Jan. 19, 1899. 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL, 



39 



around them the bottom-bar will fit nicely into the bent wire. 

 Now start to bend your wire by bending it around the first 

 nail in the first row, then around not one nail but around 

 the pair of nails in the second row, then around another nail 

 in the first row, then around another pair in the second row, 

 and so on. That makes your spacing-wire complete, but 

 you can't get it off the board. You may draw the nails, or 

 you may burn up the board. Neither way is as good as the 

 plan of Mr. Dadant. Instead of having the rows of nails in 

 the same board, he has them in two boards, the two boards 

 being lield apart by a piece at each end perhaps '^-inch in 

 thickness. When the wire is properly bent, these pieces at 

 the ends are drawn out, and the wire is easily removed. It 

 is only fair to saj' that many bee-keepers nowadays prefer 

 that the spacing shall all be independent of the hive and 

 only connected with the frame. Mr. Raymond likes the 

 plan of spacing he has described, and says : " I believe 

 this method has several advantages over the staple or nail 

 methods of spacing." Others think just the reverse. I had 

 years ago hives with practically the same spacing he de- 

 scribes, and very much prefer spacing with nails or staples 

 as I have described on page 791 (1891.) But every one has a 

 right to his own preference. 



Sections with and Without Separators 

 the Honey Crop. 



Questions on 



1. Do you prefer using sections IJ^ wide, with separa- 

 tors ? Or could you do about as well by using sections 7-to- 

 the-foot without separators ? 



2. Did you ever harvest a good crop of honey from white 

 clover the season following a dry freeze-up ? Or did you 

 ever know of anj' one that did, where irrig'ation was used ? 



3. Did you ever fail to secure a crop from white clover 

 the season following a wet freeze-up ? That is, the ground 

 wet two feet or so before it froze ? Iowa. 



Answers. — 1. I can't do as well with either without as 

 with separators. Some report that they can get along very 

 well without separators, having verj' few sections that will 

 not pack well in a shipping-case. It is likely that localities 

 and seasons may make a difi^erence. If honej' comes in a 

 flood from the time bees commence in a super till the sec- 

 tions are sealed, and if the colony is strong', separators are 

 not so necessary. Bvit if you think I'/s are all right when 

 .separators are used, 3'ou should not think of using' sections 

 as wide as 7-to-the-foot ; 1^^ without separators will give 

 you combs of the same thickness as 1% with separators. If 

 I thought of doing' without separators, I'm not sure but I 

 would use 152 -inch sections. 



2 and 3. I've never kept track close enough to be able.to 

 answer. I'll be glad to yield the floor to any one who will 

 answer. The questions are very suggestive. 

 < ■ » 



Cutting Out Drone-Comb Cleansing Flight- 

 Sowing Alfalfa. 



My apiary consists of 104 colonies, in double-walled 

 Ouinby hives. 



1. How early in the spring should drone-comb be cut out 

 of frames ? 



2. (a) In the spring should weak colonies be given frames 

 of honey and brood from the strong ones ? (b) If so, how 

 early may it be done ? 



3. My bees came out yesterday (Dec. 29), as it was warm, 

 and they covered the windows with spots which I had to 

 wash off, and found it a rather hard job. Have my bees 

 the dysentery ? 



4. My father has about a quarter of an acre of land in 

 which he said I could plant Alfalfa next spring if I wanted 

 to try it. Would you advise me to do so ? 



Southern Ihinois. 



Answers. — 1. In time of fruit-bloom, or any time earlier 

 on a day warm enough for bees to fly freely. But remem- 

 ber that if you cut out drone-comb and leave the bees to fill 

 up the vacancy at their own sweet wills, they will be likely 

 to fill up with drone-comb. The safe way is to fill up the 

 holes with pieces of worker-corab. If you have say six 

 frames containing more or less drone-comb, cut up one or 

 two of them to provide worker-comb patches for the rest. 



2. (a) It maj- do to take frames of honey from those that 

 can spare them, and give to those that are needy, but as a 

 rule you lose more than you gain to take brood from the 

 strong and give to the weak, unless you wait till some are 



very strong, (b) The honej' may be taken at any time when 

 the weather is warm enough for bees to fly freely, but no 

 brood should be taken till the hive is pretty well filled with 

 brood. 



3. Probabl3' not. It was only a cleansing flight. 



4. I don't believe it will pay you, so far as the bees are 

 concerned. I have known of some successful fields of Al- 

 falfa raised in Illinois, but have never yet heard of bees 

 getting nectar from them. Sweet clover would be more to 



the point. 



^ > » ' 



Michigan Laws on Bee-Keeping The Union. 



1. What are the rules or laws for keeping bees inside 

 the corporation of city, town or village in Michigan ? How 

 many feet or rods from the public highway or adjoining 

 property ? 



2. How does the United States Bee-Keepers' Union help 

 new bee-keepers ? 



3. Does it assist him in selling honey ? or is it like a 

 good many other unions, only for the name of belonging to 

 the union, and a help to those who have already got a mar- 

 ket establisht for their product ? Michigan. 



Answers. — 1. That's hardly a question for this depart- 

 ment. You can find out a good deal easier than I can what 

 are the laws of the corporation in which you live. Remem- 

 ber there are many thousands of cities, towns and villages, 

 and it would take a lifetime to learn about all of them. 



2. One way in which great g'ood has been done is in de- 

 fending those who have been persecuted by petty, unjust 

 laws trying to drive them out of village or city corporations. 

 In fact, it is much like an insurance company in that re- 

 spect. But you can't get insurance on a house after it is 

 burned down. Neither can you get help from the Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Union tmless you are a member before you get in sight 

 of trouble. Of course, that's not the only good that comes 

 from the Union. Among other things it has in view put- 

 ting down adulteration, which will help all bee-keepers 

 greatly. 



3. I don't know of anything' that will help the sale of 

 honej' more than putting down adulteration. I don't think 

 many of us would pay in dollars merely for the name. 



Getting Sections Entirely Filled. 



I use the 4^4^ x4J^ sections with separators, and the bees 

 do not fill the sections full, but leave holes at all four cor- 

 ners. How can I get the bees to fill them out ? 



Alabama. 



Answer. — If you can find a way to have all sections 

 filled out plump at the corners and get it patented, you have 

 a small fortune in sight. Having colonies very strong will 

 help toward it. Crowding the bees for room rather than 

 allowing an excess of room is also favorable. It is claimed 

 that the fence separators do not leave the corners of the 

 sections as open as the plain separators. 



York's Honey Almanac is a neat little 32-page pamph- 

 let especially gotten up with a view to create a demand for 

 honej' among should-be consumers. Aside from the Alma- 

 nac pages, the forepart of the pamphlet was written by Dr. 

 C. C. Miller, and is devoted to general information concern- 

 ing honey. The latter part consists of recipes for use in 

 cooking and as a medicine. It will be found to be a very 

 effective helper in working up a home market for honey. 

 We furnish them, postpaid, at the.se prices : A sample for 

 a stamp ; 25 copies for 40 cents ; SO for 60 cents ; 100 for 

 $1.00 ; 250 for S2.25 ; 500 for $4.00. For 25 cents extra we 

 will print your name and address on the front page, when 

 ordering 100 or more copies at these prices. 



Queenie Jeanette is the title of a pretty song in sheet 

 music size, written by J. C. Wallenmeyer, a musical bee- 

 keeper. The regular price is 40 cents, but to close out the 

 copies we have left, we will mail them at 20 cents each, as 

 long as they last. Better order at once, if you want a copy 

 ■of this song. 



