^58 



GLEAl^^INGS IN B^E CULTUKE. 



ISlAY 



that come up in our wax-room. We turn 

 out about 200 lbs. a day, and we employ about 

 two men and perhaps half a dozen girls be- 

 sides. This includes putting paper between 

 the sheets, boxing, unloading wax, weighing, 

 and many other little details. Our wax now 

 costs us from 38 to 40 cts. , after it is freed from 

 dirt and impurities. We get on an average, 

 perhaps 50 c, after paying for boxes, paper to 

 put between the sheets, etc. This gives 

 about ?i0.00 for the day's work. The wages 

 we pay would be from *8.00 to ^10.00, and 

 we have $10.00 left to pay for room and 

 machinery, interest on money, etc. Do you 

 think it pays very much better than most 

 other industries V 



PRIEND MALONE'S FOOT-POWER SAW. 



As I have that foot-power saw at work, I thought 

 It might be of interest to some to tell how it is made, 

 if I cau, and how it works. The frame is made of 14 

 pieces, 3x4 seasoned hickory. It is 30 inches wide, 48 

 long, and 38 high. There are 4 pieces around the 

 top, 4 around the center from top to bottom, 4 posts, 

 and 3 lengthwise on top for mandrel to rest on. 

 Then there is a frame made of lV2xli/4-inch stuff just 

 like the top of frame, to lie on top. This latter is 

 fastened at one end with hinges to the frame, and 

 the other end to raise or lower. There are 3 tables, 

 one on the left band, stationary, 15 inches wide, and 

 one on the right-hand side, that runs on tracking. 

 There are two gauges, one on the left for rip, and on 

 the right for cross-cut. The wheel is S9 inches diam- 

 eter, 6-inch rim, ana 3-inch face. This gives the 

 saw 30 revolutions to the wheel's one. The wheel is 

 hung on an iron shaft, one ioch square, bent for 

 crank. It runs on steel points, with set-screw, just 

 like the $3.50 mandrel. This part is where I think I 

 beat friend Hutchinson. There are no heavy bear- 

 ings, and it runs like a top. It cost me $10 00 in 

 money and $13.00 in work. An old wheel wiight 

 made it for me. Wm. Malone. 



Oakley, la., Feb. 11, 1883. 



CHICKENS IN A BEE-YARD. 



Have any of the fraternity «ver tried keeping 

 chickens in the same yard with bees? Will the 

 chickens eat the bees? Will the bees sting the 

 chickens? Is there any other otijection? I should 

 like an answer from some one who has tried it. 



New York, N. Y., April 18, 1883. F. D. Cl.4lrke. 



Yes, friend C, I have tried to keep chick- 

 ens in a bee-yard, to my sorrow. Ours nev- 

 er ate the Lees, that I know of, but we have 

 pretty conclusive evidence that chickens 

 sometimes learn to eat them. The trouble 

 they made with us was in tearing up the 

 sawdust in front of the hives, and scratch- 

 ing things right and left generally. Then 

 there is one other feature that is ])retty disa- 

 greeable, to me at least. When I work at a 

 bee-hive I often get down on my knees, or 

 sit on the ground. Well, where one works 

 that way, it is not pleasant to have chickens 

 about, you know. I presume there is some- 

 thing to be said on the other side. A pet 

 chicken can easily be taught to pick up all 

 the moth-worms that are brought out of a 

 hive, or to grab them up qiiickly when the 

 bee-keeper pushes them out of the combs, 

 etc. Perhaps some of the brethren have 

 had a different experience from mine. 



CHAFF PACKING, ETC. 



It has been a hard winter on fruit-trees and bees. 

 March was cool; April IGth was the first I noticed 

 bees carry in natural pollen, but Ihey are busy to- 

 day on Hour. I was late with building my bee-house, 

 and it was quite damp; put in 35. Feb. 2^ was nice. 

 I gave them a fly, put them in again, and took them 

 out April 9; all lively but 3; 9 packed in chaff ap- 

 pear to work as well as any. About one-half are on 

 summer stand unpacked, but with a windbreak. 

 Lost five of them. I think I should have lost less if 

 a two-inch hole had been in bottom-board, as they 

 were strongest. E. Pickup. 



Limerick, 111., April 17, 1883. 



REPORT FROM MRS. AXTELL. 



Our bees wintered very poorly, both in cellar and 

 out of doors; never in better condition than they 

 were in last fall, but will, we think, have all left we 

 can well care for in two apiaries, and the nice combs 

 left by the dead colonies are worth nearly as much 

 for young swarms as if sold lust fall, at present 

 prices of honey and bees. We wintered in cellar 

 about 150 colonies, instead of 15, as per Apr. No. If 

 any fault in wintering on our part, it was too many 

 bees in one cellar; but it was kept well ventilated. 

 One of our Chicago commission men visited us yes- 

 terday; he says, "Tell them, 1-lb. sections are just 

 rirjlit, but don't by any means make any smaller." 



Roseville, 111., April 18, 1833. L. C. Axtell. 



Or Letters from Those ^VIio Iiave Made 

 Bee Culture a Failun-e. 



fNCLOSED please fli 

 me Gleanings, ai 



find for which send 



/[[ me Gleanings, and oblige your friend and 

 ' brother bee-keeper, who is in Blasted Hopes 

 now. Last fall I had 38 good .strong swarms of 

 black bees. The winter was very severe here, with 

 3 feet of snow on the level. My bees did not have a 

 tiy from the 11th of Nov. until about the last of Feb., 

 and the weather still continues cold, with lots of 

 snow on the ground. I had 33 swarms packed in 

 fine drj' oat straw, 6 inches thick all around the 

 hives, with entrance open, honey - boxes filled 

 with dry straw, and placed directly over bees 

 to collect moisture; laches of straw over hives, 

 and a good shingle root' over each one; 6 swarms I 

 left unprotected. 



RESULTS. 



Those 6 unprotected are all dead; 14 of those 

 packed in straw, dead, leaving only 18 live ones, and 

 most of those rather weak. My hives are 30 in. long, 

 13 high, and 13 wide; the 3 swarms in old-fashioned 

 box hives, packed same as the rest, came through 

 splendid. Lemmon W. Itzenhouser. 



Coral, Montcalm Co.. Mich., March 30, 1883. 



Why, friend^I., it doesn't seem to me you 

 need to be in haste to get into " Blasted 

 Hopes," for you have done better than we 

 did, as it is. I think your old box hives had 

 old tough Combs, and had ample time to pre- 

 pare themselves securely for winter, while 

 those of the other hives were new colonies 

 built up last season. 



BLASTED HOPES. 



Blasted hopes! blasted hopes! On the 5th I wrote 

 you a letter, and inclosed subscription for Glean- 

 ings, to commence April 1. 1 had not yet mailed 

 the letter on the Cth when I went to give a hand to 



