846 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Coeyman's Hollow, X. Y., will be of 

 interest : 



" That sweet-clover seed needs the 

 actions of frost upon it, I do not be- 

 lieve ; for it will germinate much 

 quicker than red clover. Having had 

 a Ions experience with the two, I can 

 speak from personal observations. 



It is common to let red clover, cut 

 for seed, remain on the lot a long time 

 before threshing it, and there is no 

 danger of the seed germinating ; while 

 sweet clover, if left on the ground and 

 rained on, will frequently sprout when 

 in close contact with the earth, or in 

 thick bunches where the sun camiol 

 penetrate and dry it out. 



Sweet-clnver seed being retained in 

 its hull, holds moisture when sown, 

 and will therefore quickly germinate. 

 I would advise sowing it when all dan- 

 ger of frost is past. As a honey-plant 

 for all seasons, wet and dry, it has no 

 equal." 



One of the objects of this article, is 

 to make apparent the fact, not com- 

 prehended by many, that the present 

 is the most propitious season for seed- 

 ing " the waste places " with this de- 

 sirable plant. If it be the " noxious 

 weed " the unthinking have called it, 

 give me more of it. 



It stands on the patch referred to as 

 sown last season, at least 4 inches 

 higher than the red clover adjoining 

 it, though the latter occupies much 

 richer soil. Being eaten so readily by 

 all kinds of stock in the green state, 

 I believe it will make most delicious 

 provender when cured as hay. 



Last, but not least, I look to it as a 

 most acceptable foraging ground for 

 my bees, when other sources fail. 

 With this fact in view, I have sown 

 over 10 lbs. this season, in vacant 

 places and on the highways ; feeling 

 that as " bread cast upon the waters, 

 it shall return tome after many days." 



Galena, Md. 



For tbe American Bee Jonmal. 



Packing, Feeding, Wintering, etc. 



W. C. LESTEK. 



I use Koot's chaff hive and Langs- 

 troth frames, and usually commence 

 packing my bees on Noy. 1, or earlier 

 if the weather becomes cool. I exam- 

 ine each colony to see how well they 

 are supplied with stores, and if each 

 has from 20 to i5 lbs. of honey, and % 

 sealed stores, I consider it in favora- 

 ble condition for packing. Colonies 

 that have not enough stores, I feed 

 granulated sugar syrup, and prepare 

 them the same as Mr. G. M. Doolittle 

 explains on page 479, Bee Journal 

 for 1883. 



I use Cake-tins, 4x4x18 inches, for 

 feeders ; and one or more can be used 

 in the same hive by placing them on 

 top of each other. I take about halt 

 a handful of rye straw— cut it off the 

 right length to fit inside of the feeder. 

 I then pour the syrup into the feeder, 

 and put straw in it on top of the syrup, 

 this being a foothold for the bees 

 "while getting the syrup. 



I place the feeder on the bottom- 

 board of the hive, side of the combs ; 

 in this way the bees have free access 



to the feeder, and empty it quicker 

 than any other I have used. 



I winter my bees on from 6 to 9 

 combs, or less if they cannot cover 

 them, and use one or more chafl-divis- 

 ion boards if needed, to occupy vacant 

 space in the brood chamber. I prefer 

 burlap or any other porous meterial, 

 to enamelled cloth. I have used tick- 

 ing successfully, before covering the 

 frames. I use a block of wood or any 

 small piece, or wood that forms a 

 bridge over the top of the frames, af- 

 ter laying the burlap over it. I then 

 till the upper storj' with forest leaves. 

 1 have used chaff with % cut straw, 

 but I prefer forest leaves to any other 

 packing I have used. 



Having noticed considerable in the 

 Bee Journal in regard to the "pol- 

 len theory," I concluded to test it on 

 a small scale, by taking 3 colonies of 

 bees, one of blacks, one of hybrids, 

 and one of Italians. I took all their 

 stores from them, and, selecting such 

 combs as had no pollen and entirely 

 empty, I gave as many of them to the 

 3 colonies as tliey could occupy. I fed 

 them nothing but granulated sugar 

 syrup, and as much as they could store 

 into the combs constantly, and then 

 prepared them the same for winter as 

 I did my other colonies. 



On page 693, Bee Journal for 1883, 

 L. C. Johnson, M. D., speaks of the 

 qualities of the different races of bees. 



