1014 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dfx. 1 



MOVING BEES A SHORT DISTANCE. 



We have had satisfactory results in mov- 

 ing- bees about a quarter of a mile. The 

 hive was closed with wire cloth, before sun- 

 rise, at the same time giving- smoke and a 

 good shaking; then moved to new quarters, 

 on the way striking the hive occasionally 

 with a stick so as to frighten them thorough- 

 ly and cause them to fill themselves with 

 honey, and finally bumped them down on 

 new stand. Ver\' few bees returned lo the 

 old stand. This idea was taken frcm an 

 old number of the Australian Bee Bulletin. 



Hahndoif, So Austr. J. J. Darby. 



AN EMBALMl-D SVAKE. 



Of late I have seen in Gleanings some 

 talk about bees covering any thing dead in 

 the hive. About three years ago I had a 

 very large swarm in a big box that frames 

 would just fit in. One day I found on the 

 bot'om-board a long crooked ridge of wax 

 and propolis. Upon opening it I was sur- 

 prised to find inside a snake about 8 in. 

 long. The bees must have stung it to death 

 and then covered it up. There was no 

 smell, and the snake was preserved in good 

 shape. 



May field, N. Y. G. W. Haines. 



THE FORMALDEHYDE CURE. 



I still use formaldehyde. I have been 

 making sfme experiments with it; and as 

 soon as spring comes and I can have anoth- 

 er trial, if it proves as satisfactory as it 

 did this season I will write it up for Glean- 

 ings. I took 9 first p'emiums at our coun- 

 ty fair, amounting to $22. One first premi- 

 um was a nucleus of black bees with queen, 

 treated for black brood, on a full set of 

 combs 18 days before, and not a dead larva 

 in the combs. Have made several trials al- 

 ready', but would like to try it again before 

 writing-. 



May field, N. Y. G. W. Haines. 



HOW TO USE FORMALDEHYDE SO THAT IT 

 WILL CURE. 



Seeing an item in Gleanings for Oct. 1 

 in regard to formaldehyde not being a sure 

 cure for foul brood, I will give some of my 

 experience with it, as I have used it in my 

 business as inspector of apiaries for Santa 

 Barbara Co., Cal. 



At first I did not have the success that I 

 desired; but I did a little differently each 

 time, and finall}- have come to the conclu- 

 sion that it will cure foul brocd and black 

 brood if rightly used. It has done the work 

 all right, as I have used it of late. I have 

 treated several apiaries, varying from two 

 to over a hundred colonies in each, and 

 have cured all that I have treated under my 

 present system. Now for my mode of treat- 

 ment. 



I use a Goodrich atomizer No. 4, and for- 

 maldehyde, equal part with water. Go to 

 the hive to be treated and raise the body of 

 the hive in front enough to work so as to 



spray the liquid on to the bottom-board. 

 The bottleful will be enough for about six 

 hives for one application, which I make 

 three as a course of treatment. I make the 

 applications about two weeks apart, and 

 apply it cold, and do no more than to spray 

 it on to the bottom-board. If it is sprayed 

 on to the combs it will kill all that it touch- 

 es. The gas dries up the diseased matter 

 in the cell, and the bees clean it out and 

 make every- thing shine, and the colony soon 

 becomes strong and prosperous; but the hive 

 must have ventilation or the gas will as- 

 phyxiate the bees, and that makes a bad 

 matter worse. If the hive is tight the cover 

 must be raised by placing something be- 

 tween it and the top of the hive, about V 

 inch thick. After spraying the liquid on 

 the bottom board, set the hive back in place 

 and the work is done. 

 Lompoc, Cal. Geo. E. Hinkley. 



NEW LIGHT ON BULK COMB HONEY. 



On page 8.^7 I notice this remark: "Or 

 we possibly may have to get up some scheme 

 whereby chunk or bulk comb honey can be 

 divested of every suggestion of adulteration, 

 so that the general public in the cities will 

 buy it the same as it will section honey." 



Answer to this question simply rests on 

 when, if ever, the National Pure food Bill 

 of the last Congress is enacted into law, 

 and enforced. If we can get that law. or a 

 similar one, the adulteration of honey will 

 be a criminal offense, and we can then 

 print on our labels the government law on 

 the question, stating that the goics are put 

 up under and are subject to iuspection and 

 analyses imder that law. 



Again, if we can get on to some means 

 whereby we can pack honey so that it will 

 not granulate, and can assure cusfomers 

 that, when they open the cans of honey, 

 they will be liquid, just as when taken from 

 the bees. 



H. R. Board man says he has found a 

 method that will solve the problem, and 

 that he has been at work on it especially 

 because he wished to apply it to the pack- 

 ing of bulk comb honey. He has promised 

 to make it known at the earliest moment he 

 feels he can do so, and all we can do is to 

 await his action. 



However, if in packing bulk comb honey 

 you will heat your extracted honey' and 

 pour it on the comb while warm, and then 

 seal the cans air-tight, you will tind that it 

 will keep at least a year just as it was 

 packed. Now, then, there is more money 

 in bulk comb honey at 10 cts. than there is 

 in section honey at 14, because it tiikes less 

 expensive equipment, less work, less freight, 

 less loss by breakage in transit, and you 

 get nearly double the honey you would get 

 if producing section honey. 



As a package tor bulk honey, there is 

 nothing better than the friction top cans as 

 made by the American Can Co. for their 

 Texas honey trade, the same being the 

 standard adopted by Texas bee-keepers. 



