1907 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



647 



THE DOOLITTLE PLAN OF NON-SWARMING. 



How did F. A. Salisbury get along with 

 the two colonies he shook on the Doolittle 

 plan of non-swarming, as mentioned on page 

 869, Vol. 34? Herbert Freas. 



St. Anns, Ont. 



[This question was sent to .Mr. Salisbury, 

 who replies as follows:] 



We had very good success. Neither of 

 the colonies swarmed, and we took from 

 them about 170 sections of comb honey. 

 One of them finished only about 50 sections, 

 and the other about 1 20. We thought, when 

 we shook the bees on the combs of honey, 

 that the one that did not do so very well 

 would probably not. They were very light- 

 colored Italians of a light orange color, and 

 seemed to be of a quiet, contented disposi- 

 tion. They were nice to handle, but were 

 not good for business. The bees of the oth- 

 er colony were hybrids, and had some " go " 

 about them. Tfie brood taken away from 

 both was put on top of a weak colony, which 

 did not swarm. These two brood-chambers 

 are now full of honey, and will weigh about 

 150 lbs., hives and all. We could have ex- 

 tracted this, but wanted it for next season to 

 try the plan again. I feel it will work in 

 this "locality." F. A. Salisbury. 



Syracuse, N. Y., Jan. 30, 1907. 



THE ALEXANDER FEEDER; TWO WAYS OF 

 ATTACHING IT TO THE HIVE. 



Our hives all stand on the factory-made 

 stands with sloping alighting-boards. These 

 stands are too short to allow a feeder to stand 

 at the rear of the bottom- board when left in 

 a natural position; but if the stand is turned 

 upside down it is then long enough to allow the 

 feeder space on which to stand. We reversed 

 the ends of the stand, rear end in front, 

 which gives a straight end for the bees to 

 climb, providing any should drop on the 



ground before reaching the alighting-board, 

 which will be sufficient, usually, when the 

 hive is set back on the" bottom-board, to cov- 

 er the feeder. 



li I did not use this kind of stand, and 

 were obliged to hang feeders under the hive, 

 I believe 1 would adopt a plan I saw neigh- 

 bor Burnshine, of Ft. Dodge, use. His feed- 

 ers had a rabbet sawed out on one side, leav- 

 ing a projecting strip of i inch or more flush 

 with the top side of the feeder; another such 



strip was tacked on the rear end of the bot- 

 tom-board, low enough to let the feeder-strip 

 rest on, so the feeder would be flush with 

 the strips on the bottom which tie said rails 

 together; a hook on the center of the rear 

 end of the hive hooked into an eye on the 

 feeder, which held the outside of the feeder 

 snug up to the hive when the rabbet strip 

 was placed in position on the strip on the 

 hive-bottom. This can not get away, as the 

 hook on the opposite side holds all taut. 

 Where feeders have been made as most are, 

 with no rabbet on the side, a strip can be 

 tacked on to the side of the feeder, which 

 will answer as well. J. P. Blunk. 



Moorland, Iowa. 



WHY PEOPLE don't BUY HONEY. 



As to why we do not buy honey to use, my 

 supply gave out a few years ago. I ordered 

 a 60-1 b. can from Chicago. It was made by 

 a two-legged bee, and was far inferior to 

 the corn syrup to be found at all groceries, and 

 I doubt if as good for the health. It tasted 

 as if it had been made in an old brass kettle. 

 This kind of experience lasts a long time. 



Onarga, 111. J. S. Williams. 



TO REMOVE PROPOLIS. 



The best thing I ever tried to remove pro- 

 polis from the hands is Twenty-mule-team 

 borax. Wet the hands in warm water; dust 

 some borax on them, then rub the dry pow- 

 der well over the hands. The grit just loos- 

 ens the sticky stuff nicely, when it will all 

 wash off. Try it and you will be glad. 



Hebron, O. Frank McGlade. 



ANOTHER REMEDY FOR RATS. 



I believe I can give you a better way to 

 get rid of rats than is given by I. S. Tilt, p. 

 418. Pulverize some glass; sift out the coarse 

 particles and use the fine; mix flour, corn 

 meal, and pulverized glass in equal parts; 

 then place them in vessels and sprinkle some 

 sugar over it and place it where the rats can 

 have access to it. It not only kills those 

 that eat it, but the others become alarmed 

 and leave. I have run them away from my 

 place several times with the glass mixture. 



Earl Park, Ind. R. C. Yates. 



STILL ANOTHER REMEDY FOR RATS. 



I think you can get rid of the rats by 

 sprinkling powdered copperas in their holes 

 and runs along baseboards, corners, etc. I 

 have found this a jse^^ec^ success after ferrets, 

 traps, etc., pi'oved failures. A. T. Cook. 



Hyde Park, N. Y. 



COMMISSION MEN. 



On page 1425, E. D. Townsend is all right 

 in regard to the commission men. They are 

 more damage than good to the honey-pro- 

 ducer. C. B. Fritts. 



Niles, Mich. 



