1510 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 1 



true that queens will not fight after being 

 fertilized. I have tried many times putting 

 from two to six in a cage; and in nearly eve- 

 ry instance where the queens were thrifty 

 and vigorous they would fight until there 

 was but one living. When queens are heavy 

 with eggs they usually do not quarrel imme- 

 diately after being caged; but they won't be 

 so friendly after being caged for some time. 

 I would no more risk sending two queens in 

 one cage, or keeping them together, than to 

 keep two fully matured male hogs in the 

 same pen; yet there are quite a few cases on 

 record where they behaved very nicely. 

 Deer Plain, 111. F. X. Arnold. 



SHIPPING-CASES WITH SLIDING COVERS. 



In handling shipping-cases of sections for 

 sale I find the cover as at present made very 

 unsatisfactory, slipping out of place unless 

 nailed after selling every single section; and 

 for my own personal use I took two pieces 



and nailed on the front and back, each hav- 

 ing a ship-lap as shown. Then the middle 

 piece is shiplapped, and slides to and fro, 

 forming a tight cover that holds in place 

 however much the case is moved about. 



Although I do not use a wedge in my 

 cases, I found some difiiculty in removing 

 the first section, but overcame that by put- 

 ting a thick piece of cartridge paper around 

 one section, with the ends upward long 

 enough to catch hold of, and lift the section 

 out. Directions could be printed on this pa- 

 per. The diiSculty might be overcome by 

 letting the cover run from front to back in- 

 stead of from end to end. Then the wedge 

 could be removed easily; but the piece of pa- 

 per for lifting out the first section, 1 think, 

 should still be used. H. Fixz Hart. 



Wetumpka, Ala., April 1. 



[Your suggestion regarding the construc- 

 tion of the cover of the shipping-case is a 

 most excellent one, and the supply-manufac- 

 turers are urged to adopt the idea. It cer- 

 tainly would be a great convenience to the 

 retailer, wholesaler, and producer. The oth- 

 er idea of using a paper pull to remove the 

 first section is also excellent. It might be 

 well to get up a special "pull" with suitable 

 printed matter on it, and make it an article 

 of general sale. — Ed.] 



SWARMING EASILY PREVENTED IN COLONIES 

 RUN FOR EXTRACTED HONEY. 



As my home is in the country and I am 

 engaged in the city, I have to be away all 

 day; so the plan I have adopted is to try to 

 prevent swarming by putting on queen-ex- 

 cluders, and put on another hive with full 

 combs just like the brood-chamber; and when 

 that one gets nearly full I raise that up and 

 put another underneath. When I get two 

 or three about full I try to get home in the 

 middle of the day and put on some Porter es- 

 capes, and after supper they are ready to 

 come off with scarcely a bee in them. 



After the honey has been extracted, the 

 frames are pat back in the hive-body and 

 taken to the stand whence they came, and, 

 carefully taking off the escape, I stand the 

 hive on top. 



When I commenced to keep a few bees my 

 only object was to have a little honey for 

 my family; but as they do not need it all I 

 have no trouble in disposing of all surplus 

 at a good price. Frank Wanstall. 



White Plains, N. Y. 



BEES WORKING ON ALFALFA IN INDIANA. 



I believe it is generally understood that 

 bees do not work on alfalfa east of the Mis- 

 sissippi: but last week I saw them on a field 

 of alfalfa, as nearly as I could estimate, 

 about ten bees per square rod. Bees were 

 working on sweet clover, alsike, and white 

 clover the same day. The weather had been 

 so wet that the farmer could not cut this al- 

 falfa, and he said it should have been cut ten 

 days before. George S. Demuth. 



Peru, Ind. 



[It has been stated that bees do not work 

 on alfalfa east of the Mississippi; and while 

 this is generally true we have had one re- 

 port from Pennsylvania, and one from an- 

 oiher of the Eastern States, showing that 

 there are times when the bees may be found 

 on the plant; but the instances of this kind 

 are comparatively rare. Alfalfa generally 

 does not seem to yield honey unless it grows 

 in the arid or semi-arid regions. Where the 

 ground is irrigated it does the best. In por- 

 tions of Nebraska, where there is enough of 

 moisture to make the plant grow, some nec- 

 tar is yielded, but in the East, where there 

 are frequent rains, the alfalfa seldom yields 

 any honey. The roots of the plant seem to 

 require a good soaking, and then a dry spell 

 to yield nectar. — Ed.] 



GLASS QUEEN-CELL-FORMING STICKS. 



T*he other day I could not find my cell- 

 forming stick. In looking about for some- 

 thing to make one of, my eyes rested on a 

 glass stopper of about the right size. 1 put 

 it to use, and now I want no more sticks in 

 mine. I can make a third more cell-cups, 

 and make them better with the glass. The 

 cell cups slip off much easier. 



Mangas, Cuba. C. F. Hochstein. 



