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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 1 



frame again, practically the same as it came 

 from the hands of that grand old man, the 

 Rev. L. L. Langstroth. 

 Inglewood, Ont., Can., Oct. 12. 



[No doubt you will be surprised when I 

 tell you that I do not very greatly disagree 

 with you when we take into consideration 

 the matter of locality. What I have said 

 in favor of the Hoffman frame has been 

 based on the average locality and the aver- 

 age beginner or farmer class. You and the 

 other fellows who are opposed to the Hoff- 

 man frame apparently think that the pro- 

 polis question is the same in every place on 

 this continent. I do not believe I am boast- 

 ing when I say I have seen the conditions as 

 they actually exist in more localities than 

 any other bee-keeper in the United States; 

 and when I favored the Hoffman frame in 

 my recent editorial footnotes it was after a 

 careful inquiry and study into this one ques- 

 tion of propolis, and the tendency of the av- 

 erage beginner and farmer class to space 

 their loose hanging frames all wrong. Now, 

 friend M., do not lose sight of the word av- 

 erage, and then I think we shall be able to 

 understand each other. I have never in- 

 sisted that the Hoffman frame was the ne 

 plus ultra for all localities for all bee-keep- 

 ers. There are plenty of editorial footnotes 

 to bear me out in this assertion as well 

 as the general statement under Hoffman 

 frames in our catalog. For example, refer 

 to the write ups of my visits to Dr. Miller's 

 home. When I saw the propolis that was 

 gathered in his yard, and stuck all over ev- 

 ery thing, I freely acknowledged that a 

 nail-spaced or a metal-spaced frame was 

 better for such a locality than one having 

 wooden projections like the Hoffman. I 

 strongly suspect that your locality is very 

 much like that of the doctor's, because you 

 speak of the wooden projections breaking 

 off so constantly. While this has happened 

 at our own yard the instances of it are com- 

 paratively rare. The only wonder with me 

 is that you continued to use the Hoffman 

 frame as long as you did. 



Now, then, to get doWYi to the kernel of 

 the criticism, if the Hoffman frame is un- 

 suited to a few localities, shall we condemn 

 it for localities where the conditions are far 

 more favorable ? If I honestly believe it is 

 the best frame, then the only thing for me 

 to do is to be consistent with my convic- 

 tions. If any one can get up a self-spacing 

 frame that removes entirely the objections 

 to the metal spacers and wooden spacers, a 

 frame that is really practicable for all lo- 

 calities, I strongly urge such person to get 

 his idea patented, and the Root Co. will pay 

 him a fair royalty for the use of the inven- 

 tion. I am frank to say that we are looking 

 for a frame that will suit everybody every- 

 where; but I am equally frank when I say 

 that I do not think we shall ever find it. 

 Conditions in various localities in the Unit- 

 ed States vary so much that what is just 

 right for one may be all wrong for another. 

 This is very clearly shown to the Eastern 



farmer when he goes west and tries to farm 

 or ranch it as he did down east. As a mat- 

 ter of fact he has to have slightly different 

 tools, and use entirely different methods. 

 The stump-puller is almost a necessity in 

 some localities, but utterly useless in a 

 prairie country. While the conditions sur- 

 rounding Western bee-keeping are not so 

 greatly different from those surrounding the 

 business in the East, yet there is enough 

 difference, often, to require a different hive 

 and sometimes a different frame. — Ed.] 



UNRIPE HONEY; OUTDOOR FEEDERS. 



Extract Thin Unripe Honey before Uncapping 

 that which is Ripe. 



BY HARRY LATHROP. 



I have been pleased to observe how 

 Gleanings has advocated the thorough 

 ripening of extracted honey; but not all has 

 been said that might be as to methods of se- 

 curing the desired results. Not many bee- 

 keepers have enough store combs to allow 

 tiering up until the whole crop is in and had 

 time to ripen. In my experience I have 

 been able to dispose of considerable amber 

 honey each year at prices very nearly as 

 high as that obtained for the best white. I 

 am careful to have it well ripened, and find 

 many people who prefer those stronger fla- 

 vors. 



Perhaps some who follow the general rule, 

 that the combs should be two-thirds sealed Jk 

 before extracting, do not realize to what ex- I 

 tent good honey can sometimes be injured 

 by the mixing-in of green nectar that is 

 found in combs sealed as above. ■ 



At one time this summer I had a good m 

 many hives that I wished to extract. The ■ 

 combs were thick and heavy, and fully two- 

 thirds sealed; but along the lower edges 

 were many open cells containing thin unripe 

 honey. We waited several days; but as the 

 conditions did not seem to improve, I had 

 my man run those combs through the f x- 

 tractor before uncapping, taking care to 

 turn slowly so as to avoid breaking them. 

 Rapid turning is not necessary to throw out 

 the thin honey in the open cells. The combs, 

 after being run through once, were then un- 

 capped and the ripe honey was extracted. 

 That honey pleases every one, regardless of 

 the fact that it is several shades off from 

 white by the admixture of honey from vari- 

 ous sources, other than white clover, which 

 formed the body. 



We had several cans of the green stuff, 

 which had a disagreeable taste and was not 

 much thicker than water. I thought of 

 feeding it back, but decided to have it cook- 

 ed on the stove. This was done, with the 

 result that we got a splendid syrup. It is 

 rather dark, but has a very thick smooth 

 body, and sells readily for what it is — honey 

 syrup. 



I never heard of this plan before, so I 

 thought it would be well to report it. Every 



