1905 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1027 



so that they will stand slanting instead of 

 standing parallel with the others; or if you 

 have a little wedge to crowd this frame 

 against the opposite end it will stay up 

 while you are at work on the others. A 

 clothespin will do if you have one handy. 



By the way, clothespins are the handiest 

 things to use as marks to warn you that 

 that hive wants looking after. Why use 

 brick when it is so much cheaper and easier 

 to take a few clothespins with you? To use 

 them you want to cut off one of the prongs 

 so it will drive into the edge of the cover 

 and stay up. If you paint them some bright 

 colors, say red, white, blue, black, or yel- 

 low, you can use them for different purposes. 

 For instance, a white one could be used for 

 the queen. You want to clip your queens. 

 Now, as fast as you find one, and have her 

 clipped, use a pin to note it; and if you don't 

 happen to find your queen, leave your pin off 

 and you will then know that that hive wants 

 looking at again. Different positions will 

 also help in indicating the condition of a 

 colony. 



Clothespins cost by the box about a cent 

 a dozen, so you see they are not very costly. 



Pomfret Landing, Conn. J. L. Hyde. 



[I have tried a clothespin in the manner 

 here shown and was indeed surprised to see 

 how firmly it imbeds itself in the cover. — 

 Ed.] 



honey-dew; home-made hives with 11 X 11- 

 inch FRAMES. 



The trees here have been almost dripping 

 with honey-dew several times, when a rain 

 came and washed the leaves clean. When 

 it stays on long enough the leaves have a 

 glossy appearance as though syrup had been 

 spilled on them. Some are white and frothy, 

 in which froth you can plainly see grains of 

 sugar. It is not confined to any tree. It 

 comes on the leaves of four different kinds 

 —oak, poplar, maple, and gum trees. 



Is a hive containing ten frames 11x11 

 inches in size too large to give best results 

 for 4X5 section honey? I average only 63 

 sections from those hives. It is one of my 

 own construction, and holds ten frames in 



the brood-chamber, single-walled, the sec- 

 tions being in a case that holds 21 4X5 sec- 

 tions, said case being slipped in from the 

 back of the hive. 



Would it be better to use eight-frame 

 hives, or make my frames smaller, say 9X11 

 inches? D. G. Morris. 



Lindsays, Va., July 10. 



[The honey-dew in question was doubtless 

 deposited by aphides. These insects will be 

 found on all trees, no matter what species. 



A hive containing ten frames 11X11 would 

 make a fair-sized brood-nest. Doolittle has 

 used practically such a brood-nest for many 

 years. His frames, however, are 11 J square; 

 but his verdict now is that a brood-nest of 

 that shape is not enough better than the 

 regular standard Langstroth brood-nest of 

 ten frames to warrant the expense of using 

 something outside of the ordinary standard. 

 If you change at all you had better by far 

 adopt the regular Langstroth frame, which 

 we believe to be the best size for the aver- 

 age beginner. — Ed.] 



A neighbor captures a swarm and 



CLAIMS it as his OWN. 



In May I purchased from your New York 

 house one colony of bees and complete out- 

 fit. Early this month I sent for another col- 

 ony, and with both I am delighted. But, to 

 come down to business, 'tis this: Late in 

 June my first colony cast a swarm. I had 

 watched patiently, and was on hand when 

 they left the hive. I lost track of them for 

 a few minutes, supposing they went toward 

 woods at the left, but found later they went 

 to the right, and were crossing the highway 

 when a neighbor, in passing, saw them, and, 

 reaching up with his hat, captured a bunch 

 (pint) including the queen, and took them 

 home. A few minutes later he returned to 

 the place where he saw the swarm, where I 

 had then gone, and on telling him that it 

 was my bees, and that I was looking for 

 them, answered that, if they were mine, 

 why didn't I catch them? He kept the bees. 



Now, the question is, "What is the law in 

 New Jersey governing swarms? Had I a 

 right to insist on this neighbor returning 

 mine? /felt, as a matter of principle, he 

 ought. If you can help me out by giving me 

 some light on this subject, I shall be very 

 grateful. 



Will you also give me the address of the 

 Bee-keepers' Association? I wish to become 

 a member. Gerothmann Morse. 



Athenia, N. J., July 24. 



[The common law which is operative in all 

 the States where there is no special legisla- 

 tion covering the case provides that a swarm 

 of bees is the property of the one who discov- 

 ers and captures it, providing the original 

 owner has lost sight of it, even though he 

 might have been in pursuit of the bees; so 

 that, legally, unless there is some special 

 law in your State (and I do not think there 

 is), covering the point, the bees belong to 

 your neighbor; but on moral grounds he 

 ought to surrender them to you. 



