1070 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Aug. 15 



and I would ret'oiiiiuend it to any and all, in 

 any and every place where it fan be used. 



in this change of hives andJ)ottom-boards, 

 any that are light in stores are (juickly de- 

 tected: and if any such are found, they are 

 so marked as I go along. I do not timl any 

 of these light colonies oftener than oni-e in 

 three or four years: and when I do, all that 

 is necessary is to open the hive and take out 

 one, two. thi'ee, or four of their nearest emp- 

 ty combs, and give them as many heavy ones 

 from the reserve pile. In giving heavy 

 combs of sealed honey at this time of the 

 year I think it Iwtter to alternate them with 

 the light ones which the colony has, where 

 moi'e than one are given, as I consider such 

 alternation more in harmony with good 

 wintering. 



Having the bottom-l)oards all turned, anil 

 knowing that all colonies have plenty of 

 stores, I next fasten all the bottom-boartls to 

 the hive by driving a crate-staple on either 

 side, with one point going into the hive and 

 the other into the l:)ottom- board, as near the 

 center as is convenient with rapid working. 

 Some seem to think that it is better to use 

 one of these staples at each corner, and this 

 may be so where hives are to be hauled from 

 the' out-apiary home for wintering, ami ))ack 

 again in the spring: Imt for carrying to the 

 cellar, and setting out again, the carrying 

 l)eing done by two men and a rope, the two 

 crate-staples are amply sufficient. In driv- 

 ing these staples I find that a hand-ax, or 

 something having a ilriving-face sx;fficiently 

 large to cover the whole staple at each l)low, 

 thus driving both points at the same time, is 

 much better than an orilinary hammer that 

 drives only one point at each blow. 



With the driving of the last staple the work 

 done at the eleventh visit is accomplished, 

 as well as that for the year, except setting 

 the bees in the cellar. As the day still con- 

 tinues tine, we take another rounda])out roatl 

 for oiir ritle home, where we arrive in due 

 time, feeling that the day has been very 

 protitaljly spent, even though we have con- 

 sumed the most of it on the road. 



\rMdM PIFFEMENT FIELBS 



A NUKSEHY AND INTKODUCING-CAGE CO.M- 

 BINED. 



I am mailing you a sample nursery and in- 

 troducing-cage for Swarthmore Hanged cell 

 cups. At one end one of the cups should he 

 bored clear through for candy to introduce 

 by the candy plan. For a nui'sery it is much 

 better and 'more natural to fill the waxed 

 hole in the cell-cup with thin honey. The 



Avire cloth should l)e folded at top and bot- 

 tom, and where nailed to the wood. This is 

 1)etter than the round Stanley cage because 

 it will not ?'oU if laid down, and the cages 

 can be placed in actual contact in the hold- 

 ing-frame. As a nui'sery, 54 of these cages 

 will stand in an open -top hokling- frame 

 with three rows of cages, eai-h resting on a 

 i-inch-thick bar. By turning cages the oth- 

 er way in the frame (wood backs all to one 

 side of the frame), 57 cages go in one frame. 

 This saves hantlling and storage room. Or 

 19 will go in a Swarthmoi-e cage-pocket (of 

 the Swarthm(jre cage only 13 go in the same 

 space), or 36 to 38 in a doul)le-depth Swarth- 

 more cage-pocket (see ••Cell Getting." by 

 Pratt). A nursery of the same type is also 

 adapted to your style of wood cell cups. 

 Simply have a ledge \ inch from each end of 

 the wood back. thi;s. 



These ledges prevent the cell cups from 

 going in too far. In any nursery the queen- 

 cells should be removed soon after the queens 

 emerge, and blank cups substituted, or many 

 queens will enter the queen-cell and try to 

 gnaw out through the wood base. Strange 

 to say, they will stay there until they die, 

 instead of backing out. 



I wish you would make these cages to sell. 

 They will be far simpler and cheaper than 

 the Titoff cages, and not half so bulky. 



Meridian, Llaho. E. F. Atwatek. 



[Your queen-cell and queen-cage is admi- 

 ral)ly adapted for use with the Pratt tlange 

 wo(jden (}ueen-cups. It would be cheaper 

 than the Titott" cage: and it is my opinion it 

 would ))e more convenient, and better for 

 all-around introducing. We will have some 

 made and try them. — Ed.] 



building up small spring colonie.s; 



Alexander's plan a success: the 



importance of follow'ing 



instructions. 



Why can not a Ijeginner (or perhaps I shoukl 

 say an experienced man) do as he is advis- 

 ed? Why try your own tricks with anoth- 

 er's deck of cards V You generally make a 

 failure, and blame the cards. This spring I 

 found I had two weak colonies, and one 

 with enough })ees to cover the surface be- 

 tween two Hotfman frames with a patch of 

 brood about two im^hes square. I received 

 Gleanings for March 15, and saw Alexan- 

 der's method of tiering up weak colonies. 1 

 thought it looked good, so I tried it. I 



