1881 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



273 



have at best only an indirect influence on the great 

 and general cause. At least, I am willing to stake 

 any little reputation I may have as a guesser, upon 

 it. It may be natural, but not wise, to suppose that 

 Ihe method that proves successful one time surely 

 will the rest. Not till we know the cause can wo ex- 

 pect to prevent the effect with any certainty. 

 Dowagiac. Mich., May II, 1881. James Heddon. 



'l-d 



I 



Uevi 



99 



This department w.as sugpestecl by one of the clerks, as an op- 

 position to the Growlery. 1 think 1 shall venture to give nauiet 



too much honey and too many bees, and the 

 remedy! 



f' HAVE a rather queer complaint to make, in 

 view of the great loss of bees reported in last 

 ' Gleanings. Three years ago, I was taken very 

 badly with the "bee fever;" had it vcru bad; bought 

 some bees, went through all the glory of transfer- 

 ring, artiflcial swarming, etc.; wound up with 25 

 swarms. The second j'ear they increased to 50, and 

 last year to 100. If this keeps on, it will take a first- 

 class saw-mill to furnish lumber, and the whole 

 plantation will eventually be one vast bee-yard. 

 Last year I put on sections and L. frames late, as a 

 single box is too small for them in this hot section, 

 and thought if I did not get any honey they might 

 draw some of the fdn. out. They were left on all 

 winter, and the result now is, that at swarming time, 

 present date, I am taking off the sections full of 

 sealed honey. I thought that I would be extracting 

 L. frames; but with the exception of two or three 

 outside, all are full of honey, and the rest are filled 

 with brood, there seeming to be more in top frames 

 than in those in lower box. Imagine the swarms 

 they are turning out. I have taken them until I am 

 sick of the sight of a swarm coming out; but it 

 seems a pity to let them go off. There is no demand 

 for them down here, and I presume it is most too 

 far off to send them north, even if any one wanted 

 to buy them. They are blacks and hybrids. I do 

 not care to have over 100, as that is as many as my 

 father can attend to, with what time I can spare. 

 Mr. Viallon advised me to clip the wing of the queen; 

 but would they not continue to swarm, and Anally 

 become disgusted and kill her? Mr. Bledsoe, of 

 Natchez, recommended teariugdown the queen-cells, 

 except one, after the fiist swarm was out; but this 

 would double the number every j-ear. If I could sell 

 the swarms I would not mind it. Can you give me 

 any relief, or must I just let them go off? 



Gleanings is very interesting, and I think im- 

 proves every number. Hope you will succeed with 

 the rubber plates for fdn., though I don't think any 

 dipping plates will ever be better than the rolls, es- 

 pecially in a large apiary. H. B. Shaw. 

 Gum Ridge, Jefferson Co., Miss., May 4, 1881. 



Why, friend S., just sell those bees by the 

 pound. If our boys could just get into your 

 apiary, they would soon stop swarming, by 

 taking off the surplus young bees, and re- 

 ducing things down to a point where I am 

 sure you would be satisfied. Then just let 

 the queens lay ; as fast as more young bees 

 hatch, shake them off the combs, and sell 

 them again. It is ever so much more fun 

 than ttiking oft honey. If we can just get 



low rates on bees by express, we can take 

 them from the South after the honey season 

 is over, and bring them north and have them 

 gather another crop. I verily believe it can 

 be done. 



Hurrah! hurrah! and once more, hurrah for A. I. 



Root's chaff hives and the Holy-Land queen from 



you! To-day, May ti, 1881, drones are flying (none of 



your drone-layers;) they are drones for swarming. 



The colony has brood in nearly all the 10 frames; 



drones hatching on the outside of the 9th and 10th 



frames. I have about 6 colonies that have some 



capped drone-brood. I expect some new swarms 



before May 15. My bees are working like beavers. 



Otto Kleinow. 

 Detroit, Mich., May 6, 18SL 



AVhy, friend K., whatever ails youV Don't 

 you know that '' one swallow does not make 

 a summer," nor that one or two winters do 

 not decide the merits of a hive? Why, I ac- 

 tually supposed you had got a swarm as big 

 as a haystack, in the month of April, by the 

 way you shouted when you started out. By 

 the way, can you not turn in and help sup- 

 ply the brethren with pounds of bees? That 

 is the way to show that you are thankful for 

 your good fortune, is it notV 



OR HOIEY PLAKTS TO BE NAMED. 



fpIE plants mentioned below were sent 

 us about a year ago, as you will see by 

 the date of the letter. 



HONEY-PLANTS FROM DENMARK. 



As I see you speak so highly of the Spider plant as 

 such a famous honey-producing plant, I am very de- 

 sirous of trying it. American stamps I can not 

 send, and cents are not to be had here, therefore I 

 go on the principle that " fair exchange is no rob- 

 bery," and herewith inclose 3 sorts of seeds of flrst- 

 class honey-producers here, and will no doubt prove 

 the same with you. Scroi^hularia Crysanthus is a 

 species of the Simpson honey-plant, but flowers ear- 

 lier, longer, and better, if sown early; flowers the 

 first year. 



Stachys lanata is a capital flowering plant, with 

 white downy leaves, flowers the second year. Ara- 

 his alpina, a spreading plant of great beauty and 

 worth to every bee-keeper; flowers with the crocus. 

 In exchange for these I shall feel obliged if you will 

 send me a few seeds of the Spider plant. 



J. S. Wood. 



Nyborg, Fyen, Denmark, May 1, 1880. 



The first of the three is noAV in bloom. 

 The stalk and leaf bear quite a resemblance 

 to the Simpson plant, and the flower also, 

 only that it is in little groups or bunches, 

 and is yellow. The honey glistens already 

 in its little honey-cup. Many thanks for the 

 kindness, friend W. We shall endeavor to 

 save seed of the one mentioned, and will try 

 to report in regard to the rest in due time. 



WILLOW, ORNAMENTAL. 



Prof. Beal answers in regard to the willow 

 mentioned last month, as follows:— 



This is some species of willow not certainly iden- 

 tified without leaves. It is now in flower. All bee- 



