34 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jan. 



week, and some plan agreed upon to be carried out 

 in this State. I think Professor Cook's plan of fur- 

 nishing' supervisors or assessors with blanks to be 

 filled out at the time of making the spring assess- 

 ments would be the most feasible, at least in this 

 State. It would make but little additional labor for 

 that officer, and, as a general thing, I am confident 

 they would be willing to assist in the work. A pos- 

 tal card properly prepared could be furnished each 

 supervisor, who would fill them out and forward 

 them to Professor Cook or some person designated 

 by the National Committee without any expense 

 for postage above the price of a postal card for each 

 township. These postal cards could be furnished by 

 the State Society, or the various societies of the 

 State, or in part by voluntary contributions from 

 the bee-keepers of the State, at a very slight ex- 

 pense to each. With this plan carried out, the sta- 

 tistics could be collected throughout the State with 

 much more accuracy, and with less trouble and ex- 

 pense, than by any other I have seen advanced. I 

 can see but one objection to this plan: It might 

 cause a more general assessment of bees for taxes. 

 But as some are already paying taxes on their bees, 

 I can see no plausible reason why all should not be 

 treated alike. S. H. Mallort. 



Becatur, Mich., Dec. 11, 1882. 



I entirely agree with you, friend H.; and, 

 in fact, the assessors of the State of Ohio do 

 tax the bees and honey both. In regard to 

 taxes, I have always paid taxes, and would 

 be ashamed to have it known that onr in- 

 dustry was not taxed like other farm stock. 



As you failed to visit me one year ago this fall, as 

 you contemplated, I will mention some things you 

 would have seen if you had come; especially a hive 

 that has wintered bees successfully for the past five 

 years. 



A SUCCESSFUL WINTERING-HIVE. 



The hive is one story and a half, used for comb 

 honey; the brood department is WA x 1414 in., 11 in. 

 deep, no chaff at the bottom or front; two inches of 

 chaff at the back and sides. The chaff at the sides is 

 separated from the bees by boards ^4 in. or less thick, 

 shoved down Into grooves cut in the end-boards be- 

 fore the hives are put together. 1 think it very es- 

 sential that the bees be separated from the chaff by 

 as little wood as possible. I see that there are pas- 

 sages through the combs, and two sticks Vi x^i inch 

 are laid across the tops of the frames; then one 

 thickness of cotton cloth, two of old carpet, and a 

 chaff cushion 4 inches thick. I would never use en- 

 ameled cloth over bees in winter. I have about fifty 

 of the hives in use — 95 swarms in various kinds of 

 hives. I have 3 tenement hives, 4 swarms In each, 

 all doing nicely at all times of the year. I cordially 

 Invite all bee-keepers to make me a visit. They 

 shall have their board and lodging fi-ee, for I gener- 

 ally learn something new from every discussion of 

 the bee subject. 



MOVING A WORKER EGG TO A DRONE-CELL,. 



Being very anxious to ascertain whether the work- 

 er bees have the power to change the egg from a 

 worker to a drone, I transferred eggs from worker- 

 cells to drone-cells in a queenless colony — such a 

 swarm being more anxious to raise drones. They 

 produced worker bees. The eggs may have been 

 too old — too near the time of hatching. I intend to 

 make further experiments in the same direction. 

 Hoping we shall solve that puzzling question before 



another summer passes, I should like instructions 

 from any one how such experiments should be con- 

 ducted. 



FOOT-POWER BUZZ-SAWS. 



I should like to say to those who think of making 

 foot-power buzz-saws, don't do it; I have tried it. It 

 is too hard work for any man to cut stuff for more 

 than a dozen hives. 



A HOME-MADE WINDMILL. 



I now run a 6-inch saw through 2-inch plank by 

 means of a windmill of my own construction, doing 

 good work, making surplus boxes and hives for 100 

 swarms. This windmill cost me not to exceed $25.00 

 besides my own work. It also runs a drag-saw that 

 saws my stovewood. The buzz-saw, mandrel, and 

 bearings, cost $2.00, besides my labor. For bearings 

 I "Babbitted" in hard-wood boxes, which is a good 

 way to do, I think. 



I did not get much surplus honey this season until 

 Aug. and Sept., when the bees did extremely well. 

 The brood departments of my hives are very hea^-y 

 with honey now, which, in my opinion, will lessen 

 their chances to winter, if we have a long cold one. 

 My swarm on scales lost lU lbs. in November. 



My success in wintering two years ago has been 

 given in Gleanings. One year ago I lost one out of 

 105. That swarm lost its queen early in the fall, and 

 therefore failed before spring. F. C. White. 



Euclid, Cuy. Co., O., Dec. 6, 1882. 



I believe your experiment was properly 

 made, in transferring eggs, friend W., for 

 the result is always as you say, so far as I 

 know. A worker egg produces a worker, 

 no matter what cell you put it in, and a drone 

 egg produces a drone, no matter what kind 

 of a cell you put it in. When bees make a 

 worker egg produce a drone they enlarge 

 the cell, it is true; but they do something 

 else also ; that is, if they ever do make 

 worker eggs produce drones. 



$}00 FROM ONE COLONY, ETC., AND ALL CARED FOB 

 AFTER NIGHT AT THAT. 



Last spring I had 26 stands of bees, and now I have 

 4T from natural swarming. I had one hive that 

 swarmed 6 times, and made enough honey to do 

 them, except one hive, and that one I shall have to 

 feed. All the swarms came from 9 hives. From the 

 queen I got of you a year ago I have now 24 hives. 

 That colony that swarmed 6 times made 100 lbs. of 

 surplus honey, worth 25c per lb. ; 5 colonies at $15.00 

 apiece is worth $75.00; that would make bees and 

 honey both $100. I think that will do very well for 

 an A B C scholar. We extracted 76 gallons of hon- 

 ey, and I took 260 lbs. of comb honey. Honey here 

 is now worth 25c per lb. My fall honey, I did not 

 get to take any of it, as I was taken sick. All the 

 honey was capped. When I began in the spring the 

 bees had no honey. I was feeding all of them at the 

 close of the season. They averaged over 100 lbs. to 

 the colony. I make all my hives nights, as I work 

 in the pattern shops of the B. & O. Railroad Co. I 

 tend to my bees nights and mornings. I put all of 

 my second swarms back, which numbered about 25, 

 except 6 swarms from the large hive. 



John N. Carroll. 



Grafton, W. Va., Dec. 5, 1882. 



Pretty good, friend C. ; but it seems to 

 me you have figured the 5 swarms pretty 

 high, at $15.00 each. You ought to have 

 some of the new bees that swarm after dark, 

 and then, you see, you would be all right. 



