J898. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOLRNAL 



547 



necessary to protect them from disturbing influences tlian 

 tluriusj winter. This maiter may be tested by placing under 

 observation two colonies as nearly equal as possible on Oct. 1. 

 No. 1 being iu a single-walled hive, and the frames covered 

 with a single thickness of calico or ticking : while No. li is 

 placed in a double- walled hive and covered with an abundance 

 (if woollen wraps or chaff cushions, in addition to the first 

 quilt of calico or ticking. Presuming both colonies to be alive 

 on Feb. 1, the following year, a great difference in their con- 

 dition will then be perceptible. No. 1. which has been scantily 

 protected from low winter temperature, will show stores 

 greatly diniinisht. which, if the bees are owned by a careless 

 bee-kee|)er, might cause the loss of the colony altogether later 

 on when breeding is in progress. No. 2, on the contrary, 

 owing to the protection of the brood-nest, would be little dis- 

 turbed by weather, and consequently the bulk of the food 

 stored the previous autumn would remain for use in brood- 

 rearing. Under ordinary circumstances the bees of a colony 

 in a normal condition are said by an eminent authority to con- 

 sume only about 1 }4 ounces of food per day during their 

 period of inactivity. 



The necessity, therefore, for conserving the heat in the 

 brood-chamoer is evident: and the importance of double- 

 walls and coverings of non-conductive materials is recognized. 

 But as a preliminary to packing the bees up snugly for their 

 winter rest, the size of the brood-nest should be limited to the 

 size of the cluster ; for instance, if there are only bees to 

 cover six frames in September, it is folly to allow them nine 

 or ten, or even more. It is seldom that more than seven or 

 eight frames are necessary for an ordinary colony, and tlie 

 removal of superfluous frames should be the first step to suc- 

 cessful wintering, so that the space in which cold air can cir- 

 culate may be reduced as much as possible, with a view to 

 lessening the activity of the bees, and the consequent con- 

 sumption of stores. It is from all points of view better to 

 unite two or more weak colonies in the autumn than to allow 

 each to stand and take its chance with or without a lot of 

 coddling, unless it is to preserve valuable queens. 



The first quilt should be of ticking, fecause it is a stout 

 substance not easily bitten through by the bees. Upon the 

 first quilt two or three pieces of felt or carpet must next be 

 placed ; and then, to make doubly sure, a chaff cushion might 

 be added. 



Any colony prepared according to the directions here 

 given will, as a rule, pass satisfactorily thrcfugh the winter 

 and be in an encouraging condition when taken in hand the 

 following season. (the end.) 



Wax-Spoon for Fasteaiag Foundation, Etc. 



BY DB. C. C. MILLER. 



Some time ago I received a letter containing a spoon used 

 for putting foundation in sections and frames. Before reply- 

 ing to It I waited until I had given it a fair trial, not that I 

 think I can afford to try every new thing that appears, but 

 this spoon — if an almost Hat piece of tin can be called a 

 spoon — lookt rather promising. It is a very simple affair. A 

 piece of tin 6 or 8 inches long and an inch or more wide has 

 one end cut off at an angle of 45-, and commencing perhaps 

 % inch from the point each side has a little curve cut out, 

 making it look just a little after the shape of a steel pen. It 

 Is folded or bent a little for holding the wax. But let roe give 

 the letter : 



Mt Dear Dr. Miller : — I have read your valuable sugges- 

 tions now Qiore than three years with much profit. I now feel 

 that a small return should be made, and I enclose you a wax spoon 

 for fastening foundation in sections. Some time ago my plan of 

 putting in foundation was illustrated in the American Bee Jour- 

 nal. You suggested at that time that too much wax might be 

 used in attaching; the enclosed spoon will hold enough melted 

 wax (which must be quite liquid) for two sections. With skillful 

 manipulations 200 an hour can be filled with top and bottom pieces 

 — never a top piece drops down or bottom (■'„) one curls down. 



Really you must excuse me, but I have been much concerned 

 about you as twice I have seen you advise neophytes (when they 

 askt how to fasten foundation) to take fragments of wax and 

 make a candle with a piece o£ cord (how mussy that must be), and 

 so make bold to send you my device. To complete the equipment 

 a small oil or alcohol lamp and a -1 inch tin pan in which to melt 

 the wax. are necessary. One pound will do two or three thousand 

 sections and brood-frames for 20 hives. My top-bars have ',.,-inch 

 saw-kerf instead of 5-16 I see you recommend in one of your arti- 

 cles. Why 5-10 ? 