Taking all into consideration, as 

 near as lean learn, the Italians pos- 

 sess as good qualities as any other 

 race ; but I do not think it advisable 

 to cross the Italians with 3 or 4 differ- 

 ent races. Nor do I think it advisable 

 to mate them purely, except for breed- 

 ing purposes, and then breed queens 

 and drones from the very best queens. 



I prefer a cross between the Italians 

 and brown bees. My experience with 

 them for the past 3 years, proves to 

 me that they can store as much honey, 

 either comb or extracted, as any 

 other hybrids. 



Washington Hollow, N. Y. 



For tbe American Bee Journal. 



Concerning Thermometers. 



JOHN PHIN. 



I reply as follows to Mr. R. E. 

 Knapp's questions on page 172: 



Ques. 1. " Does extreme heat or cold 

 cause the mercury or spirit thermome- 

 ters to incorrectly register degrees of 

 temperature?" All thermometers 

 when near tlie limit of their range, give 

 irregular and uncertain indications. 

 The limits for mercury are 3.5° below 

 zero, and about 500^ above zero. It is 

 true that the indications are pretty 

 nearly accurate at all ordinary tem- 

 peratures; and perhaps the extremes 

 of ^Ir. K.'sthermometerdo not extend 

 as far as the figures I have given. 



A spirit theroiometer has greater 

 range below zero, but not so great 

 above. Spirit thermometers are never 

 used for temperatures higher than 

 summer heat, but they afford the only 

 convenient means of measuring tem- 

 perature below the freezing point of 

 mercury. Pure alcohol does not freeze 

 at any natural temperature, but its in- 

 dications become irregular. 



Capt. Parry in his Arctic voyages 

 observed differences of 18° between 

 alcohol thermometers of the best 

 makers; and similar facts were noted 

 by Franklin and Kane. But the ex- 

 tremes to which these investigators 

 exposed their thermometers, were 

 greater than any that will be found in 

 the climatic conditions to which we 

 are exposed; and here, therefore, I 

 may answer the 4th question. I say 

 that except for temperature lower than 

 36^ Fahr. below zero, the mercury 

 thermometer will be found the most 

 reliable. 



Ques. 2. " Will a thermometer which 

 registers incorrectly by the ice-test, 

 run uniformly up and down the scale 

 the same number of degrees that it 

 variesV" This will depend upon cir- 

 cumstances. The error of the ther- 

 mometer may be due to a change in 

 the size of the bulb (due to a molecular 

 change in the glass); and in this case 

 the error will not remain the same; i. 

 e., we can not make a perfect correc- 

 tion by simply adding or subtracting 

 a certain number ot degrees; but if 

 the theremometer tube were kept for 

 a year or two after being filled it would 

 then probably change as much as it 

 ever would, and any error must be due 

 to the displacement of the scale, or to 

 bad original workmanship. If to a 

 displacement of the scale, all we have 

 to do is to add or subtract the known 

 error as may be necessary. Bad work- 

 manship can not be easily corrected; 

 the only way would be to compare the 

 thermometer with a standard instru- 

 ment, and note the error at every 10^. 



Ques. 3. "• Will an old-tested ther- 

 mometer, say 10 years old, mark the 

 degrees as perfectly as a newly-tested 

 one?" Thermometers which are ex- 

 posed to great extremes of tempera- 

 ture may change somewhat even after 

 the second year, but not to any great 

 extent. Therefore, I should say, that 

 a thermometer which had been tested 

 when two years old, might be relied 

 upon ever "after in all ordinary work. 

 This, however depends somewhat on 

 the glass that is used, but it is true in 

 most cases. For extremely accurate 

 work thermometers should be tested 

 every 3 or 6 months. 



I may add that the variations of 

 which I have been speaking are com- 

 paratively slight, and are nothing 

 when compared with the ordinary 

 errors of observation. In common 

 thermometers the chief source of error 

 lies in the bore of the tube. A ther- 

 mometer may be perfectly accurate at 

 the principal fixed points'(32^ and 21^ 

 above zero), and yet show great errors 

 between them. The only really cor- 

 rect thermometer is the air-ther- 

 mometer as used by Kegnault; but 

 this instrument can hot be used by 

 those who have not the conveniences 

 of a large laboratory. 



To sum up the whole matter: A 

 good mercury thermometer which is 

 over two years old. and which is cor- 

 rect at .32^ and 212-" above zero, (the 

 freezing and the boiling points of 

 water) may be depended upon for all 

 the ordinary requirements of life, and 

 it will not deteriorate by any ordinary 

 usage or exposure. 



Patterson, N. J, April 1.5, 1884. 



