494 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 1 



than the Alexander. Modifications of the 

 same may be found practicable from some 

 apiarists, but the idea of using a bottom-board 

 feeder is carried ovit by the Alexander feed- 

 er very well. I appreciate Mr. Shockey's 

 principle of using fixtures in bee-keeping, 

 which the apiarist can construct himself 

 without great expense. I follow this princi- 

 ple myself, and have also constructed an 

 Alexander feeder of my own, and used it 

 during the last season with great success. In 

 the following I will show how I made and 

 used it. 



In 2x4 planed-lumber pieces of any length 

 I have cut ovit 4 grooves, § inch wide and 

 1| inches deep (the planing-mill charged me 

 2^ cts. per ft. for the lumber and all). From 

 this grooved lumber I cut off pieces the 



width of the bottom-board, and close the 

 grooves on the head-sides by nailing on a 

 piece of a ^-inch board. To have a com- 

 munication between the four grooves I bore 

 with a ^-inch bit a hole across from one side 

 at the bottom of the grooves, and close the 

 hole from the outside with a cork. This 

 feeder I insert in a box, which I attach to 

 the back side of the bottom-board, just large 

 enough so that the feeder can slide in it, and 

 be worked like a drawer. The hive rests 

 with its back side on this box, so that the 

 bees have access to the grooves. When feed- 

 ing the bees I have simply to pull out the 

 feeder an inch or two, pour in the syrup, 

 and pull back again. This can be done in 

 less than one minute per colony, and robbing 

 can not take place. A. Schelling. 



Burbank, Cal. 



[The plan here spoken of is simple and 

 practical. Instead of boring a hole through 

 one side and plugging with a cork, why not 

 use a short chisel and cut a notch in the 

 center of the grooves. We would advise 

 coating the inside of the feeder with hot 

 beeswax. — Ed.] 



THE WEST QUEEN-CELL FROTECTOK AS AN 



INTRODUCING-CAGE; CEMENT HIVE- 



COVEKS. 



In the Aug. 15th Gleanings N. D. West 

 tells how to use his spiral-spring cage for an 

 introducing-cage. We have used it for such 



for years, and like it best in some respects. 

 We get the long feed-cups or shells, and 

 grind the bottom off on an emery-wheel and 

 till the tube with ordinary queen-cage candy 

 — that's all the difference. If the bees liber- 

 ate their queen too soon, and attack her, the 

 first bee in will be killed, and so on until no 

 more bees can get in, neither can the queen 

 get out. We have had them do this trick a 

 good many times, without doubt saving the 

 queen's life. 



A CHEAP UNCAPPING-CAN. 



For uncapping-cans we get 50-lb. lard or 

 cotosuet cans, punch the bottom of one full 

 of holes, set it on top of another, and there 

 you are, only 10 cts. each. 



Here is a cover we are using, warranted 

 not to rot, warp, nor blow off. It's just cement 

 and sand, 1 to 3, made in a form about | 

 inch thick. Of course, you will protest that 

 they would be heavy. They weigh 16 lbs. 

 for a ten-frame. I am told that they could 

 be made of cinders broken tine as well as 

 sand. I think fine wires or wire cloth might 

 be built in, then they could be made thinner. 

 We have a lot of chaff hives with the outside 

 covered with galvanized iron. I like them, 

 and they are cheap. Eugene Manning. 



Trumansburg, N. Y. 



[Those cement hive-covers may be a good 

 thing. It is possible they could be made 

 thinner by a reinforcing ot coarse wire cloth. 

 The new metal lath would be cheaper and 

 better for the purpose. If some one has 

 tested this out, let us hear from him. — Ed.] 



sweet CLOVER; WHY IT WON T GROW ON 

 CULTIVATED GROUND. 



I notice, page 1048, the failure which Dr. 

 Miller and A. I. Root had in getting a good 

 stand of sweet clover on cviltivated ground. 

 I think I can tell you where they failed. 



Sweet clover does not grow on cultivated 

 ground, for two reasons. First, because in 

 such ground the soil is so loose that it freezes 

 out and drowns out. I saw this proven by 

 some cultivated land which had lain idle for 

 three years. The first and second year the 

 sweet clover took hold, but always died out. 

 The third year it wintered fairly well, and 

 will probably do better in 1907. 



The second reason is that the original stalk 

 lives two years; hence if it is not allowed to 

 go to seed it will be gone at the end of two 

 years. Ray McQuiston. 



Independence, Kan. 



THE ALEXANDER CURE FOR BLACK BROOD 

 NOT SUCCESSFUL. 



I sent you last fall a sample of diseased 

 brood. You pronounced it black brood, 

 which proved true. You wished me to try 

 the Alexander method, and report. This 

 spring half of my bees were affected with 

 the disease, and so were the neighbors' af- 

 fected. We sent for foul-brood Inspector 

 Strooms, and he said the Alexander method 



