1883 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



253 



even then maple sugar contains much more 

 foreign matter, besides the larger quantity 

 of water, than the perfectly dry granulated 

 sugar. I am inclined to object to melting 

 the sugar, or using heat in any way, if we 

 can possibly avoid it. If some kind of a 

 mill could be used that would grind up the 

 granulated sugar and honey together, so as 

 to completely break the grain of the sugar, 

 perhaps it might answer our purpose. The 

 honey and powdered sugar could then be 

 molded into little cakes which w^ould prob- 

 ably dry sutlieiently on the outside so they 

 could be handled easily, while the interior is 

 in a moist state, just about as the bees 

 would w.nt it. 



A- YOUNG QUEEN l.EAUING OUT Tlir, I'lUST SWAIiM. 



I wish to relate something I do not see mentioned 

 in the excellent manuals or bee journals. In early 

 spring of J8S0 I clipped the wing of a nice young 

 queen, and in 1881 (May 29) .1 swarm issued with a 

 young queen, and did well. In 1883 (Juno 21) the 

 same was repeated again, leaving the old queen, and 

 this winter the first-named colony dwindled until 

 March IT; the last bee and the queen that was clipped 

 died; now, was it not strange that young queens 

 should leave each time? 



DOES THE LOSS OF A LEG IMPAIR THE USE OKA 

 QUEEN? 



From the most prolific queen I now have I cut a 

 leg off in clipping, in 1881. I think it strange it did 

 not injure her usefulness, but she now has brood in 

 all stages. Jos. K. Harvey. 



Scranton, Pa., March 29, 18S:;. 



Friend IL, there are exceptions to almost 

 every rule in bee culture. The case you 

 mention is a marked exception. It is possi- 

 ble that the clipping of the queen may have 

 had something to do with this. In all cases 

 heretofore coming under my observation, 

 where a young queen led out the flrst swarm, 

 w'e have invariably found the old queen 

 missing in some way, decrepit or crippled. — I 

 am inclined to think the case you mention, 

 where you clipped the leg of the queen, that 

 she produced less brood than a perfect queen 

 would have done. We have had experience 

 with many such crippled queens ; but on 

 careful observation concluded the loss of the 

 leg usually impaired their ability to lay 

 rapidly. 



A SELF-MADE BEE-MAN. 



My bees are all in splendid condition in cellars. I 

 hope they will get through all right. I have but 21 

 colonies, but they are all Italians, and in Simplicity 

 hives. I have all the necessary implements and 

 machines for making hives that I runbj'a one-horse 

 power except a machine for making one-piece sec- 

 tions and a foundation mill; but I am thinking of 

 getting some before long. I raised my queens my- 

 self last summer, and succeeded well. I have a 

 lamp nursery. I make my foundation with plaster 

 molds that I made myself on the Farls plau, with 

 some alterations. It works well, but I am thinking 

 of getting a Given press. I made my saw-table, and 

 got every thing all up for making hives myself in 

 my spare hours. I never learned any trade, but I 

 have done it by the instructions found in the ABC 

 book, with the changes I thought would suit my 

 case best. Everj' carpenter wao has seen them says 

 I have learned tho trade. Perhaps I think more of 



them than I would if they belonged to somebody 

 else; but any way, I make my hives very well and 

 quickly with them. I shall not advertise at present; 

 I can sell all the hives I can make without advertis- 

 ing, as I work only in my spare hours; but next 

 summer I think I shall have more time to devote 

 to it, as I shall have more help. 



J. V. Belleflowek. 

 Montreal, P. Q., Can., March 1, 1883. 



A GOOD REPORT FROM THE ASTER. 



I have taken 100 lbs. of comb honey from a single 

 colony of bees, gathered from the aster, in the 

 month of October. It begins to bloom Sept. 15; it 

 blooms until frost, which generally comes about the 

 1st of Nov. I have seen its fresh blooms in Decem- 

 ber. I have no idea how much honey this country 

 could produce; but I suppose the pounds would be 

 increased 100 fold if the people would equip them- 

 selves with bees and other facilities. 



I. R. Good, of Nappanee, Ind., passed through this 

 country a few days ago, on the lookout for a suitable 

 place for queen-raising. I think he will do well here, 

 as he has already created, by his flying trip through 

 this part, a great excitement about queens and pure 

 bees. Everybody is anxious for him to settle here. 



Tullahoma, Tenn., April, 1883. T. A. Gunn. 



SAWDUST IN LIEU OF CHAFF. 



Last fall I packed in Novice's chaff hives 69 colo- 

 nics; in single-walled hives with store box set over, 

 and intervening space filled with sawdust, 6 colonies; 

 also six nuclei in chaff hives. The hives were all 

 placed on the ground, and sawdust heaped up all 

 around, except at the entrance, from to 10 inches. 

 The bees were confined on from two to ten frames, 

 according to size of colony and amount of honey in 

 combs, by the use of sawdust division-boai'ds, the 

 space between division-boards and hive being filled 

 in some with sawdust. Where space would permit, 

 the frames were separated from U inch to one inch. 

 On top of frames were placed three or four pg-inch 

 strips crosswise; and over these, lengthwise, several 

 l-lU-inch strips, comb-guides broken in two. Over 

 this arrangement was a clean burlap, and over all a 

 ten-inch chaff cushion. I forgot to say, by the way, 

 that a good part of my hives are stuffed with saw- 

 dust, and I am of the opinion that good sawdust, 

 from facts seen in connection with my case of bees, 

 is superior to chaff, the only objection being its 

 weight. 



On Monday, the 9th, I examined every hive, re- 

 moving sticks, and pushing frames up to the proper 

 distance apart, took off burlaps to keep clean for 

 next winter, putting on enameled sheets inst^ead. 

 After getting through, I felt like giving a " hurrah " 

 for the chalf hive and the L. frame, for I found 

 every colony alive; two were queenless, and one la- 

 dy the ruler of a nucleus, who had not yet learned 

 spring had come. But a section of honey placed 

 over the frames brought her around, and to-day she 

 is laying. Excepting these three, my bees are as 

 strong today as they were last fall when put away, 

 and some a good deal stronger. 



Geo. F. Williams. 



New Philadelphia, O., April 11, 1883. 



The queen I got of you last June proves to be a 

 beautiful one, and her little "bairns "are wonder- 

 ful workers. Though she is not a very prolific queen, 

 she has a fine large swarm in the hive, which are 

 workingfinely now, with several frames of capped 



