1274 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 1 



SIMPLICITY FEEDERS ADAPTED TO THE ALEX- 

 ANDER PLAN OF FEEDING. 



I have been using the Simplicity feeder as 

 a bottom-board feeder. The addition neces- 

 sary (see drawing) is a piece of wood | by 

 2^ m., the same length as the width of the 

 hive. Part of the piece is cut away to make 

 it fit across the end and along one side of the 

 feeder, ex(^ept that there should be two 

 inches of the feeder projecting from the end. 

 The piece is fastened flush with the top of 

 the feeder by three nails, a, a, a. In putting 

 on this feeder, slip the hive back 2^ inches, 

 past the bottom-board, and secure the feeder 



torily. You can get these in all shapes and 

 styles, prices ranging all the way from $1.00 

 to $5.00 a pair. — Ed. J 



by driving one point of a crate staple in each 

 side of the hive so the lower point will slip 

 tightly under the |-inch strip at either end. 

 This holds the feeder securely. It only re- 

 mains to put a small block of wood on the 

 part of the feeder that extends past the side 

 of the hive, and it is ready for service. 

 West Va. K. C. A. 



[The suggestion here given is entirely fea- 

 sible. As there are many old Simplicity 

 trough feeders in use the Alexander idea can 

 be carried into effect very easily and with 

 but little expense. — Ed.] 



GOGGLES INSTEAD A BEE- VEIL. 



I have wondered you do not make cheap 

 spectacles with gauze or cloth around the 

 outside protecting the face an inch or so 

 around the eyes. A veil is a bother. A sting 

 anywhere else than the eyes is of little conse- 

 quence. I get it on or near the eye about 

 once each year, and then I must hide away 

 from society for a day or two— rather awk- 

 ward sometimes. If there are such glasses 

 anywhere I should like to get a pair. 



Granby, Que. John D. Ellis. 



[We would suggest that you use the ordi- 

 nary goggles that thrashers use to keep chaff 

 out of the eyes during the harvest season. 

 If you want something a little better and 

 more expensive, the automobile goggles that 

 are sold at the automobile stores would prob- 

 ably meet your requirements more satisfac- 



KING birds NOT PESTS ABOUT AN APIARY. 



Mr. Doolittle, on page 90 of the Jan. 15th 

 issue, last, gives the king bird a rather bad 

 name. What he says is probably true; but 

 this is only one side of its character, and 

 may do the noble little bird a great deal of 

 needless harm. I think the readers of 

 Gleanings should be informed of the other 

 side of its character. When one is shot on 

 suspicion its stomach contents should be ex- 

 amined to make sure that the suspicion is 

 well founded. 



I would not be without a pair of king 

 birds in the summer for more than the price 

 of a hive of bees. They drive away the 

 crows and hawks which would make sad 

 havoc among the small birds' nests and 

 chickens, and I also notice that what few 

 English sparrows have escaped my gun im- 

 mediately decamp on arrival of the kingbird 

 in spring, greatly to the relief of the eave 

 swallows. 



Of 281 stomachs collected by the United 

 States Biological Survey, only 14 contained 

 remains of honey-bees. In these 14 stomachs 

 there were in all 50 honey-bees, of which 40 

 were drones, 4 workers, and the remaining 

 6 were too badly broken to be identified as 

 to sex. The larger part of its food consists 

 of injurious insects, among which are rob- 

 ber-flies, which is one in its favor for bee- 

 men, as robber-flies kill large numbers of 

 honey-bees. 



All bee-keepers who ai'e interested should 

 get Farmers' Bulletin No. 54, entitled" Some 

 Common Birds in their Relation to Agricul- 

 ture," U. S. Department of Agriculture, or 

 "Birds of Ontario in Relation to Agricul- 

 ture," Ontario Department of Agricultui'e, 

 Toronto. Either one, I think, can be had 

 in their respective countries for the asking. 

 A. K. Whidden. 



No. Bedeque, P. E. Island. 



A GOOD FLOW FROM HONEY-DEW; SHOULD 

 IT BE USED AS A WINTER FOOD? 



The honey-dew has been a continuous flow 

 all this season. It drips on the sidewalk eve- 

 ry night in large quantities. I never saw 

 the like. It commences June 1. It gets 

 stronger as the season advances. Is it the 

 same there? J. W. Baker. 



Stevensville, Mont. 



[Some seasons and in some localities hon- 

 ey-dew is very abundant— so much so that it 

 falls in a spray on the sidewalks under the 

 trees. The bees will work on it strongly. 

 For brood-rearing it is as good as any sweet; 

 but it is hardly safe to leave it in the combs 

 for winter. If your bees are storing it you 

 had better take the combs containing it out 

 and use them for brood-rearing next spring. 

 In the mean time, feed sugar syrup after giv- 

 ing other combs. This should be done at once. 

 —Ed.] 



