604 



GLEAiflNGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 



In raising a queen for each colony of my little apia- 

 ry of 12 colonies. All of said queens were beauties, 

 and although there were no drones in the neighbor- 

 hood, as far as I know, except hybrids and blacks, 

 every one seemed to be purely fertilized. In fact, I 

 could tell no difference between theirs and the work- 

 er progeny of the old queen. This spring I conclud- 

 ed, as my queens were all so pure and good, to let 

 each colony that swarmed raise its own queen. 1 

 had but six swarms, and all the new queens looked 

 nice, and I thought, as there were so many fine 

 drones flying, -they would all be purely mated; but 

 imagine my surprise when the workers of all of 

 them except one turned out to be hybridal The 

 above facts incline mc to believe in the theory of 

 the "extra pure" queens spoken of by friends 

 Hutchinson and Doolittle. W. L. French. 



Martinsburg, Mo., Oct. 15, 1881. 



BEE-STlNGS AND RHEUMATISM, AGAIN. 



As there has been considerable said in Gleanings 

 in regard to bee-stings for rheumatism, I thought I 

 would tell you of a case I met a short time since. 

 About a month since, a neighbor, living about 6 

 miles in the country, called on me to go out and ex- 

 amine a colony of blacks that he thought the moth 

 were troubling. While there the lady told me that 

 bee-stings had cured her of rheumatism. She said 

 that she had for a long time been so troubled with it 

 in her thigh and hip that it was difficult for her to 

 walk across the house. Last summer she and her 

 sister undertook to transfer a swarm of bees from 

 an old gum, and not being acquainted with that kind 

 of business, nev^er having seen the operation per- 

 formed, they got terribly stung before they got 

 through. She was so badly stung that it made her 

 quite sick; but since that time she has not been 

 bothered with rheumatism. By the way, they lost 

 their swarm of bees; also the one that I went to ex- 

 amine was entirely eaten out by the moth. 



J. K. Snyder. 



Tiffin, Johnson Co., Iowa, Nov. T, 1881. 



INTRODUCING ; A PLAN BY WHICH YOU NEED NOT 

 HUNT FOR THE OLD QUEEN. 



The imported queen you sent me in July arrived 

 in splendid condition; only one of the bees accom- 

 panying her was dead. I introduced her safely into 

 a swarm of blacks, and now have a tine swarm of 

 Italians. My way of introducing was to take two 

 swarms of bees, nearly ready to swarm. Opened 

 No. 1; took five frames, heaviest with brood; 

 brushed all the bees from them; put frames of 

 brood into an empty hive, with queen caged on one 

 of the combs; removed swarm No. 3 a rod or so from 

 its old stand, when the bees were flying briskly; piit 

 the cage containing queen and brood in the place 

 from whence I removed No. 2; thereafter I followed 

 directions as on the cage. The way I have described, 

 saves hunting for a queen. I have 29 black swarms, 

 one Italian. The honey season has been very poor. 



Jas. W. Hooper. 



Wolfboro, New Hampshire, Nov. 8, ISSl. 



A good REPORT FROM THE RUBBER PLATES FINALLY'- 



Our bee season is now over, and I will arise and 

 report. Last spring, J. E. Walcher and I joined our 

 forces, and when we get our bees together we have 

 117 in pretty good condition. He wintered in cellar, 

 and got all through, and I wintered on summer 

 stands with surplus tops on, and some with just a 



thin cloth over them. I lost nearly 25 per cent; but 

 what survived did well — I think fully as well as W.'b 

 did, although he did not use so much honej'. We in- 

 creased this summer to 160 colonies, and have ex- 

 tracted nearly 5000 lbs. of honey, mostly from white 

 clover. Owing to the drought we got but very little 

 fall honey; still, they are 4n good wintering condi- 

 tion. 



The $15.00 rubber plates we got of you worked like 

 a charm after we got the hang of it. The sheets 

 were too thick for most persons; but we did not 

 complain, as we had plenty of wax, and the bees 

 would extend it to nearly two-thirds of the full 

 length of cells. I suppose you will have the same 

 kind, or something better, in the spring. I am rauch 

 in favor of having the foundation fresh when you 

 want to use it. 



We have had several very poor honey seasons 



here; but we find failures in almost every line of 



business, and we hope to have a change here for the 



better next season. I have not given up my theory 



I of going to the honey when it will not come to me. 



Hillsboro, 111., Nov. 8, 1881. I. H. Shimes. 



We have already improved the rubber- 

 plate machines, friend 8., and can now 

 make sheets full size, 5 square feet to the 

 pound, without trouble. We will furnish 

 complete outfits, with printed instructions, 

 for $I5.0U ; if they don't please they can be 

 returned, purchaser payinj? expenses both 

 ways. 



friend good's REPORT FOR 1881. 



Spring opened late and found my bees in a de- 

 plorable condition— my nearly two hundred col- 

 onies being reduced down to 15 or 18 fair colonies, 

 and 38 or 40 nuclei. After buying a few colonies I 

 started in the spring with 20 colonies and 40 nuclei. 

 As I made queen-rearing a specialty, I did not get as 

 much honey as might have been obtained if honey 

 alone had been the object. 



I raised and sold 437 queens, nearly all dollar ones, 

 and have sold 28 lbs. of bees; 6 nuclei, 2 and 3 frame; 

 5 full colonies; have taken comb honey, 1150 lbs.; 

 extracted, 12t lbs.; part of the honey sold at 18c.; 

 have now 147 colonies of bees in good condition for 

 winter. When my honey is all sold I shall have just 

 about $700.00 for what I have sold out of my apiary. 

 How many of you have done better with the same 

 amount of bees? 



I wish to thank the many kind friends who have 

 sent mo their orders for queens. If there is one 

 among you who is not satisfied, let mc know, and I 

 will try to satisfy you. 1 tell you, it does me good to 

 receive such kind letters as many of you bee-keep- 

 ers write. I. K. GOOD. 



Nappanee, lud., Nov. 9, 1881. 



our OF print (?) 

 Some three or four weeks ago I ordered a paper- 

 bound ABC from our news-dealer. He sent to the 

 American News Company, New Tork city, but they 

 say that the book is out of print, and it can not be 

 obtained. Is that so? If so, why do you advertise it? 



£. Vincent. 

 Bethel, Falraeld Co., Conn.. Nov. 8, 1881. 



I fear the American News Co. are allowing 

 some lazy clerk to injure their business by 

 such statements. The A 13 C is not out of 

 print, nor can it well be so long as tbe whole 

 book, every word and letter of it, is standing 

 in type. Neither can it Avell be out of date, 



