 

 as the spring season comes. Comply with the con- 

 ditions, or, rather, requirements of their nature, and 

 we are just as sure of wintering them as we are our 

 sheep, calves, or any tender stock which we properly 

 shelter and care for in our cold winters. I do not 

 want to seem too persistent or dogmatic about this 

 matter of cellar wintering; but I do want those to 

 know who will take the pains, that there is but little 

 risk in wintering bees in this way— that's all." 



Now let me say right here, that I have been in Mr. 

 Duster's cellar the coldest days of this cold winter; 

 there was not a particle of frost or moisture in it ; it 

 was as dark as a dungeon ; the bees were perfectly 

 quiet, and the air seemed dry, warm, snd pure. I 

 could have sat down in it in comfort but for the 

 darkness. 



HONEY-DEW IN THE EAST. 



"You ask me," said Mr. Duster, "what I know 

 about honey-dew. I can recollect seeing it, when a 

 boy, in Massachusetts; but it seemed different from 

 any thing I have seen in the West. I found it there 

 principally on the leaves of the shell-bark walnut— 

 sometimes on chestnut. On the walnut leaves, at 

 times it would be in quite large drops as late in the 

 day as 1 o'clock p.m., and be so thick at that time 

 the bees could not take it up. I never saw it there 

 except in the fall of the year— say the last of August 

 or first of September. Now, under this very tree 

 where we are sitting I have seen it dropping in fine 

 light-colored spray until the grass under the tree was 

 quite sticky with the substance; and every morning 

 for some hours the bees would be very busy gather- 

 ing it from the leaves of the trees. The leaves 

 seemed varnished with it; never saw it in drops as 

 in the East. Usually it comes in May cr June on 

 these box-elders, and some seasons it comes two or 

 three times, giving the bees quite a harvest. I al- 

 ways found aphides at such times, but I also found 

 them, as well, at other times. I am inclined to think, 

 in the case of these trees (if no others), that the 



