600 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 



vertise his business, if properly conducted. I in- 

 close a label used by me for tin cans, stuck on by a 

 preparation taken from Dr. Chase's Receipt Book. 

 I find it pays to advertise in that way, and to culti- 

 vate the home market. There is not half the honey 

 used in country towns that could be sold if properly 

 put on the market. The grocery stores should be 

 supplied at all times with that which is known to be 

 pure; and if the producer is known in the commu- 

 nity, there will hardly evsr be any question about 

 that. Eugene Secor. 



Forest City, Iowa, Oct. 31, 1881. 



We reproduce the receipt for making la- 

 bels stick to tin: — 



Labelixg ox Tin.— The difficulty in making labels stick to tin 

 arises from the extreme smoothnc'ss of the surface. To over- 

 come this inconvenience, louirhen the surface with sandpaper 

 before putting on the label. This is a quick pi-ocess on the tops 

 of tin boxes; but for labeling upon the sides of boxes or cans, 

 the quickest way Is to have the label made long enough to go 

 more than around, the extra part being blank, or without 

 printing, to allow the other end to lap over it, and all is right, 

 even with common paste. 



2. Wetting the tin with common whitewash, and wiping it off 

 after it is drj-, roughens the tin about equal to sandpapering, as 

 the lime corrodes the surface somewhat. 



GIVING NEIGHBORS A START, ETC. 



I wish you would tell us whether you consider it 

 wise or otherwise tor a bee-keeper to give his neigh- 

 bors, who are also bee-keepers, any information or 

 assistance about the management of their bees. If, 

 for example, he sells them smokers, foundation, or 

 bee-books, do you think that by so doing he is likely 

 to injure his future prospects for marketing his own 

 honey? J. W. Harkness. 



Kecseville, Essex Co., N. Y., Oct. 15, 1881. 



By all means, friend II., give your neigh- 

 bors all the assistance in your power, in the 

 way of information, advice, etc., both in 

 bees and all else you may be both engaged 

 in. Of course, where your time is limited 

 and valuable, you are not expected to throw 

 away time more than money ; but so far as 

 injuring your own chance of a good market 

 by helping others is concerned, I think such 

 is rarely, if ever, the case in the long run. 

 The man who is always willing to help those 

 around him is the one whom God prospers. 

 To be sure, we have seen men who spent 

 time visiting round at the neighbors, when 

 their presence was sorely needed at home; 

 but I am sure one should always be willing 

 to give freely all the information he can, 

 that will be of advantage to those around 

 him, consistent with a proper attention at 

 all times to his own affairs. Do not the 

 friends agree with meV 



SUCCESSFUL WINTERING, ETC. 



I was much interested in W. L. Coggeshall's report 

 of a crop of honey of over 180 lbs. per hive. I think 

 every bee-keeper would be obliged to you if you 

 would get his management of bees in detail, and 

 publish the same. My report for last year is as fol- 

 lows: Last fall I had 140 colonies — ISt in Simplici- 

 ties, and 6 in chaff hives; about 13 were made by 

 uniting nucleus hives used for queen-raising, and 

 were rather weak, I wintered the chaff hives on 

 summer stands, and 13-1 colonies in cellar. My cel- 

 lar is rather damp, but has ventilation by C-in. stove- 

 pipe entering chimney, and one small window filled 

 with a bundle of straw, and left open. My hives had 

 no top ventilation, but were covered with enameled 

 cloth and I'/i-inch chaff cushion, and cover as usu- 

 al; but were raised on one end by placing "s-inch 



blocks under two corners of each hive. In spring I 

 found one hive dead in cellar, and one colony dead 

 in chaff hives. The 5 living colonies in chaff hives 

 were every one as strong as the strongest in cellar. 

 Of the 133 living colonies from cellar, I gave 63 to a 

 neighbor on shares; 4 colonies I divided in nucleus 

 hives for queen-raising, and T I united with other 

 weak or queenless colonies, leaving me 65 fair colo- 

 nies for honey-gathering. I increased these 65 colo- 

 nies to 130 (besides about 30 nucleus hives for queen 

 raising), and shipped, or have ready for shipment, 

 7082 full one-pound sections (about 7000 lbs. of comb 

 honey), besides what we used in bouse or sold in lo- 

 cal market, and about 1200 lbs. of extracted honey 

 (probably more). My extracted honey is taken from 

 frames in the upper story (I give only 6 wide frames 

 with sections, and one brood frame to each upper 

 story), and the sections only partly filled. My 

 bees are not black bees, hybridized by using Italian 

 drones, but pure Italian, or as pure as they can be 

 kept in an apiary surrounded on all sides by black 

 bees only, and furnishing the only Italian drones 

 within 15 or :.'0 miles, to hybridize those black bees. 



Chas. H. Grote. 

 Mansion, Juneau Co.. Wis., Oct. 10, 1881. 



POLLEN AND DYSENTERY. 



I have read with much interest the various arti- 

 cles in Gleanings in regard to wintering bees, and 

 after an experience of fifteen years with its ups and 

 downs, I am compelled to take sides with Mr. Hed- 

 don. Some years ago I put up a quantity of liquid 

 honey in glass jars for my own use; and, wishing to 

 have it extra nice, I drained out nice box honey (not 

 a particle of visUtle pollen in it), heated it in a water 

 bath, when a thick scum arose to the surface, smell- 

 ing and tasting strongly of pollen. I thought then, 

 and believe now, that all honey contains some pol- 

 len ; but owing to some unaccountable freak of na- 

 ture, the amount is variable in different years; and 

 when in excess the bees have the dysentery. It is 

 no use to remove the solid pollen and then leave 

 the bees to eat honey strongly tinctured with it. I 

 believe it possible to tell beforehand whether bees 

 will have the dysentery, by examining samples of 

 their honej'. This honey could have the pollen re- 

 moved by scalding, and then be returned, or sugar 

 could be given in its place as thought best. 



Who has ever tried the experiment of keeping 

 bees the entire winter on sugar syrup, with all the 

 pollen removed from the hive? I do not now recol- 

 lect of ever reading of such a case. I have had bet- 

 ter luck in wintering than the average, havingnever 

 lost more than half of my swarms, and I always win- 

 ter in a cellar containing a stove and thermometer, 

 with facilities for ventilation. I leave the upper 

 stories out of doors, and pile the hives 3 or 4 deep, 

 each of course on a bottom-board, close the front 

 entrance, and leave an opening in the honey-board 

 about ?8xll inches, and keep the temperature from 

 35 to 45°. F. N. Blackman. 



Tomah, Wis., Nov. 3, 1881. 

 You are right, friend B., in saying that all 

 honey does contain more or less pollen, as 

 you will see by looking back at Yol. 3, p. 121. 

 You will also see, in the record of my first 

 experiments with sugar feeding, that I win- 

 tered successfully colonies entirely on sugar, 

 and made quite a stir about their not spot- 

 ting the snow at all iu the spring. 



