1898. 



THE AMEHICAN BEE JOURNAl., 



679 



them. Moreover, there may be some honey in the combs 

 given with the second story, and it's a good thing for the bees 

 to have the honey. I think some put the second story above, 

 In which case it should not be given a day before actuaiiy 

 needed, as it costs something to lieep so much extra room 

 heated. When the extra story is given below, it puts no extra 

 labor upon the bees in the way of heating idle room, for heat 

 ascends, and the bees can work down iuto the lower story just 

 as fast as the room is needed. No perforated zinc is used be- 

 tween the two stories, for that would defeat the very thing de- 

 sired—the enlargement of the brood-nest. When it comes 

 time to put on supers, one story is taken away, leaving the 

 best eight frames of brood, no matter in which story they are 

 found. The frames taken away are used wherever they are 

 needed, and if not needed anywhere in particular, they are 

 piled up, three or four stories high, on some colony that is per- 

 haps not strong enough to do good work in supers. I think 

 some leave the two stories throughout the harvest time, but 

 for some reason I could never get as much honey by so doing. 

 When the section-supers are taken off, the second story is 

 placed on top, an excluder being placed between the two 

 stories. If there is a fall flow of dark honey, the bees are in 

 no danger of being crowded for room. When it gets so late in 

 the season that bees will gather no more than to supply their 

 daily needs, the extra story is taken away, so the bees can 

 glue up for winter. 



Cleanins tlie Solar Extractor Ola§s. 



The underside of the glass in my sun was extractor gets 

 covered with a waxy film, which obstructs the light and heat. 

 How can this film be removed ? California. 



Answer. — Try rubbing off with newspaper when the glass 

 is very hot. Gasoline may help if the paper alone doesn't 

 answer. 



Old, Black Brood-Combs. 



When the comb In the brood-chamber becomes old and 

 black, what should be done ? If it should be broken out, what 

 would be the best time of year ? Beginner. 



Answer. — Let it alone. If you give the bees their choice, 

 they will use old, black combs in preference to nice white 

 ones, either for brood or honey. The old combs have silk lin- 

 ings in the cells that make them warmer for winter. I know 

 the objection is sometimes made that the cells become filled 

 up with the silk cocoons and are thus made smaller, conse- 

 quently the bees reared in them will be smaller. But the de- 

 posit is largely at the bottom of the cell, and the bees lengthen 

 out the cells to make up for it. If you will measure, you will 

 find that a piece of old black comb taken right out of the mid- 

 dle of the brood-nest will be — if it is old enough — an eighth of 

 an inch thicker than a piece from the same place that has not 

 been used more than two or three times for rearing brood. So 

 of course those cells have been lengthened out. I have combs 

 more than 25 years old, and so long as they have no other 

 fault than age and black color, I wouldn't think of discarding 

 them. 



RULES MORTON. 



The subject of the following sketch was one of New York's 

 best bee-keepers. We had the pleasure of meeting him at the 

 Buffalo Convention of the United States Bee-Keepers' Union 

 In 1897. He past away Sept. 1 — last month. His brother- 

 in-law, Mr. S. A. Niver, has kindly furnisht the following 

 biographical notes : 



Miles Morton was boru in Groton, Tompkins Co., N. Y., 

 62 years ago, making it his home during his entire life time. 



which terminated Sept. 1, 1898. His education was obtained 

 at the "little red school house" and Groton Academy. 



At an early age he commenced work in his father's car- 

 riage manufactory as helper in the blacksmith shop, soon 

 graduating as an expert carriage-ironer, wood-worker and 

 painter. Upon reaching his majority he manufactured car- 

 riages in his own shop for a time, and then engaged in the 

 grocery busiuess in company with his brother-in-law, which 

 partnership continued eight years, when be sold out his in- 

 terest to enter the field of his pet hobby— the bees. For 20 

 years his careful, skillful labors was devoted to this his favor- 

 ite pursuit; experimenting with new methods In management 

 and supplies, without regard to cost or trouble, until his shop- 

 chamber Is a veritable " old curiosity shop ;" adding machinery 

 from time to time until his little supply factory is as nicely 

 equipt, and turned out as fine work, as could be found any- 

 where. It was headquarters for the bee-keepers to gather and 

 talk over the business generally ; and it was commonly remarkt 

 that when a bee-keeper got into a snarl— that condition of not 

 knowing what to do with 'em— it was the best thing to carry 

 his trouble to Morton, who invariably knew just what to do, 

 and was as certain to cheerfully give the advice. 



Speaking of his mania for experimenting, his brother 

 Harvey told me an incident in his earlier life as a bee-keeper. 

 In trying a new scheme for transferring a swarm from an old 

 box-hive to a movable-frame one. He put the box-hive In a 

 tub and slowly poured in water to drive the bees into the 

 frame hive above— and drowned every bee! 



In politics, Mr. Morton was a prohibitionist, was a mem- 

 ber of the Baptist church, a sterling, conscientious, honorable 

 American gentleman. And what prouder title could any one 

 wish for? . , ,, 



Naturally of a cheerful, sunny disposition, he drew all 

 classes and ages to him, and the beautiful simplicity and 

 earnestness of his life kept them as warm friends. His shop 

 was the favorite play-ground of the children, to whom he was 

 always "Uncle Miles"— the one person never too busy or too 

 weary to examine the wounded pet, or mend the broken toy 

 over which the childish heart was grieving. 



Possest of great depth and tenderness of feeling, he en- 

 tered into the joys and sorrows of other lives in an unusual 

 degree, and his home was ever the refuge for the suffering and 

 the tempted, a shelter and home for the homeless. 



Upon that home the shadow of his death rests most 

 heavily, and the party of his choice, the church that he loved, 

 the brotherhood of bee-keepers, and the community at large, 

 mourn the loss of that noblest work of God— a truly good man. 



S. A. NiVEB. 



The editor of Gleanings, who so kindly loaned us the half- 

 tone engraving of Mr. Morton on the first page, had this to 

 say of our friend when announcing his departure, in his 

 paper : 



Mr. Morton was one of the keenest, brightest bee-keepers 

 In New York. He was a fine mechanic of the Dr. Tinker 

 order ; and back of his beautiful home he had a nicely equipt 

 little shop where he loved to work, and make things for his 

 bee-keeping friends. He was a natural-born mechanic, as 

 could be easily seen from the exact workmanship and beauti- 

 ful finish of all he did ; and bee-keepers for miles around used 

 to go to Mr. Mortou for their supplies. 



I have traveled pretty well around that section of coun- 

 try, and everywhere Mr. Morton was spoken of in the highest 

 terms, not only as a successful bee-keeper, but as one who 

 made the best supplies in the world. 



Well, It was this same Morton who has been using fences 

 for the last 12 years, and in his quiet way has been supplying 

 his friends and neighbors, not only with fences, but with 

 everything else in the line of bee-keepers' supplies. 



Not having an extended personal acquaintance with Mr. 

 Mortou, we feel that we cannot add much to what Is exprest 

 in the foregoing. But we are certain, from the sincerely gen- 

 erous terms in which those who knew him best have spoken 

 of him, Mr. Morton will be greatly mist In every walk in life ; 

 the influence of his devoted and unselfish dally living will ex- 

 ist long in the memories of those who fortunately enjoyed a. 

 close personal acquaintance. 



Every Present Subscriber of the Bee Journal 

 should be an agent for it, and get all other bee-keepers possi- 

 ble to subscribe for it. 



