1903 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



393 



I purchased last j'ear of him six queens, 

 which all came throug-h alive, and were 

 safel.v introduced, but laid very sparingly. 

 The bees tried at once to supersede them 

 by build injr cells. Although I frustrated 

 their intentions at the time, they g^ot the 

 best of me finally, and all of them were 

 superseded by fall. I wrote the facts to 

 Mr. Moore, asking- him how soon he could 

 send me some others, telling him at the 

 time that I did not hold him responsible for 

 the bad luck I had, and am of the same 

 opinion now, as he fulfilled his side of the 

 deal all right. ( The inclosed letter explains 

 his ideas of it.) I have written him that I 

 accepted his offer, but thought it no more 

 than right that I should bear half the bur- 

 den at least, and therefore would send him 

 S3. 00 as soon as the queens arrived here. 



Now, such men should have a little free 

 advertising, I think, if honesty is worth any 

 thing. M. R. Kuehne. 



Pomona, Calif. 



[We take pleasure in presenting Mr. 

 Moore's letter. It is in pleasing contrast 

 to some letters sent out by breeders. — Ed.] 



Mr. Kuehne: — I am very sorry to hear 

 that the queens were superseded. I think 

 5'ou are right. They evidently got injured 

 in the mails,. They were bunched together, 

 three cages in a bunch, when I mailed them; 

 and, as they were single when they reach- 

 ed 3'ou, they must have been in a "smash- 

 up." I will replace them free of charge 

 the last of June or the first of July. I have 

 as many orders booked as I can fill by 

 the 10th or 15th of June. Many thanks for 

 j'our kind words. J. P. Moore. 



Morgan, Ky. 



CUTTING ALFALFA AFTER IT IS IX BLOOM. 



I enjoy noting the editor wrestling with 

 the alfalfa-cutting question. 



There is hope for the bees and owners, 

 because there are likely to be behind time 

 alfalfa-cutting harvesters. The best time 

 here to cut alfalfa is right after it begins to 

 bloom: and ever}' day it stands after that is 

 so much better for bees. Alfalfa honey is 

 very scarce in our hives on account of this 

 condition. M. D. Nichols. 



Escondido, Cal. 



I The hope of the bee-keeper in the early- 

 cutting regions will rest largely on the 

 tardiness of the mower in cutting some of 

 those large fields. Mr. H. D. "Watson, the 

 man who has 3000 acres of alfalfa at Kear- 

 ney, Neb., said to me when I spoke of this 

 matter, "Don'tr you worry at all. The 

 early cutter in theorj' will always be late. 

 The result is, he will cut his alfalfa late 

 r.ither than early. Even if he believes in 

 early culting he will generallj- practice 

 late cutting." Now, whether this is so or 

 not throughout the irrigated regions, I do 

 not know. But knowing human nature as 

 I do. that farmwork is usuall}' behind, I 

 should assume that the alfalfa-grower 

 woiild let his crop get into bloom before he 

 did much cutting. — Ed.] 



A RAT OR MOUSE TRAP. 



I am illustrating herewith a trap that 

 may be useful for bee-keepers. It can be 

 attached to a deep crock or barrel, or any 

 box round or square, whichever comes han- 

 diest. Take a piece of heavy stiff springy 

 paper; slightly dampen it, then adjust to 



crock or barrel, and tie down securely by 

 twine. Let the paper then dry; and, if 

 desired to be kept, give it a coat of shellac 

 or any other oil or varnish. For a few 

 days put bait in the center of the paper, 

 within easy access of the victims; then re- 

 move the bait and cut paper along lines 

 shown, and glue bait to apex centers, and 

 the trap is ready, self-adjusting, and will 

 do the business. Vermin caught can be 

 destroyed by water in which they plunge, 

 or by fumes. R. V. Murray. 



Cleveland, Ohio. 



[Mr. R. V. Murray is our regular artist, 

 and takes a great deal of interest in every 

 thing that pertains to bee-keeping. Know- 

 ing that rats and mice are enemies to bees, 

 and nuisances to the bee-keeper, he sketch- 

 ed this simple mouse-trap that anj' one can 

 make. I do not know whether the idea is 

 original with him or not. I think I have 

 seen it somewhere; but it is good, neverthe- 

 less. The trouble with ordinarj' traps is 

 that, after they are once sprung, they are 

 useless till reset; and, besides, when they 

 do catch a mouse it must be taken out or 

 there will soon be a foul odor. The trap 

 shown in the illustration resets itself as 

 soon as it has done its work. If one will 

 put a strong solution of brine in the crock, 

 the victims will be pickled as soon as they 

 are caught, and there will be no smell. 

 After the vermin have all been caught, the 

 string can be loosened, and the contents of 

 the crock dumped and buried. I have one 

 of the regulation mouse-traps in my office; 

 and every now and then I can detect a fa- 

 miliar odor, and then look down at the trap, 

 back of my desk; because, you see, I forget 

 all about the trap until my olfactory nerves 

 apprise me of the fact that something is 

 wrong. Then I have to get the nasty car- 

 cass out of the trap, and reset. — Ed.] 



MOLDY COMBS ONAW^ED DOWN. 



On page 155. in reference to bees biting 

 off the cells of combs, I would say I have 

 had old combs that got mold}' on part of 

 the combs, and I put them in hives where 

 there was a new colony of bees, and the 

 bees went at the old moldy combs and cut 

 them away down to the bottom of the cells, 



