136 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 1 



thrusting it home with practically one mo- 

 tion, while with a hammer the tack has to 

 lae picked up, started, and then pounded in. 



3. It can not pound your fingers, they be- 

 ing out of the way. 



4. It will last indefinitely, there being no 

 hammering done with it to destroy its mag- 

 netism. 



Like all other tools, one has to learn to 

 use it. Who would think of keeping bees 

 and getting along without a hammer? Still, 

 everyone can remember the jammed fingers 

 he got when a boy learning to use this same 

 tool. Robert H. Smith. 



Brasher Iron Works, N. Y. 



[The illustrations show a method of using 

 the tool differently from that described by 

 Mr. Smith. Mr. S. sent it on to me to test, 

 and on the first few trials it did not prove 

 to be satisfactory, because I picked up a 

 tack, then jammed the tool, tack and all, 

 with one blow into the wood. The result 

 was, the tack would topple over instead of 

 entering the wood. After some correspon- 

 dence with Mr. Smith I tried the tool again, 

 but this time I held the tool in my left hand, 

 after picking up the tack, then placed the 

 point of the tack with the tool where it 

 would enter the wood. One blow of the 

 right hand, while holding the tack and tool 

 in place with the left, would drive the tack 

 home. I gathered the impression this was 

 the way the tool was used, and instructed 

 our artist to make the drawing accordingly. 

 It works either way, and the reader can take 

 his choice. 



It is, perhaps, proper to state that in 

 almost any hardware store small magnetic 

 tack-hammers can be purchased which will 

 do the work of this tool very satisfactorily. 

 If the handle is too long, it can be cut off so 

 it can be used in places that are somewhat 

 cramped. 



It is the general practice nowadays not to 

 use nails to secure the no-drip cleats. Some 

 use glue or mucilage, and others use only 

 thick honey ; and, by the way, honey makes 

 a very good paste. A little honey daubed 

 on the back of the cleat will hold it securely 

 against the paper tray. Place it right, and 

 it will stay where it is put. 



The tool of Mr. Smith is a very simple 

 one. however, and may be found to be very 

 useful in some kinds of light nailing— more 

 handy, perhaps, than the magnetic tack- 

 hammer. In all of our light work where we 

 do not use nailing-machines, we use these 

 small magnetic hammers ; and any bee- 

 keeper or mechanic who has not familiar- 

 ized himself with their use, has certainly 

 got something to learn in the way of saving 

 time. 



I can see one distinctive advantage in 

 favor of the Smith tool, and that is for nail- 

 ing numbering-tag=i or wire cloth on a hive 

 containing a populous colony. It may be 

 handy, also, in securing wire cloth on queen-, 

 cages. It is not advisable to give the queen- 

 cage a heavy blow, especially if the queen 

 has been taken in the height of her egg- 

 laying from a strong colony.— Ed.] 



PICKLED BROOD; HOW HALTER GAVE THE 

 TREATMENT. 



In reference to note on page 1144 I would 

 say that, when I started treatment for pick- 

 led brood, I shook the bees with the old 

 queen into a clean hive with foundation start- 

 ers, placing the same on the old stand. The 

 frames and brood removed were placed in 

 hives by themselves some distance away, add- 

 ing in some instances a few frames with 

 brood (space allowing), from colonies which 

 showed the malady in a milder form. Being 

 queenless the spreading of disease was nat- 

 urally checked. Where the bees built queen- 

 cells I let them rear their own queen; in 

 others I placed ripe cells after expiration of 

 about ten days, thus giving the bees ample 

 time to make a thorough "house-cleaning 

 for the reception of the young queen, as 

 they seem to be more particular in cleaning 

 and repairing cells just before the young 

 queen begins to lay than at any other time, 

 led, perhaps, by instinct of reproduction. 



The "shook" swarms were treated later 

 by destroying the old queen and placing a 

 queen-cell in due time. All queens reared 

 were from stock in the apiary when pickled 

 brood appeard. 



Bees treated were mostly thoroughbred 

 Italians from different strains, but none were 

 immune to the malady. There were in the 

 neighborhood of fifty colonies which contain- 

 ed pickled brood during the past season, but 

 no indication of any disease after Aug. 20. 

 It was not necessary to give them all treat- 

 ment as described. A. J. Halter. 



Akron, O., Dec. 24. 



NONE AS SATISFACTORY AS THE HOFFMAN; 

 WHY THE V EDGE SHOULD BE RETAINED. 



I have tried several kinds of frames dur- 

 ing the last few years, and find none as satis- 

 factory as the Hoffman. The V-edge fea- 

 ture certainly should not be condemned be- 

 cause some nail them haphazard and they 

 fail to fit. With both edges square I think 

 the trouble with propolis would be greatly 

 increased. In theory they can be kept 

 crowded close together, and the points of 

 contact kept clean; but propolis will work in, 

 and the wide edges will not come together 

 even in hot weather. Of course, to experts 

 this looks useless; but fingers and thumbs 

 that are a trifle clumsy can be greatly help- 

 ed by applying a little honey to the working 

 parts before trying to catch a queen by the 

 wings. H. E. Crowther. 



North Kingsville, O., Jan. 10. 



HOFFMAN NOT LIKED. 



I have used quite a good many kinds of 

 framfes. I began with the Langstroth first, 

 and have tried the most of them on down. 

 I do not like the Hoffman very well. I can 

 not handle them as well as some others. I 

 like the Simplicity the best of any. I think 

 they are more easily handled than any others 

 I have tried. . F. K. Thompson. 



ChiUicothe, Mo., Jan. 6. 



