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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mar. 15 



one foot long, with a tin eyelet (or button- 

 hole) that you put on to a button on your 

 right side, at a height that, when your hand 

 is hanging down, it is in position to take 

 either the hive-opener or bee-brush. You 

 never lose them if in this position. 



The advantage of the hive-opener is, it is 

 always with you; and when you are at work 

 opening hives, one finger is slipped through 

 the large opening and kept in this position 

 while at work. It has a sharp edge to pry 

 open the hives; has a little nail-puller, 

 should you loosen the bottom-bar, and a lit- 



tle hammer to drive the nail in, always 

 ready, and in your hand. Should you desire 

 not to have it in your hand, it is suspended 

 by a chain, ready for use at any time. 



The bee-brush is equally handy, being 

 suspended by a chain. It is a double brush. 

 One can brush the bees from both sides of 

 the frames at the same time. The frames, 

 being free from bees, are at once removed 

 and placed out of reach of the bees before 

 they know it. If you want to brush only 



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F|-RI=»Y S I3I£.C BRUSH 



one side of the frame of bees, spread the 

 brush a little, so that it will not touch both 

 sides. But I seldom require this, as I want 

 both sides free from bees. H. S. Ferry. 

 Mt. Vernon, N. Y., Feb. 15. 



[Mr. Ferry has sent us a sample of both 

 the tools here shown. I have had only a 

 very limited opportunity to test the hive- 

 tool in opening up some colonies outdoors to 

 determine their condition; but so far I am in- 

 clined to think favorably of it. The scheme 

 of attaching the tool to the person by means 

 of a chain having an eyelet in one end to 

 hook over the vest or pants button is ex- 

 cellent. The eyelet can be very quickly un- 

 hooked, and as quickly replaced. The ring 

 in the end of the tool for the insertion of 

 a finger makes it possible for one to have 

 the tool attached to his hand, and yet at the 

 same time use the whole hand in doing hive 

 work. This ring may also be used in remov- 

 ing super-springs. 



The only objection to the implement is 

 that it can not be used as a screwdriver, 

 and really I do not know that this is essen- 

 tial. The little hammer-head and tack-claw 

 I consider much more serviceable. 



The tool proper is just four inches long, 

 and it may be carried in the pocket like an 

 ordinary jack-knife, hence always with the 

 apiarist. A hive-tool, to be ever ready, 



ought to be of such size that it will not be 

 bulky in the pocket. Indeed, I expect this 

 coming summer to carry such a tool with me, 

 along with a thin bee- veil, either of which I 

 can put into service when I happen to be in the 

 bee-yard unexpectedly. If I could have a 

 sort of collapsible bee- smoker that I could 

 put in my pocket— cigars might do, but I 

 don't smoke— I should consider myself com- 

 pletely equipped. 



Actual experience with this hive-tool this 

 summer may show some defects in con- 

 struction; but I am satisfied of this: That 

 one form of hive-opener and frame-pry will 

 not suit everybody. Indeed, I submitted 

 two of these models to friends of mine, and 

 they do not think much of it, as they consider 

 it the wrong shape, and not as good as some 

 others that have been presented. It is the 

 old, old question again that the shoemaker 

 has to meet. Some of his customers will 

 have buttoned shoes and others laced ones, 

 and still others will have only boots. 



I have had no opportunity to try the bee- 

 brush; but I did test, some two years ago, 

 one embodying somewhat the same principle 

 —namely, a double brush, devised by Mr. 

 John Hammond, of Buena Vista, Ohio. A 

 report and illustration of this are given on 

 page 476, June 1, lyOl. But this brush would 

 not, I imagine, be nearly as serviceable nor 

 handy as the Ferry implement with its ad- 

 justable jaws, so to speak. The Hammond 

 brush has bristles mounted on two fixed 

 parallel standards, while the Ferry has those 

 same standards adjustable to fit inequalities 

 in the comb, thick and thin ones; and, what 

 is of considerable importance, it allows the 

 operator to close the jaws or bristle edges 

 over the comb; then when the bristles are 

 in contact with the surface, one can give 

 one quick sweep downward. A relaxation of 

 the tension allows the jaws to spread again, 

 to come in contact at the top of the comb, 

 when another sweep on both sides can be 

 given, disengaging every bee. I believe the 

 principle is all right; but, like every new 

 thing, it may require some modification of 

 form.— Ed.] 



DR. miller's advice TO A YOUNG MAN 

 ABOUT TO START IN BEE-KEEPING. 



Howard Berkley, Berkley, Pa., is a farm- 

 er boy 15 years old, with two colonies of 

 bees. Root's ABC and Langstroth, and a 

 location having basswood, clover, fruit- 

 bloom, fall flowers, etc., with few bees in 

 the surrounding country. He wants me to 

 say in Gleanings what hive I would advise, 

 and whether it is advisable for him to go ex- 

 tensively into bees. 



If you think of producing extracted honey, 

 don't have any thing less than a ten-frame 

 Langstroth or Dovetailed hive; the same al- 

 so for comb honey, unless you expect to give 

 your bees the closest attention, in which 

 case the eight-frame Dovetailed may do as 

 well or better. You have all the pasture 

 needed to make a fine success, the chief 

 question being whether Howard Berkley is 

 the right chap to make a successful bee- 



