314 



AMERICAN BEE JOuHNAL 



May 18, 1899. 



To Prevent Cakes of Wax from Cracking, William 

 McEvoY winds papers around boards and covers the pans so 

 tig'htly that no air can get in, and has not had a cake crack 

 for 20 years. The secret probably is that this prevents 

 rapid cooling- of the surface. — Bee-Keepers' Review. 



Divisible Sliallow-Framed Hives have not proved a 

 success with G. M. Doolittle. In the Progressive Bee- 

 Keeper he reports that he gave a faithful trial of the Hed- 

 don divisible system with from IS to 20 colonies in such 

 hives for four or five years, and averaged less than two- 

 thirds as much as from the other colonies in the same 

 apiary. 



Times when Bees Don't Rear Best Queens sometimes 

 occur, according to the veteran queen-breeder, Henry Alley, 

 in Gleanings. Just after the honey harvest in July he 

 thinks is the worst time to rear queens. The bees seem to 

 want a rest then. From the last of July to about the first 

 of September he thinks a good time to rear the very best 

 queens. 



The Value of Pollen, according to M. Bellot, in Revue 

 Internationale, is much greater than it is generally sup- 

 posed to be. Three colonies began brood-rearing in Decem- 

 ber, and he gave them every 10 or 12 days pollen that had 

 been stored in other hives. Three combs were kept filled 

 with brood, the population was doubled by March 20, and 

 he estimates that each colony used three to four pounds of 

 pollen. 



Boiling Fou! = Broody Honey seems to be a troublesome 

 matter to settle fulh-. Prof. Hodge, in Gleanings, advised 

 separate boilings, on different days, so that the spores 



might have a chance to vegetate between times and then 

 the bacilli be killed. Now comes Harry S. Howe, in the 

 same paper, and says this will not apply to foul-broody 

 honey, for spores will not develop in honey, and bacilli will 

 live in honey only in the spore stage. So the boiling must 

 be long enough to kill the spores. Mr. Howe inclines to the 

 view that 15 minutes is sufficient to boil foul-broodj' honey, 

 the boiling^-point of honey being from 225 to 235 degrees, ac- 

 cording- to the density of the honey. On the other hand, 

 H. W. Brice says in British Bee Journal, "No boiling alone 

 will destroy the spores while they remain in that condition." 

 Evidently there is room for more experimentation to clear 

 up the whole subject. 



Rendering Wax. — In melting old combs, A. C. Miller 

 advises, in the Bee-Keepers' Review, that the combs be 

 placed in a strong solution of sulphuric acid in cold water 

 about a week before melting, and if the combs are well 

 broken up and occasionally stirred, the acid will decompose 

 the pollen and cocoons so that a large part will remain when 

 the crusht combs are removed for melting. Melt slowly and 

 don't allow the wax to boil, else the propolis will combine 

 with the was. Always add acid enough to neutralize any 

 alkali in the water that might form a kind of soap with the 

 wax. 



Prevention of Swarming seems to be more and more 

 considered desirable, and less and less considered attaina- 

 ble. Nowadays there is not so much said about the great 

 advantage that comes from the extra vigor of a newlj--hived 

 swarra, and all efforts possible are made to have as little 

 swarming as possible, and when swarming does occur, there 

 are probably not a great many who allow the division of 

 forces to be just as the bees would naturally adjust the 

 matter, but the bee-keeper tries to keep a strong force in. 

 the new colony with comparatively little regard to the 

 strength of the old. H. H. Hyde probably voices the opin- 

 ion of a large number, when he says, in the Progressive 

 Bee-Keeper, that "by far the greatest hindrance to success- 

 ful comb-honey production is swarming." Despairing of 

 entire prevention, he limits swarming by abundance of 

 timely super-room, a free communication separator, and 

 blocking up hives so as to give plenty of air at the liottom. 



THE G. B. LEWIS GO'S 



Are Models of Perfection. 



%^% 



Tills is tlie Verdict of Thousands of Customers and tlie Acljnowledgnient of Competitors, 



Our unrivaled facilities, coupled with twenty-five years of manufacturing experience, enable us to anticipate and 

 supply every want and need of the bee-keeper, promptly and accurately. 



YOU WANT THE BEST— They Cost No More. 



A copy of our Catalog and Price List mailed free upon application. 



Factories and Main Office: Watertown, Wisconsin. 



Branch Offices and Waperooms : 



G. B. LEWIS CO., 



515 First Ave., N, E., Minneapolis, Minn. 

 G. B. LEWIS CO., 



19 South Alabama Street, Indianapolis, Indiana. 



AGENCIES : 



E. T. ABHOTT, St. Joseph, Mo. 



L. C. WOODMAN, t;rand Rapids.'Mich. 



FRED F0UL(;ER & SONS, Ofrden, Utah. 



SMITH'S CASH STORE, San Francisco, Cal. 



