1807 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



971 



before in the bee-papers; but it was years 

 ago, and I do not now know where to find 

 it, and do not have time to go over all the 

 files. 



I notice that complaint is made about soap 

 on comb foundation. What kind of soap do 

 you use, and how is it prepared for this pur- 

 pose? Do you put salt in it, and in what 

 proportion? Why do you use soap instead 

 of starch? Wm. Muth-Rasmussen. 



Independence, Cal. 



[We are turning the question as to the 

 amount of brimstone or sulphur to 100 cubic 

 feet over to those of our I'eaders who possi- 

 bly and probably have made experiments 

 sufficient to give an exact answer. To use 

 too little sulphur does not accomplish the ob- 

 ject. Too much of it will turn the white 

 comb surface yellow. The golden mean is 

 certainly the thing hei'e. 



No complaint has been entered against the 

 use of soap in comb foundation except by 

 one bee-keeper, who imagined the bees might 

 object to it. As we have already stated, the 

 amount of soap used in the modern methods 

 of making, where wax is sheeted from con- 

 tinuous rolls, is inhnitessimally small. By 

 the old hand process of hand-dipped sheets 

 it is necessary to use a great deal more soap, 

 and it is possible that the amount so used 

 might be objectionable to bees. No salt is 

 used. 



With regard to starch, as we have before 

 pointed out, it is not as good a lubricant as 

 soap. More of it must be used, and the res- 

 idue left on the sheets of foundation is liable 

 to mildew or spoil. So far as we know, soap 

 is clean, sanitary, and is the universal lubri- 

 cant used by the large makers of foundation. 

 -Eu.] 



A TABULATED REPORT OF SUCCESSFUL CEL- 

 LAR >VINTERING. 



I give below a report in detail of a very 

 careful and successful test of cellar wintei-- 

 ing, just completed. I reckon 400 dead bees 

 to the ounce. 



a l|-inch round hole, closed with wire cloth. 

 * W D Keyes 

 Blairsville, Pa., March 27, 1907. 



PROSPECTORS AMONG BEES. 



In regard to bees going oat as prospectors 

 (Stray Straws, page Gil) I will say that we 

 have observed for years that the bees, when 

 they bring in the first loads of pollen, run 

 over the combs, shaking themselves, and by 

 their peculiar actions communicate to the 

 rest the fact that there is pollen to be gath- 

 ered. Later, when all are at work they go 

 quietly and deposit it in the comb. In case 

 honey is gathei'ed they give to the bees here 

 and there a little taste. We have often seen 

 these bees, after trying in vain to get a taste 

 of the pollen, or after getting a sip of the 

 honey, rush out after some for themselves. 

 The same thing may be observed by feeding. 



Binghamton, N. Y. C. W. Phelps. 



CLIPPED QUEENS SUPERSEDED. 



OentJemen:— Last season I purchased five 

 golden Italian queens from different queen- 

 breeders, and was successful in introduc- 

 ing them. Afterward the hives to which 

 goldens were introduced became thoroughly 

 stocked with beautiful golden bees. This 

 spring I noticed qixite a difference in the 

 marking of the bees, and decided to examine 

 and find out the trouble. Upon examination 

 I found four out of the five had been super- 

 seded. I had clipped the wings of four, and 

 these were the ones missing. They had new 

 queens with full wings. The clipped queens 

 were not lost by swarming. Were th^y su- 

 perseded because of being clipped? 



Huntingdon, Tenn. Stoker Stacy. 



[We have had a few reports where, after 

 queens had been clipped, they were super- 

 seded; but such cases are few and far be- 

 tween. The difficulty can be avoided in 

 these few cases by clipping the queen while 



Hive Put in the ' Taken out Time in 

 Number. Cellar. | of Cellar. Cellar. 



Nov. 19. "Oe'Mar. 21, "07 4 mos. 2 d's 

 Nov. 19, 'OeiMar. 21, "07 4 mos. 2 d's 

 Nov. 19, ^elMar. 21, '07j4 mos. 2 d's 

 Nov. 14, '06 Mar. 21, '07 4 mos. 7 d's 



I Honey 

 ' consumed. 



6% lbs. 

 5 lbs. 



5 lbs. 



6 lbs. 

 2234 lbs. 



Ounces of 

 Dead Bees. 



Number ofj Condition 

 Dead Bees, of Bees. 



2000 

 1200 

 1600 

 2800 

 7600 



Good. 

 Good. 

 Good. 

 Good. 



Remarks. 



Quiet all 



Winter. 



Average honey per hive, 5f lbs. 



Average honey per month per hive, IJ lbs. 



Total number of dead bees, 7600. 



Average of dead bees per hive, 1900. 



Range of temperature, 28 to 56 degrees. 



Average temperature, about 42 degrees. 



The cellar was dry, and without any heat; 

 but two-thirds under ground, on the south 

 side of the house, under the living-room, 

 with an outside entrance in the east wall, 

 kept dark all winter, and the cellar door 

 opened occasionally at night; a four to six 

 inch air-space under coml)s, and a four-inch- 

 leaf tray with muslin tacked on the bottom, 

 placed on top of the hives; entrance equal to 



she is on the comb, without even touching 

 her except with the scissoi's. Mr. F. Greitier 

 explained how this can be done some little 

 time ago. — Ed.] 



ON the mountains of CALIFORNIA. 



I have phoned to-day to several parties at 

 altitudes 2000 to 4500 feet; April and May, 

 weather cold and foggy; this month, warm; 

 bees doing finely. Some of my colonies have 

 the third super on. A few filled nine-frame 

 supers last week. E. P. St. John. 



Alpine, Cal., June 18. 



