1905 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1087 



bicycles; bevel gear rather than chain 



WHEELS. 



Friend Root:— Just a line to say I'm some- 

 what surprised at your answer to Mr. Gary's 

 inquiry regarding a bicycle. I have used a 

 chainless for years, and would not even think 

 of going back to the old vexing chain wheel. 

 The chain is a tremendous annoyance, and 

 considerable danger— always an exceedingly 

 dirty, stretchy, and troublesome affair. The 

 chainless feature, so far as I know or have 

 heard of (except you), is perfection. Chain- 

 less wheels are very plentiful around here. 

 Two of my nieces have them, and are de- 

 lighted with them. Never, before reading 

 your answer, had I heard of the bevel gears 

 getting "out of alignment," but are always 

 exactly so— require no care, never fail or 

 wear out, and require lubricating but once 

 or twice a year. Every one I know using 

 the chainless is loud in its praise, and I have 

 never known one using it to go back to a 

 chain wheel. My nieces have Cleveland and 

 Tribune wheels. My first chainless was the 

 Crescent. My present one is a Tribune. Of 

 course, all have coaster brakes— an exceed- 

 ingly valuable feature. I have a hand brake 

 also— extra safety is a hobby of mine. I 

 have also a spring frame in my wheel, and 

 it is a very desirable feature. No one can 

 have any idea how much more comfortable 

 a spring frame is till he has used one. I am 

 58 years young, and have used many wheels 

 with much enjoyment and profit. I feel 

 very sorry for those who have none, 



A. T. Cook. 



Hyde Park, N. Y., Sept. 21. 



[In connection with our machine-shop we 

 had for years a bicycle-repair department; 

 and if you could see some of the bevel-gear 

 machines that have been brought to us for 

 repairs, and some of the same type that 

 have been thrown out on the scrap-heap 

 that were otherwise good except the driv- 

 ing mechanism, I think you would agree 

 with me in recommending chain wheels for 

 the average rider. We have some now on 

 hand that we will sell dirt cheap. You and 

 your family are probably careful riders. I 

 rode one bevel-gear model some three years 

 without a particle of trouble, and I could do 

 it again. For my own individual riding I 

 would prefer this type of machine; but, 

 mind you, when I sold my chainless to anoth- 

 er party it was not two months before he 

 had the thing all out of alignment. We re- 



F aired it repeatedly, but it did little good, 

 gave another chainless to my boy; but in 

 three months' time it went to the bad — not 

 because he abused it, but because other boys 

 would ride it occasionally. The chain 

 •wheels, for the average rider, stand the 

 hard knocks. While the chains themselves 

 stretch, and sprockets wear some, these 

 parts can be renewed at a very small cost. 

 -Ed.] 



bees in a church. 

 The Methodist church at Clarksville, Tex- 

 as, is a handsome pressed-brick edifice with 



two main entrances. One entrance is on 

 the south side, and is of the Gothic style. 

 On the right-hand side of the door there is 

 a crack in the facing, about one-fourth inch 

 wide. A swarm of bees found this place, 

 and took possession for a home. They have 

 been there for two years, and have been 

 known to sting but two persons, and they 

 were teasing them. In April they swarmed 

 three times in two weeks. Two of the 

 swarms were hived successfully. 

 Clarksville, Tex. Woodland Finney. 



WHEN the bees CAP OVER EMPTY CELLS. 



In reply to the article of Fred Wulf, page 

 777, I would say I have had the same expe- 

 rience many times during the extracting sea- 

 son, and it usually occurs about the close of 

 the flow, or sometimes during the flow, 

 when there is a cessation for a day or two 

 caused by a bad storm. Just why they do 

 this is uncertain, unless because of the ces- 

 sation, or from force of habit; it usually oc- 

 curs within 24 or 48 hours after returning 

 the combs to the hive after extracting, and 

 sometimes in 12 hours, but never when the 

 flow is normal. Elias Fox. 



Hillsboro, Wis., July 21. 



swarms going out with virgins. 



Referring to Doolittle's conversation, July 

 15, I will say that I have had several cases 

 of swarms coming out with virgin queens 

 when out to mate. Where a strong colony 

 loses the queen during the swarming season, 

 and starts queen- cells, and the same are all 

 removed but one cell, the bees are almost 

 sure to swarm when the young queen goes 

 out on her wedding-flight; but with me these 

 swarms always go back to the old hive, 

 even after being hived on a new location. 



New Milford, Pa. F. W. Dean. 



WHY THE BEES SWARMED. 



Referring to the report by Don Mills, page 

 727, I would say that I have tried Mr. M. 's 

 method, and found it so far satisfactory. 

 The trouble above, to my mind, is that Mr. 

 Mills' colony was prepared, or about so, to 

 swarm when he operated on them, and they 

 followed out their inclination. If he had 

 taken out all cells, and had his queen clip- 

 ped, or put on a queen-trap and left his hive 

 on top for nine or eleven days, then taken 

 it off with just enough bees left in it to care 

 for the brood, or left it stronger, as he 

 thought best, giving them a queen, or let 

 them hatch on, I think he would have found 

 it all right. Wm. Filmar. 



Loyal, W ., July 11. 



smoker fuel. 



I find old shingles make the very best 

 smoke wood. They readily take fire. When 

 well smoking, fill up with the ones not so 

 rotten as the ones you start the fire with. 

 They last as long as most smoker fuel. 



Roseville, 111. Mrs. L. C. Axtell. 



