154 



CLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 15 



the hissing- ceases. Pump in more air, 

 and listen for more hissing, and again 

 drive down the hoops as before. 



A foot pump would be a little more ser- 

 viceable than the ordinary hand pump, but 

 either could be used. 



It may be well to state that barrels should 

 never be tested for leakage with water — 

 that is, those designed to receive honey for 

 shipment. Use nothing but dry air. Even 

 if there is a leak, the water will cause the 

 wood to swell, and close it; then if the bar- 

 rel be filled with honey the honey will ab- 

 sorb the water in the staves, and then the 

 old original leak will appear when the 

 staves are dried out again. In other words, 

 a barrel that would be suitable for ship- 

 ping water or other liquids would not be 

 suitable for shipping honey. — Ed.] 



THK DANZENBAKEK HIVE FOR WINTER. 



1. I used this summer for the first time 

 the Danz. hive. They look so shallow I 

 feared there might be trouble in wintering- 

 in them. I have cases to put around them, 

 and allow for two inches of planer shavings 

 all around the hives, and four inches on top 

 of the frames. Please tell me if they need 

 any thing more. 



2. I have a few queens that I raised in 

 three-frame nuclei. I used an eight-frame 

 Langstroth hive, put a half-inch partition 

 in it, and have a nucleus on each side. I 

 should like to keep the queens over winter. 

 Can I do so? atid if so, how? 



A. J. KiLGORE. 



Bowling Green, O., Oct. 6. 



[1. No. You have given all the protec- 

 tion that they naturally' require. 



2. Yes, you can winter two nuclei in one 

 hive outdoors. While it can be done, the 

 chances of success will be very much better 

 by putting- all such hives containing two 

 little clusters in a dark dry cellar having a 

 uniform temperature throughout the winter. 

 Two bunches of bees are never as good for 

 wintering as the same number in one clus- 

 ter.— Ed.] 



TROPICAL NOTES FROM THE WEST INDIES; 

 ITALIAN BEHS LIKED BEST IN TRINIDAD. 



For several months past we have had all 

 we could do to keep our bees alive on ac- 

 count of the wet season and the scarcity of 

 honey-flowers. About the middle of Octo- 

 ber some improvement set in, and honey be- 

 gan to make its appearance rapidl}'. It 

 was, however, very dark in color, and 

 slightly strong and bitter. One of our 

 strongest hives was given a frame of sec- 

 tions, and filled about two-thirds of the 

 space, when the inevitable swarm went off, 

 and collection ceased for the time being. 

 Even this honey was poor and dark in col- 

 or. In new combs at date, fine clear and 

 ■well-flavored honey is making its appear- 

 ance. In a few months' time, when the log- 

 wood comes in flower, we shall have the 

 finest honey of the season, equaling the 

 produce of any country in the world. 



We have had three swarms from our 14 

 hives of black bees, but none from our 6 

 Italians. The latter are collecting honey 

 much faster than the black bees, and of 

 better qualit3'. I find the Italians do not 

 produce drones at the same rate as the 

 black bees, which fact probably accounts for 

 the difficulty of getting them to replace the 

 stronger bee. We are not experts in Trini- 

 dad, and should like to know how to increase 

 the output of drones. At the present time 

 any drone-cells are being filled with honey, 

 so that it would appear useless to introduce 

 drone foundation for the purpose of rais- 

 ing the required number of gentlemen. 



Imported Italian queens take readily to 

 a few combs of the black bees, and rapidly 

 make strong colonies. We are now able to 

 procure these at a cheap rate from a neigh- 

 boring colony in the West Indies. What a 

 funny word that ' ' neighboring " is ! In this 

 instance our "neighbor" is nearly 2000 

 miles away. The common and popular 

 idea of the West Indies is that the islands 

 are in a bunch. What a mistake that is 

 can be recognized only by making a tour 

 through them. Not a bad idea to get away 

 from the northern winter, and is now being 

 followed by those who can aftord the time 

 and money. The cost of a trip is very 

 reasonable and comfortable. Steamers 

 from New York sail about every two weeks. 



The industry of bee-keeping is progress- 

 ing slowlj' in most of the islands; but in 

 Trinidad the popularity and paying char- 

 acter of cacao cultivation somewhat calls 

 away the attention of the people from the 

 smaller industries. J. H. H. 



Trinidad, Nov. 5. 



[You can increase the number of drones 

 by putting drone comb in some of your best 

 breeding colonies. — Ed.] 



BEES DYING IN WINTER QUARTERS. 



What is the best way to feed bees in the 

 winter? I have two hives which I think 

 need looking after. Subscriber. 



[Give the bees hard rock candy, laying 

 sticks of it on the clusters of bees. If you 

 do not know how to make it, get j'our baker, 

 or some one who understands candy-mak- 

 ing, to make you a clear cr3'stal candy, 

 sticks of it to be brittle as glass, out of pure 

 granulated sugar. Don't use any flavor- 

 ing. Some use Go3d candy. This is made 

 by mixing powdered sugar and honey into 

 a stift" dough. Almost any one can make 

 that, but the dry granules are apt to rattle 

 down between the brood-combs. — Ed.] 



A COMBINED BEE-BRUSH AND SCRAPING- 

 KNIFE. 



I have for the past year been using a 

 Coggshall broom and knife combined that 

 proved so efl"ective that perhaps some of the 

 readers of Gleanings would find it to their 

 advantage to make one also, as it is a very 

 simple affair. The blade is a long one, 

 tapering down to a point. I tied it to the 

 broom-handle with only a cord, but it came 