Can't we do something for Editor York ? His reform spelling 

 will surely ruin the " Old Reliable." After reading the American 

 Bee Journal I am all " masht" up when reading other papers. I 

 have not " learnt " (Webster learned) to tolerate it, and will be 

 obliged to give up the paper with all your valuable pointers. Can't 



you prevail on him to give up attempting to reform the language 

 orthography ? 



This has been a bad month tor bees ; my colonies, which were 

 booming, are now dying off rapidly, and the first white clover 

 blooms in sight. Fraternally yours, 



Passaic Co., N. J., May '27. B. F. On'derdonk. 



The first opportunity I had of trying the spoon was when 

 putting foundation in a lot of brood-frames. I had used for 

 the same purpose a spoon, and also a tin cup with a specially 

 constructed spout, and latterly a wax candle. I may say to 

 you, Mr. Onderdonk, that you can't always tell till you try a 

 thing just how it will work. I couldn't be sure just how your 

 spoon would work, just by looking at it, and althoyou say of 

 the candle, " How mussy that must be," if you were expert at 

 using it you would not find it very mussy. I think it was 

 rather less so than either of the plans I had previously used. 

 Only one drop falls at a time, the temperature is always just 

 at the right point, but unless you are careful the one drop 

 may not fall just in the right place. It has the advantage 

 that it takes little time to get ready. Simply light your can- 

 dle, and it's ready for work, and if there's only a short job to 

 do, I'll be all through with the candle while you're heating the 

 wax for the spoon. 



I bad some 200 brood-frames in which to fasten founda- 

 tion, and I thought I would be polite to the stranger — the new- 

 fangled spoon — by giving it the first chance. I found that 

 sharp point would enter an angle nicely, it could beheld much 

 closer in the angle than an ordinary spoon, giving a chance to 

 send it to the right place every time. Indeed, it workt so well 

 that I went right over to the enemy and finlsht up the whole 

 lot without lighting the candle. I doubt if ever I shall use a 

 candle again. The Onderdonk spoon ought to be on the list 

 of bee-keepers' supplies. 



As to using it for fastening foundation in sections, that's 

 another thing. If you should put in a few thousand starters 

 with the Daisy foundation fastener, I doubt if you would go 

 back to the spoon. Aside from anything else, the spoon plan 

 is more expensive. A lamp is burning in either case, so the 

 expense is alike in that respect. A Daisy fastener will last 

 long enough so that a cent a thousand sections for cost of 

 machine will be an extravagant estimate. To offset that you 

 have about 10 cents a thousand for wax with the spoon plan. 

 But if melted wax is to be used at all, the Onderdonk spoon 

 will be a great help. 



AGAIN THE REFOR.M IN SPELLING. 



With regard to reforming Editor York in the matter of 

 spelling, I'm afraid you're going at it in the wrong way. It's 

 only a very mild form of insanity at most, but don't you know 

 that you only make such cases worse by threatening pecuniary 

 loss ? Once get it Into the head of a fanatic of that sort that 

 he is suffering loss for what he believes is right, he at once 

 feels the thrill of a martyr for the truth, and the case is hope- 

 less. I, too, should be sorry to witness the ruin of the "Old 

 Reliable," but he will glory in it and take a pride in telling 

 how much smaller is his subscription list now than when he 

 began the spelling reform.* 



After all, I doubt whether there will be any very large 

 number whose prejudices are so strong that they will forego 

 the knowled(?e they can gain for the sake of a little matter of 

 looks. If you and I met a man who was well Informed in some 

 particular of bee-culture, we wouldn't refuse to listen to him 

 because one word in 50 was mispronounced. And if we could 

 get him to write to us, I think we would hardly refuse to read 

 his letter because he told how he "workt" his bees instead of 

 how he " worked " them. I doubt whether there cau be found 

 a large number of bee-keepers so given up to blind prejudice 

 that they would seriously object to having one word in a thou- 

 sand spelled as it sounds rather than as they have been accus- 

 tomed to see it. 



If you and I object to changing a spelling to which we 

 are accustomed, then some older man will object to some 

 earlier change, and if the rule works in one case it ought to 

 in another, resulting finally in going back to an old spelling 

 that would land you and me where we couldn't read a sentence 

 of the English language. 



We may as well give up to the inevitable. It's only a 

 question of time when " workt " Instead of " worked " will be 

 used by all. It Is reasonable to suppose It will be so, from the 

 history of the past. I don't recall a single change in the way 

 of Improved spelling tut has become permanent. Only a short 

 time ago a few began to write "program" instead of "pro- 

 gramme," but gradually all are falling Into line with the new 

 spelling. Many now living remember when honour, labour, 

 Atlantick and Paclflck appeared In the spelling here given. 

 Of course there were those who opposed any change in the 

 spelling, Just as there are some who object now to putting 

 " t" in place of " ed ■' when the spoken sound Is " t." But It 



